Grouse in the Dales

Just before the grouse season started in August,I decided to take a run over to the dales, to see if I could capture a few images of these moorland birds.The heather was well on its way to being in bloom and it would make for an enjoyable day.



Heather is the staple food source for red grouse and this summer there seemed to be a bumper crop.






Like most species the red grouse is in decline,due to loss of habitat,over 40% of heather moorland has been lost to overgrazing and commercial forestry.Up here in the Yorkshire Dales the moorland is managed by large estates so that the Grouse can flourish and provide sport for the shooting fraternity!



This party were feeding on the young shoots of the heather.




Soon these heather clad moors will be ringing with the sounds of the shotgun as shooting syndicates take up position on the hillsides!




It was quite challenging trying to get close to the Grouse.I found the best way was to sit and wait and eventually a few birds would come within range.Any sudden movements and they were airbourne with an explosion of wings and the familiar ¬go back go back go back call!



There were plenty of youngsters amongst the heather,hardly surprising really,due to the excellent weather we had throughout spring and summer!



A pair of Buzzard were riding the thermals and constantly kept patrolling the ridges,no doubt they take young grouse ,much to the annoyance of the keepers.I`m surprised I actually saw them there with it being a managed moor,these must have been the lucky ones dont you think!
It really was worth the effort to go over to the dales and be in the company of the Grouse.I just wonder how many of those same birds are left now as November approaches!

Thanks again for dropping by and now that I`m back on the blooging theme after a short lay off.more of my escapades in the country will follow shortly!



Croasdale Fell

With the clocks going back just lately,I thought it timely to reflect on the wonderful Summer that we had.I was out and about in the Bowland fells quite a bit,sometimes alone,and other times with good friend and excellent photographer Brian Rafferty!We chanced upon this male Ring Ouzel on one of our outings and managed a few shots between us!

I returned alone,a few days later and set up my stall in the hide,well hidden amongst the heather.Ring ouzel are not the commonest of birds and usually see you coming,before you see them.

He was frequenting a little ravine where I`d seen these birds on previous visits.It was classic Ring Ouzel territory with heather clad banks.

A favorite perch was a dead tree half way up the gulley and he would regularly visit and belt out his song.These mountain blackbirds are iconic to the terrain here and it was a pleasure to soak up the atmosphere on this fine summers day.

On the return journey down the lanes,a Tawny Owl had taken up position in an old barn and from the car allowed a good photo opportunity.

Another bonus was the Little Owl in his usual area,eyeing me up nervously!
Bowland is such a great place to visit and I cant wait for Spring to come around again so I can return to this fantastic area that I have on my doorstep!Hope you enjoyed going back a few months and more blogs will be posted shortly!

Trip up to the Farne Isles



About 6 weeks ago I embarked on a trip to Northumberland on the east coast.I was heading for the Farne isles, a small cluster of islands acccessed by boat from Seahouses.I left early morning and was walking around the little fishing port by  8.30am.



Plenty of Eider duck were around the harbour,most had small broods of duckling with them,a nice way to start the day!

It was the vast seabird colonies that I`d come to see and photograph,and as usual, Puffins were one of the first birds that I encountered.Many had youngsters deep within their burrows and the adults were kept busy fetching sandeels for them to eat!As the Puffin landed with a beakfull of eels, they had to run the gauntlet of black headed gulls trying to relieve them of their catch.

Arctic tern were breeding everywhere and each nest was marked with a pebble and a number.

It was challenging trying to capture the puffin returning to their burrows with beaks laden with sandeels!

Not the best light to work with,but a few decent images were obtained!

Bit of a comical bird don`t you think!

I believe that it had been a great year for sandeels and the puffins were taking full advantage!

Sandwich Tern also breed on the islands,albeit in much smaller numbers than their cousins!

These too were busy feeding chicks!

Another breeding bird was the Shag,which was to be found along the cliff edges amongst the many kittiwakes and guillemot!

On the journey around the islands were many Atlantic seals,who had hauled themselves onto the large rocks to rest.They wern`t at all fazed by the boats going near to them!!

Bowland Fells in Summer.



Hares have been very plentifull around Bowland this year and early mornings sees them up and about in the many meadows and fields that surround Bowland.A quiet approach usually guarantees a few decent images!



The usual Adder hotspot can be relied upon for some good views,ut as the summer progresses,they shoot off into the bracken at the slightest movement.This female was sunbathing in a clear area whe I found her!

See the colour difference in this male,a lot darker!

Again he was enjoying the heat of the sun when I found him!

This hare on the other hand was busiy feeding in the shade at the side of the road.
Bowland never fails to produce something to keep me occupied with the camera,and I shall return there time and time again to enjoy her wildlife!!See you all soon and keep well.



Day 6 Iceland...Blue Whales!

I`d promised myself a whale watching trip whilst in Iceland,so plans were made and a 4 hr trip with `Gentle Giants` sea safaris was booked.The boat was to leave from Husavik at 1.00pm sharp at a cost of about £45.00.It was reputed to be the whale watching capital of the world with a 95% chance of seeing different species of these great mammals.They included Minke whale,Orcas,Humped backed whale and the largest mammal known to man...Blue whale!Various dolphins,mainly white beaked were also anticipated!Whilst waiting at the office prior to departure,I noticed hthat there was only myself and a youngish Dutch couple,the attendant informed us that we needed a minimum of 4 people beore the ship set sail.It was early season and the area as pretty quiet,things didn`t look at all good and the trip was looking like it would be cancelled!With less than 10 mins left, lady luck smiled down on us and up the road walked a total stranger who uttered the immortal words...is there any room on the next whale watching trip please!Well we all let out a big YES... and immediately headed for the boat.As we set sail, the young guide informed us that a couple of Blue whales were in the bay the previous day, so things looked promising!The downside was they are not known to hang about as they are only passing through!Anyway nature is nature and we`d see what happened!!

We couldn`t believe we had the whole boat to ourselves, it would have easily taken another 30 people,so it was great for photography, as I could move freely around the boat! Half an hour in and the guide spotted a lone Minke whale in the distance,I caught a quick glimpse, then it was gone! Hmm would there be others about. A few white beaked dolphins showed but too far away from the boat for any photos!Plenty time yet and sea conditions were really good, with vey little wind.We were all given a flotation suit to wear,mainly to keep warm,but also in case of any mishap...though you wouldn`t have lasted long in the icy waters if you did go in!!!Suddenly Christina shouted... Blue Whale, 11 o clock and this huge back broke surface about 800 metres away,the skipper slowly headed towards the great beast,as it spouted water from its blow hole.You could never see the total size of the whale, as only about a third of its back showed, but it was still spectacular! Suddenly another spouted much closer to the boat and the finger went hard down on the shutter button...brilliant!We slowly chugged along taking in the sights of these spectacular mammals.One whale came within 10 metres of the boat and showing very clearly its blow hole.They have a very peculiar dorsal fin,so small for such a huge animal,what purpose it serves,I don`t know.The heart of the blue whale weighs as much as a small car and the tongue weighs up to 7 tonne,incredible! A few Fulmars kept close to the boat with Kittiwake and Gannet for company.I rattled off a few shots from the trip, but they really don`t do any justice to the experience we had with these `leviathans` of the deep.They can grow to 30 metres long and feed up on the rich herring shoals that abound here!What a fantastic time we had watching the whales and it was a great way to end my adventure in Iceland, as I would be heading back down to the South and onwards to Reykjavik, later that day.I can`t recommend Iceland enough for the fantastic nature and spectacular scenery,that it has to offer.If ever you have the chance to visit,then don`t hesitate...go and enjoy,you will not regret it.....Thanks for looking in at my blog and I hope youv`e enoyed the journey!!!!

Plenty of room on the boat to manoeuvre,lets hope the whales come out to play!

Another whale watching trip sallies forth!

A sighting at last,note the very small anal fin!

Coming a little bit closer!

You could hear the rush of water coming from the blow hole!

The Fulmar wasn`t hanging about!

Now this was close,approx 10 metes from the boat...awesome encounter!

Iceland day 5 (Ducks)

So after filling my boots with the Red Necked Phalaropes,there were still plenty more birds to keep me interested, in my time around the Myvatn area!One of the finest salmon and trout rivers in the whole of Iceland runs out from the lake here, and that is the River Laxa,the fishing season would start in a few weeks time ,so the nature was relatively undisturbed.The Laxa is a wide fast flowing river with many runs and riffles,ideally suited for one of Icelands endemic species the Harlequin duck,this bird just loves the bubbling,rough fast water and plenty were visible up and down the length of the river!

This small buyont sea duck is continually at home in the rough turbulent waters,even the rapids and wateralls,its yearly cycle is comparable to that of the salmon, with the same movments into the fjords and bays,and the same lingering around river mouths, with slow upstream penetration.Even nesting areas on the rivers frequently coincide with the salmon spawning grounds!When feeding it explores the gravel stream beds at depths up to 1-2 metres against the strong flow!

The duck takes its name from Harlequin,which means a colourfully dressed charachter.It also goes by the name of Rock duck,Mountain duck,painted duck and Glacier duck all of which seem appropriate!They were quite numerous around the Rivers and lakes at this time of year,many were pairing up getting ready to breed!

A few squabbles and disputes were taking place all along the river, as males competed for the attention of the females!

A few pair of common scaup were usually to be seen in the vicinity, but they weren`t as frequent as the Harlequin!

Long Tailed ducks seemed to be about in good numbers too,the males look their best in the winter when believe it or not, they are in their breeding plummage.

Also known as `old squaw` these ducks spend most of their time under water and can dive to depths of 60 metres(200 ft)

Alot of these se duck overwinter around the coasts of Britain!

Obviously named because of their long tail streamers!

Barrows Goldeneye,another endaemic bird to Iceland,lots of these about on the lakes and rivers!

Can be mistaken for Goldeneye but a few distinguishing features can be seen,mainly the white loral crescent shape reaches above the eye,instead of the familiar round white blob.The head has a lovely purple sheen to it, unlike the green of the Goldeneye.

Most water bodies had a few flocks of the Barrows oldeneye in residence!