Welcome to my birding blog - first launched 12th March 2012...
25th September 2023 ff
I wonder what will pop up next?
Spurn and Blacktoft: 25th September
Kilnsea was quiet in terms of rarities but there were plenty of birds. Among all the greylag geese I picked out some pinkfeet.
A juvenile spoonbill was trying to persuade its mother to feed it but she'd had enough and clearly thought it was time for the youngster to fend for itself.
Back-lit roe deer in the field behind the hide.
Wandering slowly north to Blacktoft was my next plan but a mega announcement on Bird Guides woke me up as the mega was at Blacktoft. I was short of time and the world and his friend were at Blacktoft when I arrived. I headed for Singleton, knelt down and watched the sharp-tailed sandpiper before taking some shots. Then after brief chat with Ian who said he'd been trying to get in touch with Barry about the sandpiper I headed home.
Among my photos was a curlew sandpiper
The sharp-tailed sandpiper
Long Nab, Pipe Gully: 27th September
Longer walk than some of the reports suggested but it was a lovely morning near Long Nab north of Scarborough and I soon spotted the group of birders on the cliff top overlooking the gully.
Here's the eastern olivaceous warbler - first view. Someone said 'By the white flower!' I laughed as there were many white bindweed flowers to choose from but, I presume, looking through his scope the speaker could only see one white flower!
Zoomed in! Although very active we had excellent views of the bird in the shrubs just a little below us in the gully.
214 UK 2023
September 14th - September 20th 2023
Cattle, Woods and Pier
September 14th: New Flash, Fairburn
The report on my pager said there were 14 cattle egrets at Fairburn. I re-read the message. Was it for real? I decided to go and have a look just in case. It was indeed a spoof message as I only saw 13 cattle egrets!! Probably more in one shot than I'd ever seen before in total in my life.
Here's the whole group.
September 15th: Bempton
I headed to Bempton hoping to see the short-eared owls that have been showing well in the area behind Bartlett viewpoint.
After standing by the cliff but facing inland [which seemed to mystify some of the visitors] I detected movement with an owl- like flight pattern. Very distant so I headed up the path that runs alongside the owl fields. I had already selected where I might stand. No-one there when I arrived. Here are the shorties.
Plus a tree sparrow.
September 16th: Newburgh Priory lake
Report of wood ducks at Newburgh was interesting although any birds would be of doubtful provenance. I was sufficiently curious to have a look. Female or immature. Eventually a smart looking male appeared.
September 20th: South Gare
I went three times to South Gare in the hope of seeing the booby up close. The first 2 visits were in the afternoon and were unsuccessful. A wryneck also evaded my attempts to spot it near a sycamore on cabin rocks. So the third [a morning] attempt was to be my last. The weather deteriorated as the morning progressed. I resorted to snapping ships...
...a passing juvenile gannet, a great black-backed gull...
By now I was sheltering from the gale under a building and occasionally going back to the car which I had positioned in view of the old pilot pier. Suddenly I saw two men get down flat on the ground, supporting their cameras on propped elbows. I had seen no new birds arrive watching through the bins in the car. I hurried down the slope. It was now raining. Then hailstones. Looking through the viewfinder I was unsure what was what but the general excitement was enough. By the way the photos seem to manage to not show the weather conditions at all although admittedly I have brightened the images where necessary.
Brown booby
211 UK 2023
2nd September ff 2023
The big prize? No!
September 2nd: North Cave
Red-necked phalarope reported at North Cave along with a curlew sandpiper and spotted redshanks.
Spotshanks
Phalarope and curlew sandpiper
Common sandpiper and migrant hawker dragonfly
September 4th: Hunmanby Gap
You guessed: it's the booby prize!
Brown booby reported at Hunmanby Gap. Since then it has been seen by many, notably at South Gare. Here it is from the clifftop at Hunmanby Gap car park. Can you spot it in the uncropped third picture?
September 10th: Colton Bridge
Having learnt that the Flying Scotsman would be leaving York at 10am I was in position on the bridge to see her charge by.
208 UK 2023
August 20th 2023 ff
The latest batch
In my last report I sort of promised a stock dove photo then forgot to include one. So here it is - from Blacktoft on 6th August.
Ok. Next outing was to Spurn...
August 20th: the canal gave me my first good bird of the day: a juvenile red-backed shrike
One of several wheatear seen at Sammy's and at Kilnsea Wetland.
Whinchat distant on fence in horse field at Sammy's Point.
Swallow just outside the hide at Canal Scrape.
Wheatear at Kilnsea Wetlands
August 21st: trip north of Newcastle to see the red-necked grebe at Widdrington Moor reservoir. Difficult to locate as vegetation has grown up a lot since my last visit but help from a regular local birder found it eventually. Also a greenish warbler seen elusively by many birders at Cresswell Pond in the hedges approaching the hide.
August 23rd: a trip to Tophill Low to see the blue-winged teals [there were 2 birds] on South Marsh East. Yellow wagtail seen from another hide on the walk back.
Also photographed on my walk back: small tortoiseshell and red admiral on buddleia.
Later I drove over to Flamborough and visited Thornwick Pools. A sparrowhawk was on the lookout for a meal.
It kept flying round the pool and diving into the reeds. Nothing caught but the two dunlin soon left.
To my surprise just when I thought the dunlin were flying back it turned out that the two birds that then dropped in were wood sandpipers.
A heron caught a fish...
...and I almost trod on a baby toad.
August 30th: A trip up to Redcar to see the caspian gulls off Marske roundabout but they were definitely not there! I spotted a pair of waders in the surf so I decided to try to get a little closer.
Bar-tailed godwits.
Common terns were present too.
Finally I turned to head back to the promenade. In my way were some ringed plover. Quite tame and unruffled...
A dark juvenile gull flew past me.
205 UK 2023
July 29th- 9th August 2023
A few more steps along the road...
''I'll start with a visit to Blacktoft Sands...
July 29th: a reported curlew sandpiper was a long way off from Marshland hide and, to add insult to injury, the bird was keen to show me a reverse view when I eventually worked out where it was! [Centre of image, left of godwit]
Black-tailed godwit and marsh harriers.
August 6th: Blacktoft Sands again:
Green sandpipers, spotted redshanks, stock dove and other bits and pieces
August 7th Nosterfield Quarry site 1:
Lapwings, gulls a few other birds but no osprey. I'll try again soon!
August 9th: Nosterfield Quarry site 2
Osprey - not as close as I would like but still... Well pleased.
Wild plum
Comma
Any ideas?
House martin - rear view - they're all the rage!
August 12th: In our garden
Maybe it knew the date and thought keeping a low profile in a private garden was an excellent idea... A grey partridge was wandering round the garden. Fairly near the house it was spotted by Sheila who called me certain, as she rightly was, that she'd never seen one in the garden before.
All this came after another encounter earlier in the day when she spotted a female sparrowhawk perched on the greenhouse roof. I was just coming out through the garage side door and had a brilliant view. Sparrowhawks are quite often seen - usually zipping low over the garden; not often perched in full view like today.