Buzzard near Redcar Tarn 30th August

This Buzzard was seen from Redcar Tarn quite low initially but it then circled while gaining height and then glided away. These images have been cropped from the originals taken.

Whitethroat B/Holiday weekend

Yellow Hammer (not local)

Yellow Hammer taken last week in the Dumfries and Galloway area. Such a shame these birds seem to have gone from our area.

Spotted Flycatcher

Spotted Flycatchers seem to be one of the "Birds of the Moment" as they begin their migration, with a number being seen locally. So far this year I have drawn a blank, so I have had to resort to posting pictures from last year. This bird was photographed on 19/08/09 at Lothersdale, still feeding young adjacent the pub car park

More from Timble Sunday

Common Hawker, top and centre, Black Darter below

Timble Sunday

The last few visits to Timble have been disappointing from a birding viewpoint, Sunday was no exception. Butterflies and Dragonflies were however very active in the warm and humid atmosphere . Didn't have my short lens with me but managed a few images of some common butterflies.

Stockbridge images from last week

Taken badly by the "Man Flu" the last few days so haven't been out. Here are a few from last week, including juv' Willow Warbler

Green Sandpiper & Spotted Flycatcher

A couple of pics from this morning, Green Sand at Ponden Res. and Spotted Fly from Slippery Ford (pair were taking food to young in nest)

Ian Hargreaves

The Importance of Reporting Ringed Birds

This week I received details of a colour ringed Avoocet that I photographed at Marshside RSPB Reserve in Southport back in April. When Avocets began to colonise the North West it was assumed that they originated from the breeding populations from East Anglia as they expanded northwards. Colour-ringed birds like the one photographed has shown that the population colonising the west of the UK appears to have originated from the expanding French population.

The Avocet was first rung as a chick in La Barre-de-Monte, France in 2005 and has been reported from Marshside reserve for the last two years.

Ian Hargreaves

Colour-ringed LBBG Redcar Tarn

Hi, I photographed this colour-ringed LBBG at Redcar Tarn on Saturday 7th August. A quck trace via Euring led to ringing project in Lancashire and I have received the ringing history shown below. The bird was first rung at the nest in Bowland in 1998 and winters in Spain each year.

The full sighting history to date is as follows:

10/07/1998 Tarnbrook Fell, Bowland

08/03/2002 Santander, Spain

16/07/2002 Salt Ayr Landfill, Lancaster

07/11/2004 Santander, Spain

15/02/2005 Santander, Spain

18/10/2006 Santander, Spain

19/02/2007 Santander, Spain

10/02/2008 Santander, Spain

09/03/2008 Santander, Spain

30/01/2009 Santander, Spain

07/02/2009 Santander, Spain

29/03/2009 Stocks Res. Slaidburn

05/03/2010 Main-et-Loire, France

07/08/2010 Redcar Tarn, Keighley

Ian Hargreaves

Stonechat Whetstone Gate

Stockbridge (members only)

A few images taken yesterday