From Nosterfield to Sutton Bank  - a spring miscellany!

April 26th: Nosterfield

A brief visit to Flask Lake where a blackcap was spotted briefly along with a song thrush but finding the Bewick's swan proved challenging.

The Bewick's was located later on Langwith Lake, a lake which I didn't know. It's about 700m down Moor Lane just over Lady Bridge looking west.

April 27th:  Langdon Beck

I tried several times to find the hoopoe at Langdon Beck. I did see a willow warbler and a dipper on my walks along the beck but I never managed to spot the target bird. I spotted a black grouse a little closer than on my last visit, a friendly snipe and a donkey! I spotted the snipe as I drove along: I had a camera on the passenger seat so I drew up quite close and wound down the passenger window - the snipe was unconcerned.

April 28th: Blacktoft Sands

An afternoon visit. Dull weather so I didn't expect much. Certainly not the Cetti's warbler as I entered the reserve.

I settled down in Marshland hide and in an unplanned way I got absorbed in trying to photograph the hirundines that were busy over the water. Marsh harriers were around too.

Approaching the hide I saw the bench that commemorates Joe Gilleard a Blacktoft birder who was also key member of the family that have provided so many hides around the country. [Poor chap has a screw loose!]

May 1st: Saltholme and Low Newton by the Sea

I was birding near Saltholme trying to photograph a spotted redshank when I saw a report of a grey-headed lapwing at Low Newton-by-the-Sea.

Spotshank

I'd never heard of a GHL. Still it seemed to be getting everybody very excited so I abandoned my original plan and set off north. A first for Britain and lifer 448 for me. [I hoped] 

Parking was fraught as the car park had never seen the like. A uniformed local authority official was present and was making sure all cars were displaying their tickets! I set off down the hill.

May 3rd: Around the Saltholme area

Quiet. Eider on Greatham Creek; common sandpipers from hide at Dorman's Pool.

May 6th: York University

Black-winged stilts from first lagoon. One photo features all 4 stilts and a moorhen.

Kestrel at York university

Almost back at the car when I spotted this rabbit.

May 7th: South Shields and Blackhall Rocks

Hoopoe found by New Sundial pub in dunes at South Shields. In a heavy mist which produced an unusual light.

The bird was elusive so I photographed some linnets while I wandered the dunes waiting for the hoopoe to loom out of the mist.

Still, here it is - a bird I was thrilled to finally encounter. [Split infinitive - who cares!]

I called at Blackhall Rocks on my way home and saw grasshopper warbler, whitethroat and cuckoo. Only white throat managed to get onto the memory card along with a few other bits...

Looking down onto the beach from the cliff top I saw this remarkable huge stone image that must have taken hours to create. No idea what it is though!

May 9th: Sutton Bank

Turtle doves had been reported so I went on a morning visit. No sign but yellowhammer showed nicely and I was pleased to locate a garden warbler by 'the finest view in Britain' as the signposts name it. Here is the view itself.

And here are the birds.

A buzzard flew past at eye level.

Early purple orchids

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The Persistent Birder Rides Again!

This story begins on the 27th of March when I went to Old Moor for my first attempt to see the elusive ring-tailed duck. Between March 27th and April the 24th I tried 4 times [in total] to track down this bird. Persistence sometimes pays off...

April 7th: Old Moor

No ring-necked duck seen by the assembled crowd. Spoonbill in the mist on Wath Ings and a great crested grebe from Wader Scrape hide.

April 8th: A trip to Ossett

A pair [i.e. two - not necessarily male and female as far as I know] of adult black-crowned night herons were reported on the River Calder.

Views of the location from the bridge.

Part of a bit of an influx across the country. The first bird seen was determinedly fast asleep whilst a crowd of birders watched in hope for a bit of action. This came when the second bird flew in.

April 13th: Bishop Middleham and Saltholme

Bishop Middleham was quiet. Best sightings were fieldfares and a bullfinch.

Saltholme has distant Mediterranean gulls through the visitor centre glass plus a kestrel being escorted off the premises by an angry black-headed gull.

Stock dove

Herring gulls by the Lifeboat Station, Hartlepool.

April 13th: Adwick upon Dearne

Avocets and a kestrel sheltering from the wind. A lucky finding.

April 23rd: Blacktoft Sands to try for the three black terns that were reported on Marshland scrape. They obliged! [There's a swallow in the mix too!]

I only got one photo showing more than one bird.

I walked down to Ousefleet. A pair of yellow wagtails were in the ploughed field.

April 24th: Another old Moor Escapade

I wasn't too hopeful but I had news the ring-necked duck was on Willow Pool. This was confirmed by the girl on duty. we had a fun conversation. i'm pretty deaf and she had laryngitis and could barely speak! Willlow Pool is the far left-hand section of Wath Ings - to the left of the line of trees that stand in the water. A cormorant was perched there all afternoon. I spent all afternoon watching the hirundines, pochard and other ducks whilst hoping Mr. Elusive might appear. Few other people came. It wasn't warm but I had promised myself I'd stay until 3.30. Round about twenty past three I said [very loudly] to the empty hide: 'It's there! It's there!'

It was.

I walked back content and ready to face the A1 at Wentbridge. I passed a pair of LBB miscreants on my way.

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Meeting up with some old friends...

It's probably just me but when I'm out birding and I see a species I haven't seen for a while I feel reassured that in spite of everything going on in the world some things are still ok. Well, just about.

March 19th: Bempton Cliffs and a drive down to Kilnsea

I hadn't yet seen razorbills or puffins so they were birds I hoped to spot. I was lucky to spot several separate groups of red partridge on my drive towards Bridlington and a skylark as I approached the reserve. I also saw kittiwakes as well as the two auk species.

A barn owl was flying near the car park at Kilnsea Wetlands.

March 21st: Adwick-upon-Dearne

A drake garganey was reported and found quite easily as a group of birders were staring hopefully at something in a pool some yards from the main path.

The garganey was fast asleep to the right of the teal. After about half an hour I decided to go for a walk hoping the bird might stir itself later. I saw chiffchaffs,  quite a few avocets, tufted ducks and some black-tailed godwits.

Blackthorn

The garganey meanwhile woke up and flew across to the main pool.

March 24th: Oliver's Mount, Scarborough

Named after Oliver Cromwell but any connection with the great man is almost certainly apocryphal. Still the site provides a great view over the town and sea and was the ideal spot to watch the high speed flypasts of two alpine swifts. I wasn't having a good day as I panicked when I parked the car and discovered I had no phone, no wallet and no pager. I began to search the car but I soon realised the missing items were at home. I had simply forgotten them. Fortunately I had a couple of pounds in the car and plenty of diesel to get me home. Attempts to photograph the swifts didn't go well. The Canon R7 has its flaws and I struggle with the electronic viewfinder to follow fast moving birds against any complex or changing background. These are alpine swifts but I hope for better pictures one day....this year's influx was very unusual.

Oh well. You can't win them all! Still a good tick and great to watch in the bins. 

I saw ruff at North Cave later that day and on March 27th after not seeing the ring-necked duck I watched some other photographers trying to photograph four bearded tits. It looked hopeless and I didn't linger. It was raining.

March 28th and 31st: Blacktoft Sands

Quiet afternoons at Blacktoft with the regular birds. But a couple of nice surprises too. The R7 was in a good mood that day .... or perhaps I was!

Redpoll by Reception

Pied wagtail in flight at Marshland

Something disturbed the birds at Reedling hide

April 3rd: Grouse and Hartlepool

I drove up to Langdon Beck to see black grouse. Only two birds seen distantly from the road side. I headed to Cow Green reservoir. 

Kittiwakes at the lifeboat station. One bird was showing off its jewellery!

A firecrest at the Putting Green in Hartlepool was too quick for the camera to lock on to due to the many branches that were in the way but a sleeping little gull at Saltholme kept me sitting watching it until I decided to move on. All it ever did was move its head. Apparently five minutes before I arrived it was flying around but was being pestered by the black-headed gulls. Once on the ground they left it alone.

April 4th: North Cave

Little owl through the scope and little ringed plover also [but not at the same location]. LRP on Cell 2a; owl down in trees by the farm.

Ruff, lesser black-backed gull, shelduck, avocet, reed bunting and coltsfoot!

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