Bloody Sigma !

willow warbler

meadow pipit

leveret

Have posted a couple of shots taken with the Sigma 150-500. These are the best of about 150 taken in perfect conditions. I can't help but think that they would have been so much better if it had been the canon lens. (mike)

more migrants

white wagtail

wheatear

another wheatear

yellow wagtail

Things seem to be hotting up both sides of the pond. Have posted pics of little egret, lesser whitethroat and a few others on Flamborough Wildlife Group blog, but here's a few for the girls.

Moths still crap!

Riverside/Swanpoint Cemeteries 22nd April

  The last couple of days have seen a few of the more common migrants/ summer breeders on view, with Black and White, palm, Yellow-rumped, Northern Parula and Pine Warblers all moving through the pretty much leafless branches, as well as Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Indigo Bunting and Pine Siskin. Sparrows either singing or feeding in the bushes were Song, White-throated and White-crowned, scaling the verticals were Brown Creeper, White-breasted and Red-breasted Nuthatches, Red-bellied, Hairy and Downy Woodpeckers. Loudest bird in the wood with an 11 was a Carolina Wren. One or two of the Ospreys are back and a 2nd year Bald Eagle put in an appearance, as well as a Red-tailed hawk eating a snake and an adult female Coopers Hawk. Most of the ducks seem to be clearing out with one pair of Common Mergansers and 8 Bufflehead, 1 green-winged Teal and the usual Balk Ducks and Mallards being about it. Barn and Tree swallow feeding over the river. Dad - love your Swallow pic! 

N.Yorks forests

Osprey

Osprey

Violet (I guess)

God knows but its pretty

w Cowslip ( at Thornwick)

A trip up to Wykeham and Dalby today with Ian M. Plenty of wild flowers and willow warblers singing everywhere. Called in at Ellerburn ponds in the evening for the Osprey .......sorry about the oversharpening of the images of the bird but it was to compensate for distance and failing light. (mike).

S.Landing

Comma

Blackcap

A butterfly and another spring songster. (mike)

Spring on the Head

Common Whitethroat (1st. of year)

Barn Owl

Dancing Swallows

Plenty of common migrants showing up ( see Fwg blog). 1st.common whitethroat plus a good showing of hirundines and a few warblers. Barn Owls doing well - 3 or 4 pairs. (mike)

Friday morning, Westport Mass.

A few migrant shorebirds with a pair of American Oystercatchers  being the photographic pick.

Easter in Buffalo

          Lesser Scaup

          

      
Little evidence of little stuff, Riverside cemetery was largely absent of migrants, but the junction of lake Erie and the Niagara river was a different story, with many thousands of birds enjoying good fishing amongst the thawing pack ice. 1200 Bonapartes Gulls and 2150 Red-breasted Mergansers were mightily impressive, As well a second year Iceland Gull, 14 Long-tailed Ducks provided a bit of quality.

sunday 18th.

chiffchaff

chiffchaff

chaffinch

pied wagtail

A run down Hartendale this evening produced nothing startling though in decent light, a few common birds proved to be willing subjects, except the chiffy which was a little sod!

Very quiet and grey.

female Pheasant

male Reed Bunting

Very little in the way of migrants, or moths for that matter, though the reed bunting had just peeked at the pheasant having sex, that's why she looks so indignant. (mike)

more leps.

Small Quaker

Clouded Drab (this is the purplish colour form, though they can be quite

brown; they are very variable).

2 more moths from the last couple of days. The Small Quaker is only the 2nd.ever for the cape. (mike).

a little beauty

Streamer

Ian caught this last night. (mike).

wolds tour.

Lapwings - "courting in sync"

Great-crested Grebe

Red Kite

Coal Tit

A day out with Tony Ezard saw us visit Nunburnholme (kites), and North Cave wetlands (water birds, gulls and waders). We also had 5 distant Buzzards in the air together there. Have included an image of a Coal Tit taken in N.Yorks. forests yesterday also, simply because its a cute subject. (mike).

Saturday the 4th.

For company on the dunes i had this adult female Northern Harrier. Also in the air Saturday were Sharp-shinned Hawk, Peregrine, Red-tailed Hawk, Turkey Vulture and 2 Osprey.

Weekend birding is crap

            Grey Plover with Dunlins

            Turkey Vulture

             Earthstar

          Male Common Scoter and Male Eider.

A slightly milder but blustery day on the coast failed to produce much of interest, seven species of duck on the sea was about it, after the dogwalkers had done there bit for the nesting plovers.

R & R for wildlife

rook.............paragliding

sand martin....................aerobatics

wren..................... taking a breather from singing to stock doves

stockdove..........................listening to wrens singing

twin-spot quaker...............chilling out on a log

This is how some of our wild creatures relax on a sunny sunday. (mike)