NORMANBY’S RED DEER RUT UNDERWAY

Great drama in the Park this morning as the Red Deer rut reaches a crescendo – I knew as soon as I walked into the ‘arena’ that things had progressed since yesterday, as I noticed lots of roughed up ground where the stags had been digging their antlers in.  The smell of the grass as I walked through was also pungently strong due to the scent marking of the Stags so…..
here is the group of Hinds which is being carefully watched over by one dominant Stag
























and here he is!

he is exceptionally loud at the moment

and very wary – you have to keep your distance hiding behind trees as they spook so easily

here is one of him ground gouging with his antlers

and here is the contender – I couldn’t understand why this this Stag wasn’t as nervous as the main herd – I kept getting closer and closer but he just didn’t seem aware of me

It was until I downloaded the photos and zoomed in that I understood why he wasn’t nervous – he couldn’t see me! his eye has been badly damaged probably by the dominant stag and the nights activity – obviously a big battle has gone on here but he isn’t giving in – although he is 300-400 metres from the main group he is still bellowing out making his presence heard

I can’t wait to see how the rut progresses – apart from these two Stags there are 3-4 others, currently keeping their distance but who knows when and who the next challenger will be.

Spring/Autumn?

Had a stroll in the park this afternoon - it's that time of year when traits of spring and autumn are in the air.  A beautiful sunny afternoon with lots of funghi on show and an incredibly late Swallow still feeding a nest full of chicks in the old stables.  As soon as I left the house two Crossbills flew over followed by a couple of Jays and at last three separate Nuthatches calling in different areas of the park.
Changing the subject altogether I have just seen Comet Hartley 2 which is showing in a North Easterly direction below the stars of the constellation Cassiopeia – it shows really well through binoculars but my arm is too sore (flu jab this afternoon!) to take any photos.  Also showing incredibly well at the moment is Jupiter and its’ four moons – look for the brightest star in a South Easterly direction.

Guest Photographer!

Well am I having difficulty with blogger – is it just me or are others pulling their hair out.  I have been unable to upload photos even after trying three different browsers so I am now trying windows live writer which touch wood has at least enabled me to upload these photos and I have to say allows you to size the images to whatever you like so no small,medium, large etc… but I haven’t be able to start this text above the first photo.  Anyway all these lovely photos were taken by our friend Neil Drinkall – all digiscoped using a Swarovski scope and a Panasonic LX3 compact – as I haven’t any photos of my own I have resorted to pinching others!

Barred Warbler – Donna Nook  Grey Phalarope – Covenham Reservoir   Redstart Red-Breasted Flycatcher – Donna NookOsprey - Barton

Brimstone Ruddy Shelduck - Alkborough Snipe - Alkborough

Migrant Hawker Alkborough Flats looking back to the village Roe Deer Little Ringed Plover Fulvous Whistling Duck - Alkborough

Why the text above turned red I do not know – and I can’t change it to black!

Where did September go?

Well mostly sat on the settee with a bad back, achy legs, twitchy arms and now deaf in one ear! however new month new outlook so hopefully more posts maybe starting tonight if the skies are clear!

Weekend bits and pieces

A fair day on Saturday with an Osprey seen from Waters Edge circling over Far Ings, Barton in the morning and plenty of waders at Alkborough in the afternoon including several Curlew Sandpipers and Little Stints - no images from the weekend but a few just processed from earlier in the week.

Messingham Sand Quarries

A lovely autumnal day with lots of sunshine brought out lots of dragons today but no sign of the Osprey!

Buff-breasted Sandpiper and Osprey

At Read's Island yesterday morning over the high tide Wayne picked out a Buff-breasted Sandpiper amongst a 500 - 600 strong very nervous mixed flock of Dunlin and Ringed Plover. The flock attempted numerous attempts to land on the south shore just to the west of Read's Island to roost over high tide but were very flighty and eventually left. The flock did fly past fairly close a couple of times allowing scope views of the Buff-breast in flight with the silvery white under wing seen well. As the tide fell the bird was eventually seen again at very long range feeding on the mud just to the west of the island amongst vegetation. Eventually heat haze and strong winds made it impossible to see the bird and no photos were possible.  In with the flock was a striking albino Ringed Plover which Wayne did managed to photo - albeit poor!

Albino Ringed Plover

  Yesterday afternoon we also managed to finally see an adult Osprey which has hung around for a few days catching fish out of a local fishing lake.

Yellow Meadow Ants and Martins

Down your ear, in your hair - flying Ants everywhere! A family walk within the grounds of  Normanby Park on Sunday afternoon, gave witness to a mass arising of yellow meadow Ants rising from mounds randomly spaced out at 3 metre intervals in the lawns and pathways surrounding the Hall. The weather was hot and humid perfect for triggering a late summer Ant swarm.

Flocks of Gulls hung high above the Hall Estate feasting on the airborne ants. Down on the ground, a Peacock joined Pied Wagtails to feast on the bounty of ants emerging from the nests close to the hall building. The Ant nests seemed to be everywhere at ground level, and at a higher level, a Spotted flycatcher hawked hapless insects from a Beech tree to the side of the hall. But it was the Swallows and Martins which attracted the most interest. Numbering perhaps a hundred birds, a flock of young Swallows and House Martins encircled the building swooping low around the hall catching the rising mass of ants at will. Many of the birds landed in small groups on the Georgian building details such as window and ledges. The building seemed not just a magnate to them, but to their prey as well. The Yellow Meadow ant is a common Ant species over the the British Isles, and yet it is only when the mass of Small Ant hills in summer appear that we really get to notice them

Juvenile House Martins and Swallows.

House Martins catching Ants close to the wall

Worker ants pushing a Queen from the nest

Semi-palmated Sandpiper - Alkborough

I wish I could say I took these photos of Lincolnshire's only 2nd record of a Semi-palmated Sandpiper but I didn't - they were taken by the finder Neil Drinkall.  When we finally caught up with the bird it was blowing a gale and pouring with rain!

Flamborough Head

With winds from the East yesterday and strong northerly today we had a trip into Yorkshire to see a few vagrants from the continent. The only photos we took were of the Wryneck and these are distant - the sun was just too bright, the wind too strong and the birds a little distant but we saw the following in just one field; Icterine Warbler, Red-Backed Shrike, Wryneck, Pied Flycatcher, Redstart and Whinchat. Out to sea we saw 5 Arctic Skuars, 4 Manx Shearwaters and 1 Great Skuar.  Our only miss of the day was an Ortolan Bunting - others standing next to us saw an Ortolan Bunting sitting next to a House Sparrow, we saw a female House Sparrow sitting next to a juvenile House Sparrow - make of that what you will!  An added bonus was a juvenile White-winged Black Tern on Hornsea Mere which we caught on the way home.

Baird's Sandpiper - Lound

A little twitch yesterday to see a Baird's Sandpiper just outside the Scunthorpe recording area in Lound, Notts.  Good but distant views result in not very good photos but you can still see what it is.

Alkborough Flats

Always nice to find fledglings of any sort but particularly nice to find a Yellowhammer - Spoonbill very distant hence fuzzy shot but does show colour rings.

Ringed Spoonbill with Little Egrets

Yellowhammer chick