Arctic Gem
When you have a week on Islay in late May most of the high Arctic waders have already left on their long journey north. This week, with cool northerly winds, there have been small numbers of Sanderling waiting for more favourable conditions before heading north. Amongst these birds was one that had already moulted into […]
Waders Benefit
The cold and wet weather this month has benefitted all the wading birds on the Pennine moors. The increased number of peaty pools has produced the best feeding conditions for birds like Dunlin. It has been a pleasure to see and hear Dunlin displaying and pairing off in places where they have not been […]
Owling Success
After last years spectacular success Barn Owls this season are having a much quieter time. In contrast Long Eared Owls are having their best season for years with most pairs now busy feeding young, both in the nest and some already fledged. This weeks photo is from a nest I filmed nearly twenty years […]
Avocets
Having spent time filming Avocets on Morecambe Bay it is easy to see why the RSPB adopted them as their emblem bird. They are spectacular subjects and were, up to ten years ago, very rare breeding birds in Britain. Since then their spread north has been sensational with a pair now having bred successfully in […]
April Corncrake
We have just returned from a week on Islay that produced the contrast of snow on the ground for the first two days then fifteen hours of sunshine per day for the last two days. I was able to film my first ever April Corncrake whilst there was still snow on the hills! There is […]
Singing Flycatchers
There is no doubt that one of the highlights of spring is when the male Pied Flycatchers arrive and fill the Pennine woodlands with song. It doesn’t last long for as soon as the females arrive and he pairs off he becomes less vocal as she builds their nest. The active song period may be […]
Sandpiper Surprise
An old filming colleague of mine always reckoned that when I went into a hide the bird that we were filming would stand on its head for me whereas he got very few photos. My standard answer to this, apart from smiling, was to point out that I spent more time in the hide than […]
Kingfisher
Just wanted to share this photo I took yesterday morning of the male Kingfisher presenting the female with a fish. For once everything came together. Well worth the early morning start. It was shown on BBC Look North at 6.30 last night.
Where Eagles Fly
With the fabulous weather recently lots of wildlife enthusiasts will have gone to Scotland with one thing in mind – to see an Eagle. In 1974 I sat in my hide on a windswept Hebridean ledge and filmed a female Golden Eagle feeding her one offspring. It was a moment that I shall treasure forever […]
Digging In
During the last two weeks most Kingfisher pairs have been busy digging out their nesting tunnels. This weeks gallery photos (Click here) were taken last week of one of my regular pairs engaged in the digging process. Unfortunately events have overtaken them when last Tuesday Rochdale was the wettest place in Britain with more than […]