Craigs UK Bird Photos

4th December                       No Birding for Weeks!!!!

Well not done any birding whatsoever over the last few weeks. Due to a mix of things really, poorly dog, ended up having her put to sleep!, dark nights, work etc etc. So i manage to get the friday offm and decided to have a try for the American Wigeon In Dumfries and Galloway. I got to Kirk Loch ab...

26th-30th October Crappy Cumbria

Had the week off due to not being able to get into my bnb this week due to it being half term. So managed to get out and do some local birding every day. Numbers have been high but species just common....typical Cumbria.

Firstly (Monday) there was a report of a Long billed Dowitcher from the Scotish side of the Solway at Brownhouses. Counts are as follows but no Long Billed Dowitcher..

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Glossy Ibis 29th Sept

I'm starting a new contract in Northumberland on Simonside. Now i saw the reports of a Glossy Ibis from druridge pools, this is only 17 mile away so decided to go and take a look after work. When i got there the bird was hiding in a ditch, but eventually it wandered into site, although it never stopped feeding. I did manage a distant record shot how i got this i have no idea cos it did seem a long way off...

Cornwall SW Seawatch 22nd- 31st.

Well Tristan had organised for us to do a Balearic Shearwater Survey From Porthgwarra in Cornwall, so it was time for Chris Tristan and i to head South for the week. Well what can i say about this, erm a week of Dipping probably. First day was ok looking at Dragonflys and Damselfly's in Tewksbury, first was  male White-legged Damselfly, then Brown Hawker, Southern Hawker, Black-tailed Skimmer, Blue-tailed Damselfly, Common...

31st July

Now a message came through on the phone Possible Steppe Grey Shrike Alston , WHAT!!!!!no way, i had seen a Great Grey Shrike in the same spot in April, it must be the same bird, so i wasn't too worried. I thought i would go and sort it out, or at least get some pics and getting others opinions. So after work i drove the 45min to Alston golf coarse, when i arrive Bill was already on the bird sitting on pylons fairl...

Well the end of June ended in disaster! a big fat DIP!!!!!Tristan and i went over to Saltholme pools for a Terek Sandpiper, now we went for a Terek sand this time last year and dipped again, so we weren't pleased. Unfortunately before we got there the bird had been flushed by rspb staff early in the morning and not seen again, although 1 did turn up at gib point later in the day. Unfortunately the message put out to the pages was misleading, we wouldn't have bothed ...

Did my first and last Skua watch of the season, I was surprised to get all 4 species.

Between 1200 and 1645 i had 3 Long-tailed Skuas (holy grail of Skuas), 6 Great Skuas, 2-4 Pom Skuas and 5 Arctics. Great few hours Skua Watching. Also 30+ Gannets flew in and out again and 3 Eider (scarce in north cumbria).

2nd May Northumberland!!!!

Tristan's just got his second hand car, so we decided to give it a run to Northumberland. Now we new there was nothing about but gave it a go anyway.

First stop was Grindon Lough, but there wasn't much here just a few Redshank, a Ringed Plover and some Dunlin.

Next to the Black-necked Grebe site in Newcastle, but WHAT no Grebes, they must have been hiding. Th...

25th 26th St bees and Silloth.

Got to St bees at about 8-30, had a walk to the lighthouse, on the way were 2 Common Whitethroat and a few Wheatear. Once at the cliff i found 2 male Whinchats in the grass.

Christmas-New year Period.

December is nearly over i have spent a few days visiting family in Derbyshire, with very little serious birding done, i have searched through the gulls at the usual good spots but the refuse tips have been discouraging the gulls so i found very little. The only birds i did find were a 1st Winter med Gull, 2 Argentatus Herring Gulls Ruddy Ducks and a Great-northern Diver at Carsington Water. Couldnt find any Ha...

Christmas-New year Period.

December is nearly over i have spne t a few days visiting family in Derbyshire, with very little serious birding done, i have searched through the gulls at the usual good spots but the tips have been discouraging the gulls so i found very little. The only birds i did find were a 1st Winter med Gull and 2 Argentatus herring Gulls at Carsington Water. Couldnt find any Hawfinch this time either.

On Returning to Cumbria i have...