Welcome to my birding blog - first launched 12th March 2012...
Thursday 5 - Good Friday 6th April
A grebe, a marathon and a gull
Thursday began with news that there was no news of the Thayer's gull from Elsham, Lincs. However that mattered little as I had already decided to head back to Ten Acre Lake near Hatfield Woodhouse so that Barry could meet the red-necked grebe. We would then react if the gull came up on the pager. Strangely the grebe took some finding as we probably overlooked it in the north end of the lake. The bird was quiet this time and allowed itself to blow about the lake in the breeze whilst asleep. It looked like a curling stone on ice!
We then headed for Boston Park Lake to see the pair of black-necked grebes. We parked in my usual spot about 100m from the grebes. My first four swallows of the year flew over. However we failed to find the grebes. Never speak to strangers, my mum used to say. Well... We met a man who said they were on Dragon Back's Pit about ten minutes away. Another man said he'd seen some tall stork-like birds. [Sacred ibis now spring to mind as there are some about!] Then we met two friendly birders who said they knew the way. They led us a merry dance for about an hour and a half. When we got to what they said was Dragon Pits Lake there was nothing there. Untrue. First willow warbler of the year. We left these idiots behind and worked our way back to the car.
Green-veined White Wren
Within minutes we had the black-necked grebes in view! How to waste time in one easy lesson! But it was a lovely day and we were able to laugh about it. Especially as the gull came up and we sped east to Elsham... More of which later.
Black-necked Grebe
I found this website which, interestingly, records someone hearing lesser spotted woodpecker at Ten Acre Lake on April 5th and there is a record on April 1st of a sacred ibis. Before twelve o'clock, I presume.
Hatfield Moors Birding Blog hmbb1.wordpress.com
Thayer's gull
We got to Elsham but there was no activity at the field I had mapped on Memory Map the night before. One car. I told Barry I expected a few more vehicles. However the pager gave us a new location only half a mile away: Elsham Hall Country Park. It mentioned a field on the access road. We turned into a wooded entrance way. The road opened out on to sheep fields, a large number of cars, traffic chaos and many thousands of pounds worth of three-legged optics. 'I think this may be it,' Mr Bishop commented drily.
We viewed the bird when it was behind a post, when it was almost behind a sheep but the best views were as we tracked it overhead: it was possible to differentiate it quite easily at times with its missing feathers. Lifer 375. Another brilliant day rounded off with a cheap trip over the Humber Bridge [now £1.50] and a stop-over at North Cave.
Good Friday
A trip to Old Moor on Friday. First we called in at Broomhill Flash for a drake ***** duck. Very nice smart bird also prone to hiding behind the upright of the window frame of the hide. Then on to Wombwell Ings. I spotted a wheatear and a yellow-legged gull. Barry had 3 little ringed plovers and a grey partridge. Old Moor was quiet [too much water due to the drought!].
I wonder what will be next?
You never know! Perhaps one of these! [Photo from Kirkholme Point, Hornsea Mere last year]
Tuesday April 3rd
Barry and I decided on an afternoon trip to Blacktoft [second day running for me!] A little gull entertained us in Xerox. Why Xerox? Why not call it something more appropriate like Swinefleet or Bosomcross? There is a Bosomcross on the 1:25 000 OS map just nearby!! The gull was interesting as its flight pattern was very different from the black-headed gulls - more marsh tern like.
Bitterns obliged, as did a shortie and plentiful marsh harriers including a very smart male. It was a very good afternoon. Female pheasant on the walk back posed for me and a blue titwas using a nest box by the toilet block.
That's all folks!
Monday 2nd April
I decided to spend some time trying to photograph red-necked and black-necked grebes near Hatfield Woodhouse at Ten Acre Lake and at Huggin Carrs. I knew Ten Acre Lake well and felt I knew the bird too as it has been coming back for four or five years and continues to be very vocal in search of a partner. But none ever comes which is very sad! Strangely Natural England have closed the well established path up the western side of the lake. It barely encroached on the land and the land was only birch scrub so to close it because it isn't part of the reserve seems silly. Furthermore to provide community police phone numbers baffles me: they should have better things to do than chase birders off a path that is barely two or three meters from the water's edge of a lake that is owned by Natural England! Someone needs priority training!
However the bird obliged as did a great crested who came quite near. My red-necked friend was as loud as ever!
Next I would find Huggin Carrs. Info from Bird Forum helped and I walked from Boston Park back to the main road and down the bridleway opposite the entrance to the Humberland Peatlands reserve. [Why does it have so many names?] I continued for about a mile. The lake seems part of a new development: fishing/log cabins kind of thing. Couldn't see any black-necked grebes so returned to where I'd left my car. Two birders were almost next to my car looking through scopes. They were watching two black-necks so my walk was unnecessary. However I had tried last year to find Huggin Carrs so at least one mystery is laid to rest. The birds were quite distant but a nice record was possible.
Next I drove to Blacktoft Sands telling the satnav to use the shortest route. I thought that might be entertaining and it was but I got there and we saved nearly 5 miles off the 'fastest route.' Shelduck were quite numerous at Marshland and there were avocets and snipe about. Light was poor so I was on ISO about 640 but the images are ok.
All pictures taken that day.
26th - 30th March
Much out and not much about - but weather glorious
26th: Flixton, Filey, Bempton, Hornsea and North Cave
Flixton Carr reported a hooded crow but I couldn't find it. But it's always interesting to go somewhere you've never been before! On anyway to Filey. Up on Carr Naze soon spotted the pair of velvet scoters off the paddling pool. Otherwise the sea was unbelievably still and quiet. So I continued to Bempton where I photographed meadow pipits. A jackdaw was trying to cool off in the sun. It seemed to almost be panting!
At Hornsea a ruddy shelduck was reported: a group of us failed to find the bird which, unfortunately for me, was reported again after 5pm long after I had left. North Cave was quiet too but I did see small tortoiseshell, peacock and small white butterflies.
28th: Tophill Low, Hornsea, Bewholme, North Cave
Tophill Low did deliver the goods! A pair of lesser snow geese drew me towards the Watton NR hide. The geese, very wary, obliged along with the first little ringed plover of the year. Blackcaps and chiffchaffs were both seen. In fact it was hard to get out of earshot of the chiffchaffs across the whole reserve! South Marsh West, I think that's what they call it, has a large new sand martin wall. I wish it success - sand martins seem elusive this spring. Further visits to Bewholme [always worth 10 minutes at Bewholme Hall lake] and North Cave produced nothing exceptional. There was a med gull at North Cave on the reedbed pool.
29th March: Broomhill; Wombwell; Bolton Ings; Wombwell; Broomhill!!
A merry dance around the RSPB Dearne Vallley sites! Broomhill is a more private concern funded by the Garganey Trust but open to all. It finally produced the green sandpiper I was hoping for. A lovely afternoon's walk. Warbler Way to Bolton Ings had plentiful chiffchaff and blackcaps.
30th March: Fairburn with Barry Bishop
A late afternoon visit. The warblers were audible but skulking. Down the cut Barry caught a glimpse of a sand martin. I finally saw one thanks to careful pointing in the right direction ['left of the pylon!'] on the way to Lin Dike. A good tally of 41 species in a couple of hours.
Photo taken last year in Fairburn village near the old village gaol.
Friday March 23rd
Twite, fairly dark-bellied dipper and a chiffchaff
The day started out quite foggy and by the time I got to Deer Hill reservoir for my annual visit to see the twite I wondered if it was stupid to set out on my walk at all. I could see maybe 75 metres but there was no sign of life. As I turned right along the bridleway I began to hear skylarks very close by; I also heard grouse, pheasant, lapwing and curlew. Soon I began to meet meadow pipits in the gloom. A walker sped past saying 'You won't see much today, lad!' Perhaps he thought I was stupid too. I wasn't sure whether being called 'lad' was friendly or an acknowledgement of my daftness, peering through my bins in the fog!
Eventually I scaled the wall-stile and turned left towards the reservoir. On the north-east corner of the resevoir [SE 073116] there is a stone-built buttress and this is where the twite are usually found. There is said to be a feeding station and I assume this is the area as they feed on the ground here. A yellow-billed male was singing from the top corner of the buttress. I watched a while and turned back. It was cold and still very foggy.
Mission accomplished I would make my final visit to Baildon to see if I could solve the mystery of the black-bellied Dipper.
After walking upstream and downstream from the railway bridge at SE 158385 photographing goosanders I spotted a dipper about 150 metres downstream. I did my best to creep up on it and suddenly a second flew in so there were now 2 dippers on the rock! Surely one was the bbd! I took as many photos as possible on a range of settings. It was hard to tell if one was the target bird but certainly one looked darker. Close examination of the photos later would decide.
Or would it? My conclusion was that although one was darker neither was a true black-bellied dipper. I posted a photo on BirdGuides and asked if any one else had photographed the black-bellied dipper in the Shipley/Baildon area. Many thanks to Sam Viles who linked me in to the Bradford Ornithological Group website blog archive on the bird. The general conclusion is much the same: this is a fairly black-bellied bird but not true to the type that a sightings committee would accept. Oh well, now I know and with that I am quite satisfied.
A link to the BOG website is included below.
http://bogimages.blogspot.co.uk/2011/10/images-of-dipper-shipley.html
Finally that afternoon I decided to detour my route home via Fairburn Ings to check out the sand martins which were extremely conspicuous [by their complete absence!] A chiffchaff was watched in the scrub by the new Lin Dike hide [now open] moving silently in front of me. Only when I turned away did it begin to sing its identity song. The new hide, by the way, takes standards of discomfort to a whole new level. Is the seating incomplete or have the local living dead already sabotaged the seats as much as they like to sabotage their own lives and hopes?
Sorry! Not worth a separate post, but on Saturday 24th March went to Lumby Garden Centre for some ericaceous compost - strolled down the cut and saw and heard a green woodpecker in his normal big tree on the left about a quarter of the way along the cut. At the very top, head and bill pointing skyward he was screaming like a horse in agony. And in case you didn't know, all green woodpeckers are absolutely bonkers!!
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