Springy

I'm suffering a bit with what I hope is the last cold of the winter, but forced myself out for an hour this morning to Longham Lakes (conveniently en route to the Mother's Day present emporium known as Haskins Garden Centre). It's definitely starting to feel like Spring there with my first Sand Martins of the year and a beautiful pair of breeding plumage Black-necked Grebes on passage. Certainly more spring-like than last weekend, most of which I spent chasing around Chesil Beach after a Bonparte's Gull, a real Dorset rarity. I did manage to catch up with it in Portland Harbour but it flew over Chesil Beach before I could get close enough for a photo - very frustrating in this, my photo yearlist year. Still, I was able to add a few more easy species to the list during those long hours in the field.

Black-necked Grebe, Longham Lakes, Dorset

The best pictures I have managed of this species in breeding plumage

The golden ear-tufts explain the American name for this species, Eared Grebe

Sitting lower in the water in this view...

...but more typically showing a puffed up rear end

Several Med Gulls also at Longham...

...along with the first Sand Martins of the year (#124)...

...and a long-staying female Scaup (#125)

Tufted Duck, Longham Lakes

Believe it or not, we haven't had a Great Crested Grebe this year yet (#126)

...or a Turnstone (Portland Harbour, #127)

This littoralis Rock Pipit was hanging around near the Bonaparte's Gull close to Chesil Centre last weekend - unfortunately the Gull had gone by the time I got there

 

A week in waders

Waders dominated the last week's birding during a family holiday in Northumberland - twenty-one species in all without really trying too hard. Top marks for rarity went to a Collared Pratincole and a Stilt Sandpiper (which I never managed to photograph), but just as rewarding was time spent on various beaches with some less celebrated, but still very attractive species:

Sanderling: a characterful and beautiful bird in almost any plumage - this one sporting the rufous face of summer plumage

Sanderling: one of a small flock on the beach near Amble

Sanderling: a roosting bird

Sanderling: looking more like a spring-plumaged bird

Sanderling captured in motion - not easy given the speed at which they run

Sanderling: another one at a canter

A flock of Sanderling roosting on a rocky promontory - with patience I got pretty close and managed to leave the flock undisturbed. This almost cost me wet feet though as the tide came in behind me - just below the welly-tops fortunately

Sanderling close-up 

Part of a Sanderling flock in flight

A few Dunlin were with the Sanderling flock

This was as close as I got to a (Red) Knot - a small flock in flight with Curlew

Oystercatcher

Turnstone

Ringed Plover

Golden Plover - a small flock were on the beaches around Holy Island

Avocet in flight at Cresswell Ponds



Redshank

A Pacific Golden Plover in Staffordshire on the way home, just a four mile detour from our route, would have made it 22 waders for the trip. Unfortunately, it chose the hour before our arrival to disappear after having been a sitting duck for most of the previous week. Spooked, no doubt by the spectre of Mitchell and Son, who arrived to dip it too en route to Derby shortly before ourselves as we headed in the opposite direction. This Little Ringed Plover was one of several at Middleton Lakes RSPB where the Pacific Golden Plover had been seen.

An oasis of sanity

I've got into the habit recently of visiting the patch on a Friday night. Not that much about lately but it's a very good way to draw a line under the craziness of the working week. And sometimes, I think, the only thing that stops me going completely loco. Last night there was definitely something to write home about though: a Turnstone, common as muck around much of the coast locally - they almost take chips out of your hand on nearby Poole Quay - but a bit of a mega at Swineham.

Turnstone: patch gold. Well, gold dust at least.

Here it is with the second best bird of the evening: Little Gull

The Little Gull was spending most of the time feeding on the flood.

Normally seen in flight distantly over the gravel pits, the Little Gull has spent a couple of evenings on the flood close to the path.

Presumably the same bird from earlier in the week looking a bit muddier.

This week's rain has topped up the flooded field near the path which was rapidly drying out, so looking promising for waders again. As well as the Turnstone, this Lapwing dropped in for the evening.





'You'll have to be quick to catch them' suggested a well-meaning passer-by. Fortunately, I am quick.





A screaming display from a flock of Swifts always lifts the spirits.

Some noisy, irritable juveniles with insatiable appetites around at the moment. So I leave home to get away from them and what do I bump into? 

Cuckoo: keep hearing but not seeing them recently at Swineham - so this sighting was welcome confirmation that I'm not going completely cuckoo myself.



Holiday snaps

I'm on holiday with the family so am allowing myself the luxury of posting loads of photos without attempting to compose a coherent narrative. Liberating. I should do it more often.

I stumbled across this juvenile Glaucous Gull on a late evening visit to St Ives on Friday having left the camera behind. Fortunately it was still there yesterday.

Initially hidden behind some rocks it was eventually tempted out by someone's thrown away chips

With a Herring Gull for comparison

We considered buying some more chips to bring it closer but this proved unnecessary

Quite a brute!

Showing some aggression

Turnstone, St Ives

I had to get young Rowan to herd these tame Turnstones into the right position

 

Earlier in the day a Fulmar cruised the cliffs at Godrevy

Male Linnet, Gothian Sands

OK it's not a Crag Martin, bit still nice to see a Sand Martin

Several were perched on the fence at Gothian Sands

Rock Pipit, Gothian Sands

This Dunlin was one of a small party in the surf at Marazion today

A single Sanderling was also at Marazion

Not just good birding in Cornwall. A fair bit of this going on too.