Scarborough Kittiwakes

25th June 2018.
We visited Scarborough on the Yorkshire coast where the Kittiwakes appear to have take over the town, nesting on any available ledge on any structure that substitutes for a cliff face, with the town bridge and the ( not so ) Grand Hotel being particular favourites. Their  cries are the constant soundtrack as you walk around. (Joyce even got a nice present as we walked through the high street when one pooped on her from the nest above, she was not best pleased!), But good luck to the birds for their opportunist nature is what I say.

Yellow

May 2018.

A pair of Yellowhammers are daily visitors to the garden here in Devon, probably breeding nearby , I often here the male singing away. I've left a patch of Buttercups and Daisies on the lawn and scatter seeds amongst it for some colourful images.

Female Yellowhammer

Male Yellowhammer

Nesting Nuthatch

A pair of Nuthatches are nesting in their usual tree in the local copse. I always just like to sit and watch them go about their lives.

Nuthatch at nest hole

Nuthatch

Nuthatch

Little Ringed Plover & Grey Plover

1st May 2018.

Davidstow airfield ( Cornwall) usually turns up one or two waders passing through in the spring, on driving  around the runways I was pleased to find this Little Ringed Plover feeding beside a pool, this is not a common bird in this part of the country and this was the best views I've had of one. I was pleased to get some photos from the car, resting my lens on a beanbag. After a while it was joined by a Grey Plover which came very close allowing for some nice shots, pity it was a bit rainy but that's quite normal for this site.

Little Ringed Plover

Little Ringed Plover

Grey Plover

Grey Plover

Winter Birds

March 2018.

We really don't have too much snow down here on the Devon/Cornwall border, so a covering of the white stuff was a bit of a novelty on two separate weeks in March. I could have panicked and ran around with my long lens and end up photographing nothing at all or just stay in the garden ,put out some food and a few props and see what common species turned up, which is what I decided upon. The right approach I think.

Male Chaffinch

Robin

Robin

Female Sisken

Long tailed Tit

Long Tailed Tit

Jackdaw

Blue Tit

Blue Tit

Carrion Crow

Great Spotted Woodpecker male

Great Spotted Woodpecker male

Collared Dove

Coal Tit

Great Tit

Lapwing-The freezing temperatures brought lots of these in close to the house.

Speyside

11th- 16th March 2018.

Mrs D and I have just returned home from a week in the Scottish highlands joining up with son Dan and his good wife Mary and their two young children  Martha and Theo.We were  based in Nethybridge which is in easy reach of all the wildlife hotspots. Although more of a family holiday I of course managed to slip away quite often with my camera, and when on walks together ( usually places I suggested he he) it was a given that I may wander off in a different direction or maybe just hang behind the others. They know me well!. Anyway some fantastic wildlife was seen in some wonderful scenery.

Frozen River ,Findhorn

Red Deer-Findhorn valley

Red deer ( mid chew)-Findhorn valley

Red Deer -Findhorn valley

Red Deer-Findhorn valley

Red Deer calf-Findhorn valley

Red Deer calf-Findhorn valley

Mountain Hare-Findhorn

Mountain Hare-Findhorn

Mountain Hare whiteout-Findhorn

Wild(ish)Goat -Findhorn

Goats-Findhorn

Snow Bunting- Cairngorm

Red Grouse-Findhorn

Goldeneye-Nethybridge

Treecreeper-Loch Garten

Mallards fighting on the ice--Boat of Garten

Mallards on ice-Boat of Garten

Badger-in a field beside the road in the middle of the day.

Red squirrel- Loch an Eilein

Red squirrel-Loch an Eilein

Red squirrel-Loch an Eilein

Red Squirrel-Loch an Eilein