Silverlink NR and Blyth Dunes

Posted on 21 July 2009, 21:50

Out of curiosity as much as anything (I pass the place most days on the way home from the office) I decided to pop into the grandly-titled Silverlink Biodiversity Park today.

Much to my surprise, I found enough to keep me there for several hours – it lives up to its name, this place.

The number and variety of birds, insects, plants, trees – fish – was impressive (there were even wild Cherry trees with ripe fruit that I happily pigged out on), and although I got few pictures (the weather was decidedly moody) I came away with a very positive impression, and wondering why the fuck there’s nothing remotely similar in Blyth…

A couple of images of a Silverlink Moorhen:


Moorhen


Moorhen

I then decided that I wanted some Stonechat images – a bird I’ve been struggling to get to grips with this year, and headed to the dunes at Blyth beach: there wasn’t much wind at all, which is what I wanted, as this is when Stonechats will indulge in their rather obliging habit of perching in full view on thin stalks, twigs and whatnot.

I started at the Seaton Sluice end of the dunes, hoping to bump into some “Stoneys”, and – hopefully find one of the particularly confiding specimens that sometimes turn up there.

I was in luck.

First was a rather nervous female bird – I couldn’t really get close to her, but this turned out quite nicely (albeit cropped rather more heavily than I’d have liked, and needing a fair bit of work to remove messy stalks and twigs):


Stonechat

Then – for the first time in ages – I bumped into this fella, who seemed totally unfazed by by me pointing a camera at him. Unfortunately he insisted on staying on the higher parts of a large wild Rose bush, so no pleasant background, but these are all more or less full frame:


Stonechat yawning


Stonechat


Stonechat


Stonechat yawning


Stonechat


Stonechat

Obliging little fella!

Unfortunately, as I was leaving the bird to his own devices and wandering down the dune, I failed to see a rabbit hole on the trail (the long dune grasses tend to hide the paths), put my foot in it – and went flying!

I hit the ground pretty hard, camera and lens in hand, twisting my back trying to protect the kit; my heavy camera bag smacked me hard in the back of the head; and my ankle came up like a balloon in minutes!

But the kit was OK, and I was only a couple of miles hobble from home…

(I’m jinxed, I know!)

The skies started to darken – there was some proper weather coming – so I decided to spend my last few minutes on the beach in the hope of fluking a decent Tern shot.

They were too far off unfortunately, but I do quite like this bouncing Black Headed Gull – I’m pretty sure he(?) was enjoying himself:


Black Headed Gull

I’d just rattled off a few frames on this bird when the first drops of rain started to fall, so I quickly wrapped everything up and headed for home.



What do you think?

  1. Simon Phillpotts wrote on 22 July, 10:36 AM:

    In the wars again Keith? Hope the ankle is better.
    Loving the Stonechat images. Haven’t seen many in the Dales lately but hopefully they will show in greater numbers later in the year as they are smashing looking things.



  2. Keith Reeder wrote on 23 July, 05:42 PM:

    Ah, just unlucky, Simon – these rabbit burrows are all over the local dunes, and the Marram grass hides ‘em very effectively.

    I’m not thrilled by these Stonechat images – the background and the POV don’t really appeal – but I’m just glad to have had a crack at them: the local birds do usually seem quite confiding, but I’ve rarely been in the right place at the right time when the wind has been low enough that they’ve been willing to do their perching thing.

    Still, it’s all encouragement for another crack at them.

    Thanks for dropping by, Simon.



  3. Mark Wilson wrote on 27 July, 12:22 PM:

    Glad to see you out with the camera – liking the Stonechat images Keith, especially the first. Hope you are not too damaged after your fall!



  4. Keith Reeder wrote on 28 July, 10:46 PM:

    Thanks Mark – yeah, getting out, and yeah, the ankle’s fine.

    Now!

    I had another fall the following Sunday – this time off the cut-up upper superstructure of a trawler, which had been dumped in front of the only gap in a long wall that runs along Blyth beach to the harbour and pier. I had no choice but to scramble over the stuff and stood on what I assumed to be a solid piece of metal decking (this stuff).

    It wasn’t solid though, it was a see-saw!

    I’m amazed my camera and lens aren’t in a million pieces by now!

    Anyway, as I said to Simon I’m not thrilled by these Stonechats, and I prefer the shot of the female too.



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