The Melrose Dipper Cinclus cinclus
This is an old friend of mine, it’s one of the dippers from the cauld (Scottish name for a weir) at Melrose on the River Tweed in heart of the Scottish Borders in the UK. I see this little bird regularly as it’s a place I visit from time to time. The dippers feed in the water margins along the River Tweed picking up invertebrates and the small fry from the slack water. A jaunty little bird, they are always busy and you can see them bobbing and dipping at the waters edge just before they go for a swim to find food. The dipper likes fast flowing water and they work a large...
read moreGrey Heron with a real mouthfull
Grey Heron Ardea cinerea Scottish Highlands The grey heron has long been known as one of natures great fishers, I have observed them many times fishing at the edge of ponds and on the margins of rivers. They will usually take small fish and eels and occasionally some thing a little bigger. I took this sequence of images at a small fishpond in the Highlands of Scotland. The heron landed at the side of the pond walked into the water and struck this rainbow trout, walked back to the bank and swallow the fish with little effort, shook itself down and flew away again. What make this astonishing...
read moreThe Atlantic Grey Seal Halichoerus grypus on the Farne Islands
Atlantic Grey Seal Halichoerus grypus The Farne Islands are the most important area for breeding Atlantic grey seals in Europe. The islands are situated off the coast of Northumberland in North Eastern England and are controlled by the National Trust who manage the landings here. The national trust wardens live on the island and monitor the nesting sea birds and the Atlantic grey seal colony. The Farne Islands can be accessed from Seahouses, a small fishing port on the Northumberland coast. There are many boat operators in the port to take you out to the Farne Islands. The operator I use is...
read moreGreat Spotted Woodpecker success again
The local great spotted woodpecker nests just down the road from my garden and the male and the female are regular visitors to my feeders, but I love this time of year when the young woodpeckers appear. I like to see how successful the adults have been during the breeding season. Over the last few years the woodpeckers have been very successful rearing three young each year. But last year the female great spotted woodpecker disappeared after the young had fledged and I have been concerned about just how well they would fare this year. Today my concerns disappeared. The young had started...
read moreAtlantic Puffin Fratercula arctica on the Farne Islands
With an afternoon to kill, I decided to go onto Inner Farne which is one of the Farne Islands off the Northumberland Coast in North East England. It peak time at present with all the breeding birds feeding young and busily fishing, so lots of activity going on with birds coming and going at regular intervals The light was quite good and there was a strong south westerly blowing, this is relevant as the puffins in particular will fly into the wind when landing to slow themselves down which make the main viewing area on Inner Farne next to the lighthouse the perfect place to get images of...
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