Got some great pics of hunting Kestrels the other day whilst I was scouring the hedges and bushes at Flamborough for migrant warblers. Bright morning sunshine always helps but with a family party of 4 that were continually stooping for prey along the cliffs I couldn't fail!
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| Common Kestrel, Flamborough, 06/10/15 |
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| Common Kestrel, Flamborough, 06/10/15 |
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| Common Kestrel, Flamborough, 06/10/15 |
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| Common Kestrel, Flamborough, 06/10/15 |
A little trickier once the birds were against the cliff-side but one or two came out well including this one -
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| Common Kestrel, Flamborough, 06/10/15 |
Much easier against the sky and the sea, and of course a good hovering Kestrel pic is a must for the collection and these are some of the best I've ever managed. At least 3 distinctly different individuals here including one which appears to have a chunk missing from its wing ... didn't seem to affect its flying ability however.
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| Common Kestrel, Flamborough, 06/10/15 |
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| Common Kestrel, Flamborough, 06/10/15 |
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| Common Kestrel, Flamborough, 06/10/15 |
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| Common Kestrel, Flamborough, 06/10/15 |
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| Common Kestrel, Flamborough, 06/10/15 |
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| Ring Ouzel, Buckton, 06/10/15 |
I failed abysmally to see any of the dozen or so Yellow Browed Warblers that were present on the headland but to my credit I did see a Barred Warbler (hopeless pic unless you like hawthorn bushes!) and there were passage thrushes everywhere, especially further up the coast at Buckton (adjacent to Bempton RSPB - mainly Song Thrushes, Blackbirds, the odd Redwing, 3 Fieldfare and the undoubted highlights - 5 Ring Ouzels. Damn difficult to get close but a passing Sparrowhawk flushed one and enabled me to get some half decent 'in flight' shots.
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| Ring Ouzel, Buckton, 06/10/15 |
Very reminiscent of our common or garden Blackbird, Ring Ouzels are a tad bigger, males sport a distinctive white crescent across their breast and they have silvery grey wings. Fab birds, they breed in mountainous, hilly regions (there's a healthy population in the NY Moors) most of these however are likely to have come in from central Europe. Some excellent info here if you want to know more about these birds - Ring Ouzels
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| Ring Ouzel, Buckton, 07/10/15 |
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| Ring Ouzel, Buckton, 06/10/15 |
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| Ring Ouzels, Buckton, 06/10/15 |
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| Fieldfare, Buckton, 06/10/15 |
I got lucky with the Fieldfares I think - they just appeared after a bit of mizzle and then flew off south. To my knowledge, although there have been a few at Spurn, these are possibly the first records this Autumn for Flamborough.
Footnote re the Ring Ouzels - the next day and well tuned into their call, I had another of these birds at Fangfoss, no pic sadly but a mega record and the 80th species for my local patch. Well done me!
and here's that bush with a Barred Warbler in it - I think maybe I should stick to photographing Kestrels!
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| Barred Warbler, Flamborough, 06/10/15 |
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| Barred Warbler, Flamborough, 06/10/15 |
