A Chuffing Good Day Out

Heysham on the very west side of Lancashire is an area I’m not particularly familiar with, but with a weather forecast of blue sky’s but being a little cold I’m off to try and photograph the long staying Chough near the port. 

Chough is a member of the crow family but like the Magpie doesn’t look like the other big black crows looking a more refined bird. Found in this region only at South Stack in Anglesey and the Isle of Man, this particular bird suspected of having arrived from the Isle of Man which is only some sixty miles over the water west of Heysham which for a bird I suppose is a short flight, or perhaps even on the ferry which connect the island to the mainland.

Arriving at the Half Moon carpark which is directly next to the port, the port being a lot smaller than I was expecting, I’m surprised by the pleasant coastline with grand views of white capped fells of the Lake District. I head to the second open grassed area as I can see a crow sat on a red life belt standing pillar box like on the tow path, it’s not the what I’m looking for it’s a Carrion Crow, then the unmistakable call of a Chough can be heard to my right, the Chough fly's over a wall landing further up the field near the houses with expensive sea views.

The bird is very confiding and approachable down to three metres, I sit down and the bird comes closer so I start using the 100-400 at 100mm getting some ok images, then a dog from a walker startles the bird and it fly’s off. For the next forty-five minuets I wait hoping the bird will return, with no sign of it reappearing I deciding to return to the car and have some lunch and return later.

As I’m walking back to the car a couple are waving, meeting up they tell me the bird has just flown back to where I’d last seen it, busily feeding amongst the grass tufts taking no notice of use with long lens cameras clicking away. I switch to the Big White as it gives a more pleasant bokeh and get some close head shots, occasionally switching to the 100-400 for when I expect the bird to take flight. 

All too soon it’s not 2.0 pm, it's now really warm at around 16 degrees, almost spring like. I’m happy with some good recorded images and call it a day. 

Another chuffing good day out.  

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