My Top Five Birds of 2021

All this Covid stuff has made a lot of us take stock of our lives and what we do, and me no less than anybody else. In particular I’ve been reviewing my bird photos for some of the time and I’ve realised that I’ve got some decent shots of most common UK birds - so I’ve asked myself, ‘Do I really need any more of the same species?’

I’ve never understood why some photographers get on the annual seasonal bandwagon of having to shoot the same birds in the same location at the same time of each and every year - I mean, how many Owl, Kingfisher, Puffin, Kite, Gannet, Black Grouse, Snow Bunting, Osprey and even White-tailed Eagle shots do you really need? And then they flood the internet with countless similar images which are pretty much the same as everyone elses. Madness, and it happens every year. 

Surely less is more here and one good image is better than countless similar ones where you couldn’t decide which one was best. After a couple of shots most people scroll on or turn off.  I’ll hold my hands up and say that in the past I’ve done it too, but not any more. From now on I’ll be mainly photographing UK birds of which I’ve got no decent shots, which generally will mean seabirds and rarities. I’m not saying that I’ll never shoot one of the aforementioned species ever again, but I won’t be on the annual cycle going from one species to another (which often includes otters, deer, hares, foxes and badgers) getting even more shots to add to a library stuffed full of similar ones.

So if you’re wondering why I’ve not been posting much recently and you may have even noticed that I’ve left a lot of Facebook groups, there’s the reason. Perhaps not everyone will agree but I’m happy with my decision.

Anyway, reviewing my bird photos from this year (what else is there to do on these gloomy late December days?) here are my Top Five birds of 2021. Considering I didn't go out much this year and there were two or three months where I didn't take a single bird photograph, I'm pleased with these rarities which were all Lifers for me.

Black-browed Albatross - Bempton Cliffs RSPB, East Yorkshire

Belted Kingfisher - Roach Bridge, Lancashire

White-tailed Lapwing - Blacktoft Sands RSPB, West Yorkshire

Elegant Tern - Cemlyn Bay, Anglesey

Long-toed Stint - St. Aidan's RSPB, West Yorkshire

What a Belter !

These days I'm only really going out for birds which I've never seen (Lifers) and those I've never seen in the Greater Manchester area.  I've missed quite a few this year as I've been concentrating on astrophotography, so it was really nice to get to see this mega rare Belted Kingfisher at on the River Darwen at Roach Bridge in Lancashire.

The BirdGuides bird alert service is using my photo for the Belted Kingfisher sightings:

White-tailed Lapwing / Plover Thingy at Blacktoft Sands RSPB

They must have had a really hard time naming this Plover! Yellow-legged Lapwing, Long-legged Plover? No, they settled on White-tailed Lapwing which for me isn't its most obvious feature as it's beautiful white tail is only really seen in flight. I photographed this mega rare UK bird at Blacktoft Sands RSPB in East Yorkshire yesterday. It's been there over a week now and is still there today.

Albert Ross Revisited

Elegant Tern at Cemlyn Bay on Anglesey

I spent a very frustrating eight hours trying to photograph this rare bird yesterday due the light, the vegetation and distance it was away. Most of my photos are destined for the bin except for a few record shots like this one - the main problem being the very bright light during midday and afternoon (yes, I should have known better to get there early) coupled with the heat haze generated by the good weather. Conditions got a bit better as the day progressed and the sun moved round and my best shots were actually taken between 7 and 8pm when it became overcast. Still not great though.

On the other hand, it was a fabulous day with good weather in a stunning location. The shingle beach, the clear water and the noise of the terns all combined to make it very memorable. The Elegant Tern seemed to be displaying at times and was quite aggressive to the Sandwich Terns amongst which it was sitting. They have been known to mate with these birds abroad. 

Every now and then the whole colony (including Arctic, Common and Sandwich Terns as well as Black-headed Gulls and the odd Oystercatcher) would take to the air en masse making a truly spectacular scene. Usually this was the result of a Peregrine Falcon patrolling the air space and indeed I witnessed a Peregrine take small birds out of the air on two occasions.

There was also a regular flow of birds going out into the bay, catching sand eels and returning, flying right over your head as they did. Young birds gathered on the shingle along the shoreline, some being fed by parents, others being chased out to sea by them as they enouraged the to fly or catch fish. In the late evening, the youngster seems to gather in a large group along the water's edge and would periodically all fly out low over the sea together in a flock - magical!

If you've never been to Cemlyn Bay you should get there sometime - June and July are best for the Terns but its a fabulous place at any time. And there's still time yet this year!

Black-browed Albatross at Bempton Cliffs

After a two and half hour journey, I turned up at 2pm to find that this very rare bird, a Black-browed Albatross, had gone AWOL and immediately my heart dropped. But I was determined to stick it out and even stay overnight for another look tomorrow if necessary. 

Fortunately I didn't need to, but it was a very long wait - the bird wasn't seen until just after 7pm when it was spotted by birders with scopes way in the distance on the sea opposite the Flamborough headland. It was another hour or more before it finally made its way to roost at Staple Newk amongst the Gannet colony, by which time the decent light had almost completely gone.

But I was still very happy to see this remarkable and majestic seabird and get some shots of it. This particular bird has visited Bempton Cliffs several times in recent years but I'm told that this is the longest time it has stayed. And if it stays any longer, I may well have another shot at it - photographically of course!

LIFER !!!