Welcome to my birding blog - first launched 12th March 2012...
7th february to 4th March2026
Change will come...each day is a little bit longer...
February 7th and 8th
I found my way to Waterloo Lake in Roundhay Park, Leeds. Apparently the Iceland gull had just flown off and returned later that day long after I had departed. But the persistent birder went back again the next day - earlier this time but it had just flown off! Again!
I resolved to wait and be ready.
I took some photos...
A very angry Canada goose was attacking the other geese.
Meanwhile the Iceland gull was reported from up on a nearby hillside. So off they all went up the muddy hill struggling with their tripods and cameras. I decided to stay where I was. I can only assume that the assembled host [of gulls] didn't like to see the encroaching army of old campaigners attempting to take Soldier's Field [as the hillside is named] and along with the rest of the gang the Iceland gull duly came and landed on the lake in front of me and another lazy birder who had stayed put. And so smug.
En route homewards I stopped near Fairburn Ings to se if any cattle egrets were about. Here's a quartet of them with their guard close by.
Valentine's Day. A trip to Kildale where I nearly ran over a red grouse. I then headed to Lockwood Beck where I didn't see my main target [marsh tit] but a treecreeper showed nicely.
February 16th: an afternoon jaunt to Blacktoft. Very quiet and cold. Lots of ducks, 3 winter-drab little grebes, a couple of greylags.
White-fronted geese flew over the reserve.
February 18th: Lockwood Beck
Bouncing siskin plus female siskin, yet another treecreeper and a collection of long-tailed tit portraits.
I also visited Nosterfield and Sutton Bank that day. Highlight was marsh tits at Sutton Bank feeders.
South Gare February 21st
I went hoping to see snow buntings. Walking towards the area I had been told to check when, not having gone very far from the steps down onto the sand, I realised the snow buntings were scuttling towards me. All I had to do was stand still and watch. Eventually two birders came over.
'Well done,' one said. 'You've found them at last!' I smiled. In truth they had found me.
Spurn February 22nd. Few photos taken that day as everything was a long way out on the mud. The Brent geese were a long way off and most of them had their back end pointing my way!
A redshank in strong sunshine from the Crown and Anchor.
February 25th: Wykeham Raptor Watchpoint, Forge Valley and Bempton. Seven year ticks in the day - pretty good I thought.
Last year my birding was severely curtailed so when I got to the raptor watchpoint I was stunned to see how much things had changed. It was as if I had never been there before...
Goshawks were seen but distantly through my scope. Forge valley had nuthatches plus the usual birds including more marsh tits. Bempton produced gannets, razorbills, guillemots, linnets and skylarks. Here's a few of Bempton's best. [Unfortunately the shorties were in shortie supply that day].
March 2nd: Hartlepool.
Reed bunting and long-tailed tits at Cowpen Bewley.
Ring-necked parakeets at Ward Jackson Park.
Probable early bumble bee bombus pratorum at Haverton Gate, Saltholme. Followed by a pair of pintail from Salthome Pools hide.
Finally for this posting a walk round Fairburn where I saw relatively little [certainly no spoonbills] but two buzzards overhead in the sunshine were nice to see.
113 UK 2026
20th January to 6th February 2026
I'm thinking of building an Ark!
Hosepipes banned. Remember? They said it would take months of rain to get the reservoirs back to normal levels. Well, we've done that, I think. And I'm sick of this winter rain. It's not good for my birding but I keep trying. I have had a few trips out when there was nothing to report so I will start with a trip to Scarborough and on to Bempton on January 28th.
The harbour in Scarborough was quiet with no divers while I was there. A couple of cormorants and some friendly turnstones.
I stopped off at the Holbeck car park to see if there were any 'med gulls' about.
Bempton was quiet too. The short-eared owl was showing but the path was so amazingly muddy that I turned back and watched [with difficulty] a woodcock. I needed help in spotting it hiding under a bush with its back to me. It did eventually turn to face us all. Focussing the camera on the bird beat my best efforts so you'll have to settle for a tree Sparrow!
Two trips to Hartlepool area during first week of February. First trip was a trifle disappointing but I got a few nice photos. The geese I was hoping to see didn't show or I was in the wrong place!
Some photos from Cowpen Bewley.
Second trip. I called at the Marina to check on the black-throated diver in the hope of a closer shot.
Info came through on the whereabouts of the white-fronted geese and [possibly] of the tundra bean geese as well. I hot-footed it to Macklin Avenue junction with Cowpen Bewley road. Success.
The tundra bean geese were a long way off but I managed a couple of record shots which I was very content to get.
10th January to 16th January 2026
Skinningrove and Hartlepool Marina
There were a few other trips to tell you about but they're not accompanied by photos. January 1oth took me to Lemonroyd Sewage works for a grey wagtail and a couple of other birds but a flooded and frozen causeway made me turn for home.
On the 12th I stood precariously on a mound at Knotford Nook reserve near Otley. A lovely name but very fenced off: birders were apparently unwelcome. Drake smew visible at some distance.
Skinningrove for the adult black redstart : January 15th. Also seen: grey wagtails; rock pipit; stonechat and fulmars on the cliffs.
Hartlepool Marina, 16th January
Black throated diver and mergansers. Always distant. Common scoter in the fish dock.
1st January 2026
Moon set, moon rise
Moon set January 1st, at home from our bedroom window
1st January 2026: Hartlepool area
I set off for Hartlepool slightly later than planned as I overslept! First wader of the year was on grass by the playground at Port Clarence - a lone oystercatcher. Overall I had a good day's birding although the wind and freezing temperatures [especially on the Headland at Hartlepool] made it hard work finding the birds. 48 was my final total.
Here are some photos including quite a few common birds that photographers often overlook...
You may notice that the great white egret is not pin sharp. I have discovered that taking pictures from the car without switching the engine off defeats the motion arresters of my Canon lens and camera. Lesson learnt.
Sign at the Headland. Birds have been tampering...
I called at Ward Jackson park. No parakeets.
...and at Saltholme.
January 1st pussy willow and moon rise.
Moon rise at Saltholme
January 3rd: North Duffield
I decided to try to find some bean geese but I gave up the idea. It was very packed in the Geoff Smith hide and the geese were a long way off. I added pintail and goldeneye [female] to my list and then walked to the viewpoint from the other end of the busy car park. Redwing and fieldfare were feasting on hawthorn fruits. Whooper swans - a large number- were downstream some way off.
January 4th: Blacktoft Sands
Very cold indeed. My hands were soon frozen - I don't like gloves. House sparrows spotted in Whitgift hedgerow. Marsh harriers at Marshland hide. Pinkfeet overhead.
Large number of pinkfeet flew over the reserve.
57 UK 2026
A Christmas Message 14.12.25
A Christmas Message
Port Clarence playground, December 14th
This will be my last post of the year as I look forward to a more successful and bird-rich New Year. In the end I largely gave up birding this year for reasons which earlier in the year were down to my own health issues but from late summer onwards other things curtailed my trips out birdwatching. January 1st beckons and I look forward to the day as I will head, as is traditional, for Hartlepool, Saltholme and the Cleveland area.
However I had the opportunity to get out a week ago to try to catch up with the four waxwings at Port Clarence. There were just four or five birders present and the light was poor so I have boosted the light on the following shots - all taken on a very high ISO rating.
133 UK 2025
Merry Christmas
and
A Happy New Year
to you all!