Following on from the huge success of the "Show us your bird and wildlife photos" thread (some 31 pages and a staggering +1500 posts), I thought it time to start a "part 2".

 

As we don't always have the opportunities to take bird or wildlife photos, but nonetheless might be taking great photos of other things, I  thought a broader approach might encourage even more people to share their top photos. 

 

They can be anything to do with nature, landscapes, outdoors, indoors, superb holiday snaps - basically, whatever. If you think it's a good photo and you want to share it, this is the place.

 

Here's three from me...

 

Goose - seen showing off in the woods of Amsterdam.

 

 

Sunset - as seen from our balcony last summer.

 

 

Filey, N Yorks - what a beautiful place. We were here for my younger brother's wedding.

 

 

My youngest lad Joe was up Helvellyn a couple of days ago, when he witnessed the Mountain Rescue Team in action when a lone 70 year old man got himself into trouble.....

 

Manchester birding forum. Reports two Swallows seen today at a local to me reservoir. They must have been blown in on these recent Gale force winds. Earliest I have ever seen them in the north west is April 7th and that was last year.

Steve

  On 01/04/2015 at 16:43, Winsford Soul said:

Manchester birding forum. Reports two Swallows seen today at a local to me reservoir. They must have been blown in on these recent Gale force winds. Earliest I have ever seen them in the north west is April 7th and that was last year.

Steve

Got one eye on the sky...

 

Would be great if people could report in when they see the first of the summer swallows, swifts and martins.   

  On 01/04/2015 at 17:03, Russell Gilbert said:

Got one eye on the sky...

 

Would be great if people could report in when they see the first of the summer swallows, swifts and martins.   

We have had our first Sand Martin on the 8th March   

  On 01/04/2015 at 17:30, martyn pitt said:

We have had our first Sand Martin on the 8th March   

Now you tell us! 

I saw my first swallow this afternoon. Alas they are increasingly rare, I suppose it's because of the "products" used in modern (intensive) agriculture ?

  On 01/04/2015 at 19:39, Philippe said:

I saw my first swallow this afternoon. Alas they are increasingly rare, I suppose it's because of the "products" used in modern (intensive) agriculture ?

Where in the world are you, Philippe?

  On 01/04/2015 at 20:05, Russell Gilbert said:

Where in the world are you, Philippe?

Russell. Philippe is in France, I think.

Steve

  On 01/04/2015 at 17:30, martyn pitt said:

We have had our first Sand Martin on the 8th March   [/quote

Same here Martyn. 8th March. Elton reservoir.

Steve

  On 01/04/2015 at 21:03, Winsford Soul said:

Russell. Philippe is in France, I think.

Steve

I was hoping to narrow it down a bit more than that, Steve!   

  On 01/04/2015 at 21:03, Winsford Soul said:

Russell. Philippe is in France, I think.

Steve

Right Steve, I'm a southern man.

Just got home from a day out and about. Pennington Flash this morning then drove up to Leighton Moss. Seen and heard my first chiffchaff of the year along with a singing cetti,s warbler at Pennington Flash. But the highlight,s of the day had to be the 50 plus avocets at Leighton and the approximate 40 -50 house Martin's and 10 swallows. The earliest that I have ever seen either in this country. April 2nd.

Seen house Martin's at the end of March in the republic of Ireland about 17 year's back.

Will go through the pictures when I get chance

Steve

Spent this afternoon at Fakenham racecourse in Norfolk. Bold Adventure ( second from last in this picture ) on his way to winning at 8-1. Had 2 other winners too!

Following on from my earlier post about the grebes and their courtship displays (post 398), it's been all go here.

 

For the last few days the grebes have been busy building a nest in the centre of the waterway in front of us. Bit by bit their construction has started to rise out of the water.

 

Thing is though, a pair of coots has taken a great interest in this. Every time the grebes turn their back one of the coots claims the mound for their own.

 

 

This then results in something of a stand off with the coot moving aside every time thus far and as you can see in the pic. Pic quality isn't great. The action is about 30 metres away meaning that I've had to crop the images substantially.

 

 

Occasion bursts of fighting have taken place, usually with the grebes as instigators. Once the coot is off the nest the grebes start diving near the coot and getting ever closer. It appears that they attack under water. That's what's happening in this pic.

 

 

When the coot came out onto the grassy bank it was very noticeably limping although it appeared to have fully recovered later.

 

This has gone on all day with the coots showing no sign of letting up their desire to take over the nest site and claim it for themselves.

 

Thing is though, it may end disastrously no matter which pair has it. The contraption that the grebes are using as the base of their nest is a fountain and it'll be turned on in a few weeks time. Perhaps the local council (and the town hall is opposite us and just to the right of the pics) will review that this year!

 

 

 

 

While all the territorial squabbles goes on out the front, these pics were taken this evening through the side windows and the back balcony respectively. 

 

 

Russell. That's great to capture the behaviour of the grebes and coots like that and to give the commentary as you did. Have you ever thought of becoming a narrator. ?

Love the sunset pictures too.

Steve

  On 06/04/2015 at 19:35, Winsford Soul said:

Russell. That's great to capture the behaviour of the grebes and coots like that and to give the commentary as you did. Have you ever thought of becoming a narrator. ?

Love the sunset pictures too.

Steve

Thanks, Steve. I don't think Attenborough has anything to fear. I have to say it's been really fascinating watching events unfurl at the nest site.

 

One thing that I've learned is that elements of the grebe's courtship display are ongoing. I've witnessed the head shaking that you see in the ritual happening very frequently on their own. It seems to be very much as if they use this display to continually affirm the pairing bond they made with the full courtship display. It also seems to be a means of communication about how the pair should jointly act.

 

For example, every time there's been a coot/grebe stand-off, the grebes engage in the head shaking behaviour. It's almost as if they're agreeing with one another as to how they'll deal with the current situation.

 

If you can imaging a couple of deaf blokes in a pub using sign language to communicate how they're going to get back at the bullying local who's been taking the piss all night, then that's what the grebes appear to be doing. 

 

I have to say the more I watch them interacting together, and against the coots, the more fascinating it all becomes! 

Pretty certain I caught my first glimpse of a summer migrant about half an hour ago. It was just disappearing out of view when I sped it, so can't be sure whether it was a house martin or swallow.

 

Will keep my eyes peeled now so that I can confirm the sighting. 

 

Anyone else got summer summer migrants to report?

  On 08/04/2015 at 17:36, Russell Gilbert said:

Pretty certain I caught my first glimpse of a summer migrant about half an hour ago. It was just disappearing out of view when I sped it, so can't be sure whether it was a house martin or swallow.

 

Will keep my eyes peeled now so that I can confirm the sighting. 

 

Anyone else got summer summer migrants to report?

That's great news Russell. It's almost a week now since my first sighting of the year for the house Martin's and swallows in the north west of the UK. .. so by rights I would imagine that they have also reached the Netherlands. Keep us posted.

Steve

  On 08/04/2015 at 19:40, Winsford Soul said:

That's great news Russell. It's almost a week now since my first sighting of the year for the house Martin's and swallows in the north west of the UK. .. so by rights I would imagine that they have also reached the Netherlands. Keep us posted.

Steve

 If you look on a map where we are roughly lines up with Ipswich, so I always expect them to be here before they get to you. Of course, it depends on how they spread through Europe once they've crossed over from Africa. 

 

A migration chart would come in handy.

  On 08/04/2015 at 20:02, Russell Gilbert said:

If you look on a map where we are roughly lines up with Ipswich, so I always expect them to be here before they get to you. Of course, it depends on how they spread through Europe once they've crossed over from Africa. 

 

A migration chart would come in handy.

Russell. I always thought they arrived in the south west of Ireland and the Scilly isles first then gradually moved eastward.

your right about the migration chart kit would be interesting

Steve

  On 08/04/2015 at 20:06, Winsford Soul said:

Russell. I always thought they arrived in the south west of Ireland and the Scilly isles first then gradually moved eastward.

your right about the migration chart kit would be interesting

Steve

That might be right from a UK standpoint, but I doubt it's true for mainland Europe. 

 

I actually went off to look for a migration chart, got distracted on the way and eventually ended up back here having forgotten about my mission. Will try again!

Well that took all of 10 seconds to find. According to this migration map, which shows things from a UK perspective, swallows & house martins come through both central Spain and central France before veering off in which ever direction pulls them.

 

 

Would be nice to see the route in a bit more detail and see how they come into the Netherlands exactly - whether they're turning right when they get to the middle of France or whether they're coming in in other ways.

 

 

 

 

Interesting read on the swallow migration...

 

http://jkenny.hubpages.com/hub/Do-Anti-Squirrel-Feeders-really-work#

Russell .They arrive via Schiphol mate

 

Steve

  On 08/04/2015 at 20:46, Russell Gilbert said:

Interesting read on the swallow migration...

 

http://jkenny.hubpages.com/hub/Do-Anti-Squirrel-Feeders-really-work#

Russell. Thanks for posting. A very interesting short article.

 

Steve

  On 09/04/2015 at 13:19, Winsford Soul said:

Russell. Thanks for posting. A very interesting short article.

 

Steve

You're welcome.

 

Still not caught another sighting of a swallow or martin, so can't confirm that they're actually here. Possibly they were just stretching their wings and have headed back to the departure lounge at Schiphol before heading off elsewhere in Europe.

 

What I can report is that in the battle between the coots and the grebes, the coots appear to have won.

 

Where the coot would encroach upon the nest site and the grebes would see it away, now the coot is being much more territorial. Rather than just posture from atop the nest, it's swimming around it when the grebes are near.

 

The grebes are making no real effort to win back their construction and are easily deterred when they now only occasionally approach it. 

 

A few things I've learned from watching are :

 

1) only one coot in a pair builds the nest

2) the coot's construction techniques are far more industrial than the grebes. The latter uses vegetation primarily while the coots are using lots of twigs and even branches to give support to the vegetation.

3) having witnessed them give up the nest without much of a fight, I believe that grebes are in some way related to the chicken.

Edited April 9, 201510 yr by Russell Gilbert

I'm a big aeroplane buff, this is cool. A Moroccan Northrop F-5E refueliing from a US Air Force KC-135, my current screen wallpaper

White freesias growing on a bank of earth by the main coastal road, all finished for the year now.

Wisteria sinensis flowering profusely and beautifully scented, again finished for the year.

  Echium fastuosum, a real magnet for bees

  Erythrina crista-galli, a rare sight for most

Edited April 10, 201510 yr by TattooDave

Good to see you posting again Dave. Some fantastic flowers, Shrubs etc as always

Heading for rspb Burton mere wetlands reserve shortly hopefully returning with some decent photographs

Steve

  On 10/04/2015 at 09:44, Winsford Soul said:

Good to see you posting again Dave. Some fantastic flowers, Shrubs etc as always

Heading for rspb Burton mere wetlands reserve shortly hopefully returning with some decent photographs

Steve

Good luck Steve, the weather here in the last week or so has been appalling, hope to get into the countryside next week to go orchid spotting.  Can't get close enough to the wildlife here, they are all so wary as the Spanish shoot everything that moves.  Hope to post a few more shots soon, wind and rain permitting.

 

Dave

My daughter(blue) in action against against Everton last week in the 2-2 draw at the Select stadium.

 

Was surprised to this Moorhen chick . It looks about two weeks old judging by the size of it compared to the adult. You can just see the residue still attached to the beaks from the adult feeding its young

 

Steve

 

Just managed to catch these two Mistle thrushes mating and the goldfinch obviously doing the bird equivalent of dogging  

 

Steve

Heres something we do not want on the reserve, there were two of them

 

Anyone want a nice coat ...

 

 

 

Edited April 10, 201510 yr by martyn pitt

A Great Crested Grebe swimming ...

 

I need to take a shorter lens with a polarising filter, as they swim around amongst the pike right below the one hide

 

 

Here is one of the smaller Pike

 

 

Edited April 10, 201510 yr by martyn pitt

Great Crested Grebes mating, after the male has finished he runs up the female right over her head ...

 

 

  On 10/04/2015 at 19:10, martyn pitt said:

Heres something we do not want on the reserve, there were two of them

Anyone want a nice coat ...

458_009.jpg

458_013.jpg

458_017.jpg

Martyn. They're cheeky pests. Once had one trying to get in my keepnet whilst I was fishing a match on the river weaver near Northwich.

As you say it's the last think you need on a reserve.

They destroyed my dad's pond. Killing every fish including koi to nearly ten pounds.didn't eat any of them. Savage murderers with no natural predators. Only consolation is as the otter population increases the mink are decreasing.

Steve

Edited April 10, 201510 yr by Winsford Soul

A couple more Great Crested Grebe ... 

 

 

 

 

Top left is a Pied Wagtail, to the right a Buzzard and below it a Sand Martin.

 

The tiny Pied Wagtail had been mobbing the Buzzard    ... a real David and Goliath moment being played out over the far shore of the reservoir

 

 

 

  On 12/04/2015 at 07:48, martyn pitt said:

Top left is a Pied Wagtail, to the right a Buzzard and below it a Sand Martin.

 

The tiny Pied Wagtail had been mobbing the Buzzard    ... a real David and Goliath moment being played out over the far shore of the reservoir

 

459_025.jpg

Martyn. Some of us have been stuck in work while others are obviously out enjoying themselves.

Steve

  On 12/04/2015 at 18:39, Winsford Soul said:

Martyn. Some of us have been stuck in work while others are obviously out enjoying themselves.

Steve

That was yesterday Steve ... I worked today ... anyway haven't you just had a 12 month holiday   

  On 12/04/2015 at 18:54, martyn pitt said:

That was yesterday Steve ... I worked today ... anyway haven't you just had a 12 month holiday   

Oops. Had forgotten about my sabbatical.

Will have to get my camera in work. Two pairs of grey wagtails . One with a very dark almost black head. Very striking bird

Steve

A pair of Gadwall male & female

 

 

 

 

 

  On 12/04/2015 at 19:02, Winsford Soul said:

Oops. Had forgotten about my sabbatical.

Will have to get my camera in work. Two pairs of grey wagtails . One with a very dark almost black head. Very striking bird

Steve

 

Wagtails are usually pretty tolerant of people, you should be able to get relatively close to them

Had a great Easter Monday out in Snowdonia, awesome day

Snowdon Horeshoe

 

Ogwen big guns

 

Mountain tadpoles

 

The golden egg

Primroses and Wood Anemones down the Circle Walk Butterknowle/South Side near where I live taken 13.4.15

Suz x

Bottom of Cockfield Fell and the Gaunless River 2 mile from home. The fell is designated an ancient monument, there is 2000 years of history on the fell.

Lovely Tees Railway Walk near Romaldkirk in Teesdale only 8 miles away from home taken a few weeks ago