I've been back to Redesmere a few times to see if I can get any better pictures of the Great Northern Diver. I hadn't been any luckier, until yesterday. It was a lovely bright sunny day, but it still took a 2 and a half hour wait for the bird to make it's way closer to me. It was worth the wait.
Last Sunday saw me leave before first light to carry out my monthly wetland bird survey for the British Trust for Ornithology at Redesemere in Cheshire. Usually at this time of year I am counting hundreds of geese, Mallards and Coots on this large body of water and the highlights are likely to be the returning Goldeneye or maybe a Kingfisher. This morning though had me hopping and a skipping a little more than usual.
Not seen on my first scan of the lake, I started my counting and then moved east along the car park. The next look through the binoculars had me staring eye to eye with the instantly recognisable Great Northern Diver. Wow!!! Really not what I was expecting to see, but it was one of those joyous moments of self satisfaction when you find a good bird. I would usually make a special trip to see these birds each year, but here was one just 15 minutes from home.
The light at 7:40am was really not the best, but I ran to the car to grab the camera anyway and managed a few record shots. It soon disappeared from close view and spent time away at some distance. I've had some good birds here in recent years, where I found a female Smew and 3 White Fronted Geese and a Great White Egret stayed around last winter. I'm hoping for more like this and that this bird hangs around for a while.
A rare visitor from North America found it's way across the pond recently. The Lesser Yellowlegs is a great looking wader, and yes it does have yellow legs, as you can see below. A new lifer for me too. I was grateful for the very good light on the day I saw it and really enjoyed watching it work it's way around Crossens inner marsh on the North West coast. A cracking bird.
I've been to some of my favourite places recently with the hope of photographing the Dippers. They never make it easy to photograph them, so keeping a low key is crucial. As soon as they see you they will fly off down stream, well away from you. So you need to be extremely cautious, and keep out of sight. This is good for everyone. Especially the bird, that is busy feeding and looking for food, and then for me who can get to take some pictures, if I'm lucky.
Dipper
With Autumn now in full swing, early morning birding doesn't really happen. Sunrise is nearer to 7:30am and it's a bonus if there is no cloud cover. When it is clear though, the sun can give off some really nice light. I took a walk around some local areas recently and there was a good mix of things about. Chiffchaffs are still here, and I'm wondering if these will now stay over the winter, as many now seem to do. I look forward to their song in the Springtime, so to still hear them singing in mid Autumn is strange, but nice all the same.
A few weeks ago I popped over to Macclesfield to see what was around, and because if I'm honest I get withdrawal symptoms if I don't go. There is always something to see, and add to that a wonderful place to just be in. I can always find a quiet area away from others, and this usually coincides with being out early in the morning. This visit was no different, and I was content once I had been.
There were quite a few juvenile birds of all sorts around. Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps especially were numerous. On the reservoirs the young Great Crested Grebes with their stripy heads were now a good size and there were lots of juvenile Grey Wagtails around Bottoms reservoir (that name always makes me smile). Grey Herons were making quite a racket, as they do, but it all added up to a good morning and put my mind at ease that all was well in one of my favourite local areas. It seems nature can get on on it's own whether I'm watching it or not.
Juvenile Blackcap
It's that time of year again, when we say goodbye to our summer visitors and look forward to welcoming our winter friends. Some birds, like the Swifts, went quite a while ago, whereas I am still seeing some House Martins and Swallows around. They may of course just be on their way home and feeding en-route. Still brings a smile though as I look up and think awwww you're still here. I tend to look at them for a little longer than usual as I also think it might be another 6 months until I see them return. Hurry up Spring!!! It's already been too long.
Some juvenile Swallows that I was watching over a meadow a few weeks ago on a lovely warm day.
A visit to the Wirral is always good, and especially RSPB Burton Mere at this time of year. Waders are returning from their breeding grounds and in good numbers it seems this year. There have been high numbers of Curlew Sandpipers on site, and I managed to see a few. A real bonus was a Pectoral Sandpiper which had been found just moments before my arrival.
Pintails were on the water, as were some Wigeon, a real sign of the changing seasons. Lots of Snipe were good to watch as they probed the mud. Teal numbers were climbing too. A Great White Egret was close in to one of the viewing screens, and a lone Avocet was also good to see. There was a good supporting cast of Cetti's Warblers, Green Sandpipers, Mallards and Coots.
It was a quiet time for birds a few weeks ago, but the weather was lovely and warm and perfect for other things to be on the wing. In particular the butterflies and dragonflies around Lapwing Lane Pool in Chelford. I had more than a dozen species of butterly and 3 or 4 species of dragonfly. They don't always make it easy for you to identify them though, and even harder is trying to get them to stop still where you'd like them to. That said, I had a great couple of hours stretching my patience.
One of my favourites, the Comma butterfly.
With the weather taking a more autumnal feel in the last week or so, it felt fitting to make a trip up to the mooors, where there will be a bit more going on in the months to come. Well, if there is not much going on it is certainly a very nice place to take in the scenery.
A bird that will become more conspicuous is the Red Grouse. There were a few family parties around and all looking splendid in the sunshine. I love to hear their bubbling calls and to watch them scurrying around, trying there best to stay out of site, but then always popping their heads up as they give their position away.
It's one of the last migrants to arrive to these shores, and maybe that adds a little something to it for me, as I cannot settle until I've tracked down a Spotted Flycatcher. They arrived towards the end of May and once again, I'm so lucky to know of several places that they return to each year. Just half an hour from home, and I'm able to spend a good amount of time viewing them. I love watching their flycatching escapades as they leap, catch, and return to the branch from which they took off from. Such agile birds, but very quiet. Very little song or calls, so you really are relying on your eyesight and peripheral vision to spot them. Cracking little birds.
