One of those birds that you look to photograph when you visit Islay is the Chough. Normally your photo opportunities are restricted to birds feeding in the coastal dunes. However, last week I was in for a treat when I came across four recently fledged young Chough in an old barn on a friend’s farm. The lighting conditions were appalling but with care I was able to obtain some photos of the adult Chough as they fed their offspring.
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Now is the time to go out around the moorland forests to look for hunting Long Eared Owls.The demands on his time to find voles for his recently fledged young are such that he regularly goes out to hunt in daylight. This only lasts for a couple of months before he reverts back to his strictly nocturnal ways. www.facebook.com/gordonyateswildlife
In the last period of drought I was able to film the two wading birds that typify the high Pennines – the Dunlin and the Golden Plover. Both breed on the high Pennine tops and while some have failed through the drought and moorland fires all now is back to normal with enough food available for their young.
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The last few days of our fantastic Spring have brought young Goldfinches into the garden and also resulted in eight Blue Tits leaving our nest-box on the 22nd May – a record early date. This weeks photo shows one of those Blue Tits as it made its maiden flight from the box – never to return. Goldfinches were fed amongst the fresh leaves of our Magnolia tree – a perfect setting for a photo.
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The current fantastic Spring sunshine was perfect for a visit to the Yorkshire wildlife reserves. While the Bittern still eludes my camera it was good to film a displaying pair of Black Necked Grebes and encounter Little Egrets and even Common Terns.
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During a quick visit to my local Sand Martin colony last week I counted at least twenty holes in the course of completion.
Almost as soon as they arrive in the UK Sand Martins start to excavate their tunnels. With an early start this year they may even have time for a second brood. Let’s hope so!
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