Common Terns - Preston Dockland

A previous post contains some pictures taken recently down at Riversway, Preston Dockland, it was a lovely sunny evening so had the choice of a quick wizz around the dock or pushing the trolley around Morrisons, so left the other half to the shopping and hot footed it round to where the Common Terns are nesting in the car tyres put out for them on the breakwaters.

A few of them were up flying close to the waters edge





I was really annoyed with myself as this was the only chance I got of an adult feeding the young a fish, and I managed to get it out of focus!!!!











Having fed the young it was back off fishing again



They are extremely protective birds, and any gulls that strayed into the air space around the nest got dealt with despite the size difference!!







Whilst walking round the dockside, heard some young birds calling from an iron walkway just above the water, they were fledgling swallows lined up on the iron work waiting for the parents to come in and feed them. When the adults came in I expected them to land an feed them, but such is the agility of these birds they came in and fed them on the wing without landing, stunning. Pictures are a bit grainy as I was stood in bright sunshine shooting into dark shade.







As I was walking back noticed the Mute swan family from my previous post, still with 3 healthy cygnets getting bigger.





The Cob gives me the eye as I get too close!!



Then in preparation for my trip to the Bass Rock next week, took some time to practice some flight shots of the many different gulls that are numerous around the dock being fed by the visitors.















A black headed gull, a bit of a mis-name as up close it can clearly be seen their head is actually brown.



Lastly not a bird, but has two wings! this plane had been around the area all day, no doubt flying from Britsh Aerospace at Warton, I am told by my good friend Tom who works there, that it is a DC-10 tanker, means nothing to me but looked spectacular flying so low over the docks.

Lake District Ospreys

Sods law, Murphys law or whatever its called, but it has been nice and sunny all week, come my day off its all cloudy and gloomy on the drive up to Dodd Wood to see the Ospreys that are nesting overlooking Bassenthwaite Lake. Nevertheless I had promised myself a visit so in the hope it brightened up I lugged all the camera gear up to the Upper viewpoint. It is a lovely walk up from the Dodd walk car park at Mirehouse, up through the coniferous forest onto the fellside overlooking the plantations below and out over Bassenthwaite to the north western fells. Passing the lower viewpoint made a mental note to call in on the way back as they have feeders out for the birds and Red squirrels, and I'm glad I did, more on that later. Reaching the upper viewpoint, the volunteers have an array of telescopes out for visitors to use, and it was fairly busy already. I must admit the nest platform is a lot further out than I envisaged, but i guess it has to be to avoid disturbing the birds, but the telescopes give great views. I wasnt really sure how good my pictures would be in the poor light but settled down with the camera on full 500mm zoom and got some shots, the quality isnt great as a high iso was needed and the pictures have been further cropped. But nevertheless enjoyed the couple of hours I stayed watching the Ospreys feeding the two youngsters in the nest and chatting to the knowledgable volunteers.

To give you an idea of the distance the nest platform is from the viewpoint, the picture below is taken at 150mm, the nest platform is almost centre picture, I was told it is 400m away but it does seem a little further.



The female sits to the right of the nest whilst the male is off fishing



Thats him up above the tree line



Take off time for a wing stretch



landing back at the nest a few minutes later





The male is back after a successful fishing trip



Having dropped off the fish he leaves the female to feed the chicks and he's off again.



The female was soon off the nest and rose quickly on the thermals to tackle a Buzzard who was circling the nest



Once tackled the buzzard was off suitably chastised.





Then it was straight back to the nest to look after the chicks





After a really enjoyable couple of hours watching the Ospreys I called in at the lower viewpoint, although you cant see the nest from here, there is always the chance the Osprey will pass to hunt down on Bassenthwaite, and also there is an array of feeders set up in front of the viewing area. This Carrion Crow was lurking in the conifers deciding where to drop in to



This Jay was stealing the hazel nuts put out for the Red Squirrels which unfortunatly didnt appear while I was there, maybe next time.



I was really pleased I had stopped at the lower viewpoint when this Redpoll appeared.



It then hopped onto a nyjer seed feeder to join a male Siskin



Then a Goldfinch joined the party, a feeder full of quality birds, outstanding



When I got home the garden was alive with birds, so had an enjoyable half hour to add to the day, this female Bullfinch in the Hawthorn tree was the highlight



Cant resist taking pictures of Blue tits and Goldfinch, both of which I get in abundance







A great day, and if you have the time and energy to make the steep walk up to see the Ospreys, I guarantee you will enjoy it. Unless an opportunity arises before, my next trip is to the Bass Rock on the 29th to see the huge colony of Gannets, trip of a lifetime I am told, needless to say I cant wait!!!

Various Photos

Having sorted through my memory cards found some photos taken recently in the garden and down by Preston Docks. I really enjoy getting out and about with my camera, but equally I do enjoy peacefully sitting in the garden with it by my side in readiness for what my call into the garden, especially at this time of the year the feeders are very busy with parent birds back and forth feeding youngsters.

The blackbirds have been extremely busy in the garden and always leave with beakfulls of food





And these chicks were the fruits of their labour









Oi dad wheres my dinner!!



This acrobatic blue tit was picking small spiders out of the Hawthorn tree





As you can see from previous posts I gets lots of Goldfinch in the garden and never tire of photographing these beautiful little finches, especially when the hawthorn tree it is in is in blossom





lots of juveniles are now starting to appear in the garden



House sparrow, followed by Chaffinch in the Hawthorn trees





Female Siskin and male Greenfinch on the Sunflower kernal feeder



An earlier post has some pictures from a recent visit to Preston Dock, this is a great place for me to walk around whilst the other half does the shopping in Morrisons, this weeks visit was a lesson in the harsh reality of how cruel nature is.

This Coot chick looks like it had just hatched but for some reason ended up in the water, and proceeded to try and get back up to the nest encouraged by its parents.





It made it back up onto the breakwater where the, ''recycled nest'' was, and it almost made it back to the nest, but out of nowhere a Great Black backed Gull picked it off, and a scrap followed as others tried to get a stolen feed.







Day off tomorrow, weather looks good so its off to Bassenthwaite to see the nesting Ospreys.