Craigs UK Bird Photos

28th What a F*ck Up.

A Glaucous gull had been reported from the Carlilse area over the past couple of days. So i thought i would go and have a look. On getting to Briar Bank i spotted the Gull sat on a house roof, brilliant. I managed  some shots befor it took off and flew around the playing field and away. I got home downloaded all the pics and put some on the web. Got a message a little later on questioning the id........shit what have i done......I looked at my pics a little more carefully and nooooooooo it was another bloody Iceland Gull, this time a brute of a bird, shit what a F*ck up....Id only seen about 4 Iceland gulls of late, so why didnt i question it in the field....bad bad day.

 

 

 

Had a better evening at Soddy gap with 5 Crossbill calling over head as i got out the car and 35 Goosander a record count. (of coarse they could have been Mallards tut)

 

 

21st/22nd Long-eared Owl

Ive been Dog sitting for friends over the weekend and decided to take a trip to both Fairburn Ings and Martin Mere. So on the first day Rach and I Visited Fairburn Ings for Long-eared Owl. After getting directions from reception we were off wondering round some muddy paths. 2 Little Egrets were a nice surprise as they flew over head. We got to the area with the Owls and great, they were showing well, 3 of them.

 

 

 

After our fill of the Owls we went to the main part of the reserve and again had a wonder, seeing Drake Smew and then lots of stuff on the feeders outside the visitor center including colour ringed Willow Tit from the reserve, I had a quick go with Rachels DSLR.

 

 

 

 

On the 22nd Rach and I had a trip to Martin Mere, firstly stopping at Seizergh Castle, to see if there were any Hawfinch, unfortunately they had not been seen this winter.

On Arriving at Martin Mere we had a good wander around, looking at the commoner stuff such as Whooper Swan, with at least 7 Radio Tagged birds, Ruff, and Pintail, as well as birds from the collection. 

 

 

 

14th Soddy

Soddy was pretty quite still with the only things of note, the Barn Owl was still present 12 Skylark were displaying and 3 Stonechat were showing well.

13th Iceland Gull tops the bill.

Started my Day on Grune point my target for the day was the Snow Bunting that i had missed previously. This time i was lucky. It showed really really well down to about 5 feet although you wouldnt think it from my rubbish pics.....

The Short-eared Owl was on Skinburness Marsh again, also on the marsh were Peregrine, Merlin, and 2500 Barnacle Geese distantly with 2 Albino Barnacle geese.
The 2 Long-tailed ducks 1st winter male and female were still present.

On the tide line were again 600 Bar-tailed Godwit with some Black-tailed Godwits.
1600 probably more Knot a Greenshank,  a few Pintail and some showy Scaup.

Nick saw the 2 Little Stint but i missed them this time.

In Silloth i was in the chippy when Darren Rang telling me there was a white winger on the water. When Darren and i got a better look it turned out to be another 1st Winter Iceland Gull, you dont see 1 for years in Cumbria and this years theres been 3. This bird was smaller and darker probably a female.

Started heading south, when i got to Allonby there was a Kestrel showing well just briefly.

On the beach were 300+ Knot and a few Sandling roosting.
I visited Maryport to see if the Iceland gull i had found was still about, i checked the wave centre and the harbour but no sign. I then started to drive through the town centre when i noticed the bird on the top of the BP garage. (Brilliant).

I then finished off at Soddy Gap and had brilliant Views of Short-eared Owl and Barn Owl, also 3 Goldeney and a Pochard. Both crappy record shots.

8th Dumfries

Rach and i decided to have a trip to Loch Ken to see if we could spot any Red Kites and Geese. We got to Springholm where there was our first Un-tagged Red Kite flying through someones garden. The when we Got to Loch Ken, i Checked through the Geese on the water to find 1 European Whitefronted Goose and 63  Greenland Whitefronted Geese along with many Greylags.

We then made our way to the hide where we had a Willow Tit, A Red Kite from the hide and a Red Squirrel.

On the way back from the hide we had a couple more Red Kites including one that was circling the car park, showing really well.

The day ended with more Red Kites a Greenland Whitefront, 2 Pinkfooted Geese and plenty of  white greylags in with the normal Greylags, including a ringed Greylag Goose. BH6, these were from the other side of Loch Ken opposite the hide.

7th Bitterns

Tried for Bittern at Siddick again, luckily this time it was a lot calmer and i had 2 sightings of Bittern. They did give good views as they flew around, or as good a view as you can get in the Dark. Water rail, Barn Owl and Sparrowhawk were also seen.

3rd More Local Stuff

Another uneventful day really Bass lake hosted the usual wildfowl, only note-worthy birds were 2 Pintail. At Low Meadows there were 80+ Bunting,s mainly Yellow Hammer and Reed Bunting, with a few Greenfinch and Tree Sparrow. At Soddy there were 25 Canada, 27 Greylag, 1 Pinkfoot, 2 Buzzard and 6 Tree Sparrow.

At Siddick ponds there were 2 Otter's showing well and a lovely Barn Owl.

2nd Local Stuff

Went back to see if the Iceland Gull was still on River at Maryport and it was, finally the sun was out so i managed some reasonanble pics.

Then  I went and had a really good afternoon on Grune point, i finally found the 2 Little Stint that had been present, this is a good winter record, found by Nick Franklin.

Over Skinburness marsh very distantly there was a Short-eared Owl hunting, probably better viewed from cattle pens on Skinburness Marsh. I also had 2 Merlin and 2 Long-tailed Duck a male and a female, lovely looking birds.

Good numbers of Bar-tailed Godwit 560.

500 Knot, lots of Pintail, Wigeon and Teal, Scaup and a few Red Breasted  Merganser.

170 Barnacle Geese and 30 Pinks were showing through the blizzards that kept occuring

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Just before Skinburness, Silloth way was 1 Pinkfeet on beach, 10 Scaup, and 4 Pintail.

1st Local Stuff

Not the most eventful first day of Feb because there was no Sign of the Iceland gull in Maryport. Siddick ponds hosted 62 Goosander a Sparrowhawk and 4 Otters.
Lots of Water Rail calling. The Bitterns decided not to Show tonight, seems as theres no Starlings roosting in the reeds so the Bitterns are little more Elusive.

Soddy hosted plenty of wildfowl including 7 Pochard. A Kestrel, Yellow Hammers and Tree Sparrows.