Two grand days out!

1. Cowpen Bewley and Saltholme

A quiet sit near the feeder station produced some nice birds.

LRP at Saltholme and avocets.

2.Bempton Cliffs - 1st April

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Softly, softly, catchee monkey

March 1st: I saw a couple of red-legged partridge at North Duffield but decided to leave for Blacktoft Sands where I bumped into Barry Bishop in Marshland hide. We watched a dunlin fly onto a nearby island.

March 15th: The pond at East Cottingwith proved hard to find initially as my directions were vague and I must have driven past a couple of times before I found it. I was looking for an American wigeon but I was amazed by the number of pink footed geese frequenting the pond. There must have been hundreds.

It took some time to spot the target bird but thanks to another birder who arrived after spotting my car at the roadside we got good views.

March 18th: St. Aidan's, Leeds to try again for the 2 grebes. Just after crossing the bridge over the River Aire I heard and then saw my first chiffchaff of the year. 

This reminded me of another bird I had seen at the same spot on 27th February but I had not used the photo of a siskin in the same trees.

Still, the main purpose of today's walk was to try the left hand path round the western reedbed from the crossroads. In only a few minutes I found two black necked grebes.

Eventually I retreated and took the right hand path and came across 2 more black necked grebes. Swimming nearby was a third grebe. It looked longer necked  and views in the scope confirmed it was the elusive slavonian grebe. Much further away and beyond the power of my lens. But I had a go!

No sign of the little owl at Odd-job but a kestrel was playing 'I'm over here now!' with a cameraman and his tripod. I tried to just point and shoot from further away.

Tiny OO9 narrow gauge 'Wren' type loco on model built by my son, Ian.

March 24th : Blacktoft Sands I tried the new Reedling hide where there were plenty of birds and I took photos of a marsh harrier but I wasn't impressed with the results! Moving on to Marshland hide where the birds looked a bit more interesting... Within a minute a birder had found a drake garganey and I was on it too until I realised the other birder from what he was saying was on a different garganey to the one I was watching. Two drake garganeys then.

Having seen the garganeys I was happy to relax and take pictures of the black-tailed godwits. Here's a small number I really liked.

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A Quiet Start

February 3rd: Swillington Ings

Very quiet but a fine day for a change. Goldeneye and great crested grebes. Couldn't locate the slavonian grebe.

February 13th: Pugney's Country Park and North Cave

Some gulls posing on the jetties and brambling at North Cave

February 19th: Ledston near Fairburn

Upto seven cattle egrets in a field.

February 24th: Albert Park, Middlesbrough, Skelton Pond, South Gare and Newburn Bridge

A busy and varied day! I began with a long walk to the far end of the lake in Albert Park - parking is difficult. A drake pintail was having a winter break in the park to the delight of the Teesside cognoscenti and the locals. The bird keeps its distance but is well within reach of birders' lenses. A blue tit was enjoying the sunshine too.

Skelton Pond was a new location for me. TS12 2FY was the postcode and I ended up in a short cul de sac of modern houses. For a moment I wondered if I hadn't reached my intended destination but a farm gate made me look again. The pond is quite large and I soon spotted the pair of mandarins.

South Gare next for snow buntings. It was quite windy and the birds were very flighty. Eventually the group settled back on the shingle and a half-term family group instead of spooking the birds made them run along until the snow buntings were in front of two motionless birders [one being myself]. Job done!

Newburn Bridge for waders and a pair of my favourite gulls.

A purple sandpiper and a turnstone braving the tide and wind.

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