Shovellers at Saltholme

reedbed

Redshank, black-tailed godwit and a flock of several hundred golden plovers at RSPB Saltholme.

We took a break at the reserve on our return journey from Northumberland too, when we also saw dunlin and marsh harrier.

Saltholme Pools

Salttholme Pools
Cattle grazing at Saltholme Pools drawn from the comfort of the two-story hide.

On Wednesday morning the farmer was moving the cattle that graze the marshes at RSPB Saltholme from Paddy’s Pool over to the Saltholme Pools.

The bull at Saltholme

Saltholme

Saltholme

We took a break at the RSPB Saltholme wetlands reserve on our way to, and back from, Northumberland last week. The panoramic windows of the first floor cafe look out over one of the lagoons, so we were watching dunlin, godwits and gadwall as we ate our lunch.

gadwall

On the return journey the birding highlight was a pectoral sandpiper a migrant that was a long way off course as it headed south as it breeds in Arctic Canada.

pectoral sandpiper

To the south east Roseberry Topping makes a craggy a punctuation in the looming bulk of the North York Moors.

Roseberry Topping and the Hanger Bridge
Roseberry Topping and the Transporter (not Hanger) Bridge

Roe Deer Rutting

roe deer

On our way north along the M1 near Garforth we glimpsed two roe deer standing facing each other in a large stubble field. As we drove by they clashed antlers (10.20 a.m., 15 September).