Herons, egrets, chats & a warbler - for want of a better title!

Friday pm at Blacktoft

Needed to get out and about and go somewhere but little was being reported within the kind of distances I was prepared to go. Decided on an afternoon run to Blacktoft in hope of late afternoon barn owls or harriers. Outcome: no owls and only distant marsh harriers. Had to settle for a bit of heron watching.

Fishing

Grey Heron Grey Heron Flying

Grey Heron Landing

Grey Heron Grey Heron Grey Heron

Saturday: into the Yorkshire fog

No not the grass if you know what I mean. [Yorkshire fog is also the common name for the persistent weed holcus lanatus.] But I mean real Yorkshire fog on my way to Flamborough to see a Pallas's Warbler or Pallas's Leaf Warbler, named after the German zoologist Peter Simon Pallas who discovered it on the Ingoda River in Siberia in 1811; the species name proregulus derives from its similar size to the Goldcrest Regulus regulus. No doubt Peter Pallas was also the discoverer of PG Tips!

Anyway, with the foghorn blowing and visibility poor I set off along the hedge on the east side of the gorse field below the car park and met up with a group of four birders and a warbler. So easy. I even went back to the car for a camera, ran off a few shots and watched it disappear! It never stopped moving. I left shortly after but it was seen throughout the day.Here it is!

Pallas's Warbler Pallas's Warbler Pallas's Warbler Pallas's Warbler

Next stop was Skinningrove as I knew there were some smart looking stonechats around. Two pairs in fact were soon spotted on the rock armour near the car park. I spent some time sitting down and slowly edging closer until they tolerated me. The female was less easy to approach but still I do often get stonechat withdrawal symptoms so it was good to spend an hour or so with these fellows. They look pristine don't they?

Stonechat Stonechat Stonechat Stonechat Stonechat Stonechat Stonechat

I finished up at Saltholme in my favorite Phil Stead hide with a coffee and watched snipe and little egrets. A marsh harrier appeared distantly from time to time. No labels needed for the final batch.

Little Egret Little Egret Little Egret The snipe has his head cocked to keep an eye on the sky!Snipe Don't think I've ever been quite so close to a magpie. They are very wary birds even though we are never far from one!

Magpie Final shot. In the late sunlight a moorhen swam past the hide.

Moorhen UK 2012: 271 equal with 2011; Yorkshire 132