Wader Delights
Our 117th visit to Islay was blessed with unbroken sunshine and a max temperature of 28C! For a wildlife enthusiast Islay has everything to offer and it was good to see the great variety of Waders still present when we arrived. Sanderling and Turnstones were bound for Greenland and some were now in summer plumage. […]
Black Magic
Last month I drove through the fog on the high Pennines to reach that special place in Yorkshire where the Black Necked Grebes breed. I had been before this spring but failed to find any pairs with young but all that was about to change. Not one but two pairs of Grebes had three young […]
Singing Dipper
While I was filming the Kingfishers recently a party of Dippers came within camera range. I could only see one juvenile, but there may have been more, and the male was already in song and contemplating breeding for a second time. www.facebook.com/gordonyateswildlife
Fifty Years On
On the 24th May 1973 I sat for six hours in my hide, in the Forest of Bowland, photographing my first pair iof Kingfishers at the nest.It was a magnificent moment and I enjoyed every moment in the company of Britain’s most colourful bird. On the 24th May 2023 I was in my hide, less […]
Digging In
A visit to my local Sand Martin site had dozens of them digging out their nesting tunnels. They are quick moving birds and from the camera aspect the best photos are some time off yet when their young are leaning out of their tunnels. www.facebook.com/gordonyateswildlife
Redpoll Delights
While many of our garden birds have left to breed in the woodlands we still have up to four Redpolls coming to feed several times a day. There are two pairs and the males have very impressive areas of red feathers. On the other hand our resident male Sparrowhawk has only been once in the […]
Long Tailed Tit Success
With nine out of ten Long Tailed Tits nests being predated it is some years since I have monitored a successful nest. This year I have only found four nests and already three of those have been destroyed by either Grey Squirrels or Crows. However, the fourth one was in gorse bushes and when I […]
Disappearing Adders
Global warming has been blamed for many of the present crises in wildlife including the predicted extinction of Adders in the next ten years. I have been familiar with our nearest colony of Adders for 62 years and as recently as six years ago I found 14 during one morning’s inspection. However, this April I […]
A Quick Scratch
Those of you who followed me on the Little Owl last year will know that this male Little Owl was due to lose his nest-site due to the barn being converted to a house.It was with disbelief as I drove past it last week to find the male on the roof looking for prey and […]
Crossbill Success
With a return visit to Rivercatcher I was treated to some more prolonged observations on the forest Crossbills. The bird books will tell you that the breeding male Crossbills are red and the pair nest in January and February. So in late March you might expect to see a pair accompanied by fledged young. This […]