Sunday, May 11, 2014

May 11 2014

An email earlier in the week from Andy set off a plan in my head. I spent all week watching the weather forecast, hoping for a good day! I’m pleased to say that I didn’t trust the weather forecast and I went, despite warnings of heavy showers and hill fog.

My target for today was Dotterel and the destination was The Cheviot.

This is Him

P1020216

I was a fair way up when I took that, but still not high enough for the target. I did see a Raven from here and there were Wheatear, Whinchat and Stonechat by the path.

Looking back down

P1020217

As I neared the stile to get to the summit a male Dotterel flew past me, calling. It landed just out of sight back down the hill, so I went back down towards where it went, only for it to fly off and land much further away. I had lugged the bag with the camera and lens in up the the bloody hill so I was going to have some pictures. I headed off in pursuit and he started walking towards me, this is going to be good me thinks! No, he’s off, away round the hill back in the direction he came from, bugger!

Back up the hill I went, head down, one foot in front of the other, trudging up the hill. I can hear a Golden Plover, so I stop and look up and there it is, and just in front of it, two female Dotterel looking absolutely fantastic in their spring best. And no sooner did I see them than they upped and off, in the same direction as the male, bugger!

It’s a hard, long, wet walk up the hill to get to the summit

P1020218 

and once up there, it’s a hard, long, wet walk back down.

Just as I crossed the stile, a Mountain Hare went off in the same direction as the Dotterel, maybe’s they were all just over the hill, having a laugh!

Saturday, May 10, 2014

Yellow-throated Warbler

Yellow-throated Warbler-8D3E8254

Yellow-throated Vireo

Yellow-throated Vireo-8D3E6404

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Yellow-rumped Warbler-8D3E5948

Yellow-crowned Night Heron

Yellow-crowned Night Heron-8D3E6616

Yellow-billed Cuckoo

Yellow-billed Cuckoo-8D3E8315

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker-8D3E7875Yellow-bellied Sapsucker-8D3E8305

Wood Thrush

Wood Thrush-8D3E8379

Wood Duck

Wood Duck-8D3E5023

Wilson's Snipe

Wilson's Snipe-8D3E6817

Wilson's Plover

Wilson's Plover-8D3E7409

Willet

Willet-8D3E7462

Whooping Crane

Whooping Crane-8D3E5650Whooping Crane-8D3E5701

White-winged Dove

White-winged Dove-8D3E6272

White-eyed Vireo

White-eyed Vireo-8D3E6062

White-crowned Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow-8D3E6765

White Ibis

White Ibis-8D3E5599

Warbling Vireo

Warbling Vireo-8D3E7682

Friday, May 09, 2014

Upland Sandpiper

Upland Sandpiper-8D3E8670

Turkey Vulture

Turkey Vulture-8D3E5555

Tricoloured Heron

Tricoloured Heron-8D3E5488

Tennessee Warbler

Tennessee Warbler-8D3E7604

Swainson's Thrush

Swainson's Thrush-8D3E8151

Summer Tanager

Summer Tanager-8D3E7667Summer Tanager-8D3E7958

Stilt Sandpiper

Stilt Sandpiper-8D3E6850

Spicebush Swallowtail

Spicebush Swallowtail-8D3E5130

Sora

Sora-8D3E6889

Solitary Sandpiper

Solitary Sandpiper-8D3E8263

Snowy Egret

Snowy Egret-8D3E7978

Snowy Plover

Snowny Plover-8D3E7535

Semipalmated Plover

Semipalmated Plover-8D3E7452

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher-8D3E6026

Scarlet Tanager

Scarlet Tanager-8D3E8341

Savannah Sparrow

Savannah Sparrow-8D3E6768

Royal Tern

Royal Tern-8D3E7115

Roseate Spoonbill

Roseate Spoonbill-8D3E8009

Ring-billed Gull

Ring-billed Gull-8D3E7143