Welcome to my birding blog - first launched 12th March 2012...
27th April to 2nd May 2024
Wags and Tits!
April 27th: Adwick upon Dearne
One of those days when you don't see what you hoped to see but nonetheless see something just as good. A black swan was some way away but flapped its wings showing off the white panels on them. I kept walking to the pool nearest to Bolton upon Dearne where I picked up a couple of yellow wagtails, my first of the year. A welcome find.
April 30th: Saltholme area; Hartlepool Headland and Blackhall Rocks
Egyptian geese close to the road at Holme Fleet.
Next stop would be Seaton Carew beach in the hope that some of the little terns were around and hadn't all gone out to sea to fish. The roped off area was deserted but I soon found some little terns on the shoreline nearby.
Just in case there was something interesting around I decided to call briefly at Hartlepool Headland. Near the entrance to the fish dock I spotted a dark shape near the end of the old pilot pier so I parked and walked down to check it out. Common scoter.
Something on the pager tempted me to go for a walk at Blackhall Rocks. I knew that with my hearing the chances of finding a grasshopper warbler were slim but whitethroat might be possible. It was mild with little wind so I set off.
I hope you can identify everything! Thanks to Carolyn Ferry and her friend I did see a very cooperative 'gropper'!
May 2nd & 5th: St. Aidan's RSPB
May 2nd I saw 2 bitterns in flight plus a bearded tit.
On May 5th a reported black-winged stilt made me pop over to St. Aidan's again but there was no sign and I met no one who was looking for it. However I did see 4 swifts and that certainly made my day. First of the year taking me to...
164 UK 2024
9th April 2024 ff
Wanderings...
April 9th: Blacktoft Sands
I went for an afternoon visit and as I approached reception Ian, a volunteer I've met a few times, came running pointing down towards Singleton hide. Eventually I gathered three cranes had been seen but hadn't come into view where he expected. He suggested I walk down towards Singleton hide. In fact I had only gone about a quarter of the way when three birds appeared in the sky. A case of shoot first and ask questions later.
Cranes and harriers
Otherwise the reserve was quiet - waiting perhaps for the tidal surge to close it down for a while and leave the wildlife in peace.
An avocet slept at Marshland and a Cetti's warbler frightened me by bursting into song next to where I was standing. I tried to focus but I was too close and when I started to move away it flew. [See blurred photo below]
Cetti's!
April 11th: North Cave Wetlands
Great crested grebes displaying, little grebes including a floating [just about] nest below South hide.
April 14th: Nosterfield and Saltholme
A long time since I saw so much water at Nosterfield. Common sandpipers seen and a ruff over on the far side Later I headed for Saltholme.
I sat for a while in the Wildlife Watchpoint hoping for water rail but no luck there. Little grebes swam past and pochard too.
Moving on to the meadow I realised there were many wheatears in the grass. At least fourteen. Mostly a bit out of reach of my lens. Here's a couple of one that came a little closer.
Barnacle goose and LRP from Saltholme Pools hide.
April 20th: North Cave
I had a good walk round the reserve but the only year tick I could positively identify was this blackcap.
April 21st: Nosterfield
Main targets were yellow wagtail and ruddy shelduck. Ruddy shelduck distant on Stoneybeck Lake. Bison resting on the hillside beyond the lake. They looked quite at home there. A long walk later round Castle lake produced no yellow wagtails unfortunately.
April 25th: Hartlepool
I parked about 300 metres from Wasdale Close and wandered through this modern housing estate. No sign of activity until I turned a corner near number 39 and saw about 30 birders keenly watching all the bushes and trees in the area. The bird had disappeared.
Birders are quite determined to get their bird whatever tactic is required. Like espionage...
...and someone had alerted the ladder brigade.
But Kevin, the house owner, invited people into his house so Peter Garbutt and I went in. I got a nice comfy seat near a window. And guess what else turned up!
Driving slowly South I called at the Zinc Works Road. White wagtail and a lapwing with a very erect crest. Note to driver: switch engine off before pressing shutter! Focus prefers it that way!!
Pied wagtail at Phil Stead hide, Saltholme
153 UK 2024
19th March to 3rd April 2024
North Cave to Lockwood Beck
March 19th: North Cave, Scarborough and Bempton
Let us begin at North Cave Wetlands. Coltsfoot and a cattle egret - increasingly common at reserves these days.
Black-headed gulls.
Peregrine on the cliffs on Marine Drive, Scarborough.
Razorbill, fulmar on the cliffs at Bempton.
Kestrel near the Visitor Centre.
March 25th: Visits to Blacktoft and St. Aidan's. Marsh harrier, black-tailed godwits and garganey at Blacktoft.
Sand martins at St. Aidan's.
When I arrived one of the little owls was visible but was partly masked by wires and metalwork of Oddjob. When I returned it was more in the open.
Blackthorn blossom.
April 2nd: Tophill Low. In Search of a kingfisher... View of reception hide, chiffchaff nearby, goldeneyes.
I met a man who told me the kingfishers were nesting up at Hempholme again so I didn't turn off for North Marsh but carried on through the woodland. Petasites hybridus or Butterbur.
Fritillary growing in a damp part of the woods.
Imagine my surprise when suddenly I spotted a large brown pig! The fencing for the enclosure for the two pigs is very low and one could easily imagine the pigs are simply on the loose. However it had no interest in me and grunted along quite happily.
When a bulrush finally explodes to shed its seeds the result is reminiscent of an eruption of toffee flavoured ice cream [a bit over the top perhaps!]
I reached the hide and waited about half an hour.
Male with an all black bill.
Rather pleased with the next two shots even if the tip of the bill is missing.
Changeover time. Female with orange on the bill.
April 3rd: Kildale and Lockwood Beck
Parked at my normal spot at Kildale. Wheatear seen briefly but no sight or sound of ouzel or red grouse. Lots of meadow pipits. This one seemed quite pale.
Back in the car and two grouse flew past me then, later, on the Three Howes Rigg road approaching Lockwood Beck from the South a red grouse was walking in the road as I approached. It flew off safely.
Lockwood feeders. Bramblings, siskins and greenfinch.
I had a two hour wait for the mealy redpoll. Only seen in the cage of this one feeder. When it flew it didn't perch within view so my photos are not as I would have liked. But it was good to see a mealy redpoll.
In the kitchen window
141 UK 2024
26.02.2024 to 9.03 2024
Spring!
26th February - 9th March
Spring has come!
The grass is riz!
I wonder where the daisies iz!
At least that's the version I remember from my childhood. There are many others, some probably better but I like mine because it takes me back to my younger days.
February 26th: A quiet day at home until Sheila announced there was a cock pheasant in the garden. I got the camera ready and crept down the garden. The bird was very nervous but I managed to position myself to take some shots.
Better views
February28th: Black-necked grebe at St. Aidan's RSPB. I managed to not see it after walking three-quarters of the way round Bowers Lake. I asked a birder if he'd seen the bird. It was hiding at the water's edge on the quarter I hadn't visited. Inevitably I went back.
March 6th: A trip to Bempton. Razorbills were absent from the cliffs and RSPB observers said they couldn't positively identify any on the water in the current misty conditions. They were probably out there somewhere!
A pair of puffins were present along with a single kittiwake on the section I visited. Plus a very vocal fulmar.
March 8th: Overnight in the garden...
In the happy, bucolic world of the hedgehog one imagines two hogs coming together to rub noses and discuss the weather or the availability of slugs and worms. It isn't always like that.
March 9th: I spotted a message on the pager that a red-necked grebe had been spotted at Burton Riggs YWT, Scarborough. I got myself ready and set off. Only a couple of birders present. The bird was soon located - hiding in some willows. It was perhaps scared off by a group of canada geese close by.
First views. After taking a good number of photos in the heavily shaded section of the north pool it eventually gave splendid views in the sunshine. Well worth the long wait. It's been a while since I had a really special encounter like this one. The descriptor 'Wow. What a bird!' was fully deserved.
127 UK 2024
3rd February - 23rd February 2024
The Pain in the Neck
After the recent storms there was a lot of debris in the garden from a large eucalyptus tree that dramatically shed a large branch from high up in the tree. It hung there for some days - beyond the reach of ladders and we watched it every day to see if it had fallen to earth. Eventually it did. I spent a day and a half lopping and pruning to reduce it to bags for the tip but in the end Malcolm came to saw up the largest timber plus some mimosa branches and everything went in a small skip which we ordered.
I think the constant repeated actions of lopping and pruning had an effect on me and one night in bed I must have moved awkwardly and something went in my neck - tendon, muscle, I've no idea but it hurt a lot, I couldn't easily move my head to the right and I had trouble sleeping as I was so restless. This curtailed my birding somewhat and I am now some way behind last year's total at this time. But I am much better and will avoid using the loppers and pruners for some time as I have had relapses after deciding I could resume my garden jobs. It's called 'getting old' I suppose.
Still, here goes - the latest [not terribly exciting] news:
February 3rd: A cattle egret was hiding in the reeds at Phil Stead hide at Saltholme. I watched it for some time through the camera viewfinder as I wanted to catch the bird as it flew out of the reeds. It took longer than I expected but eventually it did fly across the pool towards the fire station area.
In the meantime I did manage to photograph a pair of shelducks and a shoveler.
Hiding!
Flying!
Spoonbill on pool across from electricity substation
February 4th: from our bedroom window we watched a small group of roe deer.
February 5th: St Aidan's and...
Blacktoft
February 7th: Back to St. Aidan's to see bearded tits - several attempts but none successful. Moorhen and female pochard instead!!
February 12th: Spurn for waders from the gate at the end of the public road. Grey plover, knot, dunlin and all sorts seen in the scope but few photos that day. Whooper swans in a field on Easington Straight didn't work out too well. Taken from the car but the engine was running and none of my photos was pin sharp due to vibration I presume.
I like shovelers so here's another one! [Canal Scrape]
February 16th: annual early visit to Bempton.
A very prickly thistle rosette attracted me.
More traditional stuff
Guillemot in very harsh light at Scarborough harbour.
February 20th: saw an american wigeon south of Bubwith bridge on a distant [definitely ephemeral] spit on the large flood right of the river. Later at Saltholme saw my first avocets of the year. Photos from Cowpen Bewley feeders.
February 23rd: Gosh, it was cold at Greatham Creek and on my walk down to the tidal pools with camera bins and scope to test out my neck muscles. Pleased to confirm that neck is ok this morning 24/2/24] A birder said the greenshank was present half an hour earlier but no sign when I reached the pools. Three workmen near the pools and a white van probably didn't help. The spotted redshank was still there and a bar-tailed godwit near the road bridge on Greatham Creek was a nice surprise. My highlight of the day was a single shag in breeding plumage with a nice crest showing on the rocks at Hartlepool Headland.
After a visit to Cowpen Bewley feeders I went to Saltholme. The feeders had several visits from siskins which I had only seen once before a few days earlier.
So, siskin at Cowpen Bewley, pussy willow, teal and marsh harrier at Phil Stead, Saltholme followed by avocets [14 present but one was way off to the right: a sort of Billy No Mates avocet!] and golden plover [including interloper] down at Saltholme Pools hide. And an egret.
This marsh harrier photo almost looks like a drawing!
121 UK 2024