More white and gold of gods own country

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Another trip oop north saw me back at a place I'd been to before. Wheldrake Ings. A very nice place in the summer when the main interest was a tagged Female Marsh Harrier. This time I was hoping for a little more now that the waters had arrived and the winter ducks should be aplenty.
Well the mud was high I can say that. It looked like a tractor had gone through the track and flicked cakes of mud all over it. The most slippy surface you could not wish for. I had my walking boots on but had to be careful of my smart work trousers. My vanity doesn't interest you though does it...............

Quick hop over the bridge and fields reminiscent of Somerset met me. Nice and flat with lush grass. I spied something I had missed before.

Owl Box

Looking good then. But its early afternoon. Pretty slim chance of seeing one. No matter its still lovely here. Walking on I could see the ducks in the distance getting agitated. Something was afoot, or should that be awing!

Kestrel

Kestrel

Kestrel

Kestrel Hover Hunting

Kestrel

Not a bad haul so far then. The tall hide was looking good in the light and the views from the top were pretty good to.

The low Waters from the tall hide. The waterfowl were far too far away for pics and I didn't have my scope but nothing caught my eye.

Jay in flight

Jay in flight

Jays have very odd flight patterns. Well at least this one did. It was very awkward and I didn't realise they flew with their beaks open. Well at least this one did.

A very pleasant hour was spent just watching the day pass by. Nothing is better. I took lots of pointless pics to pass the time.

Coming back down outside all was quiet. Little traffic from far away, the buzz of a small plane having fun. Perfect. I amused myself with such trivia as this

A not so trivial Robin

Some trees in the sun

Then there was a bit of an OMG moment. This flew passed...............

Barn Owl

Barn Owl

I just stared. Well you don't expect it do you. It was about 20 feet away going along the fence line, as they do. Luckily I came to and managed to start snapping.

Can you see me?

Swooping down

THE GREAT WHITE RABBIT OF YORKSHIRE!!!!!

It circled and dived a few times. Doing this quite quickly as if practicing rather than with any determination.

And there it sat

Settled on the post from where I had come. Now what are the chances its going to stay there if I walk back? I wanted to go on to the ponds. Probably something ridiculously rare and interesting or absolutely nothing unless you get excited by Mallards. Or should I take a risk. If it goes I would be disturbing its hunt. Wildlife don't really want to be followed around. They have very important things to do like staying alive. I decided to take the risk and walk back. It will be gone before I get there anyway. Luckily I was hidden by bushes for quit a while.

OMG there it is............... Oh!

Here you see how the Barn Owl has developed its unique marking to disguise itself as a fence post

It was quite happy to sit there. It didn't even see me until I started snapping. When it spun its head round I froze. It looked for a few seconds then went on looking elsewhere. After a while it ignored the snapping. The light was perfect. Bit of a difference to Steart at the weekend. It flew off of its own accord.

Happy days! I wandered back as the light was getting low. But not before a few more minutes watching the Gulls coming in to roost.

And a Jackdaw

Greylags

Those Gulls in that light with the silence was amazing. Loved every minute. The last pic shows the variation in the wing patterns. As I flicked through the three or four shots it shows an alternating black and white of the wing beats.

Finally I was enchanted by the oh so gentle whispers of a pair of Tree Creepers. These are lovely little birds running around the trunks. Buggers to get a picture of though. That Paper Marbling effect on their wings always gets me.

Thank you Wheldrake Ing 

One last look back from the bridge and look what I could see just waking up.

Barn Owl in a box

White for the Owls and Gold for the Light of course.

Crest Fallen

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The Sunday started pretty much as usual with my 3 year old daughter shouting 

“I want to watch The Furchester” at 615 am. The Furchester (in case you haven’t heard of it) is essentially The Muppets for 2015.  Luckily The Cookie Monster made the cut.  He can make me smile even when its dark outside.

Anyway, birding wasn't on the cards today (or so I thought). However a brief comment from my wife about “going to her mums later” did get my attention. I carefully suggested taking my car down to Wells “to get it cleaned, after going to the play park, looking round the High Street, moat etc”.

It worked like a charm.  Silently I slipped my camera into the car and went to Wells.

At Morissons the chickens were showing well. 

More importantly the Kingfisher was sat very nicely at the moat, except I didn't have my camera... Just go to Carl Bovis's site.  He has got some good pics of it.

Anyway after dosing up at Coffee #1 on hot choc and tea cakes.  I was able to slip off to Westhay.

On the way I spied a Buzzard on a post.  Knowing full well it would fly off as soon as I stopped the car.  I drove forward a bit but kept the loud music blaring.  Wound down the window and shouted a bit (not the last part).  He stayed there for about a minute!!! In the sunshine!! A first.

 At London drove there was bedlam with people, dogs and cars.  It was like the A39.

I spied a familiar white camper.  Mike was here.  His keen eye would spot any little birds fluttering about.  Then I could take a picture :-)

Sure enough I found him (and is wife, I have forgotten her name which is very rude of me.  My full apologies!) After a quick chat I moved on up to the hide “at the top”.  I like this one. Theres always something here.  After a few moments the Goosanders swam a bit closer and started fighting.

 This one showed in the sunshine which was nice.

Then a heron flew in.  Looked at me warily and flew off again.

Mike and his wife joined me.  A Water rail was doing its best Michael Jackson impression, sliding and skidding on the ice.

If you flick between these pictures quickly enough it looks like the moonwalk.

I really was enjoying the sunshine and took my time on the way back. I stopped with Mikes wife (sorry this is soo embarrassing). Loads of people were looking for “The bird”. Then I noticed a small flitty critter n the ivy.  It was quickly identified by Mikes wife.   Firecrest!

How on earth people have managed to get a picture of this thing is a mystery.  It flitted about for a few seconds and was gone.  Still I had seen it.  But I was a little crest fallen, it was a rather brief encounter.  But then its that which keeps us coming back for more...

Thanks to Mike’s wife for the confirmation.  Still I feel so rude.

Been there, Dun that

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Beautiful sunshine greeted anyone up and out before 10am. Wonderful photography weather. Fantastic contrasts and highlights. What more would any snapper ask for? So on that note the EFRS was finally ready and on duty at Steart for about 12 midday when the cloud had covered the sky giving a wonderful soft grey colour to everything. All the contrasts were gone and the land was still.
Oh well we soldiered on into the biting if not too strong wind. Boy was it cold. Maybe we're not aclimatised to the season quite yet but it did seem especially cold today. Advice was noted from a fatherly figure to the EFRS but to no avail.

James: At this point I quickly nipped across the carpark and got a distant shot of these fella's.  Unfortunately they are not like the Mute swans and dont come waddling up to you.  Such a shame...

Whoop, whoop (sorry)

There was very little happening on this coastal area. The biggest activity was from this happy gaggle as they wandered around looking at probably far more interesting things than us. They did seem to look at a lot of things. Wonder if any of our readers recognise themselves?

The birds were sparse. Much time was spent fantasising on exotic Gulls but no they were all Herring or Black Headed. Not a Glaucus or Laughing or Slate Backed to be seen. Still I will always enjoy an immature Herring Gull. Fantastic markings.

Immature Herring Gull

As we cycled round the few things of note were a few Little Egrets and one Great White Egret.

Little Egret

Little Egret

Great White Egret

Great White Egret

Great White Egret

Once we got our eye in a few others came to light. In particular a few Snipe flitting round, Some Curlew and Redshank

Redshank

Black tailed Godwits

Curlew

Then as we cycled back down on the main road parallel with the coast a cry went out. 'SHORT EARED OWL'!!! We managed to see it far off in the distance and I managed to get a couple of record shots

Short Eared Owl

Imediately after that I got this shot

Common Buzzard

(Now why couldn't that be a Short Eared Owl! Such is life.)

Determined to get a better view of this elusive beast we stayed on the road thoroughly expecting it to fly directly over us and onto the reserve. Well why wouldn't it! Then we realised we were stood there in full view and far too obvious so we moved to a lower position but still with good sight of everything. Well when we say this is the reason it was possibly more to do with getting out of the wind. An hour went by and nothing but Lapwings and Crows filled our sights. The leaving cars had bemused passengers wondering why we were standing in a ditch.

Lapwing

As we moved on back to the car the field next to where we were standing had some mildly interesting occupants. Three Dunlin.

Dunlin

Dunlin

Dunlin

And back to the car. Quite a flat report from quit a flat day save for the some what brief Short Eared Owl. So now we've been there and Dun that! Bring on Spring.........................

A splash of colour on a grey day.  Seen from the pub window.  But which one?  Write your answers on a stamped addressed envelope or leave your comments below :-)