Zim Girl's 7th Big Year 2024

[PeterHG]

A host of very good additions, @Zim Girl, both in terms of species and in photos. And a very special encounter with the otters!

[Zim Girl]

Thank you @PeterHG.  The otters were an unexpected bonus that made up a bit for all the rain.

[TonyQ]

Well done on the 100, and with the very difficult Cetti’s!

You have some great birds in this last batch, including the Yellow Wagtail.

The otters were a real bonus, and a reward for braving the weather 

[Peter Connan]

Congratulations on blasting past the century!

[Zim Girl]

Thank you very much @TonyQ and @Peter Connan.

[Zim Girl]

A few more to finish May.

 

UK 109.  Meadow Pipit

Dale Head fell, Cumbria  -  10/05/24

 

[Zim Girl]

The habitat at this site has been improved in recent years by the local bird club with help from the RSPB.  Now there are regular nesting Common Terns and Little Ringed Plover.  The terns nest in specially constructed fenced rafts that sit in the middle of the pool.

 

UK 110.  Common Tern

Conder Pool  -  25/05/24

 

 

 

[Zim Girl]

The LRP nests were right at the back of the pool, so very distant.  However, I got this shot of one of them being chased by an Avocet when it got too close to one of it's chicks.  There is another plover not far behind it.

 

UK 111.  Little Ringed Plover

Conder Pool  -  25/05/24

 

[Zim Girl]

UK 112.  Little Egret

 

Conder Pool  -  25/05/24

 

[Zim Girl]

UK 113.  Common House Martin

Conder Green  -  25/05/24

[Zim Girl]

On bank holiday Monday we took another trip into Bowland to see if the Sand Martins had returned.  They definitely haven't so that is a shame.  We found two of these instead.

 

UK 114.  Common Snipe

 

Forest of Bowland  -  27/05/24

 

 

[Zim Girl]

If you remember, the last time we were here, we were chasing down a Cuckoo which I eventually managed to get a picture of.  Well, we walked a different direction and further into the hills and look what we found.  A much closer cuckoo sat posing for us.  As it was a bank holiday it was raining quite hard now but we were really pleased with this.

The first picture shows a meadow pipit keeping an eye on it.

 

 

 

 

[Zim Girl]

The Peregrine falcon pair are back nesting in their usual location.  Just the one bird seen this time and it was sitting very high up above it's nest keeping an eye on things.

 

UK 115.  Peregrine Falcon

A Lancashire church  -  31/05/24

 

[Zim Girl]

To finish this batch, one of my favourite waders looking rather gorgeous in some lovely early morning light.  (Makes a change from the rain)

They were all quite sleepy to start but woke up when a flock of noisy black-headed gulls flew over them.

 

UK 116.  Black-tailed Godwit

 

 

RSPB Leighton Moss  -  01/06/24

 

[TonyQ]

Impressive additions @Zim Girl

We have heard a few Cuckoos but are yet to see one!

That is an excellent total for the UK developing 

[JimS]

7 hours ago, Zim Girl said:

UK 109.  Meadow Pipit

 

Eyeing up its lunch - great timing!

[Kitsafari]

congrats on the 1st century!

beautiful shot of the godwits and their reflections on the calm waters. 

[Zim Girl]

Thank you @TonyQ, @JimS and @Kitsafari.

[BRACQUENE]

Congratulations with your century !

Some great birds since then as well

[Zim Girl]

Thank you @BRACQUENE.

[michael-ibk]

Congrats on the century Angie, lovely sightings and photos!

[Zim Girl]

We spent last week in the Cairngorms area of Scotland.  We do love this bit of Scotland, excellent hill-walking, marvellous forests and some great bird-watching, if you are lucky!

Well, the weather tried very hard to conspire against us, but with some very careful planning and a big dollop of luck we had a pretty good week.  The only place we didn't get up to was the Cairn Gorm summit plateau, the rain/sleet/gale force winds and minus temps put us off a touch.  So no Snow Buntings on this visit.

 

However, we did get our number one target bird .  

After trying on every visit here we finally got it, our best lifer of the year - Ptarmigan!

After failing on Cairn Gorm in previous years we picked out this mountain to try.  Less busy with people so we were hopeful.  The weather gods were kind as the wind had dropped and there was no rain forecast, just very cold. It was a long slog up to around 3400 feet and there they were, not too far from the summit.

 

UK 117.  Ptarmigan

 

 

 

Carn Ban Mor, Glen Feshie  

 

[Zim Girl]

This is a bird I have only got once before on BY, so we were pleased to find it.

 

UK 118.  Spotted Flycatcher

Near Slochd, Carrbridge

 

[Zim Girl]

UK 119.  Common Gull

Dava Moor

 

[Zim Girl]

UK 120.  Common Starling

RSPB Insh Marshes