A lovely Evening

Thursday evening was looking good so off we went with our picnic and headed for the hills.  A family of four Grey Wagtail on one of the streams just out of Osmotherley was our first find with a Green Woodpecker over by Hawnby.  A Buzzard posed on a telegraph pole for us on the run down into Helmsley from Boltby.  Oh also forgot about the family of Spotted Flycatchers at Cod Beck.  After eating our picnic at Rievaulx Abbey we decided to go back via Sutton Bank and check out a site nearby for Nightjar.  We sat and waited at the site until about half ten and heard two Nightjar calling and Mick saw one in flight, a good find as you don't even have to get out of the car.  Tawny owl also seen along with Woodcock and lots of  bats flying around the car.

A few photos also from the past few days.  This Red Admiral certainly took a fancy to our sons shoes at the back door.  Think it must be all the salt on them! It spent ages flying back and forth to them in the sunshine.

Also a selection of Orchids and butterflies from Bishop Middleham quarry last weekend.

Brown Argus

Ringlet

Small Skipper

Two Nightjars (not from this location)

Not a bad half an hour.

Went for a short run out to Saltholme pools this evening in between the rain showers and it was not too bad.  The Barn Owl was hunting over the field directly in front of us, the Marsh Harrier was perched in a tree beyond that and the Red Crested Pochard was preening itself on the pool, what more could one ask. ~Well maybe that the rain stops!!!!!!!!!

Barn Owl hunting for his supper.

Red Crested Pochard

This little fellow certainly wasn't  'Singing in the Rain'.

First it was the Buzzards, now Sea Eagles?

Just read this interesting post on the possibility of shooting Sea Eagles, whatever next?
http://raptorpolitics.org.uk/2012/06/25/sea-eagle-control-licences-likely-to-be-almost-impossible-to-obtain/

Out and about again

Life has been a bit different of late due to Mick's illness but hopefully we will be back on track again soon even if it is not as it used to be for a while.  We went out for a short drive the other evening and got some half decent views of this Corn Bunting from the car window.  A lovely little fellow, singing away for us.

Our first attempt of a video using the Canon 7D plue 400 f5.6.  Not too bad  but a bit of an abrupt ending.

Yellowhammer

Kestrel

Burnet Moth

Small Heath

Meadow Pipit

The last three photos were taken at South Gare about an hour before Mick was rushed into hospital.  Was a good job we were not still there when it happened!!