River Kent

Had a couple of visits down to the River Kent over the last week, trying out a couple of different areas.
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First up a Blackbird on what I thought a rather attractive perch as I walked through the fields adjacent the river.


And while we are on attractive perches this rock isn't bad either, so a Grey Wagtail dropping in on it was very much welcome.

Grey Wagtail were one of the birds I was after, and more of them later (oops spoiler...) but I just won't ever say no to a Dipper.

As I moved through a small wooded section above the river bank an arboreal Grey Wagtail caught my attention, I was quite surprised how much time they spent in the trees.

Followed by another Grey Wagtail in a more traditional setting.

A common Sandpiper dropped in as I came down towards a beach on the river. Another minute later and I'd have been settled down and in position, but as I sat down quietly where I was it didn't seem overly concerned by my presence, feeding as it worked its along the bank.

Settled into this area now I had an excellent Dipper encounter, with a juvenile and then an adult coming in to join it.
It would appear the juvenile is capable of hunting for itself though.

A couple of birds that aren't maybe so typically associated with a river bank were a Robin which regularly dropped down from the nearby trees - mostly to drink I thought although with food here.
And an extraordinary chaffinch which not only behaved just like a Wagtail, working the river bank for insects, but actively sought my company as I tried out different parts of the river bank, often coming too close to photograph, sometimes as close as within 12". I've known Chaffinch to be confiding at a picnic site or perhaps an outdoor cafe, but there was no such thing here, and this bird actively came to me rather than simply tolerating my presence.

Back to the more usual fare with some more Wagtails, both Pied & Grey.

And one more of the Dipper family to finish with.

Weekend photos

Just a bunch of bits and bobs over the weekend.
As usual click on the photos or here for larger versions and more photos.

I spent some time by the Kent at the bottom of Sedgwick Saturday afternoon. Settled in by the river I had a couple of Pied Wagtail come in nice and close.


After enjoying the Wagtails for a while I moved up from the river bank into the field, initially spotting a pair of Blackcap that did a disappearing act on me before I could get anywhere near a photo, but I did get a Willow Warbler in the same bush.


I then turned my attention to the skies with a mixed hirundine flock, first of the season so shaking off the rust a little - especially the House Martin but as I had the full set I wanted to include it anyway.


I then picked up an early Swift among the hirundines, it was only a couple of weeks ago I was taking photo's of Fieldfare & Redwing just a couple of hundred yards away from this spot.


Sunday morning I saw a Siskin on the feeders again with the Goldfinches, so while the weather stayed dry I decided to see if I could get a photo of one. I had a few practice runs with a Goldfinch, but the weather turned decidedly damp before the Siskin showed again.

A thrush sort of a day

I had a thrush sort of a day yesterday.

I glimpsed, or at least I thought did, a Siskin (not a thrush I know) on the feeders in the garden. I grabbed my camera and settled down in the car on the drive to see if I could get a shot of it. All I got in half an hour was a Blackbird, so I decided now that I had my camera out that I'd have a look at Sizergh, see what was about in the car park.

Blackbird in the garden

In the event I never made it to Sizergh as I bumped into Fred Gould on route, scanning a field which as it turned out was full of thrushes. I stopped for a bit of a catch up with Fred and the thrushes seemed quite unfussed about our presence, if anything coming closer as we chatted, so I grabbed my camera and settled down for some photography with the Thrushes. They were mostly Fieldfare with a couple of Redwing and the occasional Mistle Thrush thrown in. I really noticed how variably marked the Fieldfare were, with some well coloured and marked individuals, presumably coming into breeding plumage, while others were quite pale and less marked in what I took to be first winter plumage.

Fieldfare showing the variation in plumage


Redwing and Mistle Thrush remained a little more distant.

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Red Squirrels

Spent a very pleasurable, if somewhat fresh, couple of hours with the Red Squirrels at Shap Wells this afternoon.

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Favourites of 2012

As is traditional at this time of year I have spent a little time looking back at the images of the last 12 months.

To be honest birding and photography took something of a back seat to family during large parts of 2012, as is evident by some large gaps in between blog postings. I apologise for the gaps in my blog, but not for prioritising my young family who are the most important thing in my life. That doesn't in any way mean I'm giving up my interest in wildlife, just that I need to work out better & smarter ways to combine these two aspects of my life.

Despite the limitations on my time, and for that matter those imposed by the weather, there have been some nice images through the year. Here, in no particular order are 12 of my favourite from 2012.



A group of Pink-footed Geese that were associating with some of the astonishing numbers of White-fronted Geese in the county in the early part of the year. While I did get some photographs of the White-fronts they weren't quite as co-operative somehow, and most of the images are what I consider record shots.



I also spent some time in the early part of the year photographing Hawfinch, along with a few of their woodland compatriots. The background is maybe not quite as clean as I'd like, but the interaction here gets me every time.



Again an image containing a slightly messy element - there are a couple of twigs that I might have preferred not to be there, but hey there's a bit of nature in the raw for you and I'm not going to change it.



One particular early June day provided me with what may just rank as my favourite Warbler encounter, simply a pair of Willow Warbler that paid me absolutely no heed as they went about their days work.



I also spent a fair bit of time on the River Kent this year, photographing Dippers, Sandpipers and Wagtails. This brace of Wagtails are my favourite from the time spent alongside the River Kent



Those who know me won't be surprised that I spent some quality time with the Swallows & Martins when they returned from their winter sojourn in climes somewhat warmer than ours.



Can't go wrong with a Marsh Harrier and a nice bit of habitat to boot.



Heron on a wall, a very nice wall it is too


And finally a Kingfisher, for once when I had my camera with me.

For a larger versions of any of the above, plus the rest of my top 40 of 2012 click here