Tophill Kings

I hoped to capture the force of Hurricane Bertha yesterday, but after a somewhat disappointing trip to Filey Brigg (it was literally a damp squib!) i thought the day was written off.

However mid afternoon some sunlight began to appear, Tophill is only 15mins down the road so given that it had been raining all day I thought that the kingfishers might use this lull as an opportunity to feed.

When I got there there was no wind, but crucially no kingfishers! after a while one appeared, then another.For the next hour they put on a stunning show-I was the only one in the hide and they were diving regularly and at times coming on to the closest perch , quite often in good light.

Still lots of room for improvement on flight shots but the light and colors made for some nice photographic opportunities yesterday.

At about 6pm the wind and rain picked up and it was time to hurry back to the car.

Hornsea Mere

I had a trip out to Hornsea Mere last night in the hope of getting some shots of little gulls. I did not hold out too much hope though as recent reports suggested they were present in low single figures!

Upon arrival there were 2 on the jetties and in the time it took to set up the camera they flew out to the centre of the mere to feed.

There wasn't much else happening around the jetties so I headed off to Kirkhome Point.There were a few hirundines about as well as a few juvenile pied wagtails.On the point there were 2 common sandpipers.

I wandered back and could see a grey heron fishing on the eastern bank and groups of cormorants were flying in from the sea.

Just as I was about to give up 3 little gulls came back on to the jetties and preened for about half an hour.

No where near as spectacular as pervious years but nice all the same to catch up with this diminutive gull.

RSPB Frampton

I had a trip into deepest Lincolnshire at the weekend.Nothing particularly inspiring in East Yorkshire so I thought I'd have a crack at the recently reported white rumped sandpiper at Frampton.

There was a good crowd in 360 degree hide and some intense focus on distant waders but crucially no sign of the wrs there were plenty of black tailed godwits, a couple of juvenile ringed plovers and one looking rather like a little ringed plover as well as lapwing, the odd dunlin.Distantly there was a smart curlew sandpiper and a little stint.

There was a constant procession of little egrets back and forth hunting fry in the shallow pools.

At first the glossy ibis was quite distant and i bad light however after a while it flew directly in front of the hide and remained for at least an hour hunting aquatic insects and fry and at times showing the iridescence that gives it its name.

All in all a very nice trip