Cairngorm delights
At 10am on the 26th March I stood on the top of Cairngorm one of Britain’s highest mountains at more than 4000ft. The views in every direction were spectacular and there was hardly any wind which is a rarity on this mountain as it has recorded Britain’s highest wind speed at nearly 200mph. I had […]
Fish Supper
This week’s photo is of a Kingfisher regurgitating a fish bone pellet following its last fish supper. It was taken this week as I spent three hours on my birthday sat in my hide in a remote Pennine stream with a pair of Kingfishers digging out their nest chamber, What better birthday present could […]
Adders Emerge
At long last a week of dry weather and good sunshine giving the best photo opportunities this Winter on the 9th I checked my Adder site and was pleased to find two males enjoying the warmth. A Woodcock was also seen with Green Woodpeckers very vocal. Both Peacock and Small Tortoiseshell butterflies were active in […]
Drinking and Bathing
All birds have to drink and bathe on a daily basis to remain in top condition. Whilst engaged in this activity they are vulnerable to predation and so are always wary of a camera and cameraman. During the last few months, having already failed to film Crossbills feeding,I have concentrated on Siskins and Bramblings. With […]
The Flying Barn Door
Last Friday as we were driving to the ferry to leave Islay a juvenile Sea Eagle was eating a Barnacle Goose on the salt marsh at Bridgend. It was only 8 o’clock and the conditions were appalling with driving rain in a strong wind but I took some record shots of what is the […]
Shaking Otter
Another week on Islay and this time better weather produced more photographic opportunities. In the Sound of Islay I caught up with a dog Otter that was fishing for more than an hour. When it finally came ashore I was ready for the shake and also managed a few shots when it rested. On another […]
Snow Geese
Well not exactly Snow Geese but Barnacle Geese in the snow. We have just had one of the wildest ever weeks on Islay complete with several inches of snow on one day. One of the reasons for visiting Islay in February is to see the fabulous carpets of snowdrops and we were not disappointed. […]
Rooftop Lapwings
The practise of Lapwings roosting on rooftops is something that has been going on in Greater Manchester for more than twenty five years.The borough’s of Leigh, Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Stockport, Ashton and Middleton all have regular sites used by Lapwings and sometimes these are joined by Golden Plover. The reasons for the move from roosting […]
Waxwing Surprise
With the first morning sun for some time I could not resist the temptation to visit Blackburn to see the four Waxwings that have been present for nearly a month. All four birds were roosting in four tall trees at the rear of the car park so I waited for them to feed on […]
Barn Owls In Decline
Following on from the wet Summer of 2012 and the cold Spring of 2013 we have now had more than two months of rain, much of which has fallen over night. This combination has been a disaster for Barn Owls with the recent report suggesting that there are now only 1000 pairs left breeding in […]