White-tailed sea eagle

 

I was in Farndale this afternoon talking to the gardening club. After my talk I slowly drove along the roads over the moors looking for birds. I soon came across lots of meadow pipits.

and then red grouse.

I intended visiting Kildale where I have been before.However, I usually approach from the opposite direction and I missed the road turning. I drove on for a while before finding a safe place to turn round.

As I approached the road I wanted to take, I noticed a large bird in the air. The road I was driving along was fairly narrow so I could not stop. Eventually I reached a spot where I could park. I looked up and saw the bird high above me.

The wind was blowing hard, so I found it difficult to hold the camera still at the angle I needed to get a picture. The top picture shows a buzzard near the white tailed eagle.

 I drove further along the road and found a parking space. I spent a while looking for the bird but could not see it.

I decided to walk along one of the trails which run across the moors.

Lots of heather had been burnt, and there were lots of red grouse about. I also saw a single curlew, a small flock of golden plover, 2 lapwings, 1 wheatear and several meadow pipits. I assumed that the number of meadow pipits about accounted for the presence of a male Merlin which I saw a couple of times.