Welcome to my birding blog - first launched 12th March 2012...
01.01.15ff
Let's go birding 2015!
A slow start
Barry and I decided to stick to our January 1st tradition and go to Hartlepool area to see how many different birds we could see to kick-start our year list. We debated whether to go for the little bustard but decided not to. Regrets? No, not really - as we set off we didn't know if it would still be around.
The weather was not great but we saw over 60 birds including goosander, long-eared owl, parakeets, purple sandpipers and, perhaps best of all, the Redcar velvet scoters [plus common scoter] and long-tailed ducks.
January 2nd I headed Bridlington way but the bustard had gone. Generally all was quiet and very windy on the coast. I photographed some rock pipits at South Landing.
Later I headed inland to Blacktoft. I wonder what frightened off the mallards?
Marsh and hen harriers were seen. Practising levitation...
January 4th at Fairburn Ings for a couple of hours. Camera in hand in good light I snapped away at a few fairly common birds. Tufted duck...
Barry fed some left-over bread to the black-headed gulls. Time for total chaos!
Long-tailed tits came to the feeder area.
...as did a friendly robin who wanted to be photographed by all the visitors!
Up in the trees fieldfares and greenfinch were spotted.
Saltholme 11th January
We set off late morning and spent some time in the hides. Phil Stead hide was very quiet; a shelduck and a redshank were seen. We moved on to the watchpoint hide.
I photographed some of the smaller birds. Nice bokeh!
We met another reed bunting out on our walk while looking for stonechats.
Late afternoon near the fish dock, Barry spotted our glaucous gull land on the quayside.
January 12th: Scaling Dam
Well in truth I started at Redcar looking for the black redstart again but couldn't locate it. I did see my first pied wagtails of the year! Up at Scaling I saw marsh tits and brambling. Later that afternoon as the light failed I was pleased to meet stonechats at Skinningrove - no photos of them I'm afraid... Still, here's a couple from Scaling, including a leucistic coot!
Record shot at some distance - and then cropped.
January 13th: Swinefleet
Reading Gate Road to be precise. Seven swans and all Bewick's!
All quiet at Blacktoft. The rats were happy!
January 14th: West Yorkshire Tour
I started at Mixenden reservoir because the pager confirmed early on that the great northern diver was still present.
The whole area was covered by an inch of snow and looked wonderful in the sunlight.
I soon spotted the diver. With an exact knowledge of geometry it was equidistant from the shore no matter which direction you approached it from!
A kestrel landed in a nearby pine tree.
Next stop Pugney's to seek the smew. Never found it although I walked forever... Saw 30+ great crested grebes, pochards by the score. Here's Sandal Castle from the main lake at Pugney's.
A few goldeneye were about: this female was on the River Calder.
I always find carrion crows difficult to approach - they fly off or do that bouncing run and keep their distance. For once I found a friendly crow. Enjoy!
I walked to the nature reserve lake - more pochards and great crested grebes.
We think they're asleep but they are watching you!
Female pochards get little attention but they are much less common than their brighter male counterparts. I counted 3 to over 20 males.
Saving the best till last, but it actually happened that way. Final stop on Wednesday 14/1 was at New Swillington Ings, walking down the causeway from Mickletown. I expected a long and possibly fruitless walk looking for a black-necked grebe late in the afternoon but decided to give it a go. The causeway was passable but only just. Two-thirds of the way along I spotted something other than the ubiquitous coots.
My best shot.
Thanks BNG!
Walking back in the fading light I spooked a little egret from the reedbed.
Current 2015 total: 98
30.11.14-29.12.14
End of the innings
Final score 267 [year list UK] for 9 [lifers]
It seems a long time since I posted any news. That's not because I haven't been out birding but because when I did get out it was often not for a bird that was easily photographed. Additionally I have been a little tied up at home while we had some fairly major building work completed. Nonetheless I did see the following since the isabelline wheatear at Seaton Carew: the Blyth's pipit [Is there anyone left who hasn't seen the flying dart?], my first woodcock of the year, the Richard's pipits and a glaucous gull. And who'll be there on New Year's Day to see the pipit again? Not I. We are off to Hartlepool to kick start our year list. 75 to beat [2013: it was a mere 71 in 2014].
I also had a few trips out when I saw very little - of which more as we go along. Finally I will finish with my view of my highlights this year - and of my targets for next. Revealing them to my readers will spur me on! But first of all...
Sunday 30th November
I failed to find the short-eared owls at Buckton for the second time. The weather really wasn't fit anyway. The best I managed was a juvenile sparrowhawk at the Bempton feeding station.
We now leap forward to the 14th of December having left home just for a couple of hours to see the Blyth's pipit do 3 fly-rounds on the 8th. On the 14th Barry and I spent an afternoon at Blacktoft where we saw 2 grey male hen harriers and one ringtail. The photos, alas, are limited to some flyover greylags and a marsh harrier in the late afternoon light. The less said about my hen harrier efforts the better!
Our next sortie was to Cleethorpes to try to see some shore larks and snow buntings. Not year ticks for me but nice photo-opps.
Friday 19th December
Barry and I went to Cleethorpes. I found Buck Beck car park from memory among the Fitties of Humberston. We immediately saw birders down on the shore and some snow buntings in the air. At times the light was really nice...
There were plenty of shelduck about too.
Christmas Eve 2014
We went up to Saltholme and visited our normal sites but saw little of note. See Barry's blog for his version! http://barryjohnbishop.blogspot.co.uk/
A drake teal and a fieldfare at the Wildlife Watchpoint at Saltholme were all I could manage.
We've definitely been in north-east mode recently. Our last 2 trips of the year took us to Redcar and Hartlepool for some nice birds...
Boxing Day 2014
Redcar by the cinema looking for a black redstart. Soon found but then lost away over the rooftops.
We went down onto the beach and found all sorts but especially a group of velvet scoters...
Flashing those white wing panels.
Common scoters were around too.
Oystercatchers flew along the shoreline close to us.
This greenfinch was at Saltholme.
At South Gare Barry fed the gulls - mainly black-headed but mixed in were a few common gulls. I concentrated on the latter...
In fact the last few days of 2014 became a bit of a gull fest, as you will see!
The final curtain call of 2014: December 29th at Hartlepool
After an abortive visit to Nosterfield for lesser white-fronted geese that have not been reported since the 28th [so it is a mystery where they went or if they were ever there at all]......we had missed the glaucous gull by the time we arrived at Hartlepool.
I was probably visibly disappointed but decided to make the best of it. I photographed this juvenile herring gull in the car park at the fish dock.
Since the glaucous had disappeared we decided to come back later and headed for Newburn Bridge. My old friend, lamp-post loving Medusa was present and put on a good show in good light.
Returning to the fish dock area, Barry spotted a fishing boat pulling a large trail of gulls behind it. Moreover he spotted our target bird. It soon disappeared round the corner into the fish dock proper. We were privileged to be invited inside the electric gates to photograph this confiding bird. Here it is!
We left it in peace as it walked off into next year...
So, to sum up...
267 year ticks = worst year since 2008. But a very good year for photographs and some cracking birds including 9 lifers. My highlights would be the big shearwaters [great and Cory's] plus the hoopoe, red-necked phalarope, little terns at Crimdon Dene and the Lockwood osprey. Of those only the shearwaters were lifers. Site of the year: Sand Point Lane, Sunderland: siberian lesser whitethroat and olive-backed pipit!
Here are just a few reminders...
..and finally a reminder of summer days to come...
Targets to spur me on:
1: photograph 15 more species of British Birds to get to 300 -and improve some of the ones I have photographed.
2: see 300 birds again.
3: 10 lifers in UK
4: website hits to reach 20,000 and BirdGuides photo votes to reach 6,000
See you next year!
Best wishes to all my readers, everywhere.
Chris
13th November ff
Quietening down? Or is there still life in the old year?
Thursday 13th November
South Landing's water pipit seems to hide away when I try to find it. So I tried again at high tide in a roaring gale. The pipits kept coming to the outfall at the end of the road where later on I parked to escape the bitter wind.
I suspect my best possible is still a rock pipit. But I enjoyed the other birds...
It's a bar-tailed as it frequently proved as it was easily spooked into flight but always returned to the same general area.
By lunchtime I was shooting into the sun. Quite effective.
Curlew flew past several times.
Cormorants braved the heavy seas constantly disappearing beneath the waves.
As for the pipits, put it this way, if nobody had suggested there was a water pipit about I'd have happily accepted them all as rock pipits. Perhaps I'm just not yet a good enough pipitologist!
Anyway here's my paler bird that looked brighter than the ''darkling rocks...' [Tennyson] He's bulkier too!
..and in flight too.
Sunday 16th November
Barry and I started at Hayburn Wike looking for a Richard's pipit but we dipped there. At Filey Brigg we saw some eider, red-throated divers, little auks and pomarine skuas. Very pleased to see them.
Then at Bempton, Buckton end, we waited for the short-eared owls to show. They didn't! My only pictures of the day were of the fungi Barry spotted!
Saturday 22nd November
I went up to the north-east, Hartlepool area, and wandered around my normal sites. Nothing particular to report. I ended up in Albert Park to see if the jays were still about. Three still present but too skittish to get anywhere close. I photographed this tufty on the lake.
Shortly after this I managed to lock my car keys inside Tiggy. Green Flag were summoned but they failed to gain entry. In the end my friend Barry, whom I can never thank enough, drove all the way up from York with the spare keys. The end of a rather embarrassing day!
Monday 24th Novemberr
On the evening of the 23rd an isabelline wheatear was reported on the beach at the end of the Zinc Works Road, Seaton Carew near Saltholme. I set off by 10am to see if it was still around after sorting out a few things at home. The bird was very confiding and the pictures probably say it all.
First view just to make sure in case it promptly flew off. [This has happened to me more than once!]
Cheers!
Twitch on the beach!
UK lifer 409. Year count 2014 263
9TH & 10TH NOVEMBER 2014
A Tale of Three Colours... [and a shade!]
1. Citrine
Sunday 9th November: Barry had the morning free so we set off at 7 a.m. prompt for Danes Dyke beach, Flamborough. Strangely I hadn't been there before and we drove round twice before finding the car park! Don't ask! A few birders came up from the beach and confirmed the citrine wagtail was still present. Luckily things were still pretty quiet and we had stolen a march on the crowds who would follow. Soon found the wagtail as it flew past Barry. And then back again to where it came from. Say no more...
What's this, then? I spotted a bird at the cliff base.
Target bird!
An hour at South Landing looking for water pipit proved fruitless. We saw one possible down on the rocks with the rock pipits but couldn't get decent views. Water pipits are generally more easily flushed than rock pipits so this bird may well have been the one we sought but we'll never know!
2. Pink
On Monday I decided to head for Formby and Downholland Moss to seek out the snow goose that had been widely reported. On arrival at the site I saw no birds. I cruised the general area on narrow, subsiding roads. Eventually, arriving back where I started I heard geese [I had the car window down]. In they came! Pink feet!
I came back a couple of times to see if there had been any new groups coming to join the flock but no snow goose came. In between times I headed for nearby Formby NT where I remembered a colony of red squirrels clings on protected by NT's heavies who keep the greys at bay!
3.Red
The light in the pinewood was very poor on this dull day and I had to shoot at 1250 ISO [a new experience for me] and still only managed shutter speeds of 1/80th or 1/125th. Many images were too blurred to use but here's some of the nice ones I liked. Reds are restless, constantly chasing, much faster and slighter than greys. But photogenic definitely!
The first shot was from the car.
Although they are red squirrels this static population does have some very dark 'black' red squirrels but still clearly not like the black grey squirrels of southern England. Below: a 'black' grey squirrel.
Note the ear tufts on the darker red squirrel: below a Formby 'black' red squirrel.
Back to the Formby reds.
Recently my wife said that you don't see monkey nuts any more. I know where they've gone!!
06.11.14
Sometimes you go for one bird and you get another!
South Landing beckoned with possible water pipit and citrine wagtail. In spite of several hours' careful search neither bird was located. A couple of birders tried to convince themselves a rock pipit was a water pipit. There were plenty of rock pipits to watch plus wagtails but no citrine. However Dave Aitken put me onto the passing groups of little auks soon after I arrived. I saw 28 in all which after 3 singletons over the years was rather spectacular! Photographing them as they hurtled north along the tideline was tricky but i had a go.
After seeing several groups of 4, or 5 little auks pass us by I went in search of the pipit and wagtail. I soon found lots of rock pipits.
This one showed up well against the white stones as if it were standing in a huge mass of white birds' eggs!
After an hour I climbed back up to the car park to put more money in the meter as I decided it was worth spending more time there. A squirrel was huddled in the cold wind on a lichen-encrusted branch .
I was soon back among the pipits. A grey wagtail joined in.
Some birders were looking skyward at a kestrel hovering along the cliff top.
Cue kestrel photos!
A birder I'd been chatting to spotted a little auk on the water.
As the tide was slowly coming in the bird drifted nearer the shore.
Sometimes it headed out into the oncoming tide.
By going out onto the rocks I think you get the impression we're well out to sea!
Lovely little bird. I hope it made it.
UK 2014 now 259 and, incidentally the little auk was the 281st species of bird I've photographed in Britain. Not a lot of people know that!