Hawfinches and Autumn Fruits
Every autumn is different in the amount of fruit produced by our hedgerow trees and with the exception of one or two tree species this years crop is quite poor. The main exception has been the hazel which has produced a very heavy crop of hazel nuts which should keep our Squirrels happy. The fruit […]
Seaside Waders
With the perfect weather of the last few weeks I decided to visit Southport to search for waders. Although a long way off and continually disturbed by dog walkers I did manage some distant photos. One of the Sanderling had colour rings on its legs and a green marker so I shall have to find […]
Barn Owls And The Eclipse
Last week-end produced the most superb eclipse of the moon you could ever wish to see. I was up for two hours to capture the event and coupled with two local Rochdale Barn Owls it created the perfect pictures. If you missed it then you only have another 18 years to the next one – […]
A Time To GO
The last of this years fledged Swallows are now on the wires in our avenue and contemplating the long journey down to South Africa. I often wonder how many will make it and return next spring to breed as adults close to where they were born. It is a figure that we will never know […]
Waders On The Move
During the last few weeks there has been a massive exodus of wading birds from the Pennines. With this summers cool and often wet weather most waders have had a good breeding season. One of my local moors had its highest ever density of Dunlin, with even a pair of Lapwings, breeding over the one […]
Goldfinches On Thistles
Wherever you go in the Pennines there is an abundance of thistles. It is not long before you hear the calls of Goldfinches and soon encounter charms eating their way through the late summer spoils. They have had a brilliant breeding season this year and ninety per cent of the charms I have encountered comprised […]
Kingfishers disperse
This is the time of year when this years fledged Kingfishers leave the streams where they were reared. They have spent the last few months learning how to catch fish and avoid such predators as Sparrowhawks. They will now leave the relative security of the streams where they were born and wander the waterways of […]
Active Reptiles
The hot and cold spells of weather this summer has resulted in periods of activity from the Pennine reptiles. One day I found six Lizards enjoying the morning sun but better still on another early morning I had twelve female Adders out in the open. This is the most Adders I have ever found in […]
The Assassin
This week’s photo is of a male Sparrowhawk with prey before he presents it to the female at the nest. He had caught this bird in our garden and I followed him across into Hopwood woods where his nest was located. Three young have now fledged and are flying around calling excitedly. Sparrowhawks time […]
Arctic Visitor
I have never classed myself as a twitcher but there are some birds that I would travel a few miles to see. One of those is a Sabine’s Gull that normally stays in the high Arctic. My three previous sightings have been in Spitsbergen, Alaska and Greenland so one at Pennington Flash was a bit […]