A look back to when it was nice and quiet.

 As I've not been out for a couple of weeks with the camera, I thought I would take a look back at some pictures taken during lockdown. This was a time when I felt that nature tried to take back a hold on it's surrounding environment. This was a time when cars were very few and far between for a good two or three months. The sound of planes overhead stopped, but footfall on the pavements increased. Birdsong appeared louder and activity more pronounced. Or was this just the perception? Maybe they are always that loud, but it is drowned out by the modern world around us. Either way, it was a joy to walk through their habitat during my lockdown exercise walks. Blessed with some glorious weather too, it was nice to reconnect with nature and proof that whatever happens to the human world, nature can survive and thrive, probably better than it does now.

Chaffinch

Golden Plover

Jays became very easy to spot during April

One of our smaller birds, the Wren.

Astbury Mere - Shag

 I was already out with the camera at the weekend when I saw that a juvenile European Shag had shown up inland at a lake in Cheshire, only half an hour from me. So I made my way down to Astbury Mere in Congleton in the warm sunshine. After a wait of nearly an hour it revealed itself right beneath me. It must have been out of the water and drying it's wings out of sight beneath the grassy bank. It soon made it's way out into the open water to fish, and boy did it fish. It was constantly diving and eating. A great bird.

Here is the larger cousin, the Cormorant, that I had seen the previous day at Pennington Flash.

Happy Place

When you're feeling a bit down I've always found it a big help to go to a place where you feel happy. I'm lucky to have that place not too far away and it's somewhere I can escape the hustle and bustle of city life. I've been social distancing here for many years now. It's a real joy to go early, when you almost own the landscape and the nature within it. Peace and quiet and a sense that many have been here before me and not much has changed. The birds are still around and there was a nice surprise for me too in the form of a Whinchat. This bird must have been on his way to his winter home. It was great to watch it though as it foraged for food, but sad to think that our summer migrants will soon be gone for another year. 

Along the river there were a couple of Grey Wagtails looking very good once again after the busy breeding period.

A pair of Nuthatches were picking at the bark looking for food.

Here's the Whinchat that typically kept it's distance. Hope to see you again next year.

Pickerings Pastures

 Birds are on the move again. Heading back to wherever they winter and feeding up on the way. I came across quite a number of birds at Pickerings Pastures the other day that were busy feeding in the warm morning sunshine. A pair of Blackcaps were good to see. They were gorging themselves on some Elderberries.

Female here with the chestnut cap.

Male with his lovely shiny black cap.

This Chiffchaff was having a good feed.

RSPB Frampton Marsh pt2

While I was sat in the reedbed hide at Frampton I was watching a few sandpipers pipe their way around the sandy verges. There were two or three Green Sandpipers and a Common. The Common flew towards the hide and veered away at the death. It must have seen my silhouette. It disappeared out of sight in the grassy bank. Ten minutes or so later, I could see movement in the grass in front of me. In anticipation I lifted the camera up. Up the bank came the Common Sandpiper and stopped on a raised tuft of sandy grass. He clearly wasn't expecting to see me still there, but I enjoyed our moment together. These birds are quite small and usually viewed through a scope or binoculars at distance, so to get one so close was superb. I didn't even have to crop my images.

Common Sandpiper

Here is one of the Green Sandpipers at the more socially acceptable distance. Much darker in the upper parts with nice white underparts and greenish legs.

Common Snipe

RSPB Frampton Marsh pt1

Last Friday saw me head down to my parents for the weekend. Along the way I planned to stop off at a few places to try and pick up some new birds for the year. Waders were what I was really after. My favourite birds, and it is just getting to that time when they are heading back after breeding. 

A nice early arrival and I could see many birds on the water just from the car park. I followed the path and made frequent stops to look over the reeds. I could see lots of Black-tailed Godwits, Spoonbills, and 100+ Little Egrets. The most I'd seen ever of this species in one place.

Only one hide was open, with all windows and doors open and hand sanitiser which was good to see. Only me in there though for half an hour and lots of birds to look at. A few Common Terns were fishing close in with Dunlins, Ruff and a few Spotted Redshank and Little Stint for company. Greenshanks, Green and Common Sandpipers helped to swell the wader numbers.

Black-tailed Godwit

A Godwit here still in most of it's breeding plumage with an Avocet in the background.

Dunlin

Common Tern

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.