Red-flanked Bluetail

Last October, while I was painting the house, news broke of a mega rarity for the northwest, our first ever Red-flanked Bluetail! Unfortunately, the bird was on the tidal island of Hilbre in the Dee estuary so access would be late afternoon on the receding tide. This gave me enough time to finish my painting, get my birding gear together and be at West Kirby to follow the tide out; but would the bird still be there?
After a yomp over the wet sand (okay a wade through wellie-high seawater!) numerous birders gathered on the east side of Hilbre Island hoping for a glimpse of this enigmatic eastern waif. Time passed and still there was no sign of the bird, anticipation was turning to frustration when news came through that the bird had been re-trapped. After another dash across slippy rocks onto the main island, an eager crowd of birders gathered outside the observatory keen to see their quarry. The bird was duly shown to the assembled group amidst the sound of clicking camera shutters and hushed murmurs of approval. The bird was re-released and later showed well on the sandstone ledges on the east of the island.
A truly fabulous bird for this part of the country, and one that will remain in the memories of all who saw it. On the walk over I snapped a group of birders who where wading through the ebbing seawater, this photo appears in this month's (April) issue of Birdwatch magazine.
Training update - ran 10 miles at 7 min/mile pace followed by 12 miles at 7.37 pace due to a sore thigh muscle. Only 4 weeks to London.
Saw a White Wagtail at Leasowe accompanying a few Pied Wagtails.

Red-flanked Bluetail, what a bird!

Twitchers wading through the ebbing water in the Dee Estuary.

Red-flanked Bluetail being shown to

the crowd of birders.

White Wagtail, (nominate race of Pied Wagtail), Norfolk

April 2011.

Watkin Path

I decided I'd take it easy this week after running the Blackpool Marathon last Sunday, so I decided to have a day off and walk up Snowdon instead! My friend Jane and I walked to the summit via the picturesque Watkin Path. We couldn't believe our luck with the weather, when we climbed this path last August we got soaked to the skin but today (14th) our only problem was overheating in the bright spring sunshine; I even had to apply sunscreen. Managed to see quite a few Ravens on the way up, and a very smart pair of Grey Wagtails were seen on the Afon Cwm Llan. The Watkin Path near the summit is little more than a loose scree slope which provided a little scambling fun, but could be treacherous in poor weather. After visiting the summit, time-out for a picnic was very welcome. We descended via Bwlch Main, a beautiful ridge with stunning views into Cwm Clogwyn and Cwm Tregalan. The impressive summit of Yr Aran was a tempting addition but the fading light precluded this diversion. A curry and a beer in Llangollen on the way home rounded off a beautiful day in Wales.

Pausing to admire the view across Llyn Llydaw

The summit of Snowdon. Sunshine and no mist!

The route down, Bwlch Main with Yr Aran behind.

Marathons

Marathons hurt. I know, I've just run my twelfth. I have no doubt that marathons cause some degree of discomfort or even pain to anyone that has ever run one; from the fabulous Paula Radcliffe to the 6 hour plus plodders at the back of the field. It's not just the struggle of covering the iconic 26.2 miles on foot that leaves legs like jelly and causes some finishers to walk downstairs backwards for a few days. It's probably more to do with the fact that our bodies only store enough fuel in the form of glycogen to keep us going for about 20 miles.
So while I marvel at the incredible feats of endurance accomplished by human athletes, how even more amazing are the migrations of birds?
Arctic Terns undertake the longest migration of any bird, from the sub-arctic breeding grounds to and from the Antarctic, a staggering round trip of about 22,000 miles. These elegant seabirds obviously feed as they migrate, not unlike runners taking on gels and energy drinks on a long run. But according to Stephen Moss's fascinating book Everything you always wanted to know about birds but were afraid to ask, the longest single migratory flight is probably that of the Bar-tailed Godwit, from southwest Alaska to New Zealand a distance of 6,800 miles in a single flight! That certainly puts my efforts into perspective.
I actually ran the Blackpool Marathon today as a training run for London. I ran 7.10 per mile for the first 22 miles as planned then slowed down to an easy 8 minute mile pace for the final few miles. This gave me the respectable overall time of 3 hours and 10 minutes. Which allowed me to get back home in time to see the England rugby team beat France in a thrilling and close game in Paris.

A stunning summer-plumaged Bar-tailed Godwit, Wallasey,

May 2011.

Arctic Tern, Farne Islands, June 2010.

Avocets and Spoonbills

Ran a tough 22 mile training run last Saturday (3rd), had stomach cramp and a pulled muscle in my thigh, but managed to complete the distance, albeit slowly. But I'm sure these are the miles that will count come the big day in London next month. Zipped down to Inner Marsh Farm on the same day to see the newly arrived Avocets. It's amazing how these birds have spread across the country during the last few years; very elegant but also very feisty birds that belie their graceful and delicate appearance.
Had a morning at Parkgate today (9th), but the high tide didn't come as close to the wall as hoped. But saw some impressive birds including 2 Hen Harriers, a Sparrowhawk, 2 Short-eared Owls and, bird of the day, a magnificent Peregrine that harassed one of the harriers.
Also had quite good views of the immature Spoonbill on the Boathouse Flash. This is another species that will hopefully become more common after recent years' successful breeding in Norfolk.

Avocet at Cley Norfolk, March 2008.

Immature Spoonbill, Parkgate, February 2012 (record shot).

Spoonbill flock, near Cley Norfolk, August 2010.

Tortoises and Turtles

In recent years I have been lucky enough to visit the beautiful Greek island of Lesvos a number of times. Along with the stunning birdlife there is a wealth of other wildlife to enjoy including a good variety of reptile species. Spur-thighed Tortoises are native to the region and I have seen them quite regularly, normally ambling over busy roads quite oblivious to the dangers. I have helped one or two reach the safety of nearby vegetation and on one memorable occasion I rescued a tortoise that had fallen down a small well at Aghios Ioannis a few miles south of Kalloni.
I had been birdwatching in the area when I noticed the poor animal at the bottom of the sheer-sided pit. It had obviously fallen in and was unable to climb out again. It was impossible to say how long it had been trapped there, but there was a trickle of water seeping into the well, which along with some moss growing on the base of the pit  had probably sustained it for some time. I quickly called my son Adam to join me as he had never seen a wild tortoise and he proceeded to film me as I executed the rescue.

This Spur-thighed Tortoise was photographed in southern

Turkey in 2009.

When I visited Olu Deniz in Turkey in 2009 I was amazed to

see the  head of a distant turtle in the famous Blue Lagoon. I

didn't expect to get such close-up views of  fabulous

Loggerhead Turtles in the marina at nearby Fethiye.

Treecreeper

Before I started work this morning I had a quick walk through Arrowe Park. There was a mini dawn chorus taking place with singing Song Thrushes, Dunnocks and Robins and the distant drumming of Great Spotted Woodpeckers. But the real highlight was the sighting of a Treecreeper slowly working its way up a small tree. This fab little bird has suffered in the recent cold winters and has become more difficult to find. It is a good few years since I have seen one in the park, let's hope it's the first of many sightings.

Treecreeper photographed at Loggerheads

 Country Park in 2007

Burton and Blackpool

After an easy 12 mile run yesterday, I went down to Parkgate where the immature Spoonbill was showing quite well but a bit distant for decent photographs. So I headed to Burton Mere Wetlands where the White-fronted geese where hiding behind some distant vegetation and there was no sign of any Bewick's Swans. So I set my camera up near the feeding station and took some shots of woodland birds. Also saw my first Spotted Redshank for the year.
Drove to Blackpool today to take part in the Great North West half marathon. Wasn't too sure I'd be able to run after aggravating a muscle pull at circuit training last Monday. But I shouldn't have worried as I managed to complete the course in 1 hour 21 minutes. That's my second personal best in two weeks. Rewarded myself with a few beers while watching the football this evening.

The lichen on the branch nicely highlights the yellow of this

Blue Tit.

There was lots of activity among the

Chaffinches. This male is not quite in

breeding plumage yet, but they are already

starting to sing.

I don't normally photograph birds on

feeders but I couldn't resist a shot of this

Long-tailed Tit.

One of our commonest breeding birds, the Wren behaves more

like a small mammal than a bird.

Training Update 2

Planned to run 20 miles on Saturday (yesterday) morning, but the day dawned cold and rainy. On the first 10 mile loop which took in the seafront, I saw some nice flocks of Curlew in the fields and a flock of Turnstone on the sea defences. There were also numerous Oystercatchers flying around looking for a safe roost over the high tide. A torrential downpour swept in off the sea and soaked me to the skin, so I used my half-way drink stop at home to change into completely dry running gear. It wasn't easy re-starting my run after a 5 minute break, but I was glad of the warm clothes. Managed a total of 20.2 miles at an average pace of 7.09 minutes per mile. Ran the Wrexham half-marathon today with my running partner as a slow recovery run. A total of 54 miles for the week, London is exactly 9 weeks away now.

This Turnstone is moulting out of its summer-plumage. An

out of season shot, but one of my favourites. Taken September

2005.

Iceland 2

As promised, a few more photos from my Iceland trip a few years ago.

 This is the geyser called Strokkur at Geysir. Obviously the word "geyser" derives from the Icelandic word "geysir" meaning gusher. The geyser Geysir itself is not as reliable as Strokkur which spouts 30 meters into the air every few minutes.

This Greylag Goose was on a lake in the centre of Reykjavik.

 It's a common feral breeder in the UK, the Icelandic
 population being migratory has better provenance.

These Northern Fulmars were seen from a whale-watching

boat out of Olafsvik in the west of Iceland.

The fishing port of Olafsvik was a great place to observe

Glaucous Gulls.

This beautiful European Golden Plover was photographed on

moorland near Snaefellsjokull, the active volcano made famous

in Jules Vernes' Journey to the Centre of the Earth.

 This female Goldeneye was on Lake Myvatn

in the north. This lake holds both Common and

Barrow's Goldeneye. The dark bill colour leads me

to believe that this is a Common. Beautiful, nevertheless.

I found this grey-phase Gyr Falcon perched by a road near Lake

Myvatn. It stayed put while I took some shots from my car, only

to be scared off by some guy with a video who jumped out of his

car.

My visit to Iceland was timed to coincide with the best time

for cetacean watching, i.e, the summer. Consequently, birds

such as this Harlequin Duck were already moulting, but that

at least provides me with an excuse to return to this fantastic

country to see birds such as this in their stunning breeding

plumage.

PB and Martin Mere

After a week when my marathon training didn't go to plan due to an upset stomach, I managed to set a personal best today. I ran the "Mad Dog" Southport 10k in a time of 37minutes and 37 seconds which is almost a minute faster than my previous best so I must be doing something right in my training. My time was no doubt helped by a course that was flatter than the proverbial pancake and the absence of any wind.
I decided to visit Martin Mere in Lancashire after the race as it was not too far to drive, mainly to pick up some birdseed for my garden birds but also for lunch and a quick birdwatch. It was a very dull and overcast day, not the best conditions for photography but it's always worth a try.
Saw my first treecreeper of the year.

Male Ruff, nice reflection on a dull day.

Male Ruff giving a theat display to another male.

This male Pheasant brightened up the

grey day.

Photographed these these fungi on a dead oak tree using my

zoom lens as I didnt have my macro with me. I'm not skilled

at fungi identification so will update the caption once I have

identified the species!

Training Update

I've often heard it said, mainly when people reach a certain birthday, that "it's all downhill now" as if  that's a bad thing. From a runner's perspective downhill if a fabulous prospect, relax those tired muscles and let gravity do most of the work. My run today was a hilly affair with plenty of uphill as well as downhill. A very cold run, the rain, when it started, immediately froze on the pavements making it very slippy in places. I was surprised when I got home to find that some of the rain had even frozen on my jacket! So I was pleased to complete 18 miles at 7.06 min/mile pace. I even got a year tick in the form of a Grey Wagtail outside Arrowe Park Hospital; somewhat unexpected on an urban run.

Last night I took my son and his girlfriend climbing at Awesome Walls in Liverpool. It's a while since we've been there but we all had a great time and were thoroughly shattered afterwards.
Photos by Lauren.

Martin Mere

Yesterday my friend and I spent the best part of a very cold day at Martin Mere Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust Centre in Lancashire. It's a fabulous place for getting close views of a variety of ducks, geese and swans. The tricky part from a photographer's point of view is isolating birds amongst the melee outside the hides. I concentrated on close-ups and profiles of the beautiful Whooper Swans.
Other highlights of the day included at least 4 Marsh Harriers, 2 Sparrowhawks, a very distant Barn Owl and fabulous but brief views of a Tawny Owl.

Drake Pintail photographed at Martin Mere last Winter

Whoopers in the snow last winter

Male Brambling from the Janet Kear hide last winter

 The Barn Owl we saw yesterday was about a kilometer away,

this was a much more obliging bird in Norfolk a few years ago.

Sunday Update

Had a photo of the Glossy Ibis (click to view)  that was at Leighton Moss RSPB in December published in the UK Bird Sightings section of Birdwatching Magazine.
Marathon training update - ran 17 miles at 7.03 min/mile pace yesterday. It was very cold but the the sun was shining, and more importantly, no wind!

Iceland - Whales

A few years ago I was lucky enough to visit the amazing island of Iceland, mainly to try and see cetaceans, but the birds and geology were truly stunning as well. This post contains a few pics of some of the whales, I'll try and do another soon on the geology and birds.
I stayed near Lake Myvatn for part of the trip which was not far from Husavik, one of the best places in Iceland, if not the world, from which to watch whales and dolphins. I went on two trips with the company North Sailing. The first trip produced sightings of Minke Whales and Northern Bottlenosed Whales, but the second surpassed expectations with not one, but three fabulous Humpback Whales.
The first six photos are all Humpback Whales, note the white flippers visible in some of the photos.The pattern of the tail flukes (fifth Humpback photo) are unique and are used by researchers in photo identification of individual animals.
The last two photos are of Minke Whales, note the falcate dorsal fin of this, the smallest of the rorqual whales.