Tuesday 27 September 2011

Kittiwake (it's a family affair) - looking back

Since my previous post I have been to Top Hill Low, locally including Wykeham Forest, Flamborough Head with one common denominator, no pictures. Ruffs & Curlew Sand at THL, no pictures, Peregrine at Flamborough but dark weather so only silhouettes.

So I have had to go back to mid June and the Scottish Borders, well Dunbar to be precise to pictures of the many Kittiwakes nesting on the harbour cliff face for this post. Not to get too close here or you would find out to your cost.

Again, not fully satisfied with the pictures as the light was not great. I think Kittiwakes are very pretty gulls but the scowls here do not do them justice, there's a lot of white on these birds.





I have concentrated on the care of the youngsters here.

Monday 12 September 2011

Ruffs

At the same time as I photographed the Greenshank at Filey Dams in my last post I also managed some pictures of Ruffs when they landed in front of the East Hide. These shots are a few of my early processed pictures.

This is the first time I have pictured this species so I was pleased. The next day we went to Top Hill Low but whilst an identical number of Ruff were on South Marsh East Lagoon (3) they were too far off for decent pictures, there was also three Curlew Sandpipers. This last Friday we visited Potteric Carr but on a lovely day I got no decent pictures.







Sunday 4 September 2011

Greenshank & a Murder Suspect!

A visit to Filey Dams yesterday afternoon and from the main pool hide (hope I have the right name) two Greenshank were at the furthest most point of the pool out front of the hide. Fortunately they began moving around the edge of the pool anti clockwise and went around the front of the pool in front of me. One then flew off but the other bird remained and came fairly close.

We then moved to the other hide and after all the birds on the reserve went up a Sparrowhawk sailed by and I missed it with the camera.  A Little Stint was very distant and then we had a treat of three Ruff out front which I will post tomorrow.

A great hour. We then popped into the still newish Tesco's in Filey next door is the library. As we drove passed three or four police officers had a guy handcuffed, I wondered if it was the murder suspect from Northumberland who has been on the run a week or so (why I do not know). Yep, national news this morning said he had been apprehended in N Yorkshire in a Library.