1st March to 18th March 2025
Softly, softly, catchee monkey
March 1st: I saw a couple of red-legged partridge at North Duffield but decided to leave for Blacktoft Sands where I bumped into Barry Bishop in Marshland hide. We watched a dunlin fly onto a nearby island.
March 15th: The pond at East Cottingwith proved hard to find initially as my directions were vague and I must have driven past a couple of times before I found it. I was looking for an American wigeon but I was amazed by the number of pink footed geese frequenting the pond. There must have been hundreds.
It took some time to spot the target bird but thanks to another birder who arrived after spotting my car at the roadside we got good views.
March 18th: St. Aidan's, Leeds to try again for the 2 grebes. Just after crossing the bridge over the River Aire I heard and then saw my first chiffchaff of the year.
This reminded me of another bird I had seen at the same spot on 27th February but I had not used the photo of a siskin in the same trees.
Still, the main purpose of today's walk was to try the left hand path round the western reedbed from the crossroads. In only a few minutes I found two black necked grebes.
Eventually I retreated and took the right hand path and came across 2 more black necked grebes. Swimming nearby was a third grebe. It looked longer necked and views in the scope confirmed it was the elusive slavonian grebe. Much further away and beyond the power of my lens. But I had a go!
No sign of the little owl at Odd-job but a kestrel was playing 'I'm over here now!' with a cameraman and his tripod. I tried to just point and shoot from further away.
Tiny OO9 narrow gauge 'Wren' type loco on model built by my son, Ian.
March 24th : Blacktoft Sands I tried the new Reedling hide where there were plenty of birds and I took photos of a marsh harrier but I wasn't impressed with the results! Moving on to Marshland hide where the birds looked a bit more interesting... Within a minute a birder had found a drake garganey and I was on it too until I realised the other birder from what he was saying was on a different garganey to the one I was watching. Two drake garganeys then.
Having seen the garganeys I was happy to relax and take pictures of the black-tailed godwits. Here's a small number I really liked.
