I just love to be out birding...

January 9th: Bempton Cliffs were quiet apart from the fulmars that were already well-established on the cliffs.

A robin sang to me in the car park and linnets were flying around over the set-aside crop area.

Goldfinches on the wire at the set-aside.

January 11th: Lockwood Beck feeder station held the usual regular birds plus a few bramblings.

Siskin

January 18th: Cowpen Bewley and Saltholme

Treecreeper, tree sparrow

Yellowhammer

January 18th: Seaton Snook and Saltholme

Twite photos were not really any good but these are twite in flight. You may just about detect their yellowish bills...

...but I was quite pleased with the golden plover photos as it's not a bird I have ever found it easy to approach.

Lunch break. Starling in the car park at Newburn Bridge. Fox on the ice at Saltholme

January 18th: The Zinc Works Road and Saltholme

Grey partridges. The partridge were really distant and the photos are extreme crops. I'm impressed you can tell they are grey partridges! 

Stonechat

I called briefly at Cowpen Bewley.

A water vole showed nicely at Saltholme Wildlife Watchpoint.

January 20th: A largely uneventful afternoon visit to Blacksoft Sands.

January 22nd: Saltholme again! Mallard and water rail on the ice

January 24th: Bempton Cliffs

Fulmars, very distant gannets. I was grateful to the two RSPB guides who pointed out the shag swimming in the deep shade below the cliffs.

A bridled bird

January 27th: A brief afternoon visit to Swillington Ings, starting at the Methley end. The causeway was stilll flooded and I retreated. Grey wagtail and meadow pipit at Lemonroyd sewage station but no sign of water pipit.

A light engine provided the only photo of the day!

I drove round to Oddjob but there was little to see. 

January 28th: Ingleby Barwick and The Rings. The waxwings were found relatively easily but getting decent pictures was difficult as the birds were perching in rather dense hawthorn and ash so I got lots of pictures like this one!

Quite happy with these!

107 UK 2023