The Ultimate Challenge
There is no doubt that the ultimate challenge for any wildlife photographer in the Pennines is to find and photograph the Nightjar.In more than 60 years of searching I have only seen three nests but last week I was able to add a fourth to the list. Even more challenging was the fact that the […]
Harrier Days
No trip to Islay is complete without time spent searching out and filming its Hen Harriers.They are without doubt one of Britain’s most magnificent raptors, even on Islay they are sometimes illusive to find. We went several days without seeing any hunting males but then we saw four different ones before mid-day.It helps to make […]
Guillemot Delights
The Sound of Islay is one of the best places in Scotland to see Black Guillemots and last week was no exception. As they are one of the latest birds to breed each year,there was plenty of action. Pairs were formed and copulation took place. A visit in July would be required tosee them feeding […]
Well Choughed
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. […]
Vole Time
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 […]
Moorland Waders
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 […]
Fledgling Success
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 […]
A Yorkshire Trip
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. www.facebook.com/gordonyateswildlife
Digging In
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 […]
The Dive
Is there anything better, in last weeks fantastic weather, than filming a pair of Kingfishers as they feed their young in perfect conditions? I filmed the male bathing in a rockside pool while the female got ready to lay her second clutch of eggs.No danger of flooding yet this year and as I sat there […]