Harden Moor

 Saturday 25th May a.m.

A sunny morning starting off at 12°C on Harden Moor where the Cuckoo was making plenty noise, I got a view of it but in silhouette with the sun behind. It usually attracts plenty of attention from other birds and this morning was no exception, I got another view of it later with the sun in a better position.  Blackcap, Whitethroat and Willow Warlers were singing, a Green Woodpecker flew over and a Kestrel was hunting.  Others included Bullfinch, Sand Martin, Swift, Mistle Thrush, Song Thrush, Skylark, Linnet and a distant Barn Owl.

Cuckoo

Cuckoo in silhouette 

Kestrel

Mistle Thrush

Song Thrush

Whitethroat

Willow Warbler

Barn Owl

Barn Owl on Harden Moor 25/5/2024

More from Hodbarrow

From Tuesday 21st May 

Here are some more pictures taken at RSPB Hodbarrow where I enjoyed a walk around the Reserve seeing many birds yesterday.

Eider Duck

Little Tern

LRP

Red-breasted Merganser

Ringed Plover

Sandwich Tern

Shelduck

Spoonbill with Eider Ducks

Whitethroat

Willow Warbler

Dunlin & Little Tern

Red-breasted Merganser

Hodbarrow Nature Reserve 21/5/2024

Hodbarrow

 Tuesday 21st May a.m.

I had a drive up to the RSPB Hodbarrow Nature Reserve on the coast of Cumbria where it was a sunny morning with a start temperature of 15°C.  Here there are many birds to see the first of which was Red-breasted Merganser a total of 25 were seen.  I walked round the coastal path to the observation hide where there were c400 Sandwich Terns on the islands. In addition on the islands and out at sea there were c150 Eider Ducks, another bird to see is the Little Tern, very difficult to pick out but I counted 10.  Others seen included Dunlin, Common Tern, Ringed Plover, Little Ringed Plover, Spoonbill, Little Egret, Shelduck, Gadwall, Oystercatcher and Cormorant.

Ringed Plover

Sandwich Tern

Shelduck

Common Tern 

Eider Duck

Little Tern

Little-ringed Plover

Red-breasted Merganser

Hodbarrow Nature Reserve 21/5/2024

Swillington Ings

 Sunday 19th May a.m.

A good sunny morning with a start temperature of 12°C, on Astley Lake it was a surprise to see a Little-ringed Plover among the Common Terns &  BH Gulls.  Walking round the reserve there were three Black-necked Grebes, two Bitterns were seen flying, again I was too slow with the camera.  A Kestrel posed nicely on a post giving me plenty of time to use the camera, a Great Crested Grebe was carrying chick's on it's back and apair of Canadas had several goslings.  Others seen were Buzzard, Cormorant, Gadwall, Lapwing, Pochard, Shoveler, Swift, Reed Bunting and Sedge Warbler.

Kestrel

Black-necked Grebe

Buzzard

Canadas with goslings

Common Tern

Gadwall

Great Crested Grebe with chicks

Little-ringed Plover

Pochard

Reed Bunting

Sedge Warbler

LRP with the Common Terns at Swillington Ings 19/5/2024