Steve Race Wildlife Photography

Winter Wheatear

2012-02-05T15:42:00.000-08:00

The Desert Wheatear was still present at RSPB Bempton Cliffs and can be very obliging. This is the longest staying Desert Wheatear in the UK with a record 76 days present at Bempton. I thought I would pay another visit on my day off and make the most of the beautiful light conditions and the fall of snow. The bird did not fail to impress and I just hope it can survive the cold spell and manage to hold on until the spring when hopefully it may carry on its journey south.

It's all about the berries!

2012-01-21T14:10:00.000-08:00

The Waxwing has always seemed to be my bogey bird. I hear of a sighting and rush off to try and see what I feel is one of the most beautiful birds that visits the British Isles. So when I heard earlier in the year that a flock of Waxwings had been seen on and off for a few days just next to the University in Scarborough I had to try and catch up with these incredible birds. I went looking for them three consecutive days and saw nothing.

So last week I was put on Waxwing alert again when a group of 12 birds had been constantly seen feeding on berries on the trees in the car park of B&Q in Scarborough. Well I take it you have guessed already what happened next. After the initial sighting it eventually took four attempts before FINALLY I caught up with them and oh boy was it worth it. I also managed to capture Blackbirds and Mistle Thrush which the later proved to be very difficult to photograph and proved even more difficult towards the Waxwings chasing them away from the berries at every given opportunity - enjoy.

Scarborough Harbour

2011-12-28T23:34:00.000-08:00

For me winter is one of the most special times of the year and Scarborough Harbour is the place I love to work on my photography. With all sorts of different challenging light conditions getting the exposure and angle right is no easy task. Every year there seems to be something special in the harbour and occasionally you get a bumper year and this year (with only a few days left) has proved to be just amazing.

Over the last few weeks we have had all three diver species present with numerous Red-throated Divers visiting and a single Black-throated Diver making an appearance for a few days. A Great Northern Diver has been with us now for nearly three weeks and was still seen yesterday (28th). It's not all about the divers other species that have visited the harbour over the last few weeks have been a Slavonian Grebe, 4 Great-crested Grebes, 5 Guillemots and a couple of adult Kittiwakes. There are also the residents which includes a regular roost of 30+ Purple Sandpipers on the North Pier, 50+ Turnstone on the West Pier, Rock Pipits (check all piers), Shag, Cormorant, Herring Gull and Great-black-backed Gull.

The harbour can also attract many other passing species moving along our coastline. Species such as Glaucous Gull, Iceland Gull, Little Auk, Red-breasted Merganser, Common Eider and Long-tailed Duck. It's not all about the big birds and in October a single Snow Bunting took up residency on the North Pier for 5 days.

Scarborough Harbour is just an amazing place to visit at this time of year. So what next I ask myself? Well, as the year turns and 2012 is nearly upon us it must be time for something MEGA I feel! The one bird I would love to see in the harbour would be a White-billed Diver and I have a feeling it will not be long before this incredible bird visits our coastline.

Great Northern Diver

Black-throated Diver

Guillemot

Red-throated Diver

Slavonian Grebe

The Final Day

2011-12-22T08:14:00.000-08:00

Last day of my exhibition tomorrow 23rd December @ Richard Burton Arts Centre, Buckton, East Yorkshire from 10.00am to 4.00pm. Drop in for those last minute Christmas bargains. I will have prints, mounted prints, framed prints and canvas prints for sale. I will be at the gallery all day so pop in for a mince pie and say hello - hope to see you all there.

Exhibition - Part 3

2011-12-15T05:24:00.000-08:00

The third weekend showing of my exhibition starts this weekend 16/17/18 December from 10.00am to 4.00pm @ Richard Burton Arts Centre, Buckton, East Yorkshire. I will be present all day on both Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th. There will be framed prints, mounted prints and canvas prints available to purchase. Come along to do that last minute christmas shop and have a free drink and mince pie.

Exhibition Part 2

2011-12-08T12:09:00.000-08:00

The second weekend showing of my exhibition starts this weekend 9/10/11 December from 10.00am to 4.00pm @ Richard Burton Arts Centre, Buckton, East Yorkshire. I will be present all day on both the Saturday 10th and Sunday 11th. There will be framed prints, mounted prints and canvas prints available to purchase. Come along and join us for a free drink and a mince pie.

Hope to see you there - Steve.

Desert Wheatear

2011-12-04T08:23:00.000-08:00

I finally managed to catch up with the Desert Wheatear which has now been present at RSPB Bempton Cliffs for 3 weeks. This is the third DW that I have ever seen, but by far the best. A stunning young male as you can see from the images below.

Come and take a look!

2011-11-30T09:41:00.001-08:00

My exhibition preview day last Sunday at Richard Burton Arts Centre, Buckton, East Yorkshire was amazing. A big thank you to everyone who visited. The exhibition starts this weekend on the 2/3/4 December and then on the following dates through December: 9/10/11/16/17/18 and finishes on Friday 23rd. Please come along and take a look at my images and buy that perfect gift for Christmas. I will have framed prints, mounted prints and canvas prints for sale. The exhibition is open from 10.00am to 4.00pm each day.

Richard Burton Exhibition

2011-11-23T12:02:00.000-08:00

I will be holding an exhibition of my latest images in the gallery at the Richard Burton Arts Centre, Buckton, East Yorkshire. The autumn exhibition, working in partnership with Richard Burton and Yorkshire Coast Nature, promises to be amazing. This exhibition will be a bit different from the norm with a large TV screen showing footage from this summer of the amazing seabird colony at RSPB Bempton Cliffs. The exhibition will combine video and still imagery, reflecting on the incredible wildlife we have on the Yorkshire Coast. The preview day will be Sunday 27th November from 10.00am to 4.00pm. The exhibition will then run on the following dates:

2nd, 3rd & 4th December - 10.00am to 4.00pm

9th, 10th & 11th December - 10.00am to 4.00pm

16th, 17th & 18th December - 10.00am to 4.00pm

23rd December - 10.00am to 4.00pm

All Welcome - I hope to see you there.

Red-throated Diver

2011-11-08T13:58:00.000-08:00

I just love this time of year at Scarborough Harbour. Stuff starts to arrive like this Red-throated Diver. This bird has still got a touch of red on it's throat. Who knows what might arrive next may be even a White-billed Diver :-).

Snow Bunting

2011-10-31T16:45:00.000-07:00

This little chap was found on the East Pier of Scarborough Harbour and proved very approachable indeed. I love these little birds, there is just something about them that make them so special. There has also been another very tame bird on the clifftop path at RSPB Bempton Cliffs.

Wonderful Waders

2011-10-09T08:47:00.000-07:00

I have managed recently to catch up with a few waders on the Yorkshire Coast. The light has been very challenging and gettting close to some of these birds did prove very difficult.

Buff-breasted Sandpiper - Long Nab, Burniston, Scarborough

Ruff - Filey Dams, North Yorkshire

Oystercatcher - Filey Brigg, North Yorkshire

Grey Plover - Filey Brigg, North Yorkshire

Bar-tailed Godwit v Black-tailed Godwit - Filey Dams, North Yorkshire

Curlew Sandpiper and Black-tailed Godwit - Filey Dams, North Yorkshire

Black - tailed Godwit - Filey Dams, North Yorkshire

Exhibitions

2011-07-20T14:29:00.000-07:00

I will be exhibiting my images across two exhibitions starting this weekend. The first exhibition will start this Friday 22nd July on the Red Bus at Burton Agnes Hall, East Yorkshire from 11.00am to 5.00pm. Free admission.

The second exhibition will start this Saturday 23rd July and be launched as part of the Wingbeats Flying Day and run until Sunday 30th October at Sewerby Hall, East Yorkshire.

Please come along and may be even visit both exhibitions. Looking forward to catching up with my fellow bloggers.

Sedge Warbler

2011-07-17T06:21:00.001-07:00

This Sedge Warbler was very obliging at RSPB Bempton Cliffs. This bird has now been singing in the exact same place for 3 weeks now - just stunning.

Coastal Images Exhibition

2011-05-27T07:21:00.001-07:00

It's the BIG ONE.

My exhibition has started at Bridlington Spa, Bridlington, East Yorkshire, UK. The exhibition runs everyday from 10.00am to 6.00pm until the 4th June. I am exhibiting as part of the Coastal Images Exhibition with Jean Illingworth and friends.

I will be at the exhibition this sat/sun/mon, so make sure you pop in and say hello. I will have a large selection of prints, mounted prints, framed prints and canvases for sale - hope to see you there.

Gannet Action

2011-05-17T13:35:00.000-07:00

The Gannets at RSPB Bempton Cliffs are collecting grass and Red Campion from the cliff tops for nest material. This is an excellent opportunity to see these birds up close - just stunning views.

Wonderful Wryneck

2011-05-01T13:43:00.000-07:00

My first Wryneck for many years turned up today in the car park at RSPB Bempton Cliffs. What a stunning bird. Let's hope it sticks around for everyone to see tomorrow.

Wildlife Photography Exhibition

2011-04-22T22:16:00.000-07:00

I will be holding an exhibition of some of my images this bank holiday weekend on Sat/Sun/Mon at RSPB Bempton Cliffs in the green marquee at the front of the Visitor Centre from 10.00am to 4.00pm each day. Please come along and take a look at my latest work and feel free to give me some criticism however positive or negative.

Lapland Bunting

2011-04-18T15:59:00.000-07:00

I came across this beautiful little bird when I took a guided nature walk on a local farm that I am working with. I could not believe my look to see this adult male, very near full summer plumage.

Peregrine Passion

2011-03-20T15:28:00.001-07:00

Love is in the air! Coming soon RSPB Date with Nature - Scarborough Peregrines.

Great Northern Diver

2010-12-30T21:15:00.001-08:00

I just love Scarborough Harbour through the winter months. This special place just seems to attract some amazing birds. Every year without fail, something will turn up here. A Great Northern Diver has taken residency over the last month, so I had to try my best and visit when time allowed to see if I could document this amazing species through a series of images.

Images On Canvas

2010-11-30T13:27:00.000-08:00

I now have a collection of images available to buy on canvas from Picadore. Just the perfect gift for christmas. Please click here.....

The Peregrine

2010-11-08T12:45:00.001-08:00

Thought I would catch up with my local pair of Peregrine Falcons. They were out hunting when I arrived at the site, however I was lucky enough to see the female fly in with some prey. The male bird was calling frantically for the female to share the kill, but she was having none of it.

Whitethroat

2010-10-26T14:25:00.000-07:00

Here are a view Whitethroat images that I took this summer which I have only just got around to processing......

I am still alive..........

2010-10-23T04:30:00.000-07:00

Firstly many apologies for not updating my blog for so long! I am going to try my best at keeping regular updates as much as my spare time allows. So my latest post is a combination of rarities seen on the east coast over the last few months - hope you enjoy.

Lapland Bunting

Dusky Warbler

Western Bonelli's Warbler

Eastern Olivaceous Warbler

I hope there is still a few weeks left for more migrant birds to drop in on the east coast. I had the chance of photographing Barred Warbler, Icterine Warbler, Yellow-browed Warbler, Red-breasted Flycatcher, Red-backed Shrike and others but just did not have the time to pursue these great birds - you cant win them all!

Bank Holiday Exhibition

2010-04-29T06:33:00.001-07:00

I am holding another exhibition of my images this Bank Holiday weekend on the Sat/Sun/Mon @ RSPB Bempton Cliffs from 10.00am to 4.30pm. Please come along and take a look at some of my latest images.

Life On The Ledge

2010-04-13T13:46:00.001-07:00

Guillemots

Razorbill

Puffin

Kittiwake

It was one of those day's!! The light was right, the wind direction was right and there were loads of birds arriving on the cliffs at Bempton. There is just something about a Razorbill that just always puts a smile on my face, what fantastic birds to watch. Finally a decent number of Puffins have arrived and they are all busy grabbing nest material and taking it back to their holes in the cliff face.

I have also just updated my website with even more images taken on this great day out at RSPB Bempton Cliffs. Please take a look at http://www.steverace.com

First Exhibition 2010

2010-04-02T06:07:00.000-07:00

I will be holding an exhibition of my images this Easter weekend at RSPB Bempton Cliffs Reserve on Sat/Sun/Mon. If you are visiting the reserve this weekend please pop in and take a look or if you are at a loose end wondering what to do this Easter weekend why not visit the Bempton Cliffs Reserve. It is an amazing sight at this time of year as most of the seabirds are back in large numbers.

Welcome Back

2010-03-14T00:17:00.000-08:00

Gannets

Kittiwake (juvenile)

Kittiwake

Fulmar

Yes folks, it's that amazing time of year again when the seabirds of Bempton Cliffs make their amazing journey's back to the reserve to start breeding. Its only early March and already the Gannets, Kittiwakes and Fulmars are back in big numbers. All the birds are busy with their courtship displaying and nest building.

It is only going to be a matter of a couple of weeks or so before we see phase two at Bempton - the return of the Auks! Guillemots, Razorbills and of course the ever popular Puffins will be back at Bempton soon and I will be waiting on the view points with my camera at the ready.

Black-throated Thrush

2010-01-16T14:16:00.001-08:00

Every so often you get a quite period which for me has been to long. Then we get the snow, rain and winds and you just hope and pray that something will drop in to your local patch or at least a place nearby. In a small village just north of Whitby in North Yorkshire, UK called Newholm the above MEGA had taken a strong hold to a local garden feeding station.

Oh yes, a Black-throated Thrush of the atrogularis race had arrived coming over from northern europe probably Siberia. I woke up early this morning the weather was horrendous with heavy rain and extreme low level cloud totally a photographers nightmare. Well I made the effort to try and capture some images of this stunning bird.

I managed to get the above images, but could not seem to get a picture showing the back of the bird. I shouldn't complain because I got close views and the bird seemed very happy in the presence of lots of human activity (birders galore). I am going to pop back tomorrow as the weather forecast seems very good, hopefully I may get the shot that I am looking for, but I can guarantee it's going to be busy.

More Meds

2009-12-12T08:06:00.001-08:00

December just seems to be a quiet month so I have decided to concentrate on the Med Gulls who have come back to winter with us. There are now 7 individuals who visit the Holbeck Car Park in Scarborough which consist of 5 adults and 2 second winter birds. I hope you don't get bored looking at these birds because I hope to be doing some more posts of these magnificent gulls soon - enjoy!

Return of the Meds

2009-11-09T11:25:00.000-08:00

The Mediterranean Gulls have come back to the Holbeck Car Park area again for the winter. At the last count there has been 4 adult winter and 2 second winter birds present and the easiest way to have a close encounter is to take plenty of bread with you.

One of the second winter birds is holding a ring tag No. E913736 which was ringed in Belgium on the 27th May 2008 and also one of the adult birds is ringed too and apparently was tagged in Serbia. All the above information was found out by fellow wildlife photographer Dave Mansell who has also got some great images of the Meds on his website so please take a look - www.eastaytonbirding.com

What A Little Gem

2009-10-27T13:43:00.001-07:00

This little gem of a bird dropped in to my local reserve at RSPB Bempton Cliffs, just a little bit different to look at to the normal gannets, puffins etc. I believe it was a first for Bempton and what a fantastic bird it proved to be. Showing very well the only downside was the weather which consisted of mist, thick cloud and very bad light conditions. All images above where taken on 1600 ISO @1/60 second.

What A Beauty!

2009-10-20T13:47:00.000-07:00

Great Grey Shrike

After a tip off from Paul Scales (many thanks Paul) at 9.00pm on the 19th, of a Great Grey Shrike last seen that day at 3.30pm on the coastal path behind South Cliff Golf Club, Scarborough I just knew it had to be an early morning dash before work to see if this stunning bird was still in the area.

I gave Nick Addey (Scarborough Birders Recorder) a quick call again the night before just to let him know a GGS had been seen in our recording area and told him that I would be checking the area out first thing in the morning. So I arrived at the site the next morning and as I was setting up my equipment Nick pulled up in his car. We both made the short walk from the car park along the coastal path to the area which Paul Scales had so kindly given me directions too.

After a fair bit of scanning around Nick found the bird at the base of a bush halfway down the cliff side. We watched the bird for a good 10 minutes before it started to get active and then to our amazement the little beauty flew up to a bush just a few metres away. Both myself and Nick then spread the word to other fellow Scarborough Birders before I had to dash off to work. What a great start to the day, just hope it sticks around for a while.

Filey Brigg

2009-10-12T12:20:00.001-07:00

Common Redstart

Velvet Scoter

Dunlin

Knot

Bar-tailed Godwit

Firstly apologies for the lack of posts to my blog recently. I have had a new edition to the Race family, another little boy "Sam Race", so as you can imagine things have been a bit hectic so I have changed holding a camera to holding a baby boy.

I did manage to get an afternoon out with the camera in between changing nappies, so I took a trip to Filey Brigg. Once I got on the beach the waders were showing well with 3 Dunlin and a large party of knot being very obliging. A single Bar-tailed Godwit kept its distance, but just managed to get a couple of record shots.

Took a walk to the Brigg end and bumped in to Ian Robinson from Filey Brigg Bird Group who had found a pair of Velvet Scoters feeding just off the south side of the brigg. Quite distant, again just managed a record shot. Got great view through the bins, it was great seeing these sea ducks fairly close to shore. Whilst watching the ducks a Blackbird flew in off the sea closely followed by a Goldcrest, I wonder how far those birds had travelled before they hit the brigg?

After staying with the Velvet Scoter for 30 minutes, I then decided to take a slow walk back to Filey Bay to find Ian again watching something moving about the rocks in front of him. It was a beautiful Common Redstart which for me was quite unusual to see perched on a rock on Filey Brigg.

I had taken this afternoon trip with fellow wildlife photographer Andy Shepherd from West Yorkshire who travels to the Yorkshire Coast quite often. Andy produces some outstanding images, so I can't wait to see what images he produced on the day!

Please keep checking out the blog and my website, updates will be a little slow but don't let that fool you in to thinking that I have stopped going out taking images, just have other important issues at the moment - right where did I put that dummy!

Glorious Gannets

2009-08-17T12:12:00.001-07:00

If you take a trip to RSPB Bempton Cliffs Reserve you will see that the Gannet colony at Staple Newk View Point is in full swing. Most of the chicks now are bordering on fledging looking very dark in colour and nearly as big as the adults. Most of the other seabirds have now left the cliff with only the Gannet still big in numbers.

There are still a few Kittiwakes, Fulmars and the ever present Herring Gulls on the cliffs, but all the Auks have returned to the sea. There has been reports of Arctic and Great Skuas seen passing the reserve moving south past the Flamborough Bird Observatory, and now is a good time to also keep a look out for Shearwaters on their migratory path.

I will be holding my third exhibition at the reserve on Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th August from 10.00am to 5.00pm so please pop in and say hello. Also on the 29th is the first RSPB Shearwater and Skua Cruise sailing on the "Yorkshire Belle" from Bridlington Harbour at 9.00am. For more information and to book a place on the cruise(s) call 01262 850959 or email bempton.cruises@rspb.org.uk.

Bass Rock 2009 - Part 2

2009-08-07T14:13:00.000-07:00

Approaching Bass Rock

Photographer on the boat!

An amazing spectacle.

Sailing round the rock.

The back of Bass Rock - Just astonishing!!

Our boat - "The Fisher Lassie".

My second post from my trip to Bass Rock on 30th May 2009. On this trip we got the opportunity to sail the full 360 degrees around the rock and see for ourselves the sheer size of this magnificent Gannet colony.

The sheer numbers of birds is just breathtaking. We had superb visibility all day, not a cloud in the sky which in fact was a bit of a nightmare for taking pictures of white birds, but you have to go with what you have, that's the wonder of wildlife photography.

Would I return to the rock for a third time, well the answer to that question - Oh Yes! I am quite happy with the portrait shots of the Gannets that I have captured but next time I would like to concentrate more on taking images of the large volume of birds that are present on the rock.

The Peregrine Children

2009-06-16T00:50:00.000-07:00

The local Peregrine Family is very busy at present with the adults constantly catching prey for the young ones. The adults have produced 4 young this year and two have fledged and the other two where very close in fledging. Just watching the young Peregrines is an amazing sight, as they sit on the cliff ledges they are forever vigilant always looking up in the sky and watching the Kittiwakes, Pigeons and Rock Pipits that are present on the cliff.

I hope to take another look in a few days time to see if all four young birds are patrolling the cliff with the adults teaching them how to hunt.

Bass Rock 2009 - Part 1

2009-06-09T09:19:00.000-07:00

BIRDGUIDES - PHOTO OF THE WEEK

11.06.09 - 18.06.09

Well would you credit it! Just a few days after posting the above image on my blog and uploading it to the Birdguides Image Library I was awarded my first "Photo of the week". Many thanks to the Birdguides panel for choosing my Gannet image as POTW.

Bass Rock - words are hard to describe this amazing place! Sir David Attenborough once described it as "One of the wildlife wonders of the world", Chris Packham voted the Bass as No 1 in "Nature's Top 40". Home to 150,000 gannets, you have to really visit this place in the flesh to experience the amazing site, smell and noise of this incredible natural wonder.

The trip over to the Bass Rock is organised by the Scottish Seabird Centre, the centre itself is very impressive, please take a visit. Based in the town of "North Berwick", the Scottish Seabird Centre has a Discovery Centre, Shop and Cafe (great food) and there is an admission charge to take a look in the Discovery Centre (well worth a look around), this is where all the webcams are situated sending images back from Bass Rock, Isle of May and Fidra.

Landing and spending time on the rock is just incredible, how could you possibly top that? On your return trip back from the rock you will experience what I think is the most incredible wildlife spectacle you could possibly experience in your lifetime, is the chumming of the gannets. Fish bits are thrown over board and it only takes a matter of a few minutes before you have diving gannets within a couple of feet from the boat side - unbelievable. If you are contemplating on taking a trip over to the Bass Rock the only advice I could give to you is - JUST DO IT!

Bass Rock 2009 - Part 2 coming soon........

Bempton In May

2009-05-04T13:05:00.000-07:00

Guillemot

Razorbill

Puffin

Razorbill

Gannet

Fulmar

Early May at Bempton is a magical time, the cliffs are starting to get crowded and the public's favourite, the Puffin, is starting to arrive in good numbers. Some of the Gannets are already sat on their egg and Razorbills, Guillemots, Puffins and Kittiwakes are courting and even mating.

The day that I took the above images I had a crazy day of weather. I got to Bempton for 5.15am, watched the sunrise (incredible) the light was good, then it clouded over and in came the rain. The rain stopped and then came along the wind, the wind stopped and the clouds cleared and then the sun came back out, then the light was to harsh and basically it was like that most of the morning until eventually the weather did settle down and the day become a good one.

I will be doing a lot more early mornings at Bempton this month so be prepared to see plenty of posts on my blog from what I truly feel is one of nature's wonders of the world - just an incredible place.

Back At Bempton

2009-04-13T13:52:00.003-07:00

Razorbill

Puffin

Gannet

I will have to apologise now for the amount of Bempton posts that I will be submitting this year! This will be my first full season at Bempton as a volunteer and I am just starting to find the hot spots on the cliffs for photography.

The cliffs are filling up now with large numbers of Gannet, Razorbill, Guillemot, Kittiwake and Fulmar. Puffins are slowly creeping back in small number, but give it a few more weeks and we will see more and more of our colourful friends arriving.

Heron City

2009-04-09T12:40:00.001-07:00

Took a trip to my local Heronry to see what stage the nests where at and found that 4 birds where already sat on their large nests. As I approached the Heronry I noticed one bird flying above making its way from the area so when I got to the place that I thought would be ideal for some flight shots I waited for this bird to return.

Forty five minutes later I could see the bird returning in the distance and it was just a matter of time before the Heron passed my lens so I could snap the above images. I will definitely return to the Heronry in a few weeks time once the chicks have hatched and when there will be a lot more activity for me to capture.

Seabird Central

2009-04-05T11:40:00.001-07:00

RSPB Bempton Cliffs is heating up with large numbers of Gannets on the cliffs as well as Kittiwake and Fulmar. Puffins have arrived and at present they occasionally visit the cliffs for a while before going back out to sea. Both Guillemot and Razorbill have also been on and off the cliffs but can be seen in large rafts on the sea. It will not be long now before the cliffs are crammed packed with seabirds, so if you are thinking of visiting Bempton soon you will not be disappointed.

I am a volunteer at Bempton manning the view points most Saturdays, so if you plan to pop in on a Saturday please feel free to say hello.

Snow Bunting

2009-03-30T12:13:00.000-07:00

A pair of Snow Buntings dropped in to RSPB Bempton Cliffs this weekend and the male bird was just outstanding. Just not quite full summer plumage missing its black bill but I couldn't complain it was a true little gem of a bird.

The female was present also but lacking the incredible plumage of the male but still a beauty to look at. This was my first Snow Bunting in a very close summer plumage and as you can see from the images above - what a cracker!

Gull Heaven

2009-03-09T13:47:00.000-07:00

Its great to see two species of gull that are fairly uncommon on my home turf and at close range. The 1st winter Iceland Gull has been visiting Scarborough Harbour most days now for just over a week. Beautiful pale cream bird which sticks out amongst the Herring Gulls on the filleting shed roof.

The Mediterranean Gulls are still present at Holbeck Car Park and the adult birds are now gaining their beautiful black hoods, three adults and two 1st winter birds where present recently, but it will not be long now before the birds will leave Scarborough for the spring.

Return of the Great Grey Shrike

2009-02-22T14:59:00.000-08:00

The Great Grey Shrike had returned to Wykeham Forest, or may be it hadn't left the forest but had just moved in to a different area before returning to its usual patch. Not very obliging, always kept a good distance from the camera, but I managed to get a few decent record shots.

Barn Owl - Part II

2009-02-20T13:57:00.000-08:00

Another try for the Barn Owl on Wykeham Carr. This time got a few closer shots but the weather was a bit grim. Fantastic bird, very obliging seemed to particularly like just two fields adjacent to each other, but would disappear for a while before returning to the same two fields again.

Barn Owl - Part I

2009-02-13T13:56:00.000-08:00

Due to the severe weather recently I have seen a lot of Barn Owls hunting early during the day. I thought I would try and see if I could hunt one down and was lucky enough to capture some images of the above bird hunting the ditches on Wykeham Carr. I will try and get out again over the weekend to see if I can find more Barn Owls, not really happy with the composition of the above images.

Return of the Gannet

2009-02-07T14:39:00.001-08:00

The Gannets have returned on the cliffs in large numbers at RSPB Bempton Cliffs. The colony at Staple view point is in full swing with nest building in progress as well as a little bit of hanky panky. I volunteer at Bempton on a Saturday and to finally get to see the Gannets back on the cliffs is a magnificent site. If by chance you have not visited Bempton Cliffs then please make sure that you do and as you can see from the images above, even at this time of year there is plenty of activity.

Glaucous Gull

2009-02-01T14:53:00.000-08:00

My first 2nd winter Glaucous Gull was found a few days ago feeding on the masses of mussels that have washed up on Bridlington's North Beach. This bird was a belter and as you can see its a real pale individual with a pale iris and pale tip to the bill.

This bird was constantly flying up and down the beach, mainly due to dog walkers spooking the bird, but also following the large numbers of Herring, Common and Black Headed Gulls which were joining in the feeding frenzy.

Spotted Redshank

2009-01-30T15:10:00.001-08:00

Found the above Spotted Redshank on Seamer Carr Tip Pools today which was quite a surprise. A beautiful wader even in winter plumage was quite confiding at first but started to get a bit startled plenty of head bobbing and calling, so it was time to back down and go back to the car for a warm flask of tea.

Will try and update my blog more frequently again soon, but for now please also checkout my website at - www.steverace.com.

tristis-type Chiffchaff

2009-01-06T13:42:00.000-08:00

A tristis-type Chiffchaff has been present at the east end of Star Carr just south of Seamer Carr Tip and is showing signs of being a possible Siberian. More information on this bird can be found on the Scarborough Birders sightings page.

Please also check out Dave Mansell's images at www.eastaytonbirding.com. Please feel free to drop me an email with any comments regarding ID of this bird to try and pin point it down to a Siberian.

Great Grey Shrike

2008-11-17T13:40:00.000-08:00

Its been a very long time since my last view of a Great Grey Shrike, so when I got the message that a Great Grey was in the forest just down the road from where I live, I just had to take a look.

I was the first on the seen at around 8.00am and the bird was not showing. After 30 minutes of searching I eventually found it sat on top of a small bush looking as majestic as ever. I just love shrikes, and to get a Great Grey on my local patch, well that's just extra special.

Scarborough Harbour

2008-11-12T11:15:00.001-08:00

Iceland Gull

Purple Sandpiper

Long-tailed Duck

Great Northern Diver

Great Crested Grebe

Long-tailed Duck

Shag

Herring Gull

Great Black Backed Gull

Wow! Scarborough Harbour is the place to be on the Yorkshire Coast this week. It all kicked off with myself stumbling upon the female Long-tailed Duck, then a Great Northern Diver appeared on the scene followed by a second winter Iceland Gull.

Also this week there has been Guillemot, Red-throated Diver, Arctic Tern and Purple Sandpiper present in or around the harbour area, and who knows what might turn up next. With the presence of the Pied Wheatear down the coast at Reighton Sands there has also been a large number of birders visiting the harbour to cash in on the above visitors. For more info on what is around in the Scarborough area visit - www.scarboroughbirding.co.uk.

Pied Wheatear - Part II

2008-11-10T13:25:00.000-08:00

Another trip to see the Pied Wheatear! The bird had moved off the main caravan park area and dropped down over the cliff edge in to some decent habitat (more natural than sat on a caravan or the road). However the bird was keeping its distance for quite sometime before it eventually appeared close. Very windy and dull conditions, but you have to go with what you are given on the day. A cracking little bird, very flighty, but eventually obliging.

Pied Wheatear - Part I

2008-11-08T15:06:00.003-08:00

What a day! Started off with the Great Northern Diver in Scarborough Harbour, then got a Long Eared Owl at Bempton followed by 5 Bean Geese and 4 White Fronted Geese at Buckton and then if that wasn't enough, I got a call from Steve Wignall telling me that there was a Pied Wheatear at Reighton Sands.

At the time of the call I was back down at Scarborough Harbour looking for an Iceland Gull that had been reported, but had no joy so I dashed up to Reighton Sands to get the Pied Wheatear. Daylight was fading and when I arrived at Reighton it was 3.20pm so I was on a hot pursuit to nail the bird. As you can see from above I managed to get some shots, but the light was very bad. If the weather improves and the Wheatear sticks around, I might try and go back, to see if I can get some better images.

Great Northern Diver

2008-11-06T14:37:00.002-08:00

Its been along time coming!! Out of the four species of diver in Britain and Europe I have only managed to photograph Red-throated Diver and Black-throated Diver, so when I heard that a Great Northern Diver was reported in my local harbour, I just had to get down there and hope to see if I could get some decent images.

The weather conditions were quite grim, grey sky, slightly foggy and a slight drizzle and to top things off the bird had left the harbour and was now fishing in the middle of the South Bay. So I did what a wildlife photographer had to do and just wait, hope and pray that the Diver would eventually get close for a decent picture.

After getting very cold and quite damp I noticed that the Great Northern Diver was slowly making its way back towards the harbour and after about another 10 minutes I could not believe my luck, there it was just 5 feet in front of my lens and the rest is just history - bring on the White-billed!

Long-tailed Duck

2008-11-02T14:57:00.003-08:00

Autumn is my favourite time of year for me, when the weather changes and we start to get the cold fresh weather fronts that take us in to the Winter months. Its also the time of year for me to start patrolling around Scarborough Harbour looking to find something that might have been blown off course or may be taking shelter from the bad weather. So I was very happy when I found the above female winter Long-tailed Duck feeding in the main Harbour area.

More Meds

2008-10-29T13:36:00.002-07:00

The Med's are back in numbers! At Holbeck today I had 4 adult winters and 1 first winter Mediterranean Gulls, previous to these sightings there has been a couple of 2nd winter birds, so things are looking up again this Autumn with the presence of the Med's back at Holbeck.

If you are thinking of trying to photography these birds, a word of advice - bring some bread!! Throw the bread on to the grass, wait a few minutes and the Black Headed Gulls will appear, soon followed by the Med's.

Hungry Med

2008-10-15T13:05:00.001-07:00

The Mediterranean Gulls have started to visit regularly again at Holbeck Car Park. The above individual was the only bird showing that day, but was very obliging and was patrolling the verges of the car park picking up worms.

Rose Coloured Starling

2008-09-26T14:59:00.001-07:00

Another 1st for me, the Rose Coloured Starling. Alright its not an awesome adult male, but what a great bird. I have thrown one image of a common Starling in with the Rose-coloured above for comparison. Look at the pale yellowish bill base compared to the common Starling and how the bill is shorter and more blunt looking.

This juvenile Rose-coloured Starling is a lot more pale than a juvenile Starling, but has much darker wing markings. Two new birds in two days, who knows what might happen next, its been a great week for migrants on the east coast.

Brown Shrike

2008-09-25T14:32:00.000-07:00

What a MEGA bird! The Brown Shrike seen recently at Flamborough Head is only the 5th recorded in the UK and a first for Yorkshire and a lifer for me. The other sightings were: 1985 - Shetland, 2000 Shetland, 2001 Scilly's and 2004 Shetland.

As you can see from the images above the bird was hanging around with a Red Backed Shrike, and both birds were very distant, ok through a scope, but very hard to capture a decent image through the DSLR. Also reported at Flamborough today: Red Breasted Flycatcher, Yellow Browed Warbler, Lapland Bunting and Long Tailed Skua.

Bempton's Migrants

2008-09-23T11:22:00.001-07:00

Pied Flycatcher

Garden Warbler

Northern Wheatear

Common Redstart

Of course you can not visit Bempton Cliffs without looking over the view points, so below are a few images of the usual suspects that you see on the cliffs at this time of the year.

Gannet

Fulmar

I have been a bit quiet on the blog recently, my apologies for that, have been very busy, but however still have had the time to get a few days out birding, so keep checking the blog and of course don't forget to check my website also - www.steverace.com.

Little Gull

2008-08-25T14:58:00.003-07:00

I dropped in to Hornsea Mere to see if I could catch up with the Little Gulls that have been present there recently. When I arrived there was not a Little Gull to be found so I went in to the cafe on the marina for a coffee and then to my surprise on my exit I found 8 birds on the jetty - job done!

MY WEBSITE

2008-08-22T13:05:00.000-07:00

At last I have finally managed to build my own website. Do not fear I am definitely not going to stop this blog, as I enjoy doing it and I think it is just another great way of showing my images and keeping an online diary of my events. However I will also have a blog of a difference on my website for you to keep looking through as well as my online gallery.

Very soon I hope to start making my images available for sale and I am at present working behind the scenes to make this happen. When you view my gallery section of the website, you can still have the option of leaving me a comment which you will find below each individual image you look at, so please keep leaving me those comments - good or bad.

Keep checking out this blog for my latest images and make sure you add my NEW website to your favourites and if you like what you see, please feel free to spread the word. You can find my website at:

www.steverace.com

New Kid On The Block

2008-08-11T14:54:00.001-07:00

I have just recently joined the team of volunteers at RSPB Bempton Cliffs Reserve. I just volunteer on a Saturday, I have currently done 4 shifts and cannot wait until the next one. Bempton is an amazing reserve with 400ft white cliffs and thousands of seabirds to match.

The reserve is slowly quietening off now with most of the Auks moving back out to sea, however the Gannet colony's are booming with activity and if you are planning on visiting the reserve soon you must go to the view point called "Staple Newk", this is where our biggest Gannet colony is, and when you peer down to take a look you will be amazed - its an awesome sight.

More Peregrines

2008-08-11T13:31:00.003-07:00

The young Peregrines are still very active on the cliff, chasing the handful of young Kittiwakes that are still present. One of the adults is giving a helping hand with catching prey, and if you click on the first image above to enlarge it you will see blood on its talons. The two juveniles feeding on the Kittiwake are actually feeding on prey that the adult caught for them then exchanged it to one of the youngsters in mid flight, hence the blood on the talons.

As I was watching all this commotion, I spotted a large raptor flying overhead and to my surprise found it was an Osprey, but just could not get my camera to my eye fast enough before it flew out of few - what a bonus.

Honey Buzzard

2008-08-10T13:23:00.001-07:00

Finally at last I managed to get a few record shots of Honey Buzzard in Wykeham Forest. These birds have been very reclusive to my camera. I have had several sightings recently but not in the range of my lens. The above bird was still very distant and I have enlarged the images some to show some definition in the pictures.

Local Mammals

2008-08-04T13:50:00.001-07:00

I like to class myself as a wildlife photographer, but to find and photography some of our British mammals can be very difficult indeed. So to photography a Roe Deer and a Hare in the space of a couple of days, you could say I was quite pleased.

Bass Rock - Part 6

2008-08-02T16:15:00.001-07:00

Other bird species on the rock include Lesser Black Backed Gulls, Herring Gulls (make sure you bring a hat with you) and a pair of Peregrine Falcons. The Kittiwake images where taken at Dunbar Harbour before the boated departed for Bass Rock, they are nesting on the wall of Dunbar Castle that overlooks the Harbour. If I have wetted your appetite to take a trip over to the Bass Rock then all the information you need is on the Scottish Seabird Centre website - click here, or drop me an email for more information.

Bass Rock - Part 5

2008-08-02T16:05:00.001-07:00

There is so much happening on the rock, once again it is quite hard to decide what to capture and what not to capture through the lens. Above is a mixture of images showing how the Gannets spend their day. I hope over the last few posts on my blog, I have given you a good insight into the life of the Gannet.

Bass Rock - Part 4

2008-08-02T15:56:00.001-07:00

As you could imagine, when it comes to taking flight shots you are spoilt for choice. The first hour on the rock the weather was grey and dull, but eventually the good old sun showed its face (thank god) and I managed to find some blue sky to capture the birds on.

Bass Rock - Part 3

2008-08-02T15:22:00.000-07:00

After spending a good 3 hours on the Bass Rock it is time to get back on the boat and head back to Dunbar Harbour. Just when you think to yourself it can't get better than this, oh boy it does. On the outward journey home 30 minutes is spent "Chumming" which is a process of throwing bait over the side of the boat to entice the Gannets into their spectacular plunge dive.

So its make sure you have your life jackets tightly fastened, get battling for position, finger on the shutter ready, then fire away. This truly is an amazing sight, Gannets torpedoing everywhere, believe me you have to be fast with your camera to lock on to a diving Gannet.

Bass Rock - Part 2

2008-08-02T15:07:00.001-07:00

On approaching Bass Rock the image you perceive is this huge rock structure jutting out of the sea covered head to toe with Gannets. Once you put your feet on to the rock you automatically look up, listen and smell this incredible natural structure, it is truly life changing, an experience to experience.

Bass Rock - Part 1

2008-07-31T13:36:00.001-07:00

Took a trip to the Bass Rock back in late June, just have not had any time recently to start processing the images so here is a sneak preview of what's to come. I hope to have several more posts of Bass Rock to add to my blog in the next few days.

Local Peregrines

2008-07-28T15:35:00.000-07:00

Have been visiting the local Peregrine family most mornings recently, but have really struggled with some crap light conditions. Dull, dark weather followed by a couple of days of dense fog coming in off the sea.

Anyway that's enough of the moaning lets get to the birds. The three juvenile birds are in overdrive at the moment chasing Kittiwakes like there's no tomorrow, with the adults just perched on the cliff face watching with amusement. At one stage I very nearly had all five birds in my view finder, which would of made a very interesting image.

I am keeping my fingers crossed for a good day of decent weather so I can make another visit and try and get some sharp images.

Isle of Lunga

2008-07-17T13:21:00.001-07:00

I took a boat trip out to the Isle of Lunga to spend sometime with my favourite bird - The Puffin. I have been many times to the Farne Islands and Bempton Cliffs to see the Puffin, but on Lunga is the closest I have been to this species. You can get so close, to within 3 0r 4 feet to be exact.

I got talking to a couple of wardens on the island and they were telling me how the seabirds on the island have taken quite a decline this year. I noticed how hardly any birds where frequently returning with sand eels and what I thought would be great numbers to be seen on the island just turned out to be a few hundred.

I buried myself in to a small community of Puffins for a couple of hours and managed to get some great shots, above is just a taster of what I have taken on my visit to the island. I will probably add another post later in the year, just to remind myself what a great place Lunga is for photographing this little special seabird.

Red Kite

2008-07-14T13:51:00.001-07:00

On the way back from Mull, dropped in at the Red Kite Feeding Station at Bellymack Hill Farm, Nr Laurieston, Galloway. This is the first time I have visited a feeding station and what an incredible site. I actually had missed the main feed by an hour, but there was still 40+ birds present flying around the farm.

Local Osprey

2008-07-14T12:53:00.001-07:00

Took a drive up to Wykeham Forest Raptor View Point (only 10 mins from my house) to try and capture a glimpse of the Honey Buzzards that have been seen recently. Had know joy with the Buzzards, was just about to pack up when a large raptor came gliding past at a distance and to my surprise it was an adult Osprey, my very first local tick, just managed to snap a few record shots.