This is a little bit different from my usual blogs and trip reports cos it’s a Photo-Blog!! On my latest trip out to see a special bird I got so many decent photos that I couldn’t choose between them – so here’s a few for your perusal!!
But first the story behind the bird! At the end of last week, with the forecast set fair I decided on a day out and my destination was chosen by the presence of a scarce and very photogenic bird over in Yorkshire. I set off across the M62 and up the M1 to Collingham, a pretty village near Wetherby which hosts the Half Moon Public House which is where Oliver Cromwell is said to have spent the night after the Battle of Marston Moor!! My luck was in since as soon as I turned into my destination road a lady directed me down a side cutting straight to the bird!
On arrival at the area she had sent me to I was watching a beautiful Hoopoe, feeding frantically on the local cricket pitch, probing for and finding grubs and worms aplenty. A gathering of up to 30 birders were socially distanced and very well behaved, staying far back and not pushing the bird at all. The cricket club groundsman went about his business and walked within 10m of the bird without it being bothered, so at that point I organised a move forward of any birders and photographers who wished, up to the boundary edge about 20m from the bird. As expected the Hoopoe wasn’t at all bothered and we all got much better pictures by being that little bit closer. The bird even moved towards us at times, more bothered about feeding than any humans present! I took picture after picture, drained one camera battery and eventually filled my sd card, time to go methinks!! I said farewell to the few folk near me and headed off, a good bird under my belt and a shed-load of pictures to sort through. Although once I opened them on my pc it was obvious that it had been time well spent, my best ever pictures of a Hoopoe and a great day out in the sunshine in my native Yorkshire!
As promised here’s a mass of piccies of this gorgeous bird, hope you enjoy !!
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