Welcome to my birding blog - first launched 12th March 2012...
Saturday 23rd June 2012
Swift, fairly swift and just a little swift...a day of two halves
I set off for New Brighton at 8 o'clock precisely as the bird had come up on the pager. It was definitely a risky business but worth a shot. I was sure there'd be plenty of eyes there. I drove swiftly and was there by 10.04, parked at Fort Perch Rock car park. I walked fairly swiftly along the promenade. Birders were scattered everywhere but a large group was about 400m away so I headed for them, with Tower Grounds Park on my right.
Slightly alarming but house martins were everywhere around us. How would I tell a mega swift from a house martin? There must be similarities. I began to worry that this was going to be a waste of time. No-one seemed bothered. Standing around in groups chatting. Exchanging past reminiscences. Weather fine and dry by the way whatever the news said about the rain in the north-west, New Brighton had escaped it.
Suddenly someone shouted. People began to run up the grassy hill on the edge of Tower Grounds Park. Arms waving, gesticulating. 'Gone over the rooftops!' someone yelled. We headed slowly downhill, downcast.
Again a cry. 'Over the water!' Someone beside me began to speak firmly, confidently. 'Over the river. In front of the grey battleship.' Moving left. in front of the blue crane things!'
I had it in the bins. Nothing like a house martin. White rump flashing. Size hard to judge. Clearly swift.
'In front of the little yellow boat. Going right. Now back left. Left.'
By now everyone had it. Some in their scopes, others with their bins. I daren't transfer to my scope. Thought I'd lose it. Followed it for four or five minutes continuously until it climbed higher and became no longer a little swift but a little dot. I relaxed. Lifer 380.
I headed back to the car. Now what? I didn't want to go back on the M62 as the weather over the tops had been nasty. Thought I'd call at Marshside RSPB. It was very quiet there. Black-headed gulls and shelduck. Tried Hesketh Out Marsh as I'd never been there. It was like October. Cold, bleak and blowing a gale. More shelduck and the tide was low but definitely somewhere to revisit. Go home, I told myself. Brockholes, thought I'd call there. When I got there the police turned me away. Closed due to flooding.
I was home for 4.30pm.
After unpacking and sorting myself out I was told there were stock doves in the garden. I've been trying for ages to photograph them but they are extremely cautious and react to the slightest noise or movement when the resident collared doves and woodpigs take no notice. From an upstairs bedroom and a 75 minute vigil I got some nice shots especially at the end when the remaining bird perched in the eucalyptus for me. So here's my little album of columba oenas...
Now for a bonus photo. My wife claimed that our collared doves had once perched on one of the wooden ducks in our garden. I found this a little hard to believe until today.
UK2012 238; Yorks still 114; Life 380. Target is now 20 away!
Thursday 21st June 2012
The unexpected always turns up!
I didn't expect to even go out [split infinitive!!] today as it's miserable and raining steadily. However Bird Guides claimed a pair of sacred ibis were in a hay field* 4 miles from home. Just had to go see. Still there. A bit distant but unmistakable.
By the way, these birds have been around for some time but must be classed as escapes but according to the 400 club are countable...
* in field across from Holly House Farm. Not by the lake. SE507532
Wednesday June 20th 2012
One fine day: from Wykeham to Blacktoft
The idea was - and, of course ideas often play tricks on us when we try to fulfil them - to start by seeing honey buzzard and/or goshawk at the raptor watchpoint at Wykeham Forest. I was there for 8am and I was the third person to get there. By 11am we had seen one common buzzard, 3 turtle doves, a fair number of crossbills, a willow warbler and a siskin. Conditions seemed perfect but no sightings were reported that day. I left at about 11am and set off south.
Driving along the back road from Brompton by Sawdon to the A64 at Sherburn I spotted 3 baby birds at the side of the road by Brompton Ings. No farm buildings nearby. What are they? They all had the same white marking.
Some kind of chicken? If anyone knows please tell!!
Having thought of going to North Cave to photograph dragonflies I changed my mind and called at North Cliffe Wood - a place I had often thought of exploring.
I set off little realising I was about to be bitten by lots of hungry little insects. My hands and arms, in particular for some reason my elbows, are now covered in large stinging lumps almost 24 hours later!
I enoyed the wood. For a while there was little to see and all was very quiet.
A number of speckled wood butterflies flitted in the sunlit glades.
Some of the foxgloves were taller then me - at least six feet tall.
Further into the wood where the trees seem larger and much older there are many bat boxes marked EYBG [East Yorkshire Bat Group I presume] and I came across a colony of honey [?] bees in a crack in an old tree.
It took me longerr than anticipated to complete my walk all the way round the reserve. As well as the wood there is an area of old heathland. I saw the following birds: blackcap, willow warbler, chaffinch, great tit, blue tit, long tailed tit and I heard the more fluted tones of garden warbler too. I'm fairly sure of this but without seeing the bird I can never be absolutely sure. I stood still listening for a long time hoping for a glimpse. The best views were of the bird moving rapidly from one tree to another but not remaining in view when it landed.
And so I set off for my final destination to Blacktoft Sands. Hoping as ever for a view of bearded tit. A couple of possible sightings but nothing definite. A hobby flew rapidly past Singleton hide.
Down at Marshland recently fledged black-headed gulls were on flying practice. The kind of bird no-one pays attention to.
A marsh harrier was lurking nearby and the gulls were mobbing it cautiously.
On the walk back a whitethroat was singing. I suddenly felt I was being watched. I glanced right.
An army helicopter came over quite low. The photo shows how the camera can 'kill' the movement of a helicopter whilst the tiniest movements of a bird are much harder to freeze.
When I looked back at the reedbed the sedge warbler hadn't moved.
237 UK; 114 Yorkshire
Tuesday 19th June 2012
White-winged Black Tern at Fairburn Ings
It had been at St. Aidan's Lake the previous evening so I was hoping it would come up. It did, mid-morning at Lin Dike, Fairburn. Stopped gardening and set off. Saw the bird straightaway but it was right down the far end. Ok in scope, just.
A redshank took exception to the group of birders by the screen and came on a power line over our heads and proceeded to berate us noisily!
It found it quite difficult to maintain its balance. I've seen redshanks on a post but don't think I've ever seen one swinging around on a power line before!!
There were a number of common terns about and they were much keener to come down our end of the pool than was the WWBT. One hovered in front of me.
Meanwhile the main attraction kept away. Eventually it came somewhat nearer [it looked fabulous in the scope] and I tried for some record shots. They are better than my 'cuckoo category' images but they are not superb - although perhaps they catch some of the essence of this great bird. See for yourself.
Still need that 600mm lens!! A black-headed gull dislodged it from its perch.
Nice red legs!!
237 UK; 114 Yorkshire.
Monday 18th June 2012
Year list: Just ticking over again...
Another day out in search of the birds. Started with a visit to Fairburn Ings RSPB. Walked from the Village Bay car park down The Cut and then headed west along the Riverbank Trail. Destination was the Bob Dickens hide [about the furthest point in the reserve from either end]. A ruddy shelduck had been reported the previous evening. I only met one dog walker as it was very early: only 7am.
The bird was still present, some way off on a small island with Canada Geese. I hadn't taken the camera and that mattered little. Anyway, here's a bird I photographed a couple of years ago to show you what it looked like.
So a success at last. I walked back; blackcaps and chiffchaffs were singing - one blackcap showed so well and so close I wished I had got the camera. I met a couple of birders near the car and reassured them the bird was still present.
Hornsea next to look for the red-crested pochard which I knew had been there some time. It took me forever scanning the mere, looking at groups of pochard all over the mere. I photographed a pair of black swans near Kirkholme Point to pass the time.
Down the far end I spotted a little gull in the scope. Their flight manner is very distinctive. Soon I had a group of five little gulls. Then I saw my target by Swan Island. The reason I had missed it perhaps was because it was already well into its eclipse phase. The red bill was a diagnostic though.
Captive eclipse red-crested pochard photographed 25.06.12 at WWT Llanelli
Next stop was to be at Bempton Cliff RSPB but not for birds. I had read on Bempton's recent sightings page that the northern marsh orchids were coming into flower. I asked where and was very pleasantly surprised by the trouble people went to. Not only did I see the northern marsh orchids, but also a very tall bee orchid, a couple of common spotted and lots and lots of northern marsh orchids. If you want to see you have to ask nicely...
Bee Orchid
Common Spotted Orchids
Northern Marsh Orchids
Finally I went to Wykeham Forest raptor watchpoint. We [there were upto 8 of us present] saw quite a few buzzards: most were common; one pair may have been honey buzzards but we were unsure and they didn't have the grace to wing clap for us. So I'll never know. May have to return there again in a few weeks' time - although I've just noticed someone has posted on RBA a female at Wykeham early afternoon yesterday when I must have been there.
A good day .
236 UK; 113 Yorkshire