Wheatear - A Surprise Garden Tick

 

Wheatear - Near the top or driveway with plenty of cars passing by.

Little Grebe at Wycombe Rye

 This adult Little Grebe came rather close while we were having coffee while sat outside at The Dyke on Wycombe Rye.  The Grebe was attracted by a group of Mallard that someone was feeding.

It was good to see one there still.  I assume it has a mate somewhere near.  In the past there were much bigger number here.  In February 1994 I counted 15.  These days the site is much more disturbed and along much of the length far less aquatic plant life.

Little Grebe - adult

Dunbar Battery

 Dunbar Harbour and Battery was impressive with quite a few birds around.  A few offshore rocky islands provided good perches for Shags and Cormorants, the rocky crags near the harbour gave suitable nest sites for Kittiwakes and a few Gannets could be seen offshore.

Dunbar Harbour

Dunbar Harbour

Dunbar Battery

Rocky Islands viewed from the Battery

Rock viewed from the Battery

Shags - Good numbers were present.

Plus a Great Black-backed Gull

Eider - Presumed a female in the background and two juveniles.

Kittiwake - A juvenile presumed to have been raised in the immediate vicinity.

Farmland near Croston

 A walk around farmland close to Croston, Lancashire.  A very flat low lying area.  A good number of Yellowhammers were seen or heard, also Sedge Warbler, Swallows, Kestrels, c150 Lapwing and also several Tree Sparrows heard.

Brown Hare - Two in this field.

Swallows - Presumed part of a family party

White Coppice - Lancashire

 No sign of the Redstarts or Pied Flycatchers that breed in the area but both are easy to miss,  It is quite possible that they have finished breeding and have now headed south.

A number of the resident species were seen including Tree Creeper, Nuthatch, Stonechat and Dipper.

Stonechat - a male seen close to where several juveniles were seen in the bracken.

Dipper - Two individuals seen in different areas.

Breeding Avocets - Plus

 Another trip to the excellent Hesketh Outmarsh RSPB Reserve.  There were probably 200 Avocets present with a few fairly close family groups.  Unfortunately very windy conditions made videoing difficult.

Avocets 

Avocet - Dive bombing a Gull that wandered to close to the young.

Little Egrets - Several of these in the area.

Oystercatcher - One of a pair with young nearby.

Hesketh Bank RSPB Reserve

 This was a visit to check out Hesketh Bank and hope to see a Spotted Redshank that had been present

Spotted Redshank approaching summer plumage.  It then flew much further away

Arctic Terns - Both Arctic and Common Terns breed here.

Avocets - There probably 30 sitting  birds present.

Redshank