Tuesday, 10 May 2022

First Swift today

 






Had my first Swift of the year today low over the moors , also Curlew , Cormorant , 2 male Teal , Wheatear , 2 Herring Gulls and loads of Dunlin..
3 Whitethroat , 1 Blackcap and 1 Chiffchaff  singing in Northowram and a Pair of House Martins nest building....On the 11th a late afternoon move of Swifts saw at least 45 - 50 , the sky was grey and forced the Swifts to a low level so they could easily be counted...A Ringtail  Harrier being mobbed by 3/4 Carrion Crows was brief but long enough to see the white rump as it battled with the crows, too distant to say what species........

Monday, 9 May 2022

The With




 An adult summer Sanderling was stunning but always distant , Dunlin 8 + , LRP 6 + , Oystercatcher 2 , Golden Plover 3 , Lapwing 5 , 1 Ringed Plover , 1 Wheatear , 1 Buzzard , 1 Kestrel ,2 Common Sandpiper , 2 Linnet , 4 Skylark , 14 Meadow Pipit , Reed Bunting , 8 Herring Gull , 25 LBBGull , 6 BH Gull , Swift , Sand Martin and Short eared Owl ............

Thursday, 5 May 2022

Dunlin




 A big influx of Dunlin over the last few days on our local reservoirs  ,  I had my first pair on breeding territory on the 13th April....Also LRP's , Golden Plover , Common Sandpipers , Redshanks displaying and a few Wheatear . 
 

Monday, 2 May 2022

On the tops





Plenty Owls about with at least 10 SEO's , 2 BO , Peregeine , Woodcock , 8 Snipe drumming , Wheatear,,,LRP , Dunlin , Redshanks , Curlew , Lapwing ,Oystercatcher , ,Common Sandpiper ,Siskin ,Teal , Tufted Duck , 
 

Italy ...Cammino Kalabria..... Coast to Coast

The route..... ......Drove to Stansted Airport form Halifax , flew to  Lamezia terme Airport, took train to Soverato , walked the Cammimo trail stopping at Petrizzi , San Vito , Moterosso , and finished in Pizzo. Took train to Tropea and then train back to Lamezia..then home...







 

Cammino Kalabria ...Italy Coast to Coast April 2022....Birds , Moths and Butterflies

 Birds ...

  Little Grebe , Great Crested Grebe , Black Stork , White Stork , Spoonbill , Grey Heron ,  Night Heron , Little Egret  , Cormorant , Mallard , Coot , Black Winged Stilt , Common Sandpiper , Curlew Sandpiper , Little Ringed Plover , Avocet , Ruff , Yellow legged Gull , Lesser Black backed Gull , Med Gull , Audoins Gull , Sandwich Tern , Osprey , Marsh Harrier , Montagu's Harrier , Black Kite , Honey Buzzard , Common Buzzard , Sparrowhawk , Hobby , Kestrel , Lesser Kestrel , Elenora's Falcon , Bee -eater , Swift , Swallow , House Martin , Alpine Swift , Pallid Swift , Sand Martin , Crag Martin , Red Rumped Swallow , Cuckoo ,Tawny Owl , Short -toed Treecreeper , Green Woodpecker , Great Spotted Woodpecker , Lesser Spotted Woodpecker , Nuthatch , Crested Lark , White Wagtail , Grey Wagtail , Yellow Wagtail , Collared Dove , Rock Dove , Woodpigeon , Stock Dove , Whinchat , Black Redstart , Pied Flycatcher , Spotted Flycatcher ,Wheatear , Blue Tit , Great T|it , Linnet , Goldfinch , Chaffinch ,Greenfinch , Serin , Golden Oriole , Nightingale , Eastern Subalpine Warbler , Sardinian Warbler , Icterine Warbler , Blackcap ,Chiffchaff , Willow Warbler , Cetti's Warbler , Fan tailed Warbler ,Blue Rock Thrush , Song Thrush , Blackbird , Wren , Robin , Italian Sparrow , Tree Sparrow , Jackdaw , Jay , Hooded Crow, Magpie , Starling , Corn Bunting.



Butterflies ...

Swallowtail , Citrus Swallowtail , Eastern Bath White , Orange Tip , Clouded Yellow , Brimstone , Small , Green Veined and Large White , Brown Argus , Common Blue , Small Blue ,Green Underside Blue , Holly Blue , Red Admiral , Painted Lady , Green Hairstreak , Small Heath , Speckled Wood , Wall Brown , Silver Washed Frilillary and Nettletap Butterfly...

Moths

 Latticed Heath , V - Pug , Pale Tussock , Cream Spot Tiger , Barred Hook Tip , Wave Sp ,





Reptiles..

Italian Wall Lizard and 4 lined Snake , European pond turtle .....







Sunday, 1 May 2022

Sovorato Italy , 23rd April 2022

 The only morning of true birding and what a morning it was....Vis -mig from beach everything heading along beach North east......

Swallow......1128

Red - Rumped Swallow .....3

Swift ..500 +

Pallid Swift ...2

Alpine Swift...26

House Martin...65 

Sand Martin ...10

Crag Martin ...4

Yellow Wagtail ....428( 87 + 120 + 35 +15 + 6 +75+ 90)

White Wagtail...3

Honey Buzzard ...2

Common Buzzard....4 

Elenoras Falcon x 1

Montagu's Harrier ...1 adult female

Audouins Gull 2 (1 adult 1 2nd winter)

Present...

Pied Flycatcher x 1 , Crested Lark x 1 , Italian Sparrow 50 + , Cetti's Warbler x 6 , Common Sandpiper x 3, Hooded Crow 11 , Yellow Legged Gull x 12.....Yellow Wagtail 60 blogging mainly Blue Headed F but one black headed type............

                                                 Audouins Gull stopped briefly on the beach
                                                        Cragg Martin
                                                          Cragg Martin zoomed in
                                                        Honey Buzzard

                                                 



Wednesday, 20 April 2022

Wheatear



 Nice fall of Wheatear yesterday with at least 8 kicking about on Lower Walshaw res , one male was in full flight display. Cuckoo calling , Red Kite , Common Sands , Redshanks and plenty drumming Snipe. Green tiger Beetles , Lizards and Common Heaths.... 

Friday, 15 April 2022

15th April 2022 High Moors

Common Lizard
What a beauty never came close but wow....

Common Lizard showing new tail growth




 

Tuesday, 12 April 2022

Howgills





                                                             Classic Howgills...11 miles

Friday, 8 April 2022

Owl 's

 A trip up to the tops today was like going  back to December , so cold , north west wind cutting through you like a knife.....and snow lots of it...driving down like golf balls....but in between the snow showers bright sunshine and clear skies...the first bird seen was a male Merlin chasing Meadow Pipits , then 4 SEOwls together..another SEOwl behind us...in one of the heavy showers 3 Wheatear 2 males and a female dropped in and Meadow Pipits 100 + , 3 Grey Wags , 7 Song Thrush , 5 Mistle Thrush , 50 + Oystercatcher , Lapwings , Redshanks and Curlew ..A few Herring  Gulls and LBBGulls heading west

   The surprise of the evening was a LEO hunting out in the open and a SEO hunting the same area. 2 displaying SEO at a distance and then 3 more SEOwl  quite close. 11 SEOwl's in total , if the weather would have been good who knows how many there could have been,,Another LEO was seen sat out on a branch in a local wood...an excellent evening for OWL's....................

Ogden

 Had a quick walk round Ogden last night, 2 Great Crested Grebes , 1 Redshank , 2 Chiffchaff , 3 Song Thrush (seem to be making a welcome comeback) 1 Raven and a Long eared Owl very high up in the sky being mobbed by 15 Crows.........................

Friday, 1 April 2022

Ring Ouzel







 First Ring Ouzels of the year , also 7 SEOwls , Merlin , 5 Raven , 60 Oystercatcher , 5 Raven , 11 Goosander...out with NCD..cheers

Wednesday, 30 March 2022

Muntjac Deer


  Saltfleetby NNR Lincs , funny looking deer those Muntjacs..!! Also 4 Velvet Scoter , Red Breasted Merganser , 2 Little Ringed Plover , 2 Chiffchaffs , Grey Plover and the explosive call of Cetti's Warbler...