TonyQ Big Year Number 5

[pedro maia]

Very nice photos Tony, of course the Puffins are always favourites!!

[Dave Williams]

On 7/20/2020 at 12:05 PM, Soukous said:

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

 

I should have had my seabird fest up in Scotland a week or so ago so it's interesting to see how old the chicks appear on your shots Tony. Like Martin, just too far for a day out from N.Wales. We have a few Puffins over this side but not that many and they are usually a long way off. Nice collection of images for your troubles of getting there though!

 

[TonyQ]

@Towlersonsafari  I hope you enjoy Spurn. We did pop down there on this trip - but the waeather was bad on that day. Hopefully better for you!

@Galana  I have heard that the hunters were in lockdown so more birds were able to pass by unharmed

@PeterHG thank you

@Peter Connan thank you

@pedro maia thank you.

Thank you @Dave Williams. Are the chicks bigger or smaller than you expected? We went to Bempton 2 years ago at a similar time of year and I think there were more Guillemot and Razorbill chicks then. The Gannet and Kittiwake chicks were probably similar in both years.

 

I am going to post a few duplicates which are generally better than those previously posted, but also give a flavour of birds in the area

 

Herring Gull - most common of the gulls seen

Jackdaw - common around the cliffs

Linnet (M) very common

Linnet (F)

Kestrel - seen a small number of times

 

Skylark

Common Whitethroat - seen a few times

Wren

Peregrine

 

Edited July 22, 2020 by TonyQ

[TonyQ]

One day we visited Hornsea Mere - a lake to the south of Bempton. The light wasn't brilliant (but it did stop raining!). There were more Martins and Swallow than I have seen before

House Martin

Sand Martin

Sand Martin

Juvenile Swallow

Adult Swallow

 

[elefromoz]

@TonyQ, wow, Bempton Cliffs looks a great place to visit for both the birds and the cliff views, another place bookmarked for a future itinerary (said with fingers crossed). We got excellent views of Puffins, Razorbills and Guillimots in Scotland last year, but the Gannet would be fantastic too. Such beautiful Birds and lovely photos.

[Zim Girl]

Great collection of birds from your trip Tony.  The Turtle dove is lovely for your UK100.

[michael-ibk]

Fantastic Tony, a wonderful series! Love the Puffins, and really appreciate the video. Should have seen most of these in June on the Faroes but ... 

 

Congratulation on your 200th bird on your UK life list. Using E-Bird would give you lists for every country which is quite neat btw.

[xelas]

@TonyQ, those "duplicates" are well worth to be posted!

[Kitsafari]

wonderful additions and congrats on the 200th UK species

[TonyQ]

@elefromoz @Kitsafari @xelas @Zim Girl thank you

@michael-ibk thank you. I have only used eBird to see what recent sights there have been in particular places - not for my own sightings. Shame about The Faroes, but hopefully you will be able to go in the future!

 

Now on to the remaining bids from the Yorkshire trip

 

234.UK.101. Turnstone  Arenaria interpres   

Bridlington Harbour     07.07.20

  

Bridlington Harbour     07.07.20 

Showing that all the effort of turning stones was worthwhile!, Bridlington Harbour     07.07.20 

[TonyQ]

235.UK.102. Great Black-backed Gull  Larus marinus          

Bridlington Harbour     07.07.20

The only one of these gulls that we saw. We don't usually get them at home, so pleased to see one here

[TonyQ]

236.UK.103. Crossbill  Loxia curvirostra        

Just about showing the crossed bill, Wykeham Forest, Yorkshire    08.07.20

This is only the second time I have seen Crossbill. The previous one was two years ago very close to this same spot!

[TonyQ]

237.UK.104. Mandarin  Aix galericulata         

Troutsdale, Yorkshire  08.07.20

with baby, Troutsdale, Yorkshire  08.07.20

babies, Troutsdale, Yorkshire  08.07.20

[TonyQ]

238.UK.105. Meadow Pipit  Anthus pratensis

Bempton Cliffs, Yorkshire       07.07.20

Display flight, Bempton Cliffs, Yorkshire       07.07.20

Filey Briggs, Yorkshire            07.07.20

[TonyQ]

239.UK.106. Corn Bunting  Emberiza calandra 

New bird for the UK (we did see one in Mallorca a few years ago)

      

Very distant!, Buckton (Near Bempton) Yorkshire    07.07.20

 

[TonyQ]

240.UK.107. Yellowhammer  Emberiza citrinella       

(F) Buckton (Near Bempton) Yorkshire    07.07.20

(M) Buckton (Near Bempton) Yorkshire    07.07.20

(M) Buckton (Near Bempton) Yorkshire    07.07.20

(M) Buckton (Near Bempton) Yorkshire    07.07.20

This is only the second time we have seen Yellowhammer as they are not very common where we live. Buckton is the village next to Bempton, and these birds were seen along a little track that goes from the edge of the village towards the sea.

 

That is the last of the birds from this trip (although I do have one other very bad photo from the trip which I will post in December if I don't get better)

 

The current UK total of 107 is one better than I got last year (when we didn't do any holidays within the UK)

 

[shazdwn]

Oooohhhh puffins, I LOVE puffins 😍

[Galana]

Those Yellow Hammers can really shine in the right light. Gorgeous birds.

Don't take this the wrong way but I hope we get to see the EBC in December (or sooner)

[Towlersonsafari]

a little bit of bread and no cheese  @TonyQ  a lovely yellow hammer

[Galana]

3 hours ago, Towlersonsafari said:

a little bit of bread and no cheese 

Showing your age. What colour was the wedding dress?

[Towlersonsafari]

I was indeed taught that as a child but  I have never heard the wedding  dress - what bird is that @Galana?

[Galana]

2 hours ago, Towlersonsafari said:

what bird is that @Galana?

Chaffinch.  Pink Pink!

These came from a book as I recall. The chaffinch was a tale about a secret wedding dress for a Princess and he gave the secret away. It's a real bugger when you can remember such things but not what we had for breakfast this morning.

[Dave Williams]

Catch up time, you are still making progress Tony which is more than i have managed.

[TonyQ]

I have been sorry to hear about so many cancelled trips. (so sorry if this is rubbing it in..)We were just very lucky as we managed to squeeze in a visit to North Norfolk (East of England) in before our new Lockdown. We booked an apartment at the beginning of March (just after we got back from Malaysia). We thought about mid October, or November. Luckily we chose the first!.

The apartment is in Wells-next-the-Sea. Being boring people, it is the third time we have stayed in the same apartment. It has a small balcony overlooking the harbour

Tide mostly out (taken with iPad)

Tide in

The balcony was a great place to sit with a cup of coffee, watching fishing boats (mainly crabs) unload, watching the changing tide, and some interesting wildlife. We were deligted to see:(all taken from balcony)

Common (Harbour) Seal

 

Showing how small it is

 

We also were able to see a number of birds from the balcony, one of which I will show later!

 

[TonyQ]

On to the birds...

 

241.UK.108. Bar-tailed Godwit  Limosa lapponica    

 

Burnham Overy, Norfolk         12.10.20