Saturday 18 May 2013

Catching rays...

Well. Not exactly. There has been sun, warmth and settledness interspersed with far more regular burst of cold driven rain and wind...and not even from the east, something that even a hint of during this peak spring migration period would get any birders taste buds going!

Some leftovers from the fall that produced Newton's Collared Fly...







 However its just as well a dearth of migration has occurred as life here has been nonstop! The beginning of our Puffin Census created alot of media interest seeing the Farnes (including a rather sodden me) appearing on BBC Breakfast/News, The Guardian, Daily Mail, Independent among others!

The breeding birds have finally begun to touch down and get it on with everything copulating in your personal space! I've been shat at by Black-heads and Arctics so the time for a hat is nigh!




Others stuff that's happened involves a nice couple of mini-falls bagging some nice sub-Saharan's, but unlike last year, nothing scarce or 'predictable' yet...our time will come, and it may be today as while I type the wind is swing ENE with mist and heavy rain, almost ideal conditions...please please please something with blue or red in the name!

And some from our last small fall...

Black Redstart looking wet and rare!!


Garden Warbler looking bonny!

And the highlight...a late Short-eared Owl that sent the colonies into chaos!

Its been a while since my last blog...so here's some pictures from the intervening period...

Not rare this year...Wood Pigeon being big

More scarce...Willow Warbler contemplating its next move...

Moth-trapping continues with Hebrew Character and Red Chestnut (above) regular along with the first Garden Carpets of the year

Seabirds rule!

  
Bonny Wagtylor...He would definitely win the Eurovision cripplefest!

Guillemots giving it all that...

Black-headed Gull mobbing Fulmar #hardasnails...

Whitethroat duo...another migrants that has been fairly infrequent this year..


The Farnes at their best...

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