Ticking over nicely...

No, I don't mean Tiggy but hopefully she is now fully recovered from her recent problem. The year list, I mean, is moving along nicely at 211. That figure includes, however, birds that haven't yet featured in the diary. So let's catch up with them all now.

Bank Holiday Monday 6th May

Off early towards Holmfirth to try to find the crossroads on Cartworth Moor by Elysium Farm. To my surprise I parked on a grass verge near to where I needed to be [I thought] and walked 200 metres over a rise and found a few cars, scopes and birders. There was a better way to get there but nonetheless, I was there. And so were 7 golden plover. All rather distant in the middle of a very large grass field.

Having brought camera and bins from the car I walked back, drove down the deeply rutted track and parked with the other cars. I learnt there was a much easier way back.

Soon there were a dozen golden plovers [and a few lapwing, a wheatear, meadow pipits and a yellow wag] out there. A new birder arrived, set up his scope and declared: 'She's just dropped in! How about that for timing?'

Now long standing readers [perhaps I should say reader for I only know of one!] will remember that category of photograph known as a cuckoo type picture. Well, here's one. Long distance dotterel.

Dotterel Molehills, 5 goldies and a dot in the middle back!

I eventually decided to move on. Edderthorpe Flash was advertising freshly delivered wood sandpiper. I hit the motorways and was there fairly quickly. The woodsand didn't show immediately but after about half a pleasant hour sitting on a bench scoping the flash I found it with a couple of redshank. Long distance scope job I'm afraid, so no photos. Equally no photos on the walk back of the 2 green woodpeckers I disturbed unseen on the ground in front of me as I walked painfully along the old ballast of the former railway line. Isn't it about time Edderthorpe was turned into a proper reserve with PATHS?! Still, that took me in a morning from 206 to 209.

I finished my day at Old Moor. Things were pretty quiet there. I photographed 2 birds that get overlooked: a smart male gadwall....

Gadwall ...and a canada gosling. Hi there!

Canada Gosling

Tuesday May 7th

Saltholme and Co in search of pecsand and, so the plan went, later on I hoped for whinchat and cuckoo up at Scaling Dam. Some plans work, some fail miserably and others just evolve into the unexpected. There was no sign of a pecsand at North Gare. [I was told later that it had gone. That was wrong too: it turned up again later that evening, 'distantly' apparently.] Anyway, crows are notoriously tricky to approach - apart from this chap, photographed from Tiggy. Must admit, I like this picture.

Crow I moved south about 150 metres to the Zinc Works Road. I cruised up and down. My eyes spotted a tiny bird on the fence. I drove closer. It dropped down out of sight but soon popped back up. It still wasn't 8am. Sunning himself, all rather fluffed up. I wasn't sure what it was.

Whinchat Whinchat I took lots of very similar pictures but was getting nowhere. Sort of whinstone chat?

Whinchat Supercilium is not exactly strong but this poor quality photo clinched it: the tail shows it's a whinchat.

Whinchat Next I walked the railway path at Dorman's Pool. Plenty of action there: at least 10 sedge warblers singing, whitethroat present but less showy, a lesser whitethroat spotted in the willows, linnets and, oh yes, nearly forgot, a bold wren... Time for a sedge portfolio I fear. Great birds!

Sedge Warbler Sedge Warbler Sedge Warbler Ringed!Sedge Warbler Sedge Warbler Linnet Wren Phil Stead hide at Saltholme for a coffee. A starling was catching the sunshine looking very iridescent.

Starling Down to the fire station field next where a whitethroat was performing display flights. I decided to see if I could 'still' a flying whitethroat...

...sometimes he perched high up in a dead tree...

Whitethroat Whitethroat Beyond my wildest expectations!Whitethroat Eventually headed for Scaling Dam after another hour at the roadside trying to find an invisible Temminck's stint at Saltholme. Glimpses of 3 woodsands as they flew off.

Nice time in the hide at Scaling - watching common sandpipers and LRPs.

Common Sandpiper Ringed in more ways than one!!Little Ringed Plover Up on a fence boundary I saw 2 cuckoos - male and female together. They called off and on all afternoon. Two ticks then: whinchat and cuckoo. [Plan sort of worked!] But the other birds were great too.

I decided to walk along Boghouse Lane: a birder in the hide told me to head up the left-hand valley for green hairstreak butterflies. This would be a first for me, so I decided to try my luck.

There were lots of willow warblers. You could be forgiven for thinking this is a whitethroat, I think, but when it turned it's obvious it's a willow warbler. Especially as it sang a willow warbler song!!

Willow Warbler Willow Warbler As I walked the Air Ambulance passed overhead. It returned about 10 minutes later. I hope whoever needed it was going to be all right.

Air Ambulance

After about 20 minutes I reached the valley and wandered along the path among the heather. Little birds kept disappearing in front of me. pipits I suspect. Something dark moved at my side and then landed, wings folded. Green hairstreak butterfly.

Green Hairstreak More willow warblers on the walk back. It wasa very good day with wonderful summer weather. More please!!

Willow Warbler 211 UK 2013