Sea Eagle Isle of Skye, David McGough Junior.

 Sea Eagle Isle of Skye, 

Bit of a contrast,  Parakeet Ingrebourne valley feeders,(DMcG)

Birds from across the Pond September.

Osprey

SemiPalmated Sandpiper

Semipalmated Plover

Greater Yellowlegs

Great Egret?

Mockingbird

Greater, Lesser Yellowlegs, L B Dowitcher

Belted Kingfisher

Kestrel

S P Sandpipers

Grey Plover

Piping Plover

Least Sandpiper

Western Sandpiper?

Sanderling

Greater Yellowlegs

Snowy Egret

American Redstart

Big Fish

Grey Catbird

Bobolinks among the Zineas

Piping Plovers. Header, Red-Tailed Hawk (Plum Island MA)

    There aren't many birds around the world that I would see before JL,  you would think I should have done,  after all I am slightly older.     The Piping Plover was disappearing in the US until they started a conservation program and closed the beaches and dunes during the breeding season and is now doing quite well along the east coast of America.   The Parker River National Wildlife refuge (Plum Island) is a fabulous reserve about 50 miles north of Boston at Newburyport,  everything breeds or migrates through here.   Ospreys,  Snapping Turtles, Bald Eagles,  this is where I saw my first Piping Plover some years ago, they are like an anaemic Ring Plover and are mainly seen at the end of the Spit about 8 miles from the start of the reserve,  luckily you can drive along the reserve and stop at different habitats along the way. 

More Fauna from the Isle of Skye

Juv Cuckoo near David McGough juniors garden,  probably Meadow Pipit hosts.  A breakfast surprise for David and Katrinas guests,  Roe Deer fawn through the window.

Ullinish Isle of Skye

Recent birds at the Ingrebourne Valley

A mixture of adult and juvenile Little Egrets have turned up at the Ingrebourne , 8 in all,  did they nest locally?       The few Black-Tailed Godwits that have been feeding at the Scrape for the last week and a half have brought back their mates,  now numbering 19 so far,   and the tally for Green Sandpipers has reached 11,  hope it don't rain too much.  The juv Little-ringed Plover is still making appearances from time to time.  A rung Black-headed Gull which I shall send to the Gull Group.

                                                                           
                                                                                 
                                                                               

                       
                                                                     

The Ingrebourne Valley

It's been a brilliant year so far in the Valley,  since the new visiter centre opened I have spent much more time there helping out and doing things that to be honest I am really enjoying.  I have been more involved with lots of stuff that has always been true to my heart and am in a position where I can influence to a certain degree what happens and what may happen to the wildlife and the habitat in and around the valley.  One thing is sure,  with a lot of upheaval everywhere things are certainly not going to be speedy.   Having put myself in this position I have for the moment lost a few things that I was really enjoying,  it's like I've gone off on a slight tangent,  it may well be a crescent?
There is on the 3 of September an Event to celebrate a year since the opening of the Visiter Centre,  which will include the installing of the memorial to the Airfield and the RAF which will be a seat in the shape of the RAF Roundel,  it will be 4 metres across and made of metal with an inscription,  it is being placed in the fenced area next to the centre with a garden and paths coming from the sides to the Roundel,  some children have already drawn small roundel designs to be incorporated into the monument.

Fry Perch Black bridge

fry Chub Black Bridge

Common Tern, Scrape

Btg,s Scrape

Juv Heron Scrape

Birds at the Ingrebourne Valley

Little-Ringed Plover

Garganey

Greeny

Reed Warbler

Lesser-BB Gull

Squigger in my garden