Gary T's Birding Blog

Monday 7th July 2014

Finally got chance to go to Cheltenham after work, for the Black-crowned Night Heron. This bird had been knocking about here, on & off, for quite a while. It did a disappearing act for a bit, then reappeared, at the same lake. Pittsville lake, is a strange place to find rare birds, but this is now my second there, after last years Great Northern Diver, amazing.......

When i arrived, and parked the car, a friend said it is showing really well. He had come back to his car, for his camera. So, we walked back, and it was....you guessed it...gone! It didn't take long to refine it, but it stayed under the trees, and mainly partially out of view....

Night Heron

It finally showed out in the open, but a more further away, at about 8.30pm!!!

Night Heron

Oh well, think it was worth the wait, do you agree???

Night Heron

Sunday 6th July 2014

Silver-washed Fritillary

A visit to Alners Gorse today, to finally i can get some decent White-letter Hairstreak shots, and see what else is about too. Still didn't quite get the shots i wanted, but i can cope with what i got, for a while anyway.......and this male Silver-washed Fritillary was nice too!

White-letter Hairstreak

Small Skipper

We also had quite a few other Butterflies, including Small Skippers. A Brown Hairstreak was seen today too, which is a very early record. Will be back for them later though....

We left and headed for the Levels, Ham Walls to start with anyway.....

Brimstone

As it turned out this just continued the Butterfly theme.....with 'Hutchinson's' Comma and Brimstone being photographed.

'Hutchinson's' Comma

Then i turned the camera onto juvenile Birds. Including Great Crested Grebe, Gadwall, Pochard & Coot......always nice to see so many young birds about.

Great Crested Grebe

Gadwall

Pochard

Coot

Saturday 5th July 2014

A trip to Devon to start today, to meet a few friends, and do some birding. We were meeting at Bowling Green Marshes RSPB, Devon, for high tide, as this is when the Ross's Gull usually turns up.

Slavonian Grebe

I got there a bit earlier, so decided to have a look at Cockwood, on the off chance the resident Slavonian Grebe would be around. As i walked under the railway at Cockwood Harbour i realised i was in luck, with the bird anyway! Sadly the light was not from the right direction, but i still managed to get some half decent shots, with a bit of help from my friend Photoshop........

Slavonian Grebe

I got a call to say the rest had arrived at Bowling Green, there were only a handful of Gulls there, but they were arriving slowly.
So, i drove around and meet them as some more Gulls were coming in. The Ross's Gull arrived after a short wait, but didn't really play ball. It was soon off flying towards the railway, but away from the Estuary.

Ross's Gull

After a little while we all decided to go look for it, and the new walkway under the railway was going to be where we looked, this area is called Goosemoor, as we found out later. We walked along the new, very nice boardwalk, and we were screened off from the river, which meant there was no disturbance. We got to a part of the screen, where viewing slots had been built into the screens, very well done, whoever designed this.......There were only 2 birders there, and so was the Ross's Gull!!!! A fair bit closer than when from the hide too, still not close enough for the best photos, but better. Sorry, i always seem to be moaning about the distance recently, but I'm sure if you had a camera you will understand. If you have already read my 1st June entry, you will see these are an improvement, oh well there is always next time.

After this, we had to decide where to go next. We all decided to go to St Aldhems Head, to look for some Continental Swallowtail butterflies, which had been around for a few days. None of us had been there before, so when we got to the car park, we all realised it was a 11/2 mile walk to the caostguards cottages, which was where the Swallowtails had been seen. Sadly for us, during the walk out there, the weather changed. The wind got up, and it went a bit too dull for Butterflies, but we tried anyway. NO SIGN, also no sign there of any Lulworth Skippers, which would be showing too, if the weather was better. Oh well it was a good day anyway, can't really argue with Slav Grebe & Ross's Gull in a day!!!

Sunday 29th June 2014

A return visit to Ashdown Forest, with Andy Jordan, where the Short-toed Eagle was still being seen.

Strangely much the same pattern repeated itself. We waited in the car park, and the bird was reported from the other area!!! Typical. We waited for quite a while, before deciding to go to the other car park. We stopped a couple of times on the way there, keeping our eyes on the skies. Then i picked the bird up, flying over a ridge, but it was returning to the original car park, so we did too. Only to be told it flew right over, and into the valley......missed it again.

Stonechat (Juvenile)

We spent the next maybe 4-5 hours just waiting, in the valley for the Eagle. But, not a sniff!!! The Stonechats were still playing, and gave us something to look at and photograph.

Stonechat (Juvenile)

Many people walked past us and asked "what are you looking for?", then suddenly while i was explaining about the Eagle to a couple, Andy said, "you might wanna get on this mate!" I did, it was a Honey Buzzard.....the light wasn't great on the bird, but it was close enough at one stage to get some half decent shots.....Sadly we never got to see the Eagle again.

Honey Buzzard

Wednesday 25th June 2014

White Admiral

Visited Lower Woods, Gloucestershire today after work. Again looking for Butterflies. There were lots of Silver-washed Fritillaries, and quite a few White Admirals too. Didn't stay too long, but enough time to get these shots.

White Admiral

Silver-washed Fritillary

Saturday 21st June 2014

So, all week i have been waiting for the weekend, no change there then, you might think! But, there was a bigger reason this time. The Short-toed Eagle had relocated, and been found, this time at Ashdown Forest, East Sussex. So, thats where i am heading......obviously.

Well, we got to the car park, and waited........no news for the first hour. Then news that it had been seen, at the other of its usual areas. so, thats where we went. A quick walk along the track from the car park, and there were 30+ Birders on the track, so we joined them. There it was sat in a tree, but a long way off. Would anyone decide to try and get closer??? No sadly, but then 2 dog walkers walked along another track, which was about half the distance from the bird. If only others would go there, we could get much better views, and maybe even some photos. The dog walkers went straight passed the Bird, and back onto another track near the car park, the Eagle didn't even flinch!

Short-toed Eagle

After maybe 20 minutes, the Eagle decided to fly, sadly...and as always, it flew away from the crowd. But, i did manage some very distant flight shots.....

We went back to the original car park, to be told it had flown over, and into the valley.

A quick walk into the valley, and there it was....but, sadly again, it quickly flew away and over the wood at the bottom of the valley. Never to be seen again....today anyway!

Short-toed Eagle

There were very few other birds in the valley, but the bestow them was a very showy family of Stonechats.

Stonechat (Male)

Stonechat (Juvenile)

Tuesday 17th June 2014

Bee Orchid (var. friburgensis)

After a tip off from a friend. After work, i went to see another rare variant of Bee Orchid. This time it is var. friburgensis. As this is a very rare form too, i have been sworn to secrecy. I hope you guys can enjoy the photos, and forgive me for not mentioning the site. Yet.....anyway? If this plant takes hold and spreads, maybe one day we can let everybody see it??? Lets hope so.....

I have put a photo of a 'normal' Bee Orchid here too, for comparison.

Bee Orchid (var. friburgensis)

Bee Orchid ('normal')

I then got a call, from a friend at work, to say i had left something there.....bugger!!!! So, back to work, luckily i was quite happy with the sightings from earlier. It also gave me a chance to look for another Orchid on the way there, so quite handy???? This time it was Lizard Orchid, just one plant, sure there used to be at least 2 there?

Lizard Orchid

I hope you like the pix, and understand my reasons for the secrecy.

Thank you all

Monday 16th June 2014

Soul 2 Soul today..............Back to life, back to reality........WORK, it always gets in the way!

Sunday 15th June 2014

After yesterday's 2 targets, there was only one today.....Spectacled Warbler, and it was still there.

Common Redshank

So, the long walk, with my dodgy knee began. I got there, with not too much pain actually, so was fairly happy. Halfway along the track, i even stopped, and photographed Redshanks, and a Little Tern.

Maybe i was too relaxed....well that has been known!! But it very rarely stops me getting the things I'm after. Will the Warbler still be there?

Little Tern

I finished the walk to the Dunes at Burnham Overy, and found maybe 12 people there, where are the others? That was it....during my stay there, there were probably not even 50 Birders that went for the Bird, thought there would have been many more than that. Maybe most of them had been before today, it has been there for a while now?

As soon as i stopped, and set down my tripod, a small Warbler flew out, and back into, the Sueda. That was it, I'm sure, then it popped up again, and disappeared. It called a few times, then up again. After doing this quite a few times it flew towards me, and landed out of sight, no more than 6 feet away. It then flew over the crowd, into some scrub in the dunes. Over the next couple of hours, the bird showed really well, even well enough for me to get some half decent shots....very happy bunny. This was my second sighting of Spectacled Warbler in the UK, after one quite a few years ago on Dartmoor, Devon. Actually i have never seen them abroad either, even though i have looked!!!! So obviously these are my only shots too.........

Spectacled Warbler (1st Summer Male)

So a question for you, if this Bird had been a Female, and not a Spring Male, would it ever have been found? It was found while it was singing, so probably not....even if the regular patch watchers there, are brilliant Birders, it would have been very easy to miss.....glad they didn't though!
Congrats guys, keep up the good work.

Saturday 14th June 2014

Bit of a trip away this weekend. Two target species, again NOT Birds though.....Black Hairstreak & Norfolk Hawker.

So the quest begins, the drive to Northamptonshire went well, and we arrive at the first destination....Glapthorn Cow Pastures. If you readers have not been here, and are interested in seeing Black Hairstreaks, this is the place...defo!

Black Hairstreak

Not only are they here, in decent numbers, they come down and feed on the brambles below eye level.....superb.

Got some fairly decent shots, but am still getting used to the new sigma 180mm Macro lens i bought. So these are not quite as good as they should have been....to my eye anyway.

But better than last year, just means i have to go back again...cant wait.

From there, another long drive to Strumpshaw Fen RSPB, Norfolk. Sadly, my luck changed back to crap again. Same as the weather, the wind got up, and the skies went dull grey. Oh well, we are here now, lets have a go. Norfolk Hawker has eluded my camera for a few years now, and so it seemed it would do again. I walked again the banks of the streams, would nothing at all! Then i saw a Dragonfly, about the right size, fly away from me. I waited, but it didn't come back. Then i kicked up another along the bank, this one flew directly away fro me, across the field and away........CRAP!!!!!

As i got back to the edge of the wood, with my hopes dashed, for some reason i decided to walk along the edge. I then found one flying around a little clearing. It landed, but flew before i got near....it did this a few times. But then it landed in the grass, in the field, brilliant i thought. I slowly walked over towards it, and was about to lift the camera, when a dog ran straight over it....FFFFFFF*****
Obviously it flew off, and this time i gave up, just not my day...well, afternoon anyway!

Only thing of note at Strumpshaw, was when i remembered the last time i visited, we saw some Bee Orchids near the Visitor centre. There they were again, but one looked oddly pale. It is probably of the var. flavescens. Sadly they are fenced offf to stop them being eaten, and also behind a garden fence. So i couldn't get as close as i would have liked, but this is what i got anyway....

Bee Orchid (probably var. flavescens)

Thursday 12th June 2014

I think i should either, change the name of this Blog, or start a different one, just for the Summer months! Seems that all i am putting on here recently is Butterflies & Dragonflies......and here we go again.

Scarce Chaser (Male)

Another after work walk alongside the River Avon, this time from the Keynsham end though. Again masses of Banded Demoiselles, and also more Scarce Chasers, this time adults, all males again though!!

Scarce Chaser (Male)

On the walk back, i found a patch of long grass, where last year i had White-legged Damselfly. Lets have another look...Ah yes there they are again, very nice..

There were mature Males, and immatures of both Male & Female, in a patch about 20 foot square, amazing. So i took advantage of it....

White-legged Damselfly (Male)

White-legged Damselfly (Female)

White-legged Damselfly (Immature Male)

Will get back onto Birds soon I'm sure...........Honest!

Wednesday 11th June 2014

A very successful trip, to my Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly site, after work.

The water level was none existent on my last trip down, but some rain over the last couple of days, had filled up the small pool/puddle they have been in. Excellent......

Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly (Pair)

Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly (Male)

Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly (Female)