TonyQ Big Year Number 5

[Soukous]

3 hours ago, TonyQ said:

We think that food at this time of year helps with bringing up chicks in a big city.

 

Fair point. I live in a rural area so didn't consider that aspect. A freind of mine puts food out all year as he likes to keep the birds coming into his garden.

[elefromoz]

@TonyQ, just catching up from a ways back, beautiful Red Kite shots, Ive noted the location (just in case...) for the future, thank you. Oh how lovely having a Hedgehog in the garden! You and @Dave Williams have the wildlife covered.

[Peter Connan]

I would have thought that, as long as the food source is reliable then there is no harm?

[Galana]

6 hours ago, Peter Connan said:

I would have thought that, as long as the food source is reliable then there is no harm?

I don't know. Some conservationists would not agree. The main principle is not to interfere for good or ill as all interference is 'bad'. If wildlife, including birds, are encouraged to breed in excess of the natural food supply then you end up having to control the surplus or continue to feed.

Of course the counter argument is that the 'feeders' are simply making up for food lost through habitat loss in order to preserve populations..

[Kitsafari]

those long tailed tit babies are cuter but the grebe babies are even cuter!

 

I only put out seeds during the dry season since there aren't that many trees fruiting and there aren't that many grasslands left in our concrete world, although the very few remaining grass areas would be dry and brown. But I do leave a tray of water out through the year and have quite the pleasure watching the  mynas take baths and doves take a drink.

[TonyQ]

I think that we interfere with birds by removing their habitat and replacing it with houses and roads.

Just over 100 years ago the place where we live was at the edge of a village that was being incorporated into Birmingham. It was surrounded by woods, common land and fields. Tiny fragments still exist

But I am not a conservationist, just someone who feeds birds in the garden

[Peter Connan]

@Galana, i neglected to say it but I was specefically thinking of town and city situations.

 

Take my own area for example:

I have heard that the area I live in is the largest man-made forest in the southern hemisphere. 150 years ago, this was a grassland, with very few trees. Now it is a vast urban sprawl with trees in most gardens. I believe as a consequence most of the birds we have here now did not exist here.

 

Thus, the whole situation is already contrived and unnatural, and most of the food and lots of the nesting opportunities that birds now use here did not exist.

 

I hardly think adding a feeder in every garden can make the situation much more artificial?

[Galana]

1 hour ago, Peter Connan said:

@Galana, i neglected to say it but I was specefically thinking of town and city situations.

Of course Peter and I agree in general. It is up to us what we do in our eco system which is why I expanded my comment to cover this. I would be happier still if only the bloody local Gulls did not show their appreciation of my neighbour's scraps by recycling their by product down my windows.

The part of town where I live is called "The Mooragh" which means waste ground or Sandbank and only developed for housing around 1890 so I guess they were here first.

[michael-ibk]

Never have seen LTT chicks - very cute. FWIW, I´m also summer-feeding, but it is a very controversial topic indeed. Some very knowledgable ornithologists here told me it´s perfectly ok. But some other also very knowledgable ornithologists told me absolutely not.

 

Personally I don´t really see the harm, it´s only classic garden birds attending anyway, and their entire habitat is completely artificial.

[TonyQ]

For the end of June, beginning of July we were due to be in South Africa - KwaZulu Natal and then onto Tswalu and Cape Town. Clearly this didn't happen, so I wont be posting a large number of South African birds!.

 

However.....

We could see that the lockdown in England would be lifted a bit from 4th July so a few week s before this we booked a self catering cottage for 4 nights from the 6th July (Guaranteed refund if release of lockdown didn't happen!). We chose a cottage near Bempton Cliffs in Yorkshire (north east of England) as we knew it was good for birds in July.  We took our own food and drink - and had a good time. I will post a few more photos than usual - just because I can

 

UK.92. Tree Sparrow  Passer montanus       

Already posted from Malaysia

Bempton Cliffs, Yorkshire       06.07.20

A youngster, Bempton Cliffs, Yorkshire       07.07.20

Bempton Cliffs, Yorkshire       10.07.20

These are very uncommon where we live, but seemed common in Yorkshire. They were nesting around the RSPB centre at Bempton Cliffs. We also saw some in bushes around our cottage.

[TonyQ]

226.UK.93. Puffin  Fratercula arctica 

Bempton Cliffs, Yorkshire       06.07.20

Bempton Cliffs, Yorkshire       07.07.20

Bempton Cliffs, Yorkshire       07.07.20

Bempton Cliffs, Yorkshire       07.07.20

Seeing Puffins is always a good way you cheer up!

They are not as common as some of the other Cliff Birds at Bempton, but are still very easy to see at this time of year.

[TonyQ]

227.UK.94. Guillemot  Cepphus grylle      

There are many thousands of Guillemots at Bempton, Bempton Cliffs, Yorkshire       07.07.20

Bempton Cliffs, Yorkshire       07.07.20

With chick, Bempton Cliffs, Yorkshire       07.07.20

The cliffs at Bempton are around 100m high. When it is time to leave the nest, the chicks jump off the cliff, landing on the water, or rocks, below

[TonyQ]

228.UK.95. Kittiwake  Rissa tridactyla           

Bempton Cliffs, Yorkshire       06.07.20

Bempton Cliffs, Yorkshire       07.07.20

Bempton Cliffs, Yorkshire       07.07.20

Bempton Cliffs, Yorkshire       07.07.20

[TonyQ]

229.UK.96. Razorbill  Alca torda        

Bempton Cliffs, Yorkshire       07.07.20

Bempton Cliffs, Yorkshire       07.07.20

Bempton Cliffs, Yorkshire       07.07.20

[Soukous]

Lucky you @TonyQ, I keep thinking I should go back to Bempton Cliffs but it is a long return journey for a day trip. 

[Zim Girl]

Great pictures Tony, cute Kittiwake chick!

[TonyQ]

@Zim Girl thank you

@Soukous it is a long way for a day trip, but it was good for a few days for us!

 

Here is a small video from the cliffs that I have posted for the sounds (fortunately for you the smell does not yet have a digital delivery system!)

Turn up the volume....

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 20, 2020 by TonyQ

[TonyQ]

230.UK.97. Shag  Phalacrocorax aristotelis  

Flamborough Cliffs, Yorkshire 07.07.20

Flamborough Cliffs, Yorkshire 07.07.20

Flamborough is a couple of miles up the coast from Bempton, but is a similar environment

[TonyQ]

231.UK.98. Fulmar  Fulmarus glacialis          

Bempton Cliffs, Yorkshire       06.07.20

Bempton Cliffs, Yorkshire       10.07.20

Not as common as the other cliff birds. The have a very "stiff-winged" flight as well as a distinctive nose-tube.

The Fulmar is related to the Albatross, and surprisingly a Black-browed Albatross was seen at Bempton the week before we were there - but not there for us!

[TonyQ]

232.UK.99. Gannet  Morus bassanus

Probably my favourite of the cliff birds. Bempton is the biggest mainland UK Gannett colony with over 11,000 pairs.

Bempton Cliffs, Yorkshire       06.07.20

Bempton Cliffs, Yorkshire       06.07.20

Bempton Cliffs, Yorkshire       06.07.20

On the first evening we went straight to the cliffs as it was sunny (and you never know with UK weather!). We also wanted to be there in the evening as the sun is behind you on most stretches of the cliffs, giving good light onto the Gannets as they fly past (often at eye level)

Courtship, Bempton Cliffs, Yorkshire       07.07.20

with chick, Bempton Cliffs, Yorkshire       07.07.20

Bempton Cliffs, Yorkshire       10.07.20 (an overcast morning before we returned home)

Closeup, Bempton Cliffs, Yorkshire       10.07.20

One patch of cliff top is fenced off for research. This fairly young Gannet was sitting behind the fence right next to it. The noise it made was really loud. It also brings home how big these birds are (wingspan about 2m). I enjoyed trying for a real closeup.

[TonyQ]

233.UK.100. Turtle Dove  Streptopelia turtur 

A new bird for us

Harwood Dale Yorkshire 08.07.20

 

So No.100 for the UK. Unfortunately this is now very rare in the UK and we were very pleased to see one. They are fairly reliably here, so worth a visit if you are in the area .

 

I don't keep a life list, or lists for other countries, but I do keep a UK list. This is No. 200 on our list of species seen in the UK so a double reason to celebrate!

Edited July 20, 2020 by TonyQ

[Towlersonsafari]

lovely photo's @TonyQ especially the Gannets-we dropped by there last year on the way back from a trip to Northumberland  and had lots of fun failing totally to photograph the gannets flying past! Jane remembers going there many years ago 9 i assume as a very very young child in case she reads this) when there was just a rickety old wire fence as the only protection from a dive into the sea-certainly no visitor centre or viewing platform.we have a long weekend  booked not to far away at nearby Spurn point on August bank holiday which should be fun

[Galana]

Good to see you getting out and about again. Good photos. Especially like the Turtle Dove so a worthy UK200. Reports elsewhere that this is a better year for them in England. Maybe the hunters all got the virus?

[PeterHG]

Congratulations on a worthy #100 ( and even 200). And what a great series of the Puffins, Gannets, Fulmars etc.! It looks like a beautiful place to spend a few days. I had not realized that even in early July the cliffs would still host so many birds.

[Peter Connan]

Magnificent seabird shots Tony!