Tim Melling – Kingfisher
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Category: THE PHOTOGRAPHS: by Tim Melling, Oscar Dewhurst, Paul Leyland, Guy Shorrock, Brian Leecey
Tim Melling – Drumming Snipe
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Tim writes: Snipe make a weird noise known as drumming, but it does not sound like a drum, more like a humming vibrato sound. During the early years of the twentieth century debate raged as to whether this sound was produced vocally or mechanically as wind rushed past the outer tail feathers. The conundrum…
Tim Melling – Chough
Tim writes: In Britain, Choughs (Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax) are rather rare, and probably always have been as there are few English folk names for them. There are many ancient references to Chough but that is because this was the name originally applied to the Jackdaw. Shakespeare refers to Choughs in seven of his plays but at…
Paul Leyland – two hoverflies
Paul writes: I had a quick check through my insect records and found I have seen over 20 different hoverfly species feeding on Dandelions. Here are two beauties I have seen recently. Unfortunately neither have English names but I think they both deserve to be better recognised. The yellow and black one is Chrysotoxum arcuatum,…
Tim Melling – Goshawk
Tim writes: Goshawks are quite a difficult bird to see and photograph in Britain. The closely related Sparrowhawk also provides an identification pitfall but this is the genuine article. Curiously I have never heard of anyone mistaking a Goshawk for a Sparrowhawk, only the other way round. It is one of those birds that…
Tim Melling – Skylark
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Tim writes: Skylarks inhabit a variety of grasslands from sand dunes to grassy moorlands but they were most characteristic of arable farmland. But from the late 1970s their numbers started to tumble when we switched from spring-sown to autumn-sown crops. This hit Skylarks in several ways, not least by removing their winter stubble feeding habitat. …
Paul Leyland – Barbut’s Cuckoo Bumblebee
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Paul writes: Searching for insects is a bit like birding. I have a home patch, life list, year list, etc. I even get to look for Cuckoos. So it was great when I found this bumblebee last week. A lifer on my home patch! It’s a good record as well. Barbut’s Cuckoo Bee (Bombus…
Tim Melling – Common Sandpiper
Tim writes: Common Sandpipers are quite unusual among British waders as they are almost entirely summer breeding visitors from sub-Saharan Africa. Most of Britain’s wading birds are winter visitors although quite a few also breed in Britain. The “kitty-needy-kitty-needy” flight call of the Common Sandpiper heralds the arrival of spring close to where I…
Paul Leyland – Large Red Damselfly
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Paul writes: The first emergence of damselflies is one of the indicators, in the insect calendar, which show that the days are getting warmer. The Large Red Damselfly (Pyrrhosoma nymphula) is usually the first to be seen and it has been gradually appearing over the last few weeks. This is my first for the year,…
Tim Melling – Common Buzzard
Tim writes: I think this is the first time I have managed to capture the eye detail in a Buzzard, which is especially good as he’s looking right down at me. Their plumage is variable and this is quite a pale individual, and identifiable as an adult by the thick, dark trailing edge to the…