Egrets at Lin Dike

 

After completing the H&S checks I walked down towards the hide at Lin Dike, RSPB Fairburn Ings.

Cattle egret. little egret, great white egret, grey heron and six spoonbills could be seen from the hide.

An adult avocet was having a preen in between chasing black-headed gulls away from its young, even though the young were bigger than the gulls.

A single redshank was slowly walking around the edge of the water looking for food.

Lots of butterflies along the path, but most of then did not settle.

Museum gardens

 

The wild flower meadow at the back of the art gallery changes every time I visit as more flowers come into bloom.

On this months walk and survey we were able to confirm that several birds were raising young in the gardens.

Sutton Bank

 

It is the time of year when I visit this part of Yorkshire in the hope of adding turtle dove to my year list.

Yesterday was Fathers day and the family were busy, son was running the Leeds 10k for the Heart Foundation and the daughter is moving house, so an ideal time to go birding.

However it was cooler and cloudy and when I arrived at the centre just before 5 pm there were still lots of people there so no birds at the 2 feeding stations. I walked along the path to the viewing platform where I took the above pictures. On the way back to the visitor centre i saw lots of swallows hunting insects, willow warbler, blackcap, song thrush and kestrel.

Not as many people around the visitor centre now, so I sat on a picnic bench, from where I could see both feeders. Lots of chaffinches, blue tit, great tit and coal tit. A great spotted woodpecker made a brief appearance.

A pair of siskins arrived after the woodpecker left

They soon flew off when a jay arrived at the feeders. Eventually a dove arrived, but it was a collared dove!

Another visit is needed, perhaps on a warmer evening.

Bitterns at Blacktoft

 I arrived just before 8 am to start my shift in the reception hide at Blacktoft. As I walked along the path I could hear avocets and as I got closer to Marshland hide, I could see a pair flying around.

There were 8 adults on the lagoon and 4 young birds.

The young avocets were feeding at different parts of the lagoon and the adult birds were chasing away anything that came near their young, including a pied wagtail.

A grey heron, little egret and several mallards were on one of the islands and luckily for them the young avocets did not go any near them, so the adults left them alone.

This male shoveler was starting to moult his breeding plumage and kept having a scratch.
Perhaps moulting feathers is very itchy!

Reedling lagoon is home to a pair of pochard who have managed to raise 2 young. 

A female mute swan was preening while her cygnets had a snooze.

They then moved off to feed.

After the reception hide closed at 4 pm I returned to Reedling hide. I had seen a bittern 3 times during the day from reception, and was hoping to see one again. I was lucky enough to see 2 bitterns several times.

 One was high up at it went on a flight to find food. Another flew around the lagoon. 3 people visiting the reserve for the first time had managed to see a bittern from every hide they visited.

Cormorants were having a rest after fishing.

Marsh harriers were active and I saw 3 birds close together on more than 1 occasion.

Butterflies were also about on the paths, keeping out of the strong wind.

YWT Staveley

 I decided to visit YWT Staveley Nature Reserve this morning. The orchard is in full bloom.

Orchids are starting to flower. Speckled wood butterflies along the path to the hides.

Along one part of the path I came across lots of young fogs.

A pair of mute swans have 9 cygnets to look after.

Common terns are using one of the rafts to nest on.

One was hovering over the water

A reed warbler was in front of the hide looking for food.

A pleasant 2 hours with a day list of 36 birds.

Spoonbills at Fairburn

 

Spent some time this afternoon at Lin Dike end of Fairburn Ings. On the walk to the hide lots of birds singing. Blackbird, song thrush, blackcap, chiffchaff. Plenty of flowers etc.

The heavy rain showers was breaking off some of the petals.

The view from the hide during a sunny moment.

Lots of swifts about flying high when the sun was shining, flying much lower when the rain came. Large numbers of sand martins flying low over the water, but I did not see any using the sand bank at the Pickup hide.

A marsh harrier flew low over the field to my right, where the highland cattle were grazing. As the harrier came to the waters edge it disturbed 7 cattle egrets.

4 spoonbills were feeding on the lagoon. One spoonbill chased away any spoonbill which came near it.

Thornton-le-Dale, Bempton and Filey

 

First port of call this morning was the stream in Thornton-le-Dale. I was looking for dipper but found mandarin first!

Not a brilliant picture as it remained under the tree in the shade. a dipper flew past me twice, presumably on its way to its nest. On to Bempton, where Gavin was on duty. After a brief chat I walked down to the cliff tops. If gannets keep on increasing in numbers they will be in the fields soon!

Not sure what is happening here?

Not too many puffins about.

Nice to see fulmars, they always remind me of Foula.

Kittiwakes gathering nesting material.

After visiting all the viewpoints, as I walked back towards the visitor centre I heard and then saw my first corn bunting of the year, my 5th year tick of the day.  I walked to the bird feeding station. Lots of jackdaws. Chatted to a chap from Hampshire and gave him directions for black grouse. Said goodbye to Gavin and drove to Filey.

East Lea first. Several broods of young birds. Common sand piper and little ringed plover remained on the far side of the lagoon.

Shelduck on the island with lots of sleeping mallards. Onto Filey Dams.

Grey heron perched on a post to the left of the east hide. The sun came out and so did several dragonflies in front of the central hide.

A pleasant day.