Welcome to my birding blog - first launched 12th March 2012...
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!
142 UK 2016
30.01.2016
There is nothin' like a dame gull,
Nothin' in the world
There is nothin' you can name
That is anything like a dame gull!
Well, I wouldn't go quite that far but regular readers may no I rather like gulls, especially rare ones. Saturday took me to Barmston in hope of catching up with the returning Kumlien's gull.
A word of cynical caution [not written by me]:
Some say that Kumlien's Gull is a subspecies of Thayer's Gull. Still others say that Thayer's Gull, Iceland Gull, and Kumlien's Gull are all a single species and we all are kidding ourselves by pretending otherwise....
Nice bird anyway! Some birders on the beach were looking the wrong way when I spotted a bright white object well out on the water...
It flew in closer.
Then it flew all over including pretty close to where I was...
From there I went to Flamborough for another try for the Richard's pipits. Funnily enough I saw the three of them straightaway down in the bottom right corner of the first field east of South Landing. Scope job as they landed on a ridge in fairly long grass. An american wigeon alerted me to head for Scalby Mills but the bird had hidden among the rocks. Kingfisher and lesser black-backed gull were adequate compensation and I was glad to escape the cold gale and get back inside Tiggy.
High tide Sunday morning saw the wigeon in full view thanks to Mark who had it in view. On his advice I picked up manadarins on the way home at Hackness Lake.
135 UK 2016
27th January 2016
Cleethorpes in the rain
Specifically this was a photo shoot. I wanted to get close to the red-necked grebe that is wintering on the lake at the country park. Bird found after deciding to try where I saw a black-throated diver a year or so ago. Soon spotted a likely candidate. I don't think any more words are needed really.
A red-necked grebe in winter is pretty monochrome so I thought a black and white version might be quite nice...
A few more: will I ever get this close again?
To round off a good day I moved on to Blacktoft - taking the scenic route. All the swans I saw in the fields were [as usual] mute. It was very windy and I had only been in Singleton about 20 minutes when male and ringtail hen harrier roosted. Time: 14.50 - unbelievably early.
