Lee Harrison's Nature Photography.: March 2009

You've Heard of Doggy Style... Now what About Froggy style?

I had a walk through Birkacre last week at evening time, lots of little birds knocking about on the feeders and in the top of the trees, which included a very nice Nuthatch, Tree Creeper, Bullfinch and all the small tits and finches that you might expect...

Nuthatch

Tree Creeper

Bullfinch

On my way through I came across a group of Common Frogs indulging in a bit of "rumpy pumpy" in a small pool covered in algae a sure sign that spring is on its way and the warmer weather is coming. Here are a few pics. I took whilst the Light was still with me although a some of my pics were taken with a rear flash, they ain't the best pics but its not as if I'm a pro.:-

Common Frog

And the finished product, the next generation of of baby frog ready to grow into the gorgeous amphibian's we see today...

Frog Spawn

Anyway I hoped you like my blog and you will visit again, please feel free to leave and comments.

Thanks always Lee Harrison.

Day Light Saving & Sunset to Die for.

On Wednesday I Spent day at Martin Mere, went to buy my Dad a new scope, once all that was over we had an hour walking around, the Marsh Harrier was showing very well and a heron fishing in a near by pool before flying off;

Heron

Plenty of other birds knocking around, Ringed Plover, Avocet, Blackwit, Oyster Catcher, Lapwing, Redshank and all the wildfoul and smaller birds that you might expect.

Oyster Catcher

Lapwing

Redshank

After Tea I decided to have a ride down to Marshide, parking up at Crossens and walking down to the sand plant, such a beautiful evening, I managed to see three Short Eared owls, Which two were relativly close and a merlin weaving around across the marsh.

The Pics arn't that great but here's one the of the Short Eared owls i picked up...

Short Eared Owl

After some fantastic views of the shorty, I was treated to a gorgeouse sunset just before i left...

Anyway I hope that you like my pics. please feel free to leave any comments.

Thanks Always Lee Harrison.

Singing In The Rain......or is that wind?

A beautiful Morning on Wednesday, sun shining, birds singing all looks good in life, I had an early start and dragged myself out from under my duvet at 6am, in hope of catching up with a Ross's Gull at Lytham that I heard about the day before, but no luck there unfortunately.

I spent a few hours just watching the waders been pushed up the beach and around Fairhaven lake, in hope that the gull might reappear on the in coming tide but NO... Plenty of waders round about, Knot, Sandling, Dunlin, Redshank, Curlew, Grey Plover, Oyster Catcher, Black Tailed Godwits and a single Bar tailed Godwit which was nice to see because is was my first in a while; plenty of Black headed and Common Gulls wandering around with the odd Greater Black Back Cruising over to see if any snacks had there backs turned.

Bar Tailed Godwit

Oyster Catcher

Curlew

Once i had finished at Lytham and finally convinced myself that the Ross's Gull wasn't going to return, I sulked off to the usual turf of Marshide, as i headed down Marine Drive, the clouds set in and the winds picked up but i continued on to see what was around; as always plenty of Avocets around, Ruff, Dunlin and all the other regulars that you would expect, Meadow Pipits struggling to stay in one place but still sing the little hearts out in the wind, I had a good scan through the Dunlin but they were a bit to far away to see if the Little Stint was still there, Even though it was quite quiet around i managed to get a few nice pics around the hides as the sun drifted in and out.

Meadow Pipit

Reed Bunting

Little Egret

Little Grebe

Shoveler Ducks

Teal

Gadwall

Anyway i'll stop chatting, I hope that you enjoyed my blog, please feel free to leave any comment by clicking the comment link below.

Thanks always Lee Harrison

A Mothers day Special...

Written to honour my greatly loved Mum Julie Harrison and Dedicated to a greatly missed Mother and Grandmother Rose Harrison on this special day were we all get to give something back to our Mums after they always give so Much for us and also to remember loved ones which have passed on to a better place.

I didn't have much time to get out today so my Mum and I decided to have a couple of hours out in Duxbury woods before our afternoon meal. This is such a beautiful place, situated between Chorley and Wigan some people seem to forget that there is such natural beauty on their doorstep, just look around, the Yarrow valley, where a number of my pictures have been taken, Rivington, White Coppice, Winter hill and Tockholes, all teaming with bird life of different species from Finches to Falcons and Waders to Wildfoul.

Generally it was quite quiet today, the usual birds knocking around really which included great, Blue, Long Tailed, Coal and Marsh tit Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Goldcrest, Tree Creeper, Nuthatch, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, Robin, Grey Wagtail, Dipper, Greater spotted Woodpecker, wren Blackbird, Mallard, Magpie, starling, House sparrow, Jackdaw, Rook, and Carrion Crow. unfortunately there were no Jays around today which I would really like to photograph.

Anyway here are a few pictures i managed to take on my way around

Great Tit

Blue Tit

Chaffinch

Blackbird

Collared Dove

Wood Pigeon

Coal Tit

Grey Wagtail

Dipper

Last but definitely not least this very beautiful little goldcrest, i know the picture quality ain't the best but this is the first opportunity I've had to take a picture of this little beauty so I'm happy with the attempt,

Goldcrest

Well thanks for visiting my blog and i hope you like my pics. please feel free to leave any comments and I hope you enjoyed it.

Thanks again Lee Harrison.

Marshside's Coming to Form...

I decided to spend a day down at Marshside today with my Dad after the recent nice weather, but we were rather disappointed when the thick haze failed to clear till late afternoon but we were treated to a beautiful sunset, anyway Marshside was shaping up quite nicely, the odd Wheatears bobbing around behind the sand plant, Meadow Pipits a plenty, Skylarks singing all over the place, blackbirds and a very cooperative kestrel that let us get to within two metres of it before flying off into the evening sun.

Kestrel

Out on the marsh there was all the usual birds were floating around from here to there, lots of Avocets flying around which included one couples pairing up, mating and the female retreating into a scraping on a near by island.

Avocet

Elsewhere on the marshes, all the blackwits are gaining there summer plumage, which is always nice to see, unfortunately they were all to far away to get a picture, plenty of little egret around, all the golden plover gaining there summer plumage, small flocks of dunlin knocking around with one little stint in amongst them, snipe, lapwing and curlew all around the pools, also multiple redshanks with one dropping in to give us a nice close up view.

Redshank

Checking through all the gull that I could see today, i found no abnormalities knocking around, although whilst watching a Lesser black black washing in what could only be described as an unusual way i managed to get a few pics, there not anything special but here they are...