British Nature and Wildlife pics

New website

2010-04-18T10:45:00.002Z

Our new website is now up and running - lots of new pics will be added particularly from our recent trip to Sri Lanka.
www.mandyandmick.zenfolio.com

India

2010-01-28T08:39:00.004Z

The blog will not now be updated until March, as I am spending the next month on a volunteer trip to India :) I have set up another blog to diary the trip. If you are interested please follow this link http://www.mandyandrox.blogspot.com/

Patch Birds

2010-01-14T00:57:00.002Z

It has been a difficult time for birds during the recent big freeze, they have seemed so focused on finding food and keeping warm that they have been more approachable than normal. Shown here are Curlew, Wigeon, Lapwing, Dunlin and Bearded Tit

Cettis Warbler

2010-01-05T21:51:00.003Z

I was so pleased today as I managed to get a photographic record of a Cettis Warbler. There have been a few of them on my local reserve for some time now but are only usually heard or if you are lucky- a fleeting glimspe can be had of them. However today, this one made an appearance out in the open and posed nicely! The shots are not brilliant given the dire weather today, but it was worth a 7 hour visit in heavy snow to finally be rewarded with this sighting.

Berry Blitz

2010-01-05T07:01:00.002Z

On a visit to the coast at the weekend we were delighted to witness the influx of Redwing, Fieldfare, Blackbird and Thrushes. They descended on any available berry producing bush and feasted on them. Literally hundreds of them - a very enjoyable experience :)

Tame Robin

2010-01-05T06:59:00.003Z

This robin is now quite a celebrity on my local reserve, it actively seeks out people and will stay around you the whole time you are in that area. It is partial to suet and will feed from your hand or sit inches from your face in a nearby bush waiting for you to provide food. A little treasure!!:)

2010-01-04T21:56:00.001Z

Wintry Scenes

2009-12-24T09:01:00.002Z

The cold snap has continued, most of the water bodies at my local patch are mostly frozen over.

Recent Patch Birds

2009-12-24T08:58:00.002Z

Yesterday I was treated to the sight of 15 Whooper Swans over the patch, and I also caught up with the drake Smew at last! Also this little Robin is proving delightful should you enter its territory, it will feed from your hand and stay around your feet - wonderful !! :)

Bearded Reedlings

2009-12-24T08:55:00.002Z

These birds are proving to be a bit addictive to photograph! They are at times so close and confiding and have provided so much pleasure to the observer!

Red Necked Phalarope

2009-11-26T08:56:00.002Z

What a delightful little bird. It has been around for nigh on 2 weeks and had attracted a lot of attention! It is very confiding and seems total undisturbed by hoards of birders/photographers. It has at times been almost close enough to reach out and touch it. It certainly has won some hearts :)

Shore Larks

2009-11-16T17:41:00.003Z

I was thrilled to at last see these birds, there were 4 in total there on Sunday. I didnt think I would get to see them before they disappeared as Mick working everyday at mo so I was delighted when my friend Max offered to take me there. We had wonderful weather and the birds didnt disappoint. A brilliant day! They were always quite distant but will careful approach, without risking flushing the birds and getting covered in wet sand as a result, I managed to get reasonable record photos - this bird was another "lifer" for me :)

Snow Buntings

2009-11-16T17:39:00.001Z

Delightful little birds, in a flock with Twite.

Black Necked Grebe

2009-11-13T17:01:00.002Z

Here are a few record shots, heavily cropped! It was nice to see this bird, a lifer for me, have always dipped out before when they have been reported locally. The warden informed me it was the first one of the winter (North Cave Wetlands). It was always distant but I was delighted to see it!

Little Grebe

2009-11-13T11:56:00.003Z

I love Little Grebe, they are so cute! I enjoyed watching one of them from the hide, the water was clear and shallow and it was great to watch one of them under the water to-ing and fro-ing to catch fish. What a delight :)

Snipe

2009-11-13T11:54:00.002Z

Largest flock of these I have ever seen - a total of 18

Starling Roost

2009-11-09T08:41:00.003Z

Our local starlings have been gathering to roost , the flock are getting larger and larger. I managed these photos one evening, was a shame I didnt have a nice sunset as a backdrop but then you cant have everything - It was breathtaking to watch and they came so close that I could feel and hear them - awesome! Quite a challenge to capture in low light conditions - will no doubt get another opportunity to photograph them

Bempton

2009-11-02T22:53:00.002Z

A visit to Bempton cliffs on Saturday proved to be a washout! We hoped to view the Red Backed Shrike that has been there for a few days but with terrible visibility with fog and rain we dipped out. A few Gannet were observed over the sea and hundreds of Blackbird coming in were a delight to see along with a number of Redwing. A Sparrowhawk was observed too near to the visitor centre .Mick had a close encounter with a weasel. The day ended on a very pleasant note as we called in at Worlaby Carrs and enjoyed an hour of sunshine in the company of Barn Owls and our first Short Eared Owl of the autumn.

Bearded Tits Again!

2009-10-29T09:48:00.003Z

I was delighted yesterday to again watch and photograph my local Beardies in good light at long last! I had 10 birds, after a wait of nearly 3 hours.

Bearded Tit

2009-10-27T07:35:00.002Z

A magical experience - 3 hours with these delightful little birds - a flock of around 20. Mainly seen on the gravel path. In winter they eat lots of seeds and so take in gravel as a digestion aid. They were all very vocal too!

Knot

2009-10-27T07:29:00.002Z

On a beach walk at the weekend we came across this very confiding lone Knot - we only usually see them in their spectacular flocks at distance.

Coastal Birds

2009-10-19T09:39:00.002Z

We had a few hours at the coast over the weekend, here is a selection of what we saw, Lapwing, Stonechat, Wren and a record shot of a scarcer Spotted Redshank

Bearded Tits

2009-10-16T08:11:00.002Z

I enjoyed good views of these lovely birds but again the weather was murky and drizzly and the autofocus on my camera struggled to lock on to the birds most of the time.

Common Snipe

2009-10-16T08:09:00.002Z

A dull overcast day - hence poor colours to the shots, I was pleased with the flight pic as the green background put a pit of colour in to the capture!

Local Bits

2009-10-16T08:05:00.002Z

Some recent local pics. Kestrel, Water Rail , Little Grebe. Wren and a Weasel

New Quay (Wales)

2009-10-16T07:46:00.002Z

We spent a week there in September this year - we were plagued by dull and damp conditions mostly which was frustrating from a photography point of view, and everywhere was pretty quiet for birds and wildlife. I think if we go there again we will choose springtime and hope and pray for good light!! Below are a few photographs from the trip.

Newport Magic

2009-10-16T07:44:00.002Z

One night we went to the wetland area of Newport and witnessed one of the most wonderful sunsets we have seen!

Guillemot

2009-10-16T07:43:00.002Z

This lone bird was seen in New Quay for about 3 days running

Grey Heron

2009-10-16T07:42:00.002Z

This heron was observed at St Dogmaels

Dipper

2009-10-16T07:40:00.003Z

Dippers were again fairly common in most areas we visited.

Herring Gulls

2009-10-16T07:36:00.002Z

We spent a lot of time on the rocks near the fish processing plant, fishing, watching the dolphins, seals and birds. A very smelly place to sit!! The waste products pouring out into the sea attracted the gulls in large numbers.

Oystercatchers

2009-10-16T07:21:00.000Z

A common sight around the Welsh coast

Chough

2009-10-16T07:19:00.003Z

Our "target" bird having never seen them before - most days we observed them flying over, we usually heard them before seeing them - they have a very distinctive call. We had this flock pass us over the sea and then on the last day found a few more in a field hanging out with jackdaws.

Woodpecker and Stonechat

2009-10-16T07:15:00.002Z

Whilst walking along the coastal path above New Quay we were watching Stonechats along the fence above the cliff when we were surprised to see 3 Great Spotted Woodpeckers join the chats along the barbed wire fence. They werent too confiding so these are distant shots.

Welsh Raptors

2009-10-16T07:12:00.002Z

We saw Peregrine and Buzzard most days whilst in Wales.

Curlew

2009-09-13T23:50:00.001Z

Lots of these around today, including 3 together on a grass verge!

Cormorant

2009-09-13T23:49:00.002Z

I got a very good view of this bird, they are usually at a distance so I was happy when this one came close by!

Water Rail

2009-09-11T11:54:00.003Z

A really elusive species, more often heard than seen but I was lucky this week to have one show briefly enabling me to photograph it.

Bugs and Butterflies

2009-08-31T10:25:00.002Z

Here are some shots from the weekend. Common Blue Butterfly, Grasshopper and a thirsty Wasp (my favourite picture of the weekend!)

Migrant Hawker

2009-08-31T10:22:00.001Z

Finally got out for a few hours together over the weekend. Here are photos of quite an obliging hawker.

Arctic Terns

2009-07-19T10:03:00.002Z

Stonechat

2009-07-19T10:00:00.001Z

We came across a pair of these lovely birds around Lindisfarne castle, only the male was confiding enough to get these photos.

New Life

2009-07-15T16:20:00.003Z

Arctic tern chicks were everywhere on Inner Farne, from newly hatched to these balls of fluff. You had to watch your step as they were often on the path. The juvenile Dipper was seen on a river in Northumberland on a murky day where we also saw Kingfisher and Grey Wagtail. The Ringed Plover chick was observed on the beach near the jetty on Inner Farne

Dark Green Fritillary

2009-07-15T16:14:00.003Z

A new species for us. They were in abundance on the sand dunes off the causeway leading to Holy Island (Lindisfarne). They were a difficult butterfly to photograph as they are constantly flitting about, it took an hour of patience just waiting for them to briefly land. Macro shots were impossible but we managed these shots from a distance

Sandwich Terns

2009-07-15T15:58:00.002Z

Quite a nice colony of these Sandwich Terns, observed in flight and with their little families :)

Sandwich Terns part 2

2009-07-15T15:56:00.001Z

Adorable Puffins

2009-07-14T19:09:00.002Z

Such lovely encounters with these gorgeous little birds. We tried to capture intimate moments between them as well as standard puffins shots.

Puffins again

2009-07-14T19:07:00.001Z

More puffin shots...

Close Encounters of the Tern kind

2009-07-14T18:30:00.002Z

Inner Farne! What a place. Although we were pecked and poo-ed on lots of times, one Arctic Tern decided Micks head was a good place to sit for a while, it stayed there a good five minutes as he walked around! :)

Northumbria

2009-07-09T10:37:00.004Z

We are leaving the chaos at home behind for a 3 day visit to the NE to fulfill a long ambition to visit the renowned Farne Islands and surrounding coast. Will update blog asap on our return. Im sure we will not be disappointed :)

Avocet Chick

2009-07-03T09:55:00.002Z

What a little cutie! 3 of these chicks took up residence in the middle of a main road through my local reserve, they had to be ushered gently to safer ground, this one then became separated from its siblings and ended up in a ditch tangled in weeds and looking very sorry for itself. After a bit of a struggle it freed itself and went on its way.

Barn Owl at Daybreak

2009-06-23T10:18:00.002Z

Not the best pics as taken before the sun was up! Always a pleasure to see a Barnie! :)

Spot Flys

2009-06-23T10:16:00.002Z

Our local Spotted Flycatchers have been showing well and the male was seen to pass food to the female who then took the food to the nest site. Nice to know they have successfully bred a few minutes walk from our house :)

Yellowhammer/Whitethroat/Treecreeper

2009-06-23T10:12:00.003Z

A few pics of some local birds. The Yellowhammer posed nicely whilst singing loudly! The Treecreeper was busy feeding its young and the Whitethroat was part of a large family

Sao Miguel - The Azores - May 2009

2009-06-23T09:40:00.003Z

Phew! At last the blog is updated from the above trip. It has taken such a long time as at the moment we are having work done on our house and it has been a constant stream of builders, j oiners, plumbers etc etc. Our house is like a bomb site at the moment-it is nowhere near done but today I have been able to lock myself away for a couple of hours to catch up with this blog!
We had a very enjoyable trip to the largest island in the Azores - Sao Miguel. We went there primarily for cetaceans and were not disappointed. A hire car was essential to get the most of of the holiday, the scenery is amazing and we would have missed out on so much if we hadnt hired a car. Enjoy the pics (click on them for larger view). We are looking forward to our next little getaway in July, a few days visiting the Farne Islands in Northumbria.

Sao Miguel Scenes

2009-06-23T09:38:00.001Z

Here are a selection of views from the island..

Sao Miguel scenes part 2

2009-06-23T09:36:00.001Z

More scenic views...

Sao Miguel Scenes part 3

2009-06-23T09:34:00.001Z

Common Terns

2009-06-23T09:14:00.002Z

Corys Shearwater

2009-06-23T09:12:00.002Z

These were a challenge as only really seen out at sea and most of the time it was difficult to capture with the camera as the sea usually rough or the light wasnt good enough. This one photo was about the best we got!

Roseate Terns

2009-06-23T09:00:00.002Z

We saw only a handful of these, they were hanging out with a colony of Common Terns. They were around a rocky outcrop on the outskirts of Ponta Delgada, we called the area Tern Rock!

Humpback Whale

2009-06-23T08:56:00.002Z

This migratory whale showed well for us, it was they first record of one in these waters for 3 years so we were very lucky to add this to our cetacean sightings :)

Fin Whale

2009-06-23T08:52:00.003Z

What a monster!! It is the second largest living animal on earth (behind the Blue Whale). This one was estimated to be around 22 metres in length. To give some idea of size, the dorsal fin is 3/4 of the way down its body, so these pictures minus the last quarter of body and tail plus its head shows just how big they are! A privelege indeed to view this whopping whale!

Atlantic Canaries

2009-06-23T08:34:00.003Z

These were very common Canaries(Serinus canaria) but not too confiding. They are endemic to the Macronesian region (i.e. The Azores, Cape Verde, Canary Islands and Maderia)

Azorean Chaffinch

2009-06-23T08:30:00.002Z

Wonderful little birds, again endemic to the region (Fringilla coelebs moreletti), very pretty and confiding, they could be handfed at Lagoa de Furnas.

Azorean Buzzard

2009-06-23T08:27:00.003Z

These endemic Buzzards (buteo buteo rothschildi) were a common sight for us, everywhere- on the coast, in the mountains and over the towns.

Sperm Whale

2009-06-23T08:23:00.003Z

We were thrilled to see adult sperm whales although at great distance, however this youngster appeared by our boat and he kept going right underneath us and popping up at the side of the boat to look at us, a wonderful encounter!!

Bottle Nosed Dolphins

2009-06-23T08:19:00.002Z

It was our dream to watch Dolphins bow riding etc, it was an awesome experience to lean over the front of our boat and see them underwater :) we had so many lovely and memorable times with these wonderful creatures.

Bottle Nosed Dolphins part 2

2009-06-23T08:17:00.002Z

Rissos Dolphins

2009-06-15T22:32:00.003Z

A new species for us - great to observe! They are reputed to prefer to keep their distance from boats but we saw two large pods and they came quite close

Local Owlets again

2009-06-14T07:46:00.004Z

I had a wonderful ten minutes with this owlet. It was sitting right next to the path with a headless bird in its talons. It didnt seem to mind my presence at all and the whole experience was magical :) Sadly one of its siblings has been found dead on the road next to the wood.

Azores Bullfinch (Priolo)

2009-06-12T09:01:00.002Z

What a bird. We were so lucky to see around 14 of these very rare and critically endangered birds. The first group we came across was unexpected, we were on a mountain ridge in low cloud with only a few yards of visibility, a remote place called Pico Bartholomeu. On other visits to the Serra de Tronquiera region (east of the island of Sao Miguel) , the only region these birds can be found, we found more. The local name is "Priolo" (bullfinch-pyrrhula pyrrhula murina)

The male and female are alike. Lots of conservation work is being done to preserve this species. We feel very priveledge to have spent time with these birds and to observe them in their native habitat. There are estimated to be only 150-200 pairs left. It was nice to see them "fern stripping" the only Eurasian bird that does this. Long live the Priolo!!!!

More Priolo

2009-06-12T08:58:00.002Z

There is link opposite for more info on the Priolo and projects surrounding its conservation

Bottle Nosed Dolphins

2009-06-11T15:50:00.002Z

The first batch of dolphin pics, more to come! This was one of our biggest challenges, they delighted us on every trip around the shores of Sao Miguel but with choppy seas and trying to guess when they were going to show above water was very difficult!!

Local Spotted Flycatchers

2009-06-11T15:29:00.003Z

A brief diversion from the Azores photos, today I had a walk out in my local area specifically to look for Spotted Flycatcher and within 10 mins came across two of them!

Wall Lizards

2009-06-10T10:17:00.001Z

Very common and seen daily. They even live amongst the lava rocks on the beaches.

Black-Winged-Stilt

2009-06-10T10:14:00.002Z

This pretty individual was observed twice at Lagoa De Furnas, it has apparently been there a while. We first saw it in flight and it was very unconfiding. However we returned there and again saw it fly by, we then hid in vegetation for a few minutes and it waded toward us, enabling us to photograph it :)

Marsh Frogs

2009-06-10T09:49:00.002Z

What an endearing bunch!!! They were very very vocal, anywhere near water, even up in the mountains etc, you could hear the frog chorus ringing out. Mostly when we approached - plop! plop! plop! they were gone! However we did find a large group inside a cattle trough and they posed nicely for us - great little creatures!!

Blackcap

2009-06-09T18:00:00.004Z

Yet another azorean endemic - Blackcap(sylvia atricapilla gularis). These were prolific, their song greeted us every morning. One tree, with yellow flowers, in our hotel grounds seemed to draw them and sometimes there were 40+ of this species feeding there at any one time. As with our Blackcaps, the male has the black cap and the female, brown.

Little Egret

2009-06-09T13:43:00.001Z

We saw around half a dozen of these whilst in the Azores

Azorean endemic Goldcrest

2009-06-09T11:40:00.003Z

These birds were very common but not particularly confiding, heard more than seen. They are of the endemic subspecies regulus regulus azoricus

Grey Wagtail

2009-06-09T11:26:00.001Z

These endemic subspecies (motacilla cinerea patriciae) Grey Wags were everwhere in the Azores, very common and seen as much in the towns and forests as well as near water.

Azores Sunset

2009-06-09T11:02:00.002Z

Beautiful scenes from the coast.

Portuguese Man O' War

2009-06-09T10:49:00.004Z

These beasties were everywhere so we didnt dare swim or snorkel as we would normally do! If you look carefully at some of the pics you can make out the reflections of the surrounding cliffs and clouds!

Azorean Long Eared Owl

2009-06-09T10:24:00.002Z

Whilst in the Azores towards the end of our trip we heard these owls calling and saw brief glimpses of them in flight in the grounds of our hotel. On our last morning we had a couple of hours free so we scoured the gardens to find them roosting and were not disappointed! Absoluteley stunning owls!! Those eyes are amazing- a fitting end to our trip:)

Tawny Owlets and Azores update

2009-06-09T10:09:00.003Z

Here are our latest pics of the local Tawny owlets, all seem hale and hearty- adorable!! With regards to the Azores we are nearly through with sorting the photographs so should get some pics on in next few days - phew! We did find the Azores Bullfinch and 7 cetacean species. :):). More details to follow...

Goodbye for 2 weeks

2009-05-15T23:28:00.002Z

Blog will not be updated until early June as we are off away to the Azores in search of whales and dolphins and hopefully some good birds! We may even pin down the endangered endemic Azores Bullfinch. Watch this space............

Tawnies

2009-05-15T23:04:00.003Z

We were thrilled this evening to see 3 newly fledged Tawnies on our local reserve. A fantastic sight despite torrential rain and thunder. We watched them stretching and flapping their wings and also saw them being fed by their parents. A priveledge indeed and big smiles all round!!

Shelducks

2009-05-12T18:32:00.003Z

Large numbers of these on the patch now.

Little Egret

2009-05-12T18:31:00.002Z

This is being seen quite regularly at the moment, on this occasion it was soon bullied by the local gulls.

Kestrel

2009-05-12T18:20:00.001Z

Mick was lucky enough to come across this Kestrel as he left work

Common Terns

2009-05-12T18:18:00.003Z

Great to watch these noisy individuals, quite a few on the patch now. Beauties!!

Swifts/Swallow

2009-05-12T18:15:00.001Z

Lots of patience to photograph these aerial experts, very fast and unpredictable! This was the best we could do - amazing to observe, we have spent hours watching them!

Local Images

2009-05-12T18:11:00.002Z

Yet more sunset pics and one weather picture, we were out photographing Swifts, the weather was hit and miss, one minute sunny then rain.

More Waders

2009-05-12T18:08:00.002Z

Here is another selection of Ringed Plover/Dunlin images

Dunlin and Ringed Plover

2009-05-01T21:32:00.003Z

Firstly a Dunlin shot. I love Ringed Plovers and to get these shots I had to lay flat on my front in the mud and wait for them to approach! The lengths we go to!

Less Than Perfect Shots!

2009-05-01T21:29:00.002Z

I tried in vain to get a good photo of a displaying Sedge Warbler, they are so small and fast and in less than perfect light, nearly impossible to get "locked on" to. This was the best I could do! Also here is a record shot of a Little Ringed Plover in flight and also a Swallow and a Linnet

Chowder Ness/ Far Ings

2009-05-01T06:29:00.001Z

Here are a few shots from my local patch.

Pied Wags

2009-05-01T06:27:00.003Z

On a visit to Chowder Ness I took delight in watching these displaying. They reminded me of little pogo-sticks as they bounced along!

Tawny Owl

2009-05-01T06:24:00.002Z

One of those magical nature moments! I arrived in thick fog on my local reserve and as I turned a corner this beauty was sat out in the open, I shared ten minutes in its company and it seem quite undisturbed by my presence. Wonderful!!