Scarborough Harbour

For me winter is one of the most special times of the year and Scarborough Harbour is the place I love to work on my photography. With all sorts of different challenging light conditions getting the exposure and angle right is no easy task. Every year there seems to be something special in the harbour and occasionally you get a bumper year and this year (with only a few days left) has proved to be just amazing.

Over the last few weeks we have had all three diver species present with numerous Red-throated Divers visiting and a single Black-throated Diver making an appearance for a few days. A Great Northern Diver has been with us now for nearly three weeks and was still seen yesterday (28th). It's not all about the divers other species that have visited the harbour over the last few weeks have been a Slavonian Grebe, 4 Great-crested Grebes, 5 Guillemots and a couple of adult Kittiwakes. There are also the residents which includes a regular roost of 30+ Purple Sandpipers on the North Pier, 50+ Turnstone on the West Pier, Rock Pipits (check all piers), Shag, Cormorant, Herring Gull and Great-black-backed Gull.

The harbour can also attract many other passing species moving along our coastline. Species such as Glaucous Gull, Iceland Gull, Little Auk, Red-breasted Merganser, Common Eider and Long-tailed Duck. It's not all about the big birds and in October a single Snow Bunting took up residency on the North Pier for 5 days.

Scarborough Harbour is just an amazing place to visit at this time of year. So what next I ask myself? Well, as the year turns and 2012 is nearly upon us it must be time for something MEGA I feel! The one bird I would love to see in the harbour would be a White-billed Diver and I have a feeling it will not be long before this incredible bird visits our coastline.

Great Northern Diver

Black-throated Diver

Guillemot

Red-throated Diver

Slavonian Grebe

The Final Day

Last day of my exhibition tomorrow 23rd December @ Richard Burton Arts Centre, Buckton, East Yorkshire from 10.00am to 4.00pm. Drop in for those last minute Christmas bargains. I will have prints, mounted prints, framed prints and canvas prints for sale. I will be at the gallery all day so pop in for a mince pie and say hello - hope to see you all there.

Exhibition - Part 3

The third weekend showing of my exhibition starts this weekend 16/17/18 December from 10.00am to 4.00pm @ Richard Burton Arts Centre, Buckton, East Yorkshire. I will be present all day on both Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th. There will be framed prints, mounted prints and canvas prints available to purchase. Come along to do that last minute christmas shop and have a free drink and mince pie.

Exhibition Part 2

The second weekend showing of my exhibition starts this weekend 9/10/11 December from 10.00am to 4.00pm @ Richard Burton Arts Centre, Buckton, East Yorkshire. I will be present all day on both the Saturday 10th and Sunday 11th. There will be framed prints, mounted prints and canvas prints available to purchase. Come along and join us for a free drink and a mince pie.

Hope to see you there - Steve.

Desert Wheatear

I finally managed to catch up with the Desert Wheatear which has now been present at RSPB Bempton Cliffs for 3 weeks. This is the third DW that I have ever seen, but by far the best. A stunning young male as you can see from the images below.

Come and take a look!

My exhibition preview day last Sunday at Richard Burton Arts Centre, Buckton, East Yorkshire was amazing. A big thank you to everyone who visited. The exhibition starts this weekend on the 2/3/4 December and then on the following dates through December: 9/10/11/16/17/18 and finishes on Friday 23rd. Please come along and take a look at my images and buy that perfect gift for Christmas. I will have framed prints, mounted prints and canvas prints for sale. The exhibition is open from 10.00am to 4.00pm each day.

Richard Burton Exhibition

I will be holding an exhibition of my latest images in the gallery at the Richard Burton Arts Centre, Buckton, East Yorkshire. The autumn exhibition, working in partnership with Richard Burton and Yorkshire Coast Nature, promises to be amazing. This exhibition will be a bit different from the norm with a large TV screen showing footage from this summer of the amazing seabird colony at RSPB Bempton Cliffs. The exhibition will combine video and still imagery, reflecting on the incredible wildlife we have on the Yorkshire Coast. The preview day will be Sunday 27th November from 10.00am to 4.00pm. The exhibition will then run on the following dates:

2nd, 3rd & 4th December - 10.00am to 4.00pm

9th, 10th & 11th December - 10.00am to 4.00pm

16th, 17th & 18th December - 10.00am to 4.00pm

23rd December - 10.00am to 4.00pm

All Welcome - I hope to see you there.

Red-throated Diver

I just love this time of year at Scarborough Harbour. Stuff starts to arrive like this Red-throated Diver. This bird has still got a touch of red on it's throat. Who knows what might arrive next may be even a White-billed Diver :-).

Snow Bunting

This little chap was found on the East Pier of Scarborough Harbour and proved very approachable indeed. I love these little birds, there is just something about them that make them so special. There has also been another very tame bird on the clifftop path at RSPB Bempton Cliffs.

Wonderful Waders

I have managed recently to catch up with a few waders on the Yorkshire Coast. The light has been very challenging and gettting close to some of these birds did prove very difficult.

Buff-breasted Sandpiper - Long Nab, Burniston, Scarborough

Ruff - Filey Dams, North Yorkshire

Oystercatcher - Filey Brigg, North Yorkshire

Grey Plover - Filey Brigg, North Yorkshire

Bar-tailed Godwit v Black-tailed Godwit - Filey Dams, North Yorkshire

Curlew Sandpiper and Black-tailed Godwit - Filey Dams, North Yorkshire

Black - tailed Godwit - Filey Dams, North Yorkshire