June 2025

Slow months are upon us so may try and add a few obvious omissions to the 2025 photo challenge

As it will no doubt be the only Turtle Dove image of the year this one will have to make do for 151 - the tragic loss of this species from Britain has been catastrophic - Locally I recorded a total of 172 birds flying west in four hours on May 14th 1077 at Barrow Haven and there was passage on most days of the month with up to 34 breeding pairs along the Humber clay pits. On August 26th 1992 a gathering of 156 was present on a harvested field at South Ferriby such was the local status of the species. As recently as 2000 there were 14 singing males and ten confirmed pairs on the clay pits with 13 males but only six pairs in 2002. The last pair I saw locally was in 2015 and the last bird was 2026. I have not even seen one anywhere since 2021 so a trip to the Lincs coast at least just topped up my memory of an iconic and much loved, lost species.

If we had some warmth there are other things to enjoy - Lizard in a regular spot in the forest

We have had decent numbers of juvenile Starlings coming to the food in the garden in the last few weeks and the first fledged family of House Sparrows at the weekend - Canon R6II and Canon RF 100-500 a cracking combo

A chirpy cock House Sparrow in some of the garden dog daisies

a somewhat chilly night in the forest with early promise in the sky before cloud built quickly and the Nightjars started late

152 Nightjar - not one of my frame filling perched shots but a blue hour image of a male drifting over the heath

Brown Hare in a field with many poppies up the road

Had my first Lincs Crossbills of the year today and not just a couple but a flock of 40+ followed by a flock of 35 unless they did a very quick loop around

Good numbers of still streaky juveniles and some older juveniles half way through their post juvenile moult

Whitethroat 153 - a lot of mopping up to do through the summer - autumn

154 a summer Siskin makes a change from all the winter shots

155 Osprey pair at Folwshaw Moss on a weekend Kendal visit

and the male on his lookout - at least they are scenic distant trees in heat haze

Somewhat more impressive than distant Ospreys a close up Golden Ringed Dragonfly

Large Heath at Fowlshaw

And a couple of White-faced Darters

156 Marsh Warbler from earlier in the month