Due to personal circumstances I have not been out birding much in the last couple of weeks but there have been some nice local highlights. As strange as it may seem one gull missing off my photo list has been Common Gull … mostly to far away, and very easily spooked!!!
15th of November…….. I finally cracked my jinx!! Some Common Gulls had been seen the day previously, so keeping my fingers crossed I went back the next day – and there were a few Common Gulls feeding close to the road… the light was perfect too!! A great morning’s photography.
To get home, I decided to take the back roads, suddenly I caught some movement in one of the fields and yes!! A couple of Roe Deer feeding in broad light in the late afternoon.
25th November…..Today, found myself and my birding mate Alf doing some local patch birding, as luck would have it we came across a juvenile male Sparrowhawk attempting to drag out of a Holly bush some terrified Tree Sparrows; the local Blackbirds, Chaffinches,Wren, Robins and various Blue Tits were going absolutely nuts!! What a row!!!
The Sparrowhawk was literally diving into the bush, he then circled it and tried to get in from the side – but it could not reach its meal. Eventually the young bird flew off much to the relief of the local songbird population!! The drama last about two minutes and I managed to get a few shots of the event !!
29th November….Today I had a walk down the Carrs near home as there have been some good movements of Redwings and Fieldfares recently.There were lots of Redwings and Fieldfare feeding on berries..but they were super wary and took flight very easily.
Plan B is needed to get a good view and photograph. There were other good sightings including Great White Egret , which was great news. This is the 3rd winter we have had a Great White Egret wintering on the Carrs.
Other highlights included 2 Little Egrets, along with some cracking male Bullfinches, a Kingfisher and in the Cormorant roost there were 29 birds.
Another interesting sighting were some continental Blackbirds emanating from Scandinavia … these Blackbirds unlike their British cousins are much darker and have a much darker bill which replaces the traditional yellow bill of British birds.
Sadly we also found a dead otter another car casualty – looking at its size it was probably a cub. A sad sight, but it confirms all the local rumours !!!
30th of November …. So today I decided to drive down the Carrs and use my car as a mobile hide and park near the berry feast!! I am always amazed as to how wildlife becomes quickly at ease with a parked car. If you don’t make any sudden movements and talk very quietly it is amazing how close the birds will come.
I had some great results .. plus the car was a good shelter from a cold wind!!
Well, it will be December soon; Happy Birding and safe journeys. Regards Jon
