Craigs UK Bird Photos

This is the earliest this pair had returned. Id been to Bass Lake early before work, bat had seen very little except a couple of Red-breasted Mergansers. Then at work i Had a phone call telling me a male Osprey was on Bass. So i had a look after work and sure enough the a male was sat on its regular post the far side of the lake.  The female Osprey returned today too. They both landed on the nest. So it must be last years pair. I had a few Sandmartins through. After i left a Lesser pecker was seen typical.

 

 

Nothing much to report from Soddy really, its been very quiet for a while. My first Chiff Chaff was at Low Meadows on the 25th and my first Wheatear of the year at the same site was on the 26th. The Barn Owl has been showing very well, and good numbers of Goosander have been regular.

 

 

 

Went home for the weekend to Derbyshire for a funeral and managed some birding in between. My first stop was Cromford Canal for Hawfinch, for an hour there was no sign and i was just about to give in when i heard the familiar call of the Hawfinch. 1 Was sat in the top of a nearby tree giving good views, although they are never easy to photograph when there in the tops. It took off and 2 more joined it, they stayed about for another 30 min before disappearing into the distance.

 

 

Next I visited Carsington Water hoping for an early White Wagtail but not this time. I did get 2 Great-northern Divers, many Sand martins and 2 Swallow, Tree Sparrows were very much in evidence.

 

 

 

On the way home we stopped in at the lovely Formark Reservoir For cracking views of Red-necked Grebe, also 2 more Swallows.

 

 

 

At Brough i had my first Swallow of the year. A male Goshawk came through the site at work.

At Siddick ponds 2 Chiff Chaff singing.

Soddy Hosted 21 Goosander, 30 Curlew and a Buzzard, as well as the usual stuff.

2 Sandmartin and 2 Grey Partridge were in Little/Great Broughton 

St Bees was a big success, with the Guillemots and Razorills back including some Bridled Guillemots.

 

 

 

 

3 Puffins were a nice surprise and 6 Black Guillemots was a good count.

 

 

 

In the fields were a Hooded x Carrion Crow, a Nordic Jackdaw and 8 Twite, the colour ringed bird was still here.

 

 

Not a bad weekend really. 

 

Chris and Tristan were out for the day, but I could hardly walk due to a bad back, so I did just local stuff. Starting at Soddy flash, with just Grey Wagtail and a couple of Shelduck. On Soddy itself were 9 Goosander and the usual wildfowl including a Pochard. Lapwing looked to be trying to breed on the island, but I'm sure the Black-headed gulls will put stop to that. I noted that the Black-headed gulls were flying around with frogs or toads in there beaks, dropping them on  the bank then eating the bellies, I have found many frogs around the pond edge part eaten and wounded if it was the gulls.

Next stop was St bees, I was hoping for some migrants but it was very quiet. Only note-worthy birds were the 15 Twite with a couple of hundred Linnets, also 1 or 2 color ringed Twite, white blue yellow, or Orange, this was rung in Askham in autumn 2008.

 

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On the way home I stopped in at Parton, where the tide was in with many lingering gulls, including 2 Med Gulls, a 1st winter and full adult summer. The previous day I had a different adult summer bird at Workington Harbour. All in all a nice all be it painful weekend.

 

On our Way to Swillington, Tris, Chris and I visited Fairburn Ings for a second look at the Long-eared Owls, although today they weren't showing as well, and only 1 was in proper view, with a second, we think, well hidden.... On the feeders outside the visitor centre, Willow tit, Siskin and Bullfinch showed very well. Next stop was Swillington ings, this was a new site for us all and a brilliant Gull roost. On Arriving we all got a year tick, 6 Ruddy ducks. There were lots of Gulls on Show mainly Greater black-backed and argentatus Herring gulls.  We were there for the reported possibly Kumlins gull but by 3pm there was no sign the the gulls were pretty static, so we went to have a look at the tip. This provided us with 1st winter Iceland, adult Med gull and Tristan and Chris had a possible 1st winter Yellow legged gull. We then returned to Swillington in time for the roost, which provided us with a 3rd winter and 1st winter Iceland gull.

 

 

The possible Kumlins turned out to be a Herring gull with brown primaries, or at least we think this is the bird being reported.

 

 

There were many weird looking Herring gulls in the roost and many different features on many of the Herring Gulls, it certainly made me think very hard. 

 

 

 Just before it got dark I had a Kingfisher go past. All in all a very enjoyable and educational day.