Peak District Moors

Up on the moors you can still hear the evocative call of the Curlew at the moment. It can sound a bit haunting at times, but it's a great bird to hear. Sadly it is in decline, as it's habitat is eroded by concrete jungles and changes in agriculture. Thankfully there are still quite a few in  an area close to me. A couple of weeks ago I was greeted by a pair that flew towards and over me as I got out of my car. I posed no threat, but they weren't to know that. I carried on my walk along the road only for them to come round again for a second pass. I got the camera up this time, and the light was perfect.

Yes, that is what you think it is just below the bird.

A Reed Bunting was not what I expected to see up on the moors.

Juvenile Wheatear were good to see, with a few around, and still being tended to by the parent.

Whinchat

I don't see many of these birds, and probably only one or two annually. So I was pleased to hear that there were a pair fairly local to me. This particular bird was busying itself among the heather and bracken, but like the similar Stonechat, it does like to perch at the top of a bush to have a good nosey around. It also helps me to pick it out and focus on it.

Lovely little birds and always a pleasure to see.

Not to be confused with the Whinchat is the Stonechat. A Male here.

Barn Owl

The joy of going out early at this time of year is that you may just get lucky and see a Barn Owl. I'd normally be happy to see one from the car in the distance or maybe along the verge, but when in Norfolk I got more than I bargained for a couple of times. I was minding my own business on my walk, when I turned the corner to seen an owl quartering a field . I watched it for a short while before it started coming towards me. I managed to get some shots of it before it moved out of view. Some of my best views.

As normality resumed and my heart rate returned to a more acceptable level I paid more attention to the other birds around me, like this lovely Sedge Warbler.

Lockdown easing.

Thanks to a change in government guidelines, I was able to travel to my parents last week and stay overnight. It was so good to see them again after 3 long months.

I did my birding nice and early in the morning so as to avoid others, and headed to places I knew would be very quiet at 5am in the morning (yes, most places are, but I wasn't taking any risks).

I headed to Salthouse, a beach I know that is very quiet, unless you are a bird. I enjoyed watching the Sandwich Terns tracking the shoreline up and down while squawking as they did. 

The weather was good, with warm sunshine from very early. Always a help when stood still for some time and the light helps the pictures.

One of the many Sandwich Terns seen over the week.

With a what looks like a sand eel.

There were only a few Common Tern around.

There were very good numbers of Mediterranean Gulls along the coast. 

Similar in size to a Black-headed Gull, but with a distinctive black hood and orangey bill and legs.