One of those weeks or a Pantomime?

Yes folks it is the middle of June and if you've found the sunshine let me know (or Katrina and the Waves... that's 28 years old I hear! STREWTH!). Not quite there with these photos but interesting perhaps and a bit of a Pantomine...

Juvenile Shelduck

Redshank

Snap... another Redshank

Coot, finally throwing out the kids

Male Shoveler

Hilda Ogden or Oystercatchers

He's behind you...

'Sleepless in Newton', so why not make the most of it... the juvenile Shelduck is just a big kid growing up, the Redshank are being busy in whatever they do, the Coot are getting stroppy again, the Shoveler I Iove because of their fidelity, shyness and the gentle way they go about their own business annoying no-one, the Oystercatchers was nearly 'the three ducks on the wall' and the Whitethroat a gentle reminder... keep your eyes open... sometimes, just like the Pantomome Dame, they are behind you.  (Meg Ryan didn't turn up, but she's a nutter too, we would get on well together... not!... although I have been up the Empire State building... then again, at that time I was Archibald Alexander Leach... film fans will know what I'm on about! Otherwise, don't woryy about it.).

It's those Commoners again

No apologies for a repeating subject, these birds are great to watch and superb in the air.

The 'colony' of Common Terns appears to be increasing year by year and there are at least 9 nesting pairs there at the moment and already a number of fledgings, together with additional pairs sitting on eggs, plus mating still in evidence. Looks like it might be a busy year. The local Gulls had best keep their heads down!

The fastest bird alive?

I don't think it is any secret and they have become local celebrities, so here a few of Prestons best subject (not necessarily the best photos... but you try keeping up with them at the speed they fly)!

 

Looks like a young headless wader on the menu

This is the male, the Mrs sat around sunbathing... sounds familar! (But I didn't say that).

Just looking at the post and the photos, it does seem as if there is an unnatural 'halo/cut out' on some of the edges, but these are untouched as taken, strange effect of the sun and angle! I have a witness m'lud. (Anyway I'm not that clever).

There's always hope...

...and I lied!

Visiting Blue Tit family

Juvenile Coal Tit

Grey Heron fishing at Newton Marsh

Juvenile Lapwing

Typhoon ZJ699 (as seen on google)

He's taking the proverbial

Can't get any lower without landing!

Long Tailed Tit

Banded demoiselle (female)

Garden Toad

In an earlier post I had not anticipated going out, but as I had had no lunch (break) and the skies had cleared a brief late afternooon visit to Newton Marsh brought little of interest other than the usual but it is still enjoyable spending an hour down there watching the comings and goings... so I lied about not getting out this week! Then again the number of cars turning up with 'dog walkers' who patrol up and down is a bit of a worry. And of course down at Newton Marsh there is always the chance of being blown off your feet by one of the Typoons who 'beat up' the approach to Warton at 50 feet... I'm sure there must be a law against it. It never ceases to amaze me how far we have come in just over 100 years from no flight at all to these chaps having 'a damn good show, wot'. You can look up Typoon ZJ699 on Google if you are interested in this sort of stuff... I am. The juvenile Lapwing and 'fishing' Grey Heron were record of the day only.

Meanwhile inbetween the showers, a family of Blue Tits and a family of Coal Tits have been visiting the garden so I managed a few photos. While earlier I may have been despondent about the number of failed nests I have seen this year, I am not naiive enough to realise somewhere else someone is being successful... so there is always hope. The rain showers brought out one of the toads into the garden and a couple of images from a local walk of the female Banded Demoiselle loitering(!) and a Long Tailed Tit moving through the canopy.

Newton Marsh... bright 'n sunny!

For once the sun was out...

A buzzard dived and harrassed by a single... carrion crow?

Juvenile Coot always look like something else, dunno what though

Male Garganey, a shy creature

Female Black Tailed Godwit

Male Black Tailed Godwit

Male Black Tailed Godwit

Maurading cows with Godwits

Grey Partridge

Juvenile Lapwing

Adult Lapwing disturbed by marauding cows

Redshank

Adult Shoveler

Skylark

Swallow

Swallow

It has been a funny year down at Newton Marsh so far this year, I don't know, it just has been different. I think the artificially high water didn't help in earlier months. Perhaps not only more traffic, literally but also 'on foot'. The male Garganey has attracted new visitors of homo sapiens and now the water has dropped and the birds can 'dabble' and feed a relatively broad number of bird species are around. Everyone tends to focus on the marsh but there is also plenty to see here and there on the periphery etc. The best time is pre or post traffic and now the days are longer an early start is possible and can be rewarding. Late evening visits are often compromised by additional visitors and the sun setting straight on in full face, you don't want to be looking straight into the sun with binoculars!

Does that Carrion Crow harrassing the buzzard look 'big', it does to me, looking at the photo again. Maybe it's the angle. Any comments? Juvenile Coots are just plain ugly and don't look as if they will grow into their adult form! The male Garganey is apparently a secretive bird and it certainly hasn't wanted its photograph taking when I have been there, always keping a good distance away, but appears very relaxed, dabbling all the time before departing to the reed beds. Often feeing in the company of Shoveler. There are about 60–70 Godwits about, often feeding down towards the far end, Freckleton but occassionally one or two come within range... unless as I encountered; a gentleman in shorts and white tee shirt decides to promenade alng the fenceline. "Nice Spot this" he commented as everything disappeared over the horizon... I had to enlighten him that it was even better when the birds weren't disturbed, there ended my visit. These are a compilation of images taken from a couple of visits, one being before the milkman was up! Looking out of my window, we seem to have stair-rods and further rain forecast all week, looks like getting out this week will be problematic.

Oh and one final comment, I have lots of excellent photos of birds taken at Newton Marsh with out of focus wire fencing right through the middle of them.

Newton Marsh – Grey and 'orrible

weird or what – juvenile Coots 

Shoveler, male female and fence wire, as always in the way

Oystercatchers, note hoppalong on the left

Male Garganey, never comes anywhere near

Oystercatcher and Shelduck

Juvenile Shelduck

Male Garganey

Male Garganey and Shoveler for size comparison

Oystercatcher and male Garganey for size comparison

Broken leg!

As above, severely broken leg

A number of visits to Newton Marsh and not much to report, enough said in the photos and captions probably.