Welcome to my birding blog - first launched 12th March 2012...
18th January ff
Recent sightings!
Since the last report I went to Rother Valley Country Park on Thursday 18/1 to look for a black-necked grebe on Meadowgate Lake in torrential rain. Bird seen distantly with a pair of little grebes.
On 19/1 Friday Sheila and I went to North Cave. We met Baz a birder I had met on holiday in Scotland. He was looking for a mandarin duck but hadn't found it. Later I found it out in the middle of Carp Lake. Also seen was the single pink-foot - easily picked out among the 80+ greylags by its dark head and very different bill.
A run-up to the north-east on Saturday 20th saw me at South Gare bright and early. Large flock of twite and linnet, but the two species were easy to separate on the ground in front of me. Afraid I can't split them when the flock is whirling around in the air. Also there were some bar-tailed godwits. I moved on to Hardwick Hall country park near Sedgefield.
Conditions were dangerous in places, especially on a narrow bridge you had to cross to get down to the lake. Rather than end up breaking the lens or breaking an arm trying to protect the camera I left it in the car. The above is an iphone photo. A shame really as the red-crested pochard showed really well in good light and fairly close so would have made for some super photos. However better to lose one set of photos than to face the alternative had I fallen.
As it was I stayed upright holding on at times to the stone parapet of the bridge. Once out in the open and walking on the snow there was no problem although the final slope down to the lakeside looked so bad I didn't venture further. I called at Bishop Middleham for hawfinch but no sign: watched a goldcrest in the yew trees.
I returned south and to the coast. Walking out on Greatham Creek it was another world. Only 14 miles from Sedgefield but no sign of snow other than tiny remnants in deep shadow. Little wind so even at 2.5 degrees it wasn't unpleasant. Pair of greenshank and a few grey plover. Camera left in car again but probably unnecessarily this time!
This morning I dressed quickly, grabbed the camera and hid by the hedge across from my house to photograph a pair of roe deer. Here's a few photos of them.
I've not been out much the last few days - partly due to the weather and also Tiggy has been in the garage for a service and a new spring on her suspension. This took 2 days. Coming home with him this morning a low flying red kite near Allerton Castle was my first outing for 5 days.
15th-16th January 2018
Two good days' birding
Monday 15th January
Sheila and I went up to Saltholme hoping for a long-eared owl. We got two - but one of them was rather hard to spot! As you will see.
At first he had his back to us but then he turned to look to the right.
Then he faced us and the sun nicely caught his 'ears'!
In the above photo you can detect a second owl on the left.
As we walked back we watched a pair of stonechats.
Fighter jets over the visitor centre.
Sheila spotted the black swan cruising the main lake.
The green-winged teal was said to be showing at Saltholme Pools hide. I'd fallen for that trick before only to find it had disappeared in the long grass: this time we struck lucky. It's like our cat: sleeps about 21 hours a day and disappears when you most need him! Well, here he is, showing a few signs of life!
Tuesday 16th January
Snap decision to go to Brompton by Sawdon church to see hawfinch and a very early ring ouzel. No sign of hawfinch but found the ouzel in the field across from the church. Photographed into the sun which explains the bright fringing round the bird.
The forecast snow hadn't materialised and Tophill Low was only about 14 miles away across country. A pleasant drive on the back roads to Driffield and I was surprised how soon I got to the waterworks. Hoping for a glaucous gull which comes to roost in the afternoon, I soon had 3 redpolls in the gloomy woods on the ramp up to the new hide.
Quite a pale bird.
If you want to see small birds, the feeders at the new hide are an excellent spot. Grab a blue chair and sit in the hide but some way from the glass. If you stand right by the window you'll see very little.
On the feeders I saw chaffinch, greenfinch, goldfinch, siskin, blue tit, great tit, marsh tit, coal tit, robin. The only downside is the use of special 'Horrorglass' in the hide. This means photos taken from in the hide are blurred and the excellent telescopes provided are worse than useless. Some strange planning decisions going on there, Yorkshire Water!
If you want a decent view of D reservoir go to the left hand cubicle and open the window slots! What will they do when there's a really rare bird present and there's only room for 4 or 5 birders in there?
I watched the assembled waterfowl - coots, wigeon, tufties, great crested grebe, a few of the commoner gulls. Here's a pochard and a nice goldeneye.
Anyway, the glaucous turned up early at about 2.30. Looked different when the sun came out.
After a while it flew out onto the reservoir.
Time for a biggy?
10th-13th January 2018
It's just good to be out!
Words used when things don't go entirely to plan. Two such days this week. Wednesday 10th January up in Cleveland/Co. Durham I managed to see nothing new for the year list but still enjoyed my day. South Shields pier area: Mr. Crow in the car park.
Lots of waders...dunlin, sanderlings and purple sandpiper.
Dunlins followed by a sanderling huddle and purple sandpipers.
Look what turned up among the ringed plovers! A rather dull snow bunting.
No sign of a glaucous gull. This great black-back came close!
Finally a cormorant just off the car park.
An afternoon run out to Fairburn Lin Dike hide on the 11th January saw this distant drake smew. Always a thrill to see a white nun!
First photo is uncropped to give an idea how far it was even with the 700mm equivalent lens plus extender. Believe it or not, the smew is just north-west [as it were] of the left hand coot.
Same photo cropped.
Here's the best few of the crop - also much cropped!
You can only tell the pictures are in colour from the first shots with the shoveler in view.
Another afternoon run at the last minute to Scarborough on January 12th to try for a waxwing at B&Q. We'd seen them there in a previous year. Got really lucky this time! At first they [3 birds] were up in a tree and the light was tricky as was finding an unobstructed view.
Then they flew down to a low-growing cotoneaster bush for berries. The birds had already eaten all the visible ones and were now poking their heads into the bush for more!
Then head up with berry in bill!
I always think they can look quite fierce.
Next one is my favourite shot.
January 13th I went back to South Shields for the glaucous gull; to North Shields for a firecrest; to Wingate quarry for a little owl and to Saltholme for a long-eared owl. I saw none of them: another dot day for year ticks! But it was good to be out!! I think. It was very cold at Seaton Snook where I had close views of 6 snow buntings but no twite. Altogether a blank day.
I encountered a co-operative rock pipit however - so here s/he is! Even little brown jobs can make interesting images in my view.
Putting your best foot forward!
A turnstone was too cold to be bothered moving. Second photo is uncropped.
6th-8th January 2018
Steady as she goes!
Birding progress is reasonably good so far this year. I've had a few local trips where photography wasn't really practical. It was nice when Sheila and I bumped into some bird racers from York Ornithological Club at Ellerton Church. We picked up a few ticks there including whooper swans and a ruddy shelduck.
Photos relate to the 6th and 8th of January. Starting with Saturday 6th Janaury I went up to Hartlepool. Good number of year ticks. I found a brambling in the hedge at Saltholme.
Later it turned up at the Watchpoint feeders.
I tried to creep up on a party of fieldfare in a tree at Saltholme but they flew off as I approached. I swung the camera, clicked and hoped...
8th January took me up Forge Valley, along Marine Drive Scarborough and then on to Holbeck. No seed at Forge Valley so I supplied some. Amazed how quickly the birds appeared: they must have had spies out watching me!
Mediterranean gulls x8 at Holbeck car park.
Next stop Bempton. Just 2 gannets [both adults] and hundreds of guillemots on the sea and on the cliffs. Bridled version mid-left.
Filey Brigg or Carr Naze from Bempton. I always think it looks like a man-made structure.
Finally I dropped down to Blacktoft for the roost. Three marsh harriers and a crow in a bush at Singleton hide.
4th-5th January 2018
A Good Start
January 4th I went up to Fountains Abbey near Ripon to [hopefully] see some hawfinches. I knew to head for the West Gate. I parked and walked towards the entrance scanning the yew trees as I went. I thought I'd better pay and go in to the grounds a bit to explore properly. An unpleasant woman in her little booth said it would cost £15. 'That much?!' I replied. The sarcastic woman replied 'You can pay Gift Aid if you want, then it's £16.50.' I told that was too expensive. I kept my cool and left but, I must admit, I was left feeling very angry. I don't understand how they can charge one adult that kind of money. Perhaps I'm completely out of touch. I think I paid about £7 quid at the Castle Howard Arboretum - and that was for hawfinch too!!
Very expensive birds hawfinches.
Happy ending. I hung around in the rain. Scanning leafless trees as well as the yews. Five showed up, bless them. And free of charge too!
Wasn't sure what to do next as I knew the light would soon fail. Nosterfield sprang to mind. Only 10 miles away.
I was surprised to find a single avocet there...
...and a bedraggled kestrel.
The quarry site was quiet. Redwing and curlew in the rain.
January 5th. Indecision time! Eventually decided to spend the afternoon at Lemonroyd Sewage Works [tourist hot spot] and persist until I saw a water pipit. It took me about a quarter of an hour. No photo because the coarse fine mesh netting makes it tricky. The bird performed beautifully. I watched it for a bit on the sewage bed then it jumped up onto one of the rotating arms and did a full circle in front of me before dropping down again! Beware: there are a few meadow pipits there too [plus grey wagtails].
Time left to go down the causeway at Swillington Ings. I drove round to Methley Bridge. At the far end of the causeway a kingfisher was perched on a bulrush in the sun. To my consternation someone was standing about 4 feet from it. I approached. The rest as they say is mystery! Just a trusting bird.
Also seen: great crested grebe and goldeneyes.
