Aire Valley Birding

 A day out with Chris (chrisdownesbirds).

RSPB Fairburn Ings was our first port of call. Kingfisher had been seen at the screen according to records in the sightings book, so off we walked. Not 1 but 2 kinfishers were on view but at the far end of the stream and they then flew away. Not a bad start, with sightings of jays as well.

Chris looked at his Birdguides report and an osprey was reported at Astley Lake, so off we set.

Not the best light conditions and we sheltered under the hide from a shower of rain. Cormorants, gadwall, teal, mallard, coots and black-headed gulls on the lake, with even more jays flying past. Then it appeared.

We called in at Lin Dike on our way home. The water level is very low. In the distance we had ringed plover, dunlin, green sandpiper, teal, shelduck and cattle egret. A hobby kept flying over the hide and 3 buzzards were circling near a pylon.

A pleasant day with 30 birds on our list.

Seawatching

 

Chris (chrisdownesbirds) and I went to Hartlepool Headland for a spell of sea watching. We joined a small group of birders who had been there a while. Luckily we had not missed anything. Lots of gannets going back and forth, a few guillemots on the sea along with several red throated divers.

An arctic skua chased a few terns and a gannet before continuing its journey south. A long line of common scoters flew north and several eiders were on the sea. About 40 geese were flying above the horizon and as they got closer we could identify them as brent geese. 

After a couple of hours we left and had a walk down to the pilot pier. It was low tide and we were surprised to see only a single redshank on the rocks.

North gare car park was disappointing with only carrion crows on view. Zinc work road was better. Stonechats, swallows and goldfinches, but no sign of a whinchat.

Greatham Creek held a lot of redshanks.

We also saw a bar-taile godwit, another year tick for Chris. Phil Stead hide at Saltholme was our next stop.

Distant views of a snipe and a dunlin. A marsh harrier few over which spooked the teal and dunlin.

The teal returned but the dunlin did not. We went to the visitor centre and after looking at the sightings board decided to walk to the sheep shed in the hope of seeing a whinchat. Nothing to see from the sheepshed apart form some distant spoonbills. On our return to the visitor centre we saw a stonechat on a fence post and nearby a similar sized paler bird. We were not able to get clear views of the bird and my photos were not a help, so was it a whinchat?

Apleasant day out with Chrsi, just like the old days before covid.

Greenshank and roe deer

 

Arrived at North Duffield Carrs just before 11am. An adult mute swan and 4 cygnets on the left hand side of the scrape. Lots of crows, rooks and jackdaws about. These roe deer walked into view.

About mid-day Alan Whitehead arrived (duffbirder) and we chatted as we looked out for birds.

Alan spotted a whitethroat close to the hide and then he saw a marsh harrier hunting over the fields where the sheep were grazing. Then we heard a "tew-tew" as a greenshank flew in.

A red kite was mobbed by a rook as it glided over the reserve.

A pleasant 4 hours.

 

Grey heron and grass snake

 My view from Marshland hide before manning reception on Saturday morning.

Avocet

Black-tailed godwit

Ruff and spotted redshank

the large number of lapwings were disturbed by the appearance of 2 roe deer

A grey heron spent a long time near the ditch outside the reception hide.

was it hoping to catch this grass snake?

Hobby and ruddy shelduck.

 After watching the release of the corncrake chicks Stu and I headed for North Cave Wetland.

We walked down the lane to the viewing screen overlooking West Holm. Lots of geese and ducks.

We could just see the heads of the 3 ruddy shelducks. From the Dennis Wood hide we added ruff and dunlin to our day list. As we were walking along the path by the side of the Far Lake a volunteer told us about a hobby hunting over the Reedbed lake. The bird was hunting low over the water and then returned to a tree.

After watching it for a while we walked around to the turret hide. We added more waders to our list. Greenshank, green sandpiper, common sandpiper and spotted redshank.

Then a ruddy shelduck flew in.

A pleasant few hours with a list of 37 birds including 2 year ticks. Stu went home and I called in at North Duffield on my way home and had a chat with Alan Whitehead. I did not see any birds on the scrape.

Corncrakes

 I was present at the release of the last corncrake chicks in the Lower Derwent Valley this morning. 

After medical checks and ringing the birds were released. They will spend a few days in the local area before starting their long journey to Africa. Will they return to the valley next year?

Autumn at North Duffield

A leisurely afternoon at North Duffield Carrs on the 1st of September. The work on the scrape has improved things. A mute swan family was happily feeding.

Muddy work.

Will the exposed mud attract any waders?

Lots of food in the hedgerows.