Welcome to my birding blog - first launched 12th March 2012...
7th April-26th April 2015
Cornucopia - a bit of everything!
Before I begin here's a little brain teaser. Name this butterfly! More of this and an explanation much later!
...and here's an oddity from home. This collared dove apparently fell asleep on one of our garden seats! Good job the cat was asleep too! [Photo by Sheila]
Tuesday 7th April: a day at Blacktoft and Old Moor
It all began rather quietly. A female pheasant walked down to Reception with me...
I sat in Marshland. The lagoons were pretty quiet. A pair of great-crested grebes were displaying half-heartedly.
Suddenly something put everything up down at Ousefleet. The waders began to head my way...
Can you spot the black-tailed godwit?
It's still in there!
Here come the godwits...
Avocets can be a bit like wallpaper or RSPB wrapping paper perhaps...
I moved on to Old Moor. This little grebe was very photogenic!
As was this pochard. Good light helps enormously. Not enough of it in the UK!
All in all a lovely day: the blackthorn was in blossom...
...and butterflies were on the wing.
Wednesday 8th April
Barry and I had a rather unproductive day at Spurn apart from a nice little firecrest. I snapped at a few geese.
A bit better than greylags were these brents.
This brassica was in flower - probably white mustard or charlock which are very similar.
Saturday 11th April
A trip to Flamborough to see a disreputable duck! Dismissed by all as an exotic escape, some locals said: "Even if it is right - and it's unringed - no-one will ever accept even a genuine bird, there's so many escapees!" So there. Pretty bird anyway.
It was blowing a gale. This kestrel on the clifftop was simply trying to get out of the wind.
I did see the alpine swift whilst I was there but didn't get a photo.
Monday 13th April
I went to Swillington Ings to see the black-necked grebe again. Here's what it looked like last winter -same place, probably same bird...
...and here it is now!
I called at Lin Dike and saw this slightly grumpy looking chiffchaff.
Tuesday 14th April
To Ousefleet at Blacktoft but saw little of note. Lapwings were careering about overhead...
...and shelduck were quite close to the hide.
Ended up at Skipwith Common looking for woodlark or anything else! I only came across the longhorns.
Saturday 18th April
Barry and I began our day at North Cave. A common sandpiper came close.
Wrens...
and willow warblers entertained us.
Barry found quite a few late bramblings which really surprised me.
A bit closer. Nice one!
Sunday 19th April
Barry and I got out again for a trip to Swillington. I hoped he could catch up with the black-necked grebes. We did. Later a wagtail got in my lens!
My next trip out was on
Wednesday 22nd April.
I drove up to Dorman's Pool area hoping for warblers such as whitethroat and grasshopper. No luck. Recently I seem to meet a lot of wrens!
Here's another one the next day at Fairburn, Lin Dike, perched really high up an ash tree.
While I was there I saw another duck of ill repute - a ruddy shelduck. But it's unringed and in the wild and aren't most ruddy shelducks of a somewhat shady origin? Female.
Saturday 25th April took me first back to Dorman's Pool for no good reason! A sedge warbler was scraping away...
...and yet another wren was in competition.
Then I headed south for better weather determined to explore Lowther Lake before the rain. I took the transporter bridge with its new cradle. Enjoy, Barry!
Here comes the answer to the question I posed earlier.
Follow the sequence...
Female orange-tip spotted by male orange-tip...
Cardamine pratensis is better known as Lady's Smock or Cuckoo flower or Milkmaids. They grow well at Lowther Lake and are a food plant of- you guessed- the orange-tip.
Sunday 26th April
I don't give up easily and so I went back to Skipwith Common for a third attempt to see the wood larks. This time I was bright and early. I got out of the car, photographed the bird and carried on to North Cave and later Blacktoft! It was that easy!
Long-tailed tits greeted me at North Cave.
A redshank paddled along in front of South Hide.
At Blacktoft the marsh harriers were coming quite close which led to some of my best ever shots of Blacktoft harriers.
Avocets flew past and some shelducks chased off a pochard for some reason...
We're after you!
More harrier action including an attack on a mallard.
A heron dropped in.
Got something!
Swallowing.
Bet you can't see me!!
It flew off.
A peacock was sunning itself as we walked from hide to hide. A butterfly, I mean!
Barry hoped these might be whimbrel but I think they are curlews. Males have shorter bills than females. Males perhaps!
I managed a long-distance photo-lock on a sedge warbler through the reeds. Worked out nicely!
I walked back to the car leaving Barry in the hide. A blackcap posed.
After I had left Barry saw a pair of Montagu's harriers. I went back on Tuesday 28th April bright and early. I was in the hide for 7.50am. The Montys obliged: distant but really good showing in the scope. A bit far for my 400mm lens but those readers who remember my so-called 'cuckoo photos' of very distant birds will realise this was the best I could manage! I think you get the feel of those narrow wings and longer tail. Battleship grey male too!
The female.
I headed next for North Cave but a pager report of dotterel at Todmorden by the roadside made me rethink my plans. After sorting out an incorrect road name I headed for Stone Lane up above Todmorden. I had a good trip. I mean a really good trip! Here it is x7!
On into May!
Saturday 2nd May
Barry and I made an early start for Spurn. We began at Beacon Ponds where we found our first target bird: 13+ little terns along with a couple of sandwich terns on a raft on the ponds. Whimbrel were also present in the fields. This egret was on the wetlands.
Swans flew over us.
Walking back to Tiggy I suddenly realised that I was staring at a wheatear atop a gatepost about 8 feet in front of me! The bird seemed puzzled by our presence and remained there for 3 or 4 minutes while we played with our cameras! Amazingly confiding bird.
A speed limit sign near the Crown & Anchor sported an alpine swift. What bird would you put on the signs near you?
Down among the bushes near Canal Scrape I spotted a whitethroat - a lesser in fact. Really pleasing and bird of the day for me!
And so I reach the end of this extravaganza. Must try to write shorter more frequent blogs - trouble is I keep going out birding!!
I saved a nice photo for the end simply because I really like it. Can't resist a black-necked grebe at any time of the year!
UK 2015 currently 206
..and counting!
30.03.15
To the Land of the Prince Bishops
Monday 30th March
I drove north to Cleasby to find Cleasby Gravel Pit. After walking off in entirely the wrong direction a villager put me on the right track. Gravel pit? It's huge, really huge. No sign of a garganey but it could have easily been out of view. I decided to get on with the main business of the day.
Heading for Stanhope and the general area where the white tailed eagle has been sighted. En route info came that it was near Bollihope. I had already planned to drive round the Bollihope circle and so I was particularly pleased to come across half a dozen Teesmouth birders I know well by sight. They were welcoming, explained that the bird had just disappeared over the ridge and then, within a minute of my arrival, I was looking through someone else's scope at the bird perched on the skyline.
I got the camera ready hoping it would fly a little nearer. It never came especially close but I managed a few flight shots - record shots but still a great spectacle.
Now what? I headed for Langdon Beck but called first at Ettersgill as I have twice met lone black grouse there. Not today, but fieldfares were gathering.
The redwings looked very pale in their spring finery but were a little too far away for a decent image.
I moved on to Langdon Beck where I soon spotted a few black grouse.
Lunch at Saltholme in Phil Stead hide. A few black-tailed godwits were in residence.
Wednesday 1st April
A late start brought me eventually to Tophill Low after meeting Barry at North Cave. We photographed grass snakes.
On the way home I stopped when I saw a barn owl ahead. It circled over the road...
...and landed in a field nearby...
.
..which brought a hare to my notice!
Friday 3rd April
A mixed bag kind of day. Garganey at Leventhorpe Pond. Lots of sand martins on the canal at Woodlesford Lock.
Saturday 4th April
Fairburn Ings, Lin Dike end. Cetti's warbler seen! Also: one swallow dropped in for a quick drink and continued east.
180 UK 2015
27.03.15
High Gloss Gonalston
A fairly quiet week. A trip to Alkborough Flats was ill-judged as an extremely high tide had dispersed all the birds. A cold wind added to the unlikelihood of seeing the smaller target birds, the beardies.
I moved on to North Cave where ringed plover were in evidence but no sign of little ringed plover which had been reported or misreported...
Grey wagtails and a couple of white wagtails were spotted among large numbers of piedwags.
Friday 27th tempted me on a nicer day down to Gonalston in Nottinghamshire for a long-staying glossy ibis. En route I called at Rufford CP but no sign of hawfinch.
I found the ibis with no difficulty as a few birders were in situ. The bird was fairly distant in a rather wet horse paddock.
Just to prove the point...through the horse's legs!!
The locals said the bird sometimes ''flies across the road and lands on these wet patches.'' This would mean the bird would be about 10 feet away just over a very low hedge. Seemed most unlikely to me. I was in the car looking at my maps when the bird did as prophesied. So here goes: dead close, great light, low ISO, almost luminous when it caught the sunlight. Brilliant!
However overall things are a bit too quiet for me. Time for a mega!!
176 UK 2015
12th March ff
Coltsfoot, skylark and petrosus v littoralis!
Thursday 12th March
A visit to Potteric Carr in search of bittern but I called at Broomhill Flash first to see a reported egyptian goose. When I arrived I was told it was still present but hiding in a dip on the far side of the flash. After about 20 minutes it appeared. Back to the bittern hunt at Potteric - which was not seen. In fact, not a lot was seen. I don't know why - perhaps it's me - but Potteric Carr always disappoints. A long walk for very little. But it was a pleasant afternoon. The coltsfoot [should it be coltsfeet?] were in bloom...
...the grebes were a-courting...
...and that was about it.
Saturday 14th March
Saltholme to try to find my first wheatears of the year. As I drove past Saltholme I spotted the snow goose on the grass not far from the roadside! Scopes were up on the bank in the car park watching...
Interesting to note that it has now moved out on to the marshes and is with the pinkfeet...
North Gare had lapwings...
...and thousands of gulls. Much as I love my rare gulls, I haven't the larophilic patience to spend hours looking through fields of gulls. But a glaucous gull had been reported so I thought a quick look wouldn't do any harm...
Always a pretty bird!
The wheatears were located in the car park area but were very nervous and quite distant. I sat in the car, put seed down near the top end of the car park and watched the skylarks.
Crest up!
I called at Saltholme before heading home. I've photographed this old lady before - she has a bad limp but has survived the winter ok.
Setting off homeward bound I went to see if the newly refurbished transporter bridge was operating. It was, so this video is just for you, Barry! Note the new cradle design.
Since then, on Sunday 15/3 I saw a great white egret near Saltmarshe Delph and then met up with Barry at North Cave where we saw our first sand martin and chiffchaff of the year.
Tuesday 17th March
A trip to Flamborough to see if I could find the scandinavian rock pipits among the ordinary ones. Apparently our resident birds are subspecies petrosus whilst the scandinavians are littoralis. These birds are more obviously coloured with greys, even almost pink flushes [allegedly] and an obvious supercilium...
This is an earlier photo of a local rock pipit:-
Here's some more scandinavians. I think the difference is clear enough.
Wednesday 18th March
Barry had the afternoon off so we went to Flamborough South Landing to look for a black redstart which we didn't see, alas, but which is still there this morning as I type this!
The scandinavian rock pipits were still present...along with lots of turnstones.
Here are a few more shots of the pipits.
The turnstones were quite flighty at times but after a quick sortie round the bay soon returned to a spot close by.
We moved on to the Lighthouse zone. The foghorn was deafening, blocking out the kittiwakes on the cliff.
Barry commented on this plant in flower near the cliff top. ''Smyrnium, I think'' I hazarded. It is indeed smyrnium olusatrum or common name Alexanders - introduced by the Romans. Interestingly I read the other day that the flora and fauna of the British Isles are relatively poor and rely heavily on introductions by people, birds, the wind etc compared with those countries not ravaged by the last ice age.
Lots of groups of gannets headed north.
UK 2015 174
10th March ff
Black tum, little ears and other tails...
Tuesday, March 10th. I took Tiggy to VW Knaresborough for an MOT. A stroll up the River Nidd from the caravan site by Grimbald Bridge soon brought a pair of grey wagtails - the first of 2015.
Soon done I headed home to pick up my lunch and then made for the east coast. The light was good so I thought I'd call at Harpham for the black-bellied dipper. My second visit but I fancied another go at photographing the bird. To my surprise a group of birders had it staked out only a few yards from the wooden footbridge!
Now what? A drive along the Wold lanes round Fimber to look for grey partridge only brought me red-legs. Time was passing so I headed for Buckton. The plan was to approach the cliffs up Hoddy Cows Lane to see if the walk was as hard a slog as some say it is.
Skylarks were in the furrows of the winter barley.
It's probably less interesting than the path from Bempton Cliffs but I did discover the other dell where the owls clearly hang out. After watching the main field and the Heligoland screen for a while I headed back towards the Buckton dell which is about 400m inland from the set-aside field. I was immediately rewarded. First of all the support acts: The Roe Deer, a new age sextet!
Then a quartet: The Yellowhammers.
The main act soon followed.
I edged closer on boggy ground. Wear wellies by the way - they should call it Muddy Cows Lane.
There were 2 birds. Both headed south-west but soon perched up. I didn't follow.
168 UK 2015