An Islay Chat
One family of birds that you are bound to see on Islay in summer are the Chats. The commonest one is the Stonechat and these are present all year round and love to perch in the roadside vegetation. The Whinchat is a summer visitor and is found on the moorland edge. What they both have […]
Fighting Black Guillemots
I always find that one of the most delightful birds to photograph on Islay are the Black Guillemots. A couple of early mornings at a breeding site had birds courting, fighting and finally copulating. They are one of Islay latest breeding species with egg laying only commencing in mid June. www.facebook.com/gordonyateswildlife
Refurbishment Time
It was good last week to be back on Islay filming Britain’s most threatened raptor ,the Hen Harrier. In June the only time you would see the female Harrier is at a food pass or when she replaces material in the nest. This week’s photos were taken at just such time. It has been suggested […]
Oh Deer
Todays blog photo is of a Roe Deer eating the fresh leaves of a sapling Oak.It was taken on my local Golf Course and is good news for the management of the Golf Course with any emergent vegetation being eaten by the Deer. Unfortunately for the deer this source of food in Scotland is causing […]
Garden Bonanza
Now is the time when Goldfinches bring to the garden their first broods of young. This week we have had one pair with four juveniles and another pair with one young only. In addition Robins, Dunnocks and House Sparrows have all done well and now have their first broods in the garden. www.facebook.com/gordonyateswildlife
Spot The Chick
On a perfect morning I could not resist another visit to Yorkshire to film the Black Necked Grebes. I was hoping to see some young Grebes but after two hours I had drawn a blank so I settled down to observe a pair. Eventually there was a movement on the back of the female and […]
Industrial Gulls
More than twenty years ago Lapwings started to nest on the roofs of Industrial units. At the time it was a bit of a novelty and was quickly followed ten years ago by Oyster Catchers doing the same. A couple of weeks ago I followed an Oyster Catcher, carrying food for its young, back to […]
Young Shorties
While I have found the nest of Short Eared Owls in Scotland I have never found one in my local Pennines. All that changed last week when I watched a female back to a nest in deep heather. It contained four young, of different ages, all together in a heap for maximum warmth. So […]
Little Owl Disaster
In the last ten years I have spent some wonderful moments filming a pair of Little Owls in a ruined building in the high Pennines. This weeks photos were taken last week as the male Little Owl was hunting for prey for his female who was already incubating eggs. All seemed well until someone appeared […]
Yorkshire’s Best
Within an hours drive from my hometown of Rochdale breeds one of Britains rarest and most spectacular birds -The Black Necked Grebe.Its in Yorkshire so armed with my passport(Or should I say my RSPB membership card!) I like to make a visit at least once a year.I have already been this year, a couple of […]