Snipe
Snipe

Wheatear

Rabbit

Had a run out to North Gare this evening. Lots of Wheatear about along with 2 Yellow Wagtail and 1 White Wagtail. Good views of a snipe along the roadside and 2 Gadwall in the roadside pools along with a few teal and 2 Canada Geese and 3 Redshank. A Whitethroat was collecting nest material mid-way along the Zinc Works road. Grasshopper Warbler along with Sedge and Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff heard but not seen at dust along the track to Dormans Pool.

Warblers

Wood Warbler

Some other images taken today

Yellow Wagtail

Stonechat

Sedge Warbler

A better day for birding today - weather much nicer than the rain of yesterday! Headed off to the Teesmouth area and saw Spoonbill, Little ringed Plover and Yellow Wagtail at Salthome, Dormans pool area held Sedge Warbler and Common Whitethroat. At North Gare saw Wheatear and more Yellow Wagtail. At the migrant bushes at the end of the Zinc works road someone pointed me in the direction of a Wood Warbler which was skulking in the bushes, an excellent find. We both returned to the area after tea to see if anything else had appeared but with the exception of Short-eared owl at Dormans pool nothing new was seen.

Too late again!

Yesterday a Whiskered Tern turn up at RSPB Saltholme - first record for the county, unfortunately by the time news filtered through I was at work, tried to locate the tern this morning but looks like it has passed through. The Spoonbill has returned to the area again and I will try and get a photo when it shows close enough. I did manage a Common Whitethroat before I set off home to get some sleep.

North Yorkshire Birds and Butterflies.

Willow Warbler
Grey Wagtail

Orange Tip

Orange Tip

Had a walk around Weary Bank, Hutton Rudby and Swainby this afternoon. Lots of Orange tip butterflies around along with Speckled Wood and Peacocks. Dipper on river at Hutton Rudby and two Grey Wagtail at Swainby. Plenty of Willow Warblers and Chiffchaffs around.

Missed out again!

Yellow Wagtail (male)

Yellow Wagtail (female)

Avocet

Reports of a Spoonbill in the area prompted me to get across to Saltholme RSPB this morning, unfortunately I missed it by about 15mins !!!! - Flew west never to be seen again, just my luck..............maybe next time. On a positive note did manage to see my first Common Tern of the year (thanks David) and also my first Yellow Wagtail this year, maybe not such a bad day after all. The Greenabella Avocet count has now risen to 19 (from 4 last year).

At home on the moors.

Woodcock chicks
Woodcock

Woodcock

Woodcock

Spent all day trying to find a Ring Ouzel without much luck until we got home and checked the Teesmouth Bird Club website where there was a report of 8 at Sleddale. As it was a lovely evening we decided to have a run up. We pulled up in the car to see a Woodcock and 3 chicks feeding in the evening sunshine in the field nearby. There were also two Grey Wagtail on the stream and plenty of Snipe, Lapwings and Red Legged Partridge along with a few Curlew. As we scanned the moors with the scope we found 3 Ring Ouzels sitting in the last of the sun. It made our day.

Homeward Bound!

Red Kite
Linnet


Common Buzzard

85 species of birds seen in a week 0n Mull along with excellent otter and red deer sightings. Returned home today and left the good weather behind as it is freezing at home. On the way back we stopped off at Argaty Red Kite centre at Doune and saw our first ever Red Kite. There were a couple flying in the air together. A really good place to visit, would recommend it if you are up that way.

Iceland Gull a first for us.

Sunset Loch Na Keal

Sunset Loch Don



Shag
Wheatear



Wheatear




Razorbill

Raven

Iceland Gull

Weather today perfect, blue skies, sunshine and just a bit of a cool breeze. Not looking forward to leaving tomorrow but had a good weeks birding with over 80 species, which is without the seabirds, although we did see a razorbill on Loch Na Keal yesterday. Good views of Iceland Gull again in Tobermory.

Otter days.

Otter

Otter with meal

Daffodils

sheep

Iceland Gull in Tobermory

Hooded Crow

Ringed Plover

Redwing at Glenforsa airfield

Never had such brilliant sightings of an otter before. Fishing right in front of us. It did not even seem bothered that we were sitting there watching it. Also lots of good bird sightings. If you have never been to Mull before then you will have to come. Had a redwing out the back of the cottage on the airstrip yesterday along with several wheatear and a male merlin hunting the meadow pipits. Also sea eagle over and lots of buzzards. Plenty of barn owls around but no hen harriers as yet. Common sandpiper and greenshank also yesterday.

Fantastic weather on Mull

Red Deer Stag

Day Flying Bat !!

Common Buzzard

Short-eared Owl

Great Northern diver




We have enjoyed the past couple of brilliant days weather and birdwatching on Mull. Highlight of the day yesterday was the nine great northern divers on Loch Scridian and the 5 short eared owls flying together through Glen More followed 5 mins. later by 6 golden eagles high in the air together - unbelievable sights in the early evening.

Peregrine Falcon
Today we went off early to the Zinc Works Road, North Gare, to see if we could find and identify the Warbler we spotted yesterday..........unfortunately we were unable to locate it. In the area we were looking for it we did manage to see 4 Wheatear and a Merlin in the power station field, as we were about to leave we noticed a pair of Peregrine Falcon hunting in the area, we managed a record shot of one of the birds. Nice to see them there. An evening walk at Honeypot LNR at Witton produced nothing of real consequence but this area has lots of potential.

On a brief visit this evening to North Gare we saw our first sandmartins of the year along with good views of a shorteared owl both flying and sitting on a fence post. Upon checking the migrant bushes along the Zinc works road we found a lone redwing and some sort of warbler flitting around in the bushes. As we were unable to positively identify it we will return in the morning to try and locate it.

Lapwing
Red Grouse

Both off work today so had a run out on the North York moors. Lots of lapwings around getting ready to nest and a few curlew. Saw lots of pairs of red grouse and also a couple of swallows on the tops which surprised us. No buzzards seen today although one heard, just a couple of sparrowhawk seen around scugdale.