Stoatally New RRS and a Little Bit of Spooning...

Well, it's been a while since my last post and there's a few new things, I have given my blog an RSS feed so for all you who have an RSS reader on your computer or mobile phone etc. paste in the link below and get alerts when I post an updates

leeharrisonsnaturephotography.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss

Well I have been spending quite a lot of time around my local area recently due to rising fuel cost and my dwindling funds but I have managed to get out from time time, a few weeks back now I took a trip out Martin Mere for the day, which proved to be quite rewarding;

First thing I headed down Curlew Lane to see if I could catch up with a few of the regulars, on my way down I came across a cracking little Corn Bunting on one of its favourite perches;



After a 10 minuet wait the other regular turned up and today it decided to land relatively close to the car rather than a blob the other side of a plowed field which it what you usually see, a beautiful yellow Wagtail, a bird that when I see it I always feel that I am seeing something very special;







After this great start I headed into Martin Mere were this just got better, one of the first sights that I was greeted with was this little critter that I spotted dragging an almost fully grown Woodpigeon chick across the path in front of me, stopping in the grass to see if I was a threat I took the opportunity to snap him or her up;



continuing into In Focus I was disappointed find out that the recent spoonbill hadn't been sighted for the past two day but as I was stood there engrossed in conversation my dad gave out a shout, Spoon...Spoon... Spoonbill, as we had been stood there, a pair in full breeding plumage, possible the pair that had been spotted up and down the Douglas, I Like to think that I got a few nice shots and I hope that you agree, either way they are better than my first picture (see earlier on my Blog);

















Well I know that the posts aren't coming as thick and fast as I had hoped but I'd like to thank all those that how keep looking at my blog.

I hope that you like this blog,

Thanks Always Lee Harrison.

Eventually Wednesday Arrives...

I had a fantastic day out on Wednesday, with 3 brand new ticks, I've been that busy going though the 400+ pics that I took on my day out and college work I have had no time to write this blog... But here it is eventually...

I started off at 9am parking up at Crossens and walking down to Sandgrounders in hope of getting a few pics. of the Sedge Warblers and Whitethroat, even though I waited for nearly 2 hours at different bramble patches the Sedgy proved elusive to photograph, although a flock of 7 Swift came swirling over head and a slightly more co-operative Whitethroat came and landed close by singing in a tree...

Swift

Whitethroat

Eventually reaching the hides almost 2 hours after I had set off, I had a brief look in Sandgrounders where nothing much was going on before heading off to Nells to see of the Little Stint and Curlew sandpiper where around, I got settled and started scanning around with instant results as Peregrine came soring over, sending the Blackwits in to histerics before stooping through the centre of the flock creating panic.

Peregrine Falcon

Black Tailed Godwits (Panicking)

As I sat there, my belly started to rumble "umm dinner time" I thought and I think the birds must of had the same idea, Peregrines chasing the Blackwits soon after a large female Spawk came cruising over taking specific interest in the house martins darting around and then unusually a large and what I can only presume was a very hungry GBB gull came soaring in and continued to chase a poor little Oyster Catcher in circles around the marsh

Sparrowhalk

GBB chasing Oyster Catcher

After this exciting start, thing started to settle down, all the raptors disappeared leaving me to try and scope out these little waders, I scoped, I scoped and I Scoped but nothing, no Ringed Plover, no Dunlin, not even a Redshank.... I sat there for an hour before I saw anything and then it all happened, "Zoom" 2 common sand came flying onto a nearby island with a single Ruff then a beautiful White Wag. came to join them...

Common Sandpiper

Ruff (sorry About the Pics)

White Wagtail (again Sorry about the pics)

Shortly after "flit" a Redshank appeared and then I noticed a small wader fly into the back of the marsh and there it was, the bird I'd been waiting for, a beautiful Curlew Sandpiper "Woo Hoo a First" showing fantastically between a small group of Backwits and a single Redshank:-

Curlew Sandpiper

As you can see in the 2nd and 3rd Pics you can see both Redshank and more importantly the fantastic Curlew Sandpiper.

As I wondered back, not much around so I decided to have a wonder around the sand plant were I picked up this beautiful male Wheatear who quite happily posed for about 30 second whilst I took a few snaps...

Wheatear

And Last but not least on the way home I stoped off at Martin Mere where I didn't see much, 3 Ring Plover, a Single Redshank and the usual wildfowl that you might expect, so at a last minuet decision I chose to have a walk down Curlew lane to see if the yellow Wags. had settled in yet. This is a bird that I can never remember seen although my Mum and Dad tell me that I saw 1 as a child so I class this next entry as a first,

Yes as you guessed I found them... Well after waiting 30min., I found a single Yellow Wag. on its own, the pic isn't anything to be desire but here my first every sighting and record shot of a Yellow Wagtail...

Yellow Wagtail

Yep... This is all I got of it but it but a massive smile on my face because I also caught up with a flock of Corn Bunting Whilst I was down there which accounted to another 2 new ticks for my life... Woooooooooooo hooooooooooo...

Anyway I hop that you like my blog and I hope that you will visit again;

Thanks always Lee Harrison.