Young kestrel (and metal vs wooden pylons)

While walking back home from a walk across Strait Hey I saw a young Kestrel being hassled by a Crow. The Crow perched very closely indeed to the juvenile Kestrel so I wonder if it realised the bird wasn't a full adult? Would a Crow risk this with an adult Kestrel I wonder...

I'll be sorry to see these old metal electricity pylons go really, as they are all being replaced with wooden ones around here now.

Although the wooden ones will be useful for woodpeckers and for all birds to use as perches, the metal ones had in-built steps (as you can see in the pics above) that were used by Little Owls as roosting places, when they were in the lee of the wind and rain.

Although the grass and moorland looks to be being badly damaged by the tractors and caterpillar-tracked vehicles necessary to complete the work, the land will soon recover and in 12 months or less we won't be able to see the damage at all.

Cloud formation over Stoodley Pike

There was a nice cloud formation over the Pike this morning so I took a few photos. The one with a graduated tobacco filter provided the best image.

Little Gulls and Common Terns

Went over to Hornsea Mere yesterday morning in the hope of seeing a few Little Gulls. There were about 80 of them still on the small jetty, along with 12 Common Terns which were fishing.

Mediterranean Gull

Hornsea beach this morning - as I was leaving the Sandwich Terns and Common Terns on the breakwater I saw a gull fly in and as I had my camera in my hand I fired off a few pics before getting the bins onto the bird. Of course the darned thing took off before I could get a good look but it looked like a Med Gull to me.

A couple of friends of mine have now confirmed the Med Gull sighting.

Sandwich Terns and Green Sandpipers

Heard a call I hadn't heard locally while walking on the cliffs this morning so went to investigate and found a few Mallards, 2 Moorhens and 2 Green Sandpipers on a small scrape. Although I'd approached as quietly as I could, the Mallards flushed and a Sand went with them, leaving a single Green Sand and the Moorhens. I tried to get a little closer but the Sand flushed and although I had good views as it flew off, the photos I managed weren't very good:

A couple of Whitethroat were still flitting around the hedgerows and a SEO was over the fields.

Having heard a few Terns off the beach I walked down to the rocks where I found 11 Common Terns and 2 Sandwich terns (1 juv) squabbling for perching places on the breakwater. The adult Sandwich Tern had a ring but I couldn't make out any details:

Also as I was leaving a possible Mediterranean Gull flew in to land among the terns but it didn't stay long enough for my poor id skills to pick it properly. Reviewing the pic later it looks like a Med Gull with the complete hood, but the bird was back-lit so will leave it as a possible.

Walk on the sunny hills (before the rain)

A walk through Mankinholes and Lumbutts then onto the hills was a good start to the day for me. Two Little Owls were still around after their pair of offspring had fledged and gone elsewhere (or I couldn't see them today anyway).

Young Blue Tits, Chaffinches, Goldfinches, Magpies, Robins and Dunnocks were about so it seems to have been a reasonable breeding season. The House Martins on our house are still in the nest and should be flying soon.

Meadow Pipits were numerous as usual and one was carrying food for a late brood - a real mouthful!