Goyt Valley

Early mornings in the Goyt Valley have been stunning this year. So many weekends have started in full sunshine, no cloud cover and no rain. This is great for me wanting to see and photograph birds and nature, but not so good for the ever decreasing water level. The reservoir is as low as I've ever seen it. I'd like some rain, but obviously if it could fall at night that would be really helpful.

Blackcaps have been in good voice, and as ever, making it difficult to spot them as they sing from within the leaf cover. Every now and again they show themselves. I just have to be ready when they do.

Male Blackcap

Common Sandpiper on the shoreline of the ever retreating water line at Errwood Reservoir.

One of the several Cuckoos that have been singing around the valley. Not often I get to see them perched up like this. 

Cuckoo

I was sitting in a hide at Druridge Pools in Northumberland scanning forlornly for a Glossy Ibis when out of the blue, flying low from left to right of the hide went a Cuckoo. The shock of it made me say the name out loud whilst pointing towards it. It landed on a fence post just yards from the hide. I managed one decent shot of it, but I was more than happy with the result. A bird that I heat most years but don't always get to see. This was by far my closest and best view of it. 

They are already back across the Sahara dessert for their summer holidays. Hopefully I will get to see one again next Spring. 

The Glossy Ibis had relocated and not yet been found. I hung around in the hide for a bit just seeing what I could see, when I spotted a Snipe well hunkered down. So tricky to spot from a distance, near on impossible without binoculars.

Cuckoo

The song I look forward to most in the Spring (after the first Chiffchaffs and Willow Warblers) is that of the Cuckoo. I've heard many in recent years, but they have on the whole been very tricky to track down.
Last year I managed to locate one at Holme in Norfolk and this year I've seen several. In the New Forest there seemed to be a constant call of a Cuckoo wherever I was. It was great to step out of the hotel at first light and hear two or three different birds calling. Amazing

The bird pictured below was actually seen in Manchester. Next years aim will be to get some better shots. In the meantime, these will have to go as record shots and no more.