yorkslister

Got a few posts to put up over the next few days if I get the time.  I've been away to Orkney again where we managed to fit in about three days of birding seeing a fair bit of stuff and also done trips to the Western Isles and done a couple of days in the Pennines.

I bought a new camera too, not a replacement for the now completely dead 50D but a compact for scenery and digiscoping.  It's a Canon S95 and the reviews I read suggest it's one of the top compacts on the market, well until next Tuesday when it will be obsolete!!
I'm using it handheld and the results are pretty good so far.  I've made a makeshift adapter for it to line it up but it still needs holding.  I'll be investing in an SRB alignment collar but don't want to go down the route of adapers and cable releases, I like the idea of having this really small camera in my pocket ready to get a good record shot.

Here's a few shots from Hornsea today.  No sun at all and just a bit of sharpening and curves adjustment applied.  My photoshop skills are very amateur, I've no idea how to use Layers for instance!

I love the summer plumage Adult Little Gull what a shape, it's a shame it wasn't closer/better light.

Anyone interested in witnessing the Little Gull spectacle at Hornsea should plan a trip for August, it's shaping up to be a good year with around 2,000 birds present offshore already.  Birds mainly feed offshore and large numbers can be seen anywhere from Flamborough to Spurn.  But it's when they come into the mere that they are at their most impressive.  Over the years I've seen over 5,000 birds on a few occasions and once saw well in excess of 10,000.  If I remember correctly I think the peak that year was near to 20,000.  That's a lot of Little Gulls.  At the moment they are mostly just visiting the mere in the evenings and early mornings but they should be present more regularly throughout the day next month.  The best way to get pics is when they rest on the jetties on the south side of Kirkholme point, with the easternmost one being their favourite.  Those armed with a DSLR and a sense of adventure should hire a rowing boat and get out amongst them.  Be aware though that at the moment birds aren't really coming into the mere until after Kirkholme is closed for the night so the only way to view is from the fields on the south side of the mere.