Summary August 2012

Summary August 2012

Garden

August started with some really sunny weather which was pleasant but it being August the birds are hiding away moulting. The numbers of Goldfinches have increased considerably with the addition of this years cohort. By the middle of the month some of them were starting to moult into their adult plumage with some reddish orange starting to appear on their heads. Sometimes there are around fourteen on the feeders at one time. The odd juvenile Greenfinch is also to be seen. The Blackbirds that were so in evidence a few weeks ago seem to have completely disappeared. In the air above by the middle of the month there were just one or two Swifts left and by the end of the month, none. No Robin was seen until the very end of the month when a juvenile sporting a pale red breast started to come to the bird table.Dunnocks can be heard easier than seen; even the House Sparrows seem to be laying low.

Birding Group Days Out

There were no birding group days out in August

Walks and Days Out

On 4th August we went to Moore Nature Reserve where, although it was quiet, we had nice views of Yellowhammer. We had a great visit on 5th August when we at last managed to get to Bempton Cliffs where, though too late for the Puffins we had great views of Gannets and Kittiwakes and even an adult Fulmar with its chick. The next day, the 6th, we went to Flamborough Head and then took a boat trip out to the Head before paying a quick return to Bempton Cliffs. Bad weather and some family commitments kept us away from birding for a week and a half after that but we did manage a rather disappointing trip to Teggnose Woods and Reservoir. However it was a good long walk followed by a pint and lunch so all was not lost. On 17th August we went to Martin Mere where the highlights were a Kingfisher and sightings of Common, Wood and Green Sandpiper. After that the weather became pretty poor again and with birds being a bit scarce in the woodlands and parks we didn’t do much birding towards the end of the month.
I did however spend quite a bit of time processing the hundreds of photographs I took in Scotland and Bempton Cliffs and have set up a Facebook page. I have been learning how to put photo galleries onto the Facebook page from Lightroom as well which, when I make it public, will provide friends and family with some sort of record of our birding adventures.