Springwatch-SWAT-Autumnwatch
View allAll Photos Tagged SpringWatch!
Taken in my Somerset garden.
More pics in my blog here;
carlbovisnaturephotography.blogspot.co.uk/2017/03/siskin-...
The Gannet is surely Bempton's signature bird. Looking every bit like something from prehistory. They are however a beautiful and elegant bird.
The northern gannet is the largest of the gannet family and native to the Atlantic Ocean.
Gannet (Northern Gannet) - Morus Bassanus
RSPB Bempton Cliffs
As always I extend my sincere gratitude to all who are kind enough to comment and fave my photos or even stop by and just have a look. It is very much appreciated.
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To me this large black and conspicuous waterbird always looks somewhat priastoric with its long neck and when standing up with its wings out to dry giving it an reptilian like appearance. Much better at catching fish than anglers which unfortunately brings them into conflict with them causing them to be persecuted.
Little Tern - Sterna Albifrons
Norfolk
As seen on BBC Springwatch Ep 7 08/06/2022
This delightful chattering seabird is the UK's smallest tern. It is short-tailed and has a fast flight. Its bill is a distinctive yellow with a black tip. It is noisy at its breeding colony where courtship starts with an aerial display involving the male calling and carrying a fish to attract a mate, which chases him up high before he descends, gliding with wings in a 'V'.
Its vulnerable nesting sites and its decline in Europe make it an Amber List species. It is also listed as a Schedule 1 species in The Wildlife and Countryside Act.
This bird breeds on the coasts and inland waterways of temperate and tropical Europe and Asia. It is strongly migratory, wintering in the subtropical and tropical oceans as far south as South Africa and Australia.
There are three subspecies, the nominate albifrons occurring in Europe to North Africa and western Asia; guineae of western and central Africa; and sinensis of East Asia and the north and east coasts of Australia.[4]
The little tern breeds in colonies on gravel or shingle coasts and islands. It lays two to four eggs on the ground. Like all white terns, it is defensive of its nest and young and will attack intruders.
Like most other white terns, the little tern feeds by plunge-diving for fish, usually from saline environments. The offering of fish by the male to the female is part of the courtship display.
At the beginning of the 19th century the little tern was a common bird of European shores, rivers and wetlands, but in the 20th century populations of coastal areas decreased because of habitat loss, pollution and human disturbance.
The loss of inland populations has been even more severe, since due to dams, river regulation and sediment extraction it has lost most of its former habitats. The Little Tern population has declined or become extinct in many European countries, and former breeding places on large rivers like the Danube, Elbe and Rhine ceased. Nowadays, only few river systems in Europe possess suitable habitats; the Loire/Allier in France, the Vistula/Odra in Poland, the Po/Ticino in Italy, the Daugava in Latvia, the Nemunas in Lithuania, the Sava in Croatia and the Drava in Hungary and Croatia. The status of the little tern on the rivers Tagus and lower Danube is uncertain.
Whilst exciting to see, this bird very soon flooded the internet beyond even biblical proportions. Such was the deluge of photos even Noah couldn't cope.
With this in mind I didn't post too many pics at the time. So with the excitement fully quelled here's one from the archives.
Hoopoe - Upupa epops
Collingham and Linton Cricket Club nr Leeds
Many thanks as always to all who choose to look and a big thank you for those who stop by to comment and fave my photos. It is very much appreciated.
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When I took this shot I was so excited. I have been taking shots of this pair for several years, but this was the closest I had managed to get.
Little did I know that the pair down the road, minutes later, would provide me with, not only better, but my best owl pics to date.
This female was out hunting without her other half and was for once fairly relaxed about me.
Mr Barnie from down the lane will feature soon. He's well worth the wait.
Barn owl (Tyto alba)
Yorkshire Dales - Upper Barn female
Many thanks to all those who take the time to comment on my photos. It is truly appreciated.
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One of two noisy oystercatchers chasing each other near our local cafe.
Oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus)
Poppies - Scotland
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Two of three siblings that were borned in May.
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Brighton 🇬🇧
June, 2020
European Otter - Lutra Lutra
Ollie
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Our new local celebrity.
I have named him scar as he has an open wound on his neck and an older injury on his flank.
Although the neck wound looks nasty it doesn't seem to be impeding him unduly. While we watched him he caught numerous fish so he certainly is capable of hunting.
European Otter - Lutra Lutra
Scar
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The male Redstart perched on a frond of Bracken . The young have now fledged, hoping to get some shots of them being fed out of the nest!
This is a female grey heron just arrived to hunt for her first meal of the day. She is very particular on the fish that she hunts for.
F/5.6 1/200s ISO:800 f:200mm
Thank you for viewing. If you like please fav and leave a nice comment. Hope to see you here again. Have a wonderful day 😊
Brighton 🇬🇧
22nd June, 2020