More Rock Pipits and a Kestrel

A few more Rock Pipit shots from another visit to Three Cliffs Bay earlier this week:

As I sat watching the Rock Pipits, which may have had a nest nearby, I saw a Kestrel drifting past on the wind. At one point, it perched on this small bush, barely ten metres from where I sat, allowing me just enough time for this one shot, before taking to the air again:



My apologies for not making many comments on others' blogs lately, but I'm having a lot of trouble logging in to blogger - I can make posts, but not comments. If anyone knows what the problem might be, please let me know!

Rock Pipits

Whilst at Three Cliffs Bay yesterday, I also managed a few photos of Rock Pipits; both on the beach, and further up on the cliffside grassland:



Rhossili

On Thursday afternoon, I had a couple of hours in Rhossili, a remote village on the south-west tip of the Gower Peninsula. As I neared Rhossili, and was going through a place called Pilton Green, a Red Kite flew low over the road. This was only the second Red Kite I'd seen on Gower, the first being one at Oxwich last summer. Five minutes later, we arrived at Rhossili. And what was the first thing I saw as I looked to the skies? Another Red Kite! It was soaring very low back and forth over the Worm's Head Hotel, and I quickly got my camera out for a couple of pictures:

A local lad, who rushed out of the nearby cafe to watch the kite, told me it was the first he had seen in Rhossili. He also told me Hen Harriers had been reported flying over the fields around Rhossili Down in the last couple of weeks, although I didn't have time to look now. Instead, as the tide was out, I headed down to the beach to see if there were any Purple Sandpipers on the rocks at the base of the cliffs. There was just one in the place where I normally see them in winter, and it allowed me a couple of pictures, before flying off towards Worm's Head:

This pair of Fulmars were calling noisily at their nest-site:

I spotted this unfortunate Fulmar dead at the cliff bottom:

This was one of several Rock Pipits I saw:

As the day began to wane, I climbed part-way up Rhossili Down, from where I had this view looking back towards Rhossili village and the Worm's Head:

Before long, some lovely colours began developing in the sky:

I hurried (as fast as my aging legs would carry me) down to the beach, hoping to catch a shot of the wreck of 'The Helvetia' with the sun setting behind. Typically, the sunset faded surprisingly quickly, and this was best I could do:

I must have been the last person left on the sand, so began trudging up the steps to Rhossili (it seems to get steeper every I come here!), pausing to capture the blue dusk as I looked back towards 'The Worm':

One last shot of Rhossili Down and the beach:

and I was off for home.

House Sparrows

Yesterday, Friday, I again walked round to Langland Bay on the Gower Peninsula. I soon saw a group of four Choughs, a hovering Kestrel or two, and a Grey Seal in the same bit of sea as two days ago. None were close enough for any decent pictures, so I began strolling along the coastal path towards the next beach, Caswell Bay. About a mile along the picturesque path, as Caswell was just within sight, I saw a couple of small brown birds fly down into a grassy area near the cliff edge. I thought they were probably Rock Pipits, which are quite common around here, but a closer look revealed them to be - House Sparrows! Quite odd, I thought, to see a flock of these quintessential urban birds in this rural location, at least a mile from the nearest buildings. What turned out to be a flock of half-a-dozen or more birds were quite tame, and came down to perch on Gorse bushes only a few metres from where I was now seated. I managed to get this picture of a male ballet-dancing on the breeze:

This cock landed close-by, and looked curiously in my direction:

The females were just as bold:

This hen bird had a bug of some description in her bill:

A male perched on the fence bordering the coastal path:

It was great to spend a little time with these often-overlooked birds, and in such a beautiful location. Perhaps we will only appreciate them when they are gone?

I then began the journey back to Langland Bay. As I neared Langland Point, I saw a family group of more-typical coastal birds - Rock Pipits. It was clear that parent birds were feeding their newly-fledged young. I didn't manage to capture this behaviour, but I did manage these two shots: