Holiday Mull.

Spent two good weeks on the Isle of Mull, taking it easy but still managing to see things as we travelled around.  There seemed to be Sea Eagles everywhere and we had our best ever views of Golden Eagle both flying and sitting on the high crags.

White Tailed Sea Eagles

Golden Eagle

Hooded Crow

Common Sandpiper

Arctic Tern

Grey Heron

OH.....how cute.

Fallow Deer

We nearly stood on this little fellow - Ringed Plover chick.

Gannet from Duart Castle

Black Guillemot in a rain storm on one of the couple of wet days we had in a fortnight.

Tom the Tobermory Cat.

Herring Gull in Tobermory, before the cat woke up!

Sightings - 8th August

Just returned from a fortnight in Mull of which we will post more later.  Went down to Greatham Creek today and saw :-
Spotted Redshank and 2 Greenshank where the seals haul out onto the mud and a Redshank.
Green Sandpiper and 2 Common Sandpiper on the Tidal Pools along with about 20 Dunlin.
Between about 4.30 and 5.30pm.

Red Throated Diver - Loch Buie Mull

Arctic Tern - Garmony, Mull.



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!!

Long-billed Dowitcher

A bit of a late post but managed to catch up with the Long-billed Dowitcher on Greatham Creek on Wednesday evening, gave close views but yet again poor light.

Turtle Doves (a nice end to the day)

Part 1

Sylvia and myself took a party of Teesmouth Bird Club members for a guided walk around Codbeck and Sheepwash on Sunday. The rain held off and it even brightened up for a while. The walk stated with a couple of Cuckoo performing well around the carpark area, on the moor above sheepwash several Stonechat fledglings were about along with Common Buzzard flying overhead, Golden Plover, Curlew, Oystercatcher to name a few where in the top fields. Through the wood Blackcap, Willow warbler, Chiffcaff and Jay put in a in an appearence. The Resevoir itself was quiet but a Little Grebe showed well to the group. Crossbill which were in the waterside trees at low level, gave great close views as they fed on the fir cones. Everyone appeared to enjoy the walk and as we left the rain started again...........perfect timing!!!

Part2

As we were not ready to stop birding for the day we decided we would have a run further into Yorkshire to see if we could find some other goodies. Over the moors we came across Tawny Owl in the spot we had seen one recently and on cue it was sat in the same area...........brilliant.

A few miles down the road we went to a spot known for Turtle Dove, as we pulled up we could hear them purring in the trees, a very short walk gave us 11 sat or flying around with others vocal but hiding in trees. Never expected to see that many in one area. The down side was the sky was overcast and the light was very poor for photo's, managed some but a bit a shame really............we will go back if the weather improves.

Turtle Dove

Tawny Owl

Jay

Common Crossbill

On a Roll.

Yet another bird off Sylvia's list of favourite birds to see - roller at Aldbrough and what a lovely bird too and very obliging to see.

On our way to Flamborough we came across this Barn Owl hunting over some fields.

The sun was going down when we did arrive at Flamborough but we still managed to get a couple of half decent Puffin shots.

And also a Razorbill.

If only we had had more time.

A Dotterel at Last, but how cold!!

Well, our son has gone off to the Isle of Mull and sent us photos of todays weather there, full sun and blue sky on the journey up and 23 degrees apparently!  We enjoyed arctic conditions of 8 degrees whilst watching the Dotterel up at Danby Beacon.  Many thanks to Simon for reporting it early on the website enabling us to go and see it.  Have been paying a visit most weekends in the hope of seeing it but probably wouldn't have gone today.

Managed to find a Woodcock on the way back home in woods along Westerdale Road.  A nice find and one for our list.

Very well camouflaged as you can see.