Two to go!

Took a trip around the dam last Saturday picking up my first new bird of the weekend though I didn't know at the time! I spotted a small bird singing across a muddy area on the park and as I didn't have the binoculars I zoomed the camera in as far as possible and hoped for the best.

Not great photos but enough for the experts over at Bird Forum to confirm my first Sedge Warbler, listening to the song on the RSPB site helped out too, Warbler's are something that are lacking on my list having only confirmed a Chiffchaff before now.

There was plenty of activity on and off the water with Swifts and House Martins over our heads and Mallards, Canada and Greylag Geese, Coots and Moorhens on the water with plenty of youngsters about too.

With the Warbler here and the Dipper at Bolton Abbey i'm up to 98 on the list and it's looking good for making 100 before the end of the year!

Bolton Abbey

We decided to head up to Bolton Abbey for the day last Sunday and took a very scenic route (a little bit unintentionally!). It did give us great views of this Curlew though so worth the detour!

After parking at the Strid car park we walked down to the river and started the little one on the Strid Wood bingo from their website - Bolton Abbey. She was very exited by this and found some starry moss in minutes! I spotted a bird flying down the river - a Dipper the first of 4 we saw throughout the day. This is a new bird for me and the one I'd hoped to see today.

We walked up to Barden Bridge and across to the other side before walking back down to the woods and the Cavendish Pavillion. There were plenty of Sand Martins about and we could see them flying in and out of the banks.

There were Grey and Pied Wagtails by the water, a Kingfisher flew past but didn't stop near by. Plus an Oystercatcher stood by itself in a field.

Through the woods we saw plenty of flowers.

Ground Ivy - I loved how this was just sat on top of the tree trunk.

Primrose
Bluebells (with a Small White Butterfly)

There were quite a few Nuthatch about today too, I just caught this one as it stopped moving about briefly.

When we stopped to eat we were mobbed by Mallards and a Black Headed Gull hung about nearby.
We also saw Chaffinch, Wrens, Robins, Blackbirds, Pheasants, Blue Tits, Great Tits and Squirrels. Not huge on the bird front - no Redstarts but at that time of day and being busy I wasn't disappointed.
As we were about to leave the car park I spotted two deer just at the other side of the fence watching us! Quite surprised to see them but they must be used to people I suppose, great sight to end the day on!

Garden Birds

Thought i'd add a post about some of the birds we get in the garden, the ones i've managed to get a decent photo of anyway. We had our first juveniles of the year a couple of weeks ago when 3 young Blackbirds spent a few days in the garden. One of them is still around. We have Starlings nesting in the gutter and they have been hatched a while and are making a lot of noise, i'm looking forward to seeing those.

So here are a few pics, some are taken through windows so look a little off! (One thing I have realised - I really need to clean the shed!!)


The usual Starling pose - upside down on the coconut!

The beautiful Robin
House Sparrows

Collared Dove
Greenfinch
With a Dunnock
Blue Tit
Blackbirds

Back at the Park

Seen as the weather seemed to be staying fine I headed to the park again this afternoon. It was definitely worth the visit after I spent a good ten minutes or so watching this young Mistle Thrush along with a parent right alongside the path. They didn't seem bothered in the slightest that I was there and got quite close.

There were Blue Tits hanging upside down in quite a few trees, very nice to see amongst the blossom.
This Dunnock barely stood still long enough for me to get a photo without it appearing as a blur!

Of course the Blackbirds were everywhere.

A Small White Butterfly.

This was the only Bee on several bushes, it was making the most of all the pollen!

At the Park

I took the camera out to the local park to try out some of the settings and get used to it a little more.

There were a few birds about and a squirrel made me jump running right across in front of me. I spent an hour there and my hands were numb from the cold wind but I got a few good shots.

The park was full of Blackbirds, this one posing on a memorial plaque for Princess Diana, which i've never noticed before.
This Song (I think) Thrush was singing almost the whole time I was in the park. No doubt someone will tell me now it's a Mistle though it sounded very nice!

A Chaffinch sat right on the end of this branch, a group of dog walkers walked past and it didn't seem bothered at all.