5 scoter year it is then.
Record shots from Holy Island - my 7D doesn't seem to like the 2.0 extender... Spoonbill at Druridge was a nice bonus.
Showing posts with label Holy Island. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Holy Island. Show all posts
Sunday, 8 April 2018
Back in Black
5 scoter year it is then.
Record shots from Holy Island - my 7D doesn't seem to like the 2.0 extender... Spoonbill at Druridge was a nice bonus.
Sunday, 15 May 2016
Flat...
A week away with work saw me cavorting around Derwent Water - so bonus birds in the form of Osprey, Tawny Owl, Tree Pipit, Common Sandpiper and Redstart were appreciated.
Today I ventured north to Lindisfarne - no camera - batteries flat...
Highlights - female Bluethroat, Western Sub-alpine Warbler and a distant female Dotterel. Fantastic stuff!
On the way back - 1 BNG.
Today I ventured north to Lindisfarne - no camera - batteries flat...
Highlights - female Bluethroat, Western Sub-alpine Warbler and a distant female Dotterel. Fantastic stuff!
On the way back - 1 BNG.
Sunday, 27 January 2013
Cattled
It was an early start this morning, picking up Phil at half seven and then heading north. Our destination, Holy Island, was almost an hour away. The journey up was quiet - a fox just north of Morpeth and a dare devil red-legged partridge were the highlights.
Parked up a Chare Ends, just as Stewart arrived - it's been a while since we last met. He was playing it cool, with time for a coffee before the walk up to the crooked lonnen. Phil and I headed straight off, with song thrush at the main car park making a belated addition to the year list.
Our target bird was jammed on the walk towards the assembled crowd - the cattle egret, a blocker for all but three of Northumberlands birding community, was in flight. Almost barn owl like in impression, the egret flew round the back if a cottage and onto a large area of flooded field where it fed for a short while. Possibly better than that was the long-eared owl that had also ventured out, landing on the fence in front for a few minutes!
The egret was distant to say the least, and when it took flight later it was only to go back into the confines of a secluded garden to feed on the lawn. Viewing was restricted to distant glimpses...
The journey back took in a few northern sites, but little was on offer - very blustery conditions meant sea watching was limited. And by golly it was cold!
Parked up a Chare Ends, just as Stewart arrived - it's been a while since we last met. He was playing it cool, with time for a coffee before the walk up to the crooked lonnen. Phil and I headed straight off, with song thrush at the main car park making a belated addition to the year list.
Our target bird was jammed on the walk towards the assembled crowd - the cattle egret, a blocker for all but three of Northumberlands birding community, was in flight. Almost barn owl like in impression, the egret flew round the back if a cottage and onto a large area of flooded field where it fed for a short while. Possibly better than that was the long-eared owl that had also ventured out, landing on the fence in front for a few minutes!
The egret was distant to say the least, and when it took flight later it was only to go back into the confines of a secluded garden to feed on the lawn. Viewing was restricted to distant glimpses...
The journey back took in a few northern sites, but little was on offer - very blustery conditions meant sea watching was limited. And by golly it was cold!
Monday, 21 May 2012
No Luck
A day or two late ~ Wrong direction on Saturday and work on Sunday.
So pre-nightshift on Monday it had to be.
A few wheatear were about as much as I could find on a walk from Chare Ends to the Lough on Holy Island.
An hour or so at the causeway as the tide pushed in was impressive to watch but without target species... A single little egret was mild compensation.
News of the male red backed shrikes' current location came to late.
So pre-nightshift on Monday it had to be.
A few wheatear were about as much as I could find on a walk from Chare Ends to the Lough on Holy Island.
An hour or so at the causeway as the tide pushed in was impressive to watch but without target species... A single little egret was mild compensation.
News of the male red backed shrikes' current location came to late.
Saturday, 19 November 2011
Friday, 18 November 2011
Eastern Black Redstart, Holy Island, 17 Nov 11
Quick post of the splendid eastern black red - again time not on my side, may post some others after I've trawled through them all...
Thursday, 17 November 2011
Cross, east, greater then waxy!
A quick textual update, as another busy day continues to thwart any efforts to edit photographs taken.
Started the day well, with flyover crossbill while replenishing the garden bird feeders - a belated Cramlington tick for me!
News that the "eastern" black redstart was stills present on Holy island had me heading north on a lovely mild winter day. A chance bump into AC on the road in to the village provided opportunity to return the loan memory card from the recent firecrest fiasco, and prompted a quick about turn to walk in the correct direction to the ebred. What a stunner it was too, looking forward to uploading some images here...
The journey back was interrupted by the news that the AWOL greater yellowlegs had been relocated on Druridge Bay CP - twenty minutes later I was there... But views were distant.
Some field craft ensued and I eventually got within photographable distance, tho light was fading (14:15!!!).
Bizarrely the better images taken were of it on the grassy footpath that encircles the artificial lake!
Arriving home the familiar trill of waxwing welcomed me as I unpacked the car - 28 today perched in trees adjacent BSHQ...
Pics soon...
Monday, 11 April 2011
Sunday, 10 April 2011
Western Sub-alpine Warbler, Holy Island
Gave in to the pressure to leave Cramlington and bird elsewhere this afternoon... a report of sub-alpine warbler niggled from 10:30, and by 13:15 I crumbled - packed up the car and headed north. As I reached Fenham-le-moor confirmation came through, and it was with a little added foot pressure that the tick-mobile advanced to Chare Ends.
The warbler, a dapper male, visited the willow a few times during my three and a quarter hour vigil, and was by all accounts tricky to photograph out in the "open". I managed a few shots, of which more may appear tomorrow. It was 22 years since my last Northumberland sub-alp (which also happened to be on Holy Island)...
The warbler, a dapper male, visited the willow a few times during my three and a quarter hour vigil, and was by all accounts tricky to photograph out in the "open". I managed a few shots, of which more may appear tomorrow. It was 22 years since my last Northumberland sub-alp (which also happened to be on Holy Island)...
 |
| Canon 1DIII / 500mm IS / 2.0 extender |
Saturday, 2 October 2010
Yellow & Grey Birding
Started the birding day at a wonderfully sunny Tynemouth, where a very active yellow-browed warbler continued to flit about the sycamores' just prior to the pier. Nice birds, ybws', but damn tricky to photograph! This bird was occasionally calling but tended to keep high up the bank. I later received a text from CB (who had been at the pier... he had a ybw in his garden - nice!)
Early afternoon saw me arrive a ridiculously busy Holy Island. Newcastles' Northumberland Street must have been empty today - everyone was here!
A quick trudge across the dunes near Chare Ends (viewed north from the "9" on the map) saw me and a noisy RSPB-type group have views of a single great grey shrike - always a stunner but clearly a very wary bird, keeping to a distance of over 100m. Maybe it was all the unnecessary irrelevant noisy chat from the people there...
The village was very quiet bird-wise; the occasional brambling was seen and heard, while the vicars garden held one pied flycatcher. No sign of TC/MHs spotted flycatcher and I did not make the effort to head to the straight lonnen for their barred warbler as tales of long waits were not in my favour.
The significant highlight of the Holy Island was undoubtedly the delicious bacon buttie from the cafe. Always a winner.
West Hartford pit-stop visit produced c100 lapwing, a few bhg, a single mallard and a buzzard over the River Blyth.
Hopefully get out on Sunday too...
Early afternoon saw me arrive a ridiculously busy Holy Island. Newcastles' Northumberland Street must have been empty today - everyone was here!
A quick trudge across the dunes near Chare Ends (viewed north from the "9" on the map) saw me and a noisy RSPB-type group have views of a single great grey shrike - always a stunner but clearly a very wary bird, keeping to a distance of over 100m. Maybe it was all the unnecessary irrelevant noisy chat from the people there...
The village was very quiet bird-wise; the occasional brambling was seen and heard, while the vicars garden held one pied flycatcher. No sign of TC/MHs spotted flycatcher and I did not make the effort to head to the straight lonnen for their barred warbler as tales of long waits were not in my favour.
The significant highlight of the Holy Island was undoubtedly the delicious bacon buttie from the cafe. Always a winner.
West Hartford pit-stop visit produced c100 lapwing, a few bhg, a single mallard and a buzzard over the River Blyth.
Hopefully get out on Sunday too...
Saturday, 14 November 2009
Three dips and a BG
The plan was quite simple for Saturday morning - head up early morning to Holy Island, tick off the red-rumped swallow in the village and then have leisurely potter to the Lough for crippling views of the male bearded tit. We'd then head for Budle to take in the snow goose before heading to Stag Rocks for coffee and a sea watch. That was the plan.
The reality was slightly different. Route was accomplished bar all the birds listed above!
No sign of the red-rump in the village from first light, and a walk to the Lough only provided a few mute swan and bathing herring gull. Tides were unfavourable so we had to bee off island by mid morning, and our stops along Budle Bay only provided barnacle and grey-lag geese. Maybe the snow goose is back with the others at Fenham-le-moor ;-)
Stag Rocks was a little better with the black guillemot detectable by binocular, and photographed (albeit very badly) with the 1.4 and 2.0 extenders stacked onto the 500mm. While we were watching the bg a kingfisher flew north, over the "stag" rock and round into Budle Bay. Half a dozen long-tailed duck were also present, along with red-throated diver, shag and eider. Could not see any slavonian grebe...
Monday, 10 November 2008
Red-flank
Finally caught up with the red-flanked bluetail on Holy Island this afternoon - tides have been awkward the last couple of days so I had to wait until mid afternoon before the causeway to clear. While waiting for the tide I managed not to see the male desert wheatear at Newbiggin... maybe that will stick a bit longer. Bluetail was very active and kept low. These shots were taken on the roadside adjacent the Lindisfarne Hotel.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)