A young ruffian amongst other things!

January 3rd: Sleddale Chevrons

Sheila and I went to the chevrons hoping for the juvenile rough-legged buzzard. Quite a few local birders present. I was lucky to spot a bird land in a tree just right of the bend at the top of the chevrons. Everyone else was looking up the valley. I ran up the hill from where we were parked shouting ''What's in the tree?'' Soon confirmed: rough-legged buzzard. Also seen: 2 reds - red kite pair and red grouse. We went on to Lockwood Beck and then Redcar where we picked up some more year ticks.

January 4th: Hartlepool

Hardwick Hall for the red-crested pochard was my first call. Asleep out in the middle of the lake! Then pinkfeet at Cowpen Bewley beet field. Greatham Creek gave me blackwit, greenshank and stonechat. Eider at the Headland and a really close red-throated diver juvenile at Newburn Bridge.

January 5th: Lemonroyd Sewage Works, Swillington Ings and Fairburn

Swillington Ings had half a dozen goosanders on Lemon Royd Lake. A black-headed gull was close and, although often ignored, the species can make a nice image. Fabulous views through the sewage works netting of 2 water pipits, one of which stood still whilst Sheila and I watched the rotating arms go round and round, occasionally obscuring the bird. A very pale specimen - quite a few meadow pipits present too.
We moved on to Lin Dike, Fairburn where we saw peregrine on a pylon and a great white egret popping in and out of the ditches.

January 7th: Ingleby Barwick and Hartlepool Headland

I'd never been to Ingleby Barwick before. Basically it's a new town but its attraction was a group of waxwings at The Rings, just beyond the little co-op car park. Here they are. Pretty quiet on the Headland. Common seal being typically nosy! Winter guillemot and red-throated diver present too. First dunlins of the year at Newburn Bridge - not photographed.

January 8th: Castle Howard Great Lake

Red-necked grebe came reasonably close in fading light.

January 9th: Disappointment at Scarborough and Bempton - finished the day at Blacktoft

Not a fulmar, diver or gannet to be seen anywhere. The cliffs at Bempton were deserted. Just jackdaws. One lonely guillemot in Scarborough harbour.

Distant harriers at Blacktoft plus a barn owl that flew past the hide and took me completely by surprise! Snipe seen too. Sunny greenfinch.

January 11th: Flying Scotsman arriving in York - followed by a trip to North Duffield

Whooper swans. Good to see some juveniles. Also saw black swan, green sandpiper and ruff.

117 UK 2019

New Year's Day Snaps!

I suppose it's my own little private bird race. Main target this year was to do better than last year's 64 species. In fact I managed 73, just 2 short of my best year ever which was in 2013.

I started early and met up later with Barry by which time I had over 30 birds under my belt as it were. Parakeets in the park - Ward Jackson park to be precise. Hartlepool Headland for turnstone, rock pipit, eider, curlew and oystercatcher, red-throated diver, guillemot and Mediterranean gull to mention just a few! Barry was keeping his total noted down.

Newburn Bridge had a few nice waders in the sunshine.

Saltholme had quite a few more year ticks for us. I had never seen such large numbers of barnacle geese there before. A cracking start to 2019!

73 UK 2019

Skininngrove: 27/12

I went to see a friendly slavonian grebe that was just off the pier. As I walked towards the pier [no sign of any bird near the pier] I encountered 2 pairs of stonechats. Although I saw the females they were very nervous and soon dived into the rock armour. The males were happy to pose whilst trying to catch flies.

One male flew across the path in front of me and perched on the undergrowth.

A birder who had seen the bird told me what I needed to do to see the bird... I had to scramble up onto a concrete platform at the end of the pier [just passed a sign saying ''Access Prohibited'']. Not long after I had accomplished this feat the bird swam round to the side of the pier rendering my exertions unnecessary! Oh, well, nice bird anyway.

I was still under the weather so happy to have seen this bird I headed home. Looking back from the 'promenade' the bird was right out in the bay by this time.

Beech Avenue Flamborough 28/12

A group trip: Sheila, Barry and moi. We called at Bempton [which was closed] and walked down to the cliffs. Birds were low down over the water and a long way off. Fulmars, herring gulls, a few gannets.

Nice day, good views: looking south from Bempton Cliffs RSPB

My main target was to try [again] to see the pied crow. We cruised Beech Avenue slowly to the annoyance of other vehicles using the road as a rat run to North Landing. Amazingly we saw the crow almost immediately. Barry said: what's this? Boom! Taken through the windscreen just in case.

In fact the bird is very cautious and all my shots were from the car. We saw it three times but it never perched up for long. Here's a few photos of a bird I've never seen before. Not counting it as a lifer as its provenance is a very grey area. [But counted in my year list because, as they say, it's my list!] Finally from South Landing a couple of shots - white-faced wagtail with toupee and rock pipits. On the way back up the slope to Tiggy I saw movement in the bramble scrub below. Eventually I managed to locate a warbler, presumably a chiffchaff. It was very far away and I didn't have my big lens on. Still here's a record shot.

263 UK 2018