Archive for April, 2021

The sunny weather and frosty mornings of the last few weeks has resulted in a big influx of feeding birds in the garden.Three species have broken records that have stood over the last fifty three years.Those have been at least seven Reed Buntings, a minimum of twelve Redpolls feeding together and on one day five Siskins paid us a visit. Soon all these birds will move away to breed elsewhere in the Pennines but what a finish to the winter season. Gallery photos  see link  www.facebook.com/gordonyateswildlife

Last Sunday we awoke to find the deepest snowfall that we have had all winter. Our Bullfinches that until then had been eating sunflower hearts decided that the opening buds of our Hawthorne bush were a much better food source.I opened our bedroom window and took a few photos, in poor light, as the snow melted away.It was hard to believe that it was the middle of April! Gallery photos  see link  www.facebook.com/gordonyateswildlife

This week, on the coldest April morning for more than fifty years, I spent a magical two hours filming three hunting Barn Owls. Conditions were absolutely perfect and these were female Barn Owls stocking up with food prior to going down on eggs later this month. I was on my own on a hillside in the Forest of Bowland and wildlife photography does not come any better than this.          For gallery photos   www.facebook.com/gordonyateswildlife

After fifty years of photographing Pennine birds there are only a handful of species that I have not got photographs of. Top of the list was the Black Necked Grebe but all that changed on a perfect morning last week. The last few years I have failed due to bad weather then Covid but all that was forgotten on Tuesday when I spent three hours with these spectacular Grebes. Enjoy the Gallery photos as they are everything I have ever dreamed of!   www.facebook.com/gordonyateswildlife for gallery photos