Welcome to my birding blog - first launched 12th March 2012...
13th-14th March 2015
Old friends...
Sometimes we forget or neglect our old friends. Thinking only of those great rarities and lifers and so-called quality birds. But old friends are still attractive, can still be seen doing interesting things and so this blog is dedicated to old friends. I think you'll see what I mean.
March 13th: as I have to go birding on my own these days, Sheila said she'd come for once and I could go wherever I liked. We set off for Bempton thinking I could see some bread and butter birds to boost my year list a little after over two weeks of not being at my best shall we say. I soon saw my old friends the kittiwakes on the cliffs.
Sheila has very good eyesight - much better than mine. 'I think I can see some puffins!' she said. 'They'll be guillemots,' I thought. I couldn't even see them never mind identify them. Eventually I found them in the scope: 5 puffins - much to the delight of the adjacent RSPB guide who got on his radio to announce the sighting. Later I found a group of 6 razorbills. Walking back to the car park a skylark rose ever higher above us. Four bread and butter ticks. Tree sparrow old friend in the car park.
It was still very misty so we abandoned the plan to go to Wykeham to look for goshawks and headed north to Saltholme. A long way I know but the penduline tits were showing well across the road from the fire station. It was good to meet Karen and Simon Spavin and after a bit of South American chat I settled down to try to find the pendulines. Sheila and I had brilliant 10-minute long views of 2 birds, often on the same reed. Scope job I'm afraid but fabulous nonetheless. Not a tick however as I saw the Gloucester pair earlier in the year.
Parakeets have always amused me and our northern gang in Hartlepool were our next stop. Say no more!
We finished up at Newburn Bridge for one of my favourite old friends. Unlike some,
Medusa rarely lets you down!
March 14th: I began with visits to Ellerton and Aughton churchyards in the Lower Derwent Valley complex. Disturbed some grey partridge in the moat at Aughton. Nine whoopers still present and good numbers of pintail. Moved on to Goole Fields looking for corn bunting but no sign. Ended up at Old Moor. Walking towards the reedbeds this magpie was unusually tame and tolerated me as I came closer.
I sat down at the reedbed screen hoping for bearded tit but they never showed. Another old friend entertained me. What's this I see?
After about half an hour and beginning to feel the cold, I headed for the family hide. Met another friend who is often neglected, not even given a second glance. Yet subtle colouring when you look more closely.
A lesser black-backed was standing on a rock.
Two black-headed gulls were displaying. I like this one a lot!
A snipe flew in just in front of me.
Finally another bird that people only half notice. Beautifully marked gadwall.
There's more to come!
165 UK 2016
11th March 2016
Silk & Fire
Friday 11th March
I`m back in the saddle again
Out where a friend is a friend
Where the longhorn cattle feed
On the lowly gypsum weed
Back in the saddle again
Well, I'm better was what I meant! Been meaning for some time to go to Silkstone Sewage Works [after success at Lemon Royd with the water pipit, sewage works work for me!] So I went. Look behind the sewage works they said. Great big wood and stream. Like looking for a needle in a proverbial haystack I thought as I wandered along. Some long-tailed tits caught my eye and I leant against a tree to steady my camera for a shot. I saw something move in the brambles lower down.... Complete and total fluke! Amazing how a stroke of luck lifts your mood and morale. What am I on about? Look!
Walking back to Tiggy two jays flew across my path - first of the year. From there I drove to Old Moor hoping for an avocet but it left almost as I entered Wath Ings hide. I settled for a nice green sandpiper.
Next stop Adwick Washlands RSPB. I had worked out how to get there from Bolton-on-Dearne village saving a long walk. A couple of avocets were present...
...and a peregrine resolutely kept its back to me up on a nearby pylon.
I had a jolly nice day!
156 UK 2016
Update 29.02.16
Update
No I haven't been on an exotic South American bird trip to find the cock on the rock but it would have been a nice idea...
...I've been ill.
...Slowly improving...
Sheila thought it would cheer me up to 'pop out' for half an hour to see the Flying Scotsman outside York. We went to Tadcaster Road Tesco's [25/2] and set up our watchpost. Several hours later, after adding hyperthermia to my list of ailments, she arrived. Very late.
I relapsed.
By Sunday 28th I felt I might risk a trip to a sewage works. Nothing like a sewage works to help you retch that wretched catarrh out of your system so I wrapped up warm and drove to Lemon Royd. Sounds like a cough sweet: 'Have you tried Lemon Royds? My gran swears by them. Always has a packet handy!'
Oh well, I went to see. Set up my scope through the fencing. Up to six grey wagtails, countless pied variety and - eventually - one water pipit. If it only knew how many miles, how many hours I had spent last year and this trying to see one! No photos as I didn't take the camera and it was a scope job anyway.
Today, to round off February I went to North Duffield and Aughton church. Lots of usual suspects but no year ticks. Didn't stay long. Had to suck Polos to lubricate my sore throat.
I'd run out of Lemon Royds again.
152 UK 2016
10th February ff
A brace of grouse
Wednesday this last week [10/2] took me up past the Stang forest onto the icy hairpin when even Tiggy slithered a little.
Once clear of the forest I soon saw red grouse.
I then dropped down towards Langthwaite stopping above Shaw Farm to see if any Yorkshire black grouse were about. A few males could be seen up against the stone wall but very distant.
Having at least seen some of both grouse species very easily I decided to head on north to Langdon Beck in County Durham. I drove around a little including a diversion to Cow Green reservoir. Nice views but no black grouse there.
A second scan of the fields around Langdon Beck produced the goods. Not exactly frame filling but in my experience better than usual.
I tried Ettersgill where I had seen black grouse and grey partridge before but drew a blank. A mistle thrush was on an old barn roof.
Crossing over to St. John's Chapel I met more wintry conditions and a few more red grouse.
I then headed for Hartlepooland in particular for Greatham Creek, planning to walk out in search of greenshank and whimbrel. A long walk in the cold conditions but I found the whimbrel in the scope and tried to creep up on it. It spotted me and flew but I was ready!
A few grey plover were on the pools...
...as were a few mergansers...
...and a single curlew.
Later I dropped in to Jackson's Landing just to see if the glaucous gull was around. I think it's got used to cars driving up to it!
After a while it flew out onto the water.
Another trip on the 12th to Old Moor produced very little - no bearded tits - but a great spotted woodpecker did appear for me: first of the year. Here's a couple of photos from that day.
A day out with Sheila to Saltholme and Greatham Creek on 13th February where we did see greenshank and looked for water pipit at Dorman's but, as usual, no luck.
150 UK 2015
2nd-4th February 2016
With Sheila to Cleethorpes, Barry to Bolton Abbey and on my tod to Horsebere Pool!
1: Cleethorpes
We packed a lunch and set off for the country park hoping for a good walk, some nice light and a few really choice grebes - namely 2 slavs and the red-neck I had already met!
Red-necked grebe found straightaway in its favourite corner by the 2 bridges.
This shows just how confiding the red-necked grebe was. Photographer and grebe in photo!
The slavonian grebes were a bit more elusive - and distant. They tended to stay together towards the middle of the lake...
...but I got a few nice shots!
2: Bolton Abbey
A short day out looking for dipper [and anything else like mandarins or grey wagtails!] Dipper soon found by Barry.
Robin and blue tit near the half-way shelter.
On the way back we both spotted a bird fly into a tree overhanging the river. First treecreeper of the year. Really tricky to phtograph without risking a riverine tumble!
He's got something! beetle or spider, I think.
3: Horsebere Pool, Gloucester
Been thinking about trying for this one for a bit. Ironically I went the very day a pair turned up at Saltholme! A pair of what? Penduline tits! I saw them four times but in the wind and, later on, rain I failed to get a photo. Settled for an overwintering chiffchaff. A pair were present. Pendulines were lifer 420.
I spent some time at Slimbridge while I was down there. Steering clear of the collection birds [the flamingos looked splendid and anachronistic when everything else is in winter's drab] I headed for the hides. I waited for this pintail to wake up!
One of the most subtly beautiful ducks.
Eventually I was lucky to see some Bewick's fly in.
Some landed nice and close - probably knowing they'd be fed later...
Later I was even luckier when two of the locally bred cranes dropped in dancing-style out on the marsh. Couldn't squeeze them both into one photo.
Coda
Wheldrake Ings near home in York reported a bonxie so on Sunday 7/2 I went bright and early to have a look. Pretty distant from the bridge by the car park, but clear in the scope. Time for the year's first 'cuckoo shot' as I call them...
Bird on the left is the skua feasting on the remains of a heron it killed on Saturday.
Honest!