soil hill-a cracking day

what a typical goldfinch scene

four of a large linnet flock

jays-3 there this morning

i think these are teals

i went to soil hill this moring at once birds were erupting from the ground everywhere. i walked round the top and thought i saw an osprey-but on closer examination it was plane. then i walked down to the pools at the pools i flushed three ducks. the photos arnt much good but i cant make out the second white line to distinguish it to be a mallard. just i was trying to find out where the ducks had gone a crow sized bird with a white rump flew past and i instantly recognized it as a jay. it then joined its buddies to bring the total to three.
overall:
linnet-big flock
mipit-too many
skylark-bouncing off the floor everywhere
wheatear-1 with mipits as you enter
kestrel-2 circling
red grouse-four flushed
jay-3 quite close
sparrowhawk-1 but camera wouldnt focus so no pics
teal??-3 flushed by first pool
goldfinch-numerous large flocks
crows-loads milling about
lesser black-backed gull-1 flew over

lakeland weekend-pictures of lakeland

are you looking at me


fog moveing over skidow

a postcard picture

migrating geese at sunset

a lovely sunset

the crystle calm lake

always a favourite

a nuthatch!

how do you drive this thing-amateur joyrider

a buff-tip moth caterpillar

what a view

whirlygig beetles-the most comical insect alive

rosehips-the autumn fruit

something was obviously wrong with this shrew (although it didnt show) as it happily munched a worm

this was about 5cm away, you could touch it

a common puffball

a common darter-a stunning insect

another view of lakeland

the merganser family

hello there

ohhh, like ouch

like water off a ducks back

a clean sweep!

some took extreme methods in hygene

like the hyenas on the savanah, always after your lunch!!

that concludes the flight with goose 923

the southern hawker in the park

lakeland weekend-the day

a fishing party of RBM


a mallard in a flap

a nuthatch

it was a cracking day but to keep things simple most of the photos are going on the next post, becuase there are so many. thus many labels will go on the next post but hey.

we started by going for a lakeside walk. i can tell you now that the only passerines to exist up here are robins and chaffinches. the walk was beautiful and when we reached the flooded forest i also spotted this nuthatch quite close. i spotted a large family of red breasted mergansers (numbering 7) they wree really close and good to see.

after this we went on a rowing boat. this was good-except my brother cant row. when we arrived at the reedbed we were surprised to find large numbers of shoaling perch and minnows-only in staggering numbers. a beautiful southern hawker dragonfly came and fle arouhnd the boat giving us a lovely view. the mergansers caught up with us but that was the best bit of the boat ride. cormorants flew overhead.

when we got back we went into town where,obviously there was nothing. in the park though i found a female southern hawker.

it was a smashing day and the pictures see next post were awsome.

lakeland weekend-evening of arrival

included for no appearet reason-never-the-less still very pretty


a gorgeous picture of migrating geese at sunset


a gorgeous picture
not much happening this evening but a cracking sunset with bats flying all around. much to my annoyance, you may (will) remeber the LBBG last time that gave me the slip into it being a yellow-legged gull. well i can tell you now that its still there.
also mallards, canada geese and black headed gulls plus a new herring gull on the area. carrion crows were playing on the boats.

harewood-bank holiday monday

"wow, its the almighty human!!!!!"

harewood is famouse for its red kites. but i only had the naff little lense so my photos leave alot to be desired.

an adorable coot family

we went to harewood for a steam rally, and red kites, and neither failed to diassapoint. the only downside is it was not possible for me to get the photos i desired becuase the camera was under maintainance.

other life was far between but one heron was perched lonely on the lake and on the lake there were great creatsed grebes and tufted ducks.

i lost my family on the lakeside walk so sat perched for a long time. a dragonfly unidentified flew overhead but i could identifie it to my dissapointment. a while later something bright blue dashed past and i instantly got to my feet hopeing that the dragonfly had come back but not, it was much better. a kingfisher. although it was only breif it was still stunning and beautiful.

garden catchup

ill bet you have never seen this many sparrows on a bird bath, and i can promise you that there were many more but they were more flighty than these. still quite a sight

a shocking thing is that most of the caterpillars i have seen this year have been in september. if i recall correctly, and i think i do........(off i got to check i spy moths)...........and i am not. it is not a vapourer moth but still very pretty. often we got broom moth caterpillars anually butthen my mad neighbour cut down the plant it needed and since have not seen any.

thats a swift round up off all the gardens going ons.