White Arse

One of the diagnostic features of a Curlew Sandpiper is its white rump! White rumps are a great feature for the novice birder to look out for, with only a limited number of species showing this characteristic. This juvenile walked up to us to within just a few feet though, so seeing this important identification feature was very much a bonus rather than a necessity!

Wind Swept Puffins

 

Puffins were apparently late back to Shetland this spring, which meant our family holiday in mid to late August to Orkney and Shetland was blessed with plenty of them. We visited Sumburgh at sunset on a few evenings to watch them fly in, and even saw a Puffin pop out of a cave. One day we visited Eshaness — quite simply some of the most stunning cliffs in Shetland, and possibly the world.

I watched the Puffins hurl themselves into the cliffs at high speed at Eshaness. I waited above one geo where they flew into the shade of the cliffs, but would often miss their landing and have to go around again because of the wind — which gave me just enough time to track and grab a few shots. I barely got any keepers, such was their speed. But it was great fun to try, and a truly stunning setting.

Don't tell my wife I was on the edge of the cliff…

More Curlew Sandpiper Portraits

Last week I enjoyed a great evening with this Curlew Sandpiper on an old brick pit in the middle of a housing estate south of Peterborough. Quite a random site, but I can well imagine something rarer turning up here if anyone checks it regularly. Tame waders are always special, and this one walking right past us at just a few feet was pretty mega!

Orkney Hummingbird Hawkmoth

We had a wonderful couple of weeks in Orkney and Shetland. Orkney was a new set of islands for me and I really enjoyed exploring them. One of the big differences from Shetland was the number of butterflies — Painted Ladies and Small Tortoiseshells were present in big numbers, especially at Deerness. 

Whilst out birding with my friend David Roche, who lives on Papa Westray, I came across this Hummingbird Hawk-moth — not exactly what I expected to find in Orkney! Whilst at Deerness we also had an American Golden Plover fly over our heads calling — a fantastic bonus. It seemed a great spot for migrant birds and is certainly somewhere I would revisit.

Curlew Sandpiper Close Up

 

There is something truly special about tame juvenile waders, fresh off the Arctic tundra. The first humans this Curlew Sandpiper had ever come across were probably standing at a Peterborough brick pit — which is completely bonkers when you think about it. It didn't just show well, it actually walked up to Mike Weedon and me, coming to within less than two feet at times, feeding happily and completely unperturbed. The first photo shows the rarely seen tongue — long like a woodpecker's!

Wood Warbler in Shetland

I'm not long back from a family holiday to northern Scotland, Orkney and Shetland. We promised ourselves we would take it easy in Shetland, but as usual things didn't quite turn out that way. There was a small fall of migrants last week, so I took Dad to Quendale to see a Wood Warbler — a lifer for him. It gave the best views I've ever had of the species, showing remarkably well despite the strong wind.
 

More Juvenile Long-eared Owl

I've been watching juvenile Long-eared Owls for many years and it's always entertaining to watch their head bobbing and turning as they work out where to fly next.

Long-eared Owl take off

I had a very narrow window of opportunity to grab a few shots of this Long-eared Owl as it took off from the branch I had been photographing it on. Luckily the focus remained on the bird!
 

Dancing Egret

Little Egrets are fantastic to watch when they are fishing — so alert, perfectly still one moment and charging about the next. I was patiently waiting at the edge of the Welland at Deeping Lakes when this bird landed nearby. It was mostly walking away from me, but suddenly caught sight of a fish and leapt up, doing a little dance in the water — which I was rather pleased to capture!

Roosting juvenile Long-eared Owl

This juvenile Long-eared Owl roosted in the same willow for several weeks, sometimes alongside one of its siblings. On one of the best evenings, it was already sat out in the open when I arrived — quite a sight to come across. I am fairly used to finding Long-eared Owls roosting in willow trees, but rarely out in the open like this.

Barn Owl again

 

More Bank Vole

 Bank Voles are just too cute aren't they?

Little Egret

Whilst waiting one evening at water level on the River Welland, adjacent to Deeping Lakes LWT, I was lucky enough to have this Little Egret fly by and land not too far away. It fished in the shallows quite successfully and was in absolutely stunning condition. I'm so used to seeing egrets just loafing in the trees at the lake, or dozing on the islands of East Pit, that it was great to watch one so actively in action!