Harewood House

Red Kite

Grey Heron

Mallard

Coot

Canada Goose

Great Crested Grebe

White Stork

Humboldt Penguin

Grey Crowned Crane

Ross's Goose

A day trip with the family to Harewood House and Bird Garden gave me good opportunities to try and get some images of the Red Kites. The light was dull and grey until mid afternoon when it started to brighten up which helped with getting a fast shutter speed to capture the Red Kite in flight. Lots to see and photograph at Harewood, so above images are just a handful of the varied bird life, wild and captured around the grounds of the house.

Dotterel

Talking to a local birder up on Danby Beacon and he told me how the Dotterel come back to the same area of Danby Beacon each year on migration, now that is amazing. I had to visit the site to witness this elegant colourful wader as it made its brief stop on the Beacon. As I spotted my first Dotterel I was amazed once again as I counted not just one but eleven birds in total, feeding frantically amongst the burnt patches of heather. Don't you just love the month of May, I wonder what is going to drop in next?

Rutland Ospreys

The Ospreys at Rutland Water have returned with a pair now established in Manton Bay.If you have not visited the Ospreys at Rutland before, take my word for it "just do it", fantastic birds, fantastic reserve and fantastic staff and volunteers. For more information on the Rutland Water Osprey Project take a look at http://www.ospreys.org.uk/.

Scalby Lodge Pond

Grey Plover

Wood Sandpiper

Common Sandpiper

A Grey Headed Wagtail dropped in to Scalby Lodge Pond, it kept its distance but I managed to get a few record shots of the little gem. Also present around the pond were Yellow Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, Wood Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Grey Plover, Dunlin, Lapwing, Oystercatcher, Northern Wheatear, Sand Martin, Swallow, Meadow Pipit and Linnet. Shots taken late evening in dull wet conditions, hopefully the weather will get better, giving me the chance to pop back again to try and get some decent shots.

Rutland Water

Red Kite

Chiffchaff

Shelduck

Gadwall

Eygptian Goose

Moorhen

Pied Wagtail

A very pleasant day out at Rutland Water at the Lyndon Nature Reserve located in Manton Bay. Came to see the Ospreys and was not disappointed (see my Osprey post), and the bird life around the reserve was at a high with lots of migrants present including Redstart, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Swallow, House Martin, Sand Martin. Raptors were on a high with Red Kite, Common Buzzard, Kestrel, Sparrowhawk and of course the Osprey.