It's Cuckoo Time Again

Undisclosed Site - 12.05.2022

It's May and that means it's Cuckoo time ! 

At this time of year one of the signs Spring is the arrival the sound of a calling Cuckoo, unfortunately it's now not so common unless you search out some of their preferred habitat, and that's were I am this morning. This will be the third year I'm at this location and I haven't been disappointed yet with multiple males all chasing a single female Cuckoo.

It's three am and still dark when I set off hoping to be on site just after sunrise when the birds are most active, getting out of the car I can already hear a Cuckoo calling a good indictor for a brief few hours before the sun gets to harsh, I would prefer cloud but at least it's not lashing it down rain.

A male makes an appearance only to disappear, then a female which inevitably brings in the males causing the female to fly off and a twenty minuet wait for the birds to return, and that's the way the session goes, action then a load of waiting around.

It's now gone very quiet with just the occasional call in the distance, time to pack up, but happy to have another session next week...can't wait ! 

Common Cuckoo

Alberts Back !

Bempton Cliffs - 3.4.22

A notification pops up on the bird alert service that Albert the Black-browed Albatross has again turned up at the Gannet breeding colony at Staple Kewk, Bempton Cliffs for the third year running !...quickly a trip was organised for the next weather permitting opportunity.

As you would expect Albert is proving quite popular and as Staple Newk platform being quite small you need to get there quite early and get a spot. Arriving around 8.0am there's quite a gathering and they are already watching the albatross circulating the Gannet colony, now how's that for timing !

For the next hour or so we watch the albatross gliding along the cliffs looking suitable place to land, then after a short period take the air once more. The albatross finally lands on the cliff face out of sight remaining there for the remainder of the morning, so after a lot of waiting we decide it's a good time for a spot of lunch. After lunch we have a look around the reserve to see what's else about but being early in the season as you would expect apart from the Gannets it's still fairly quiet with a few Puffins and Razorbills.

Tired after being on the road since 3.30am we call it a day early afternoon and head home happy again to have see the wanderer from the southern oceans. Later that evening I check the bird information service and it would seem Albert was content to remain on his cliff resting spot for the remainder of the day until early evening so no other opportunities missed, some times you take a chance !

Black-browed Albatross

In this image the gull is pecking the back of the albatross who it sees as a threat !

This image was used by the The Independent newspaper in a feature on the albatross that's unlikely ever to return to the Southern Oceans where it's naturally found.

Back Over The Boarder

Dumfries & Galloway - 6.3.22

Earlier this year as I hadn't been up to the Scottish Boarders I though I'd treat myself to a weekend away now that restrictions were ending, and what a better way to blow the cobwebs off than three days of hectics photography.

Friday is always a late night starting with a couple of hours hopefully with Badgers, in reality after a long wait it was only the briefest of visits as something spooked the Badger never to return, hey ho !

Saturday was a long session starting around 9.0am with Kingfishers but little else, a location in previous years where Buzzards could be photographed on a deer carcass across the river but no longer. Loads of chatting helps pass the time with some visits evert 45 minuets or so until an evening session with an Otter family. The Otter session being the highlight of the weekend and most looking forward to having been to this location many times, the images below only gives so idea what an experience it was.

Now Sunday with blue sky's the light is very harsh and not really conducive to getting any decent images but I make the best of my time. Now late afternoon it's a time to say hello again to the Pine Martin but this time using flash rather than LED lamps which are more difficult to get the correct exposure, two visits and it's all done, time to the road and a long drive. Until the next time.

Badger

Female Kingfisher

Otter

Male Sparrow Hawk

Blue Tit

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Red Squirrel

Pine Martin