The day before Storms Isha and Jocelyn blew in, we had a very pleasant sunny morning here in Hornsea. The birds on the beach and sea front were looking splendid in the bright sunshine.
The usual Purple Sandpipers, Turnstones and Sanderlings were there, and were joined by a Redshank for a change.
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Redshank with Sanderling
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Redshank and snoozing Sanderling
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As above, before being disturbed by a dog walker
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The Redshank flew off well before the Sanderlings started moving. I guess they are used to being disturbed if they are on the beach every day, but the Redshank is a newcomer so will not be hardened to the comings and goings.
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Sanderlings off to the tide line
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As I went back up onto the promenade I saw a Sanderling and a Turnstone feeding among the plants and stones. A Sanderling away from the beach is a rare occurence so I got a few photos before it realised it was in the wrong place.
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Sanderling off piste
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| Turnstone |
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Sanderling in the snow
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The old breakwaters covered in seaweed looked photogenic too, so...
That's enough of the good weather! The last three days have been mostly wet and windy so not as many opportunities for getting the camera going, but Monday morning started off nice enough with a lovely sunrise seen from the bedroom window.
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Wind farm maintenance platform
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The Barnacle Geese that sometimes over-winter here have arrived back from where ever they've been over past few weeks. I counted 43 of them in a crop field along the south side of the Mere and I got close enough to photograph their leg rings. I collected 23 different numbers and sent them off to the sightings website - as expected they were from the group of feral birds that were ringed near Flamingo Land in North Yorkshire. Several of them were sighted and recorded at the Mere last August.
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43 Barnacle Geese on the south side
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| J35 or J36,J42,J52,J53,J60 |
In the wood several plants are coming through, including Lords and Ladies.
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| Lords and Ladies (Arum maculatum) |
Perhaps better known as Cuckoo Pint this leafy green plant will eventually grow a central stem, and once the leaves die off towards summer the bright red berries will develop and look really beautiful. They are poisonous though so don't be tempted to try them.
The walk though the fields was pleasant again, although it remains pretty wet underfoot. A Snipe got up from first field and flew off east over the Mere. Distant photos were taken anyway as it disappeared.
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Snipe
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A short walk yesterday morning ended with good views of Goldcrest. Had I sussed earlier that I had the wrong settings on the camera, I would have got some really good images because the bird came within feet of me as it foraged on the lower tree trunks. I eventually realised that I had the ISO set to 64 from the previous day - but too late, the Goldcrest had gone by then. Crappy pics but these are the best of them.
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| Goldcrest |
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It's the wrong settings Gromit!
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The post heading is of course from "Gimme Shelter" by The Rolling Stones. Quite apt for the weather methinks.
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