swillington

 arrived just before 8 and turned out to be cracking mornings birding 

4 swifts over lemonroyd lake drifting towards the petrol tanks 

yellow wagtail headed sw calling over lemonroyd lake 

female marsh harrier went north over main lake mobbed by hirundines 

grey plover north calling high over hillside

spoonbill adult and juvenile erb then flew to north ings 

little egret roughly 7 

green woodpecker 1 by old canal 

reed warbler still feeding young by rf

black tailed godwit 10+ over erb

snipe 5 flying around early

curlew 1 

dunlin 2 cattle gate

ringed plover cattle gate 

cettis warbler 3 singing 1 seen

sedge warbler 2 

whitethroat 1 

spoonbill and little egret

spoonbill 

black tailed godwits 

drag line 

reed warbler 

sunday spurn

 arrived at 7 parked by the bluebell cafe 

walked down the road towards the point nothing a few starlings and swallows 

did the triangle nothing just a nice group of tree sparrows 

kilnsea had a few spotted redshanks greenshanks the usual ruff and 51 little egrets quite a sight

a marsh harrier flew over the crown and anchor and a peregrine over the humber plus 1 med gull 

brief excitment but just a whitethroat by westmere farm 

blacktoft

 my first visit for a long time maybe 15 years 

not my favourite place as its looking shabby and overgrown but the staff are helpful and directed me in the the right way for the plover 

xerox hide was nearly full when i entered sat down to graham catley??? i think? anyway helpful guy put me onto a water rail 

the showed for a few minutes which is better than my dip at leighton moss years ago

despite the plover i still dont like the place always felt stale these old rspb reserves are just over grown fairburn is the same 

by 830 i was bored and felt it was going to get a bit messy so left for north cave 

much better 

why???

 why did i not bring my camera to work???? the black redstart was still there this morning showing really well around the horse fields even had the quivering tail thing going on stunning bird 

black redstart old town

 started a new extension today in old town at little nook farm which is also a campervan site! nice veiws 

at break we sat down outside in the sun and i thought ''should have brought my camera'' a couple of pied wagtails and plenty of swallows.

a bird flew on the the wire fence about 20 yds away ''black redstart'' nice, it showed really well on the fence before working its way towards the road, at midday it was still feeding around the farm, very nice bird to see whilst working 

out and about with camera

 ever since i was a young teenager i always wanted to do photography, which i did for many years and had some great comments on the blog, but i had to give it up due to money debt etc sold the lot, met some one got married etc being a stepfather to an autistic boy was hard,life long depression didnt help, separated got my own little flat,life goes on then covid stuck inside fed up much like the rest of you, but i did my bit voluntered helping with food drops for the shielding people of halifax good days,

back in january i got a letter strange i dont get many letters...refund from RBS but no amount,after a few days of checking and googling i responded then waited and waited more in march £7780 arrived on my bank card not life changing but still stunned 

so what to do?

photography

enjoy life its too short enjoy you only get one chance 

saturday 14/08/2021

 short eared owl 1

gbb gull 1 west

willow warbler 1

pied wagtail 2

reed bunting 3

hail the new number one, the eagle of the sea

 up till friday the nutcracker in staffs was my favourite bird seen in britain given it was the day i got my first car and suddenley had freedom.

saturday van full of dirty diesel up early and feeling lucky off to bempton, i must be the only person not to have a great photo of the albatross 

about 2 miles off had an alert off birdguides its there now!!!

parked up and off 

still a few people around,but no one talks much now so headed to the first viewpoint nothing but from the whispers its sat on the cliffs no chance nothing after 30 minutes its flying! the guy next to me who never spoke just set off to new roll up veiw point so i followed 

its was rammed mostly birders and friendly people, got a spot then there it was just circling the bay like a massive powerful flying machine, like an eagle of the sea, it was a presence amongst all the gannets kittiwakes and fulmars, best bird ever 

it then flew off east but could be watched floating effortlessly towards flambourgh 

july

july i found a cracking months of birding and life in genral

early in the month work and swillington kept me occupied 

mid month was holiday so on we went to stonehenge 

but avebury was so close 

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booked a site at durdle door, flash floods on the way but stunning site 

lots of rooks and a few peregrines 

and finally cornwall