Bempton Cliffs

27th July 2018.

Spectacular chalk cliffs on the East Yorkshire coast, the hundreds of thousands of breeding seabirds are an onslaught on your senses, with the sheer sight, sound and smell of the nesting Gannets ( largest mainland colony in Britain), Guillemots, Razorbills, Kittiwakes and a few Puffins . Run by the RSPB, there are viewpoints where superb views can be had, we made sure we got there early as it can get pretty crowded in the middle of the day, and the weather was warm and sunny, so we returned again in the evening.

Gannet pair

Gannet flight

Gannets

Gannet pair bonding

Two headed Gannet

Gannet portrait

Gannet with nesting material

Gannet fly by

Gannet approaching

Gannet 

Gannet greeting

Gannets togetherness

Gannets squabbling

Gannet with feather

Gannet fly past

Guillemot ledges

Guillemot pair and chick

Guillemot tending the chick

Razorbill pair

Razorbills

Razorbills with youngster

Puffin preening

Puffin

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.