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.

 

Grey heron and a fish.

 

Started at North Cave Wetlands at 0845. It had rained as I drove to the reserve but luckily it was dry on my arrival and for the whole of my visit. This was my view from South hide. Not far from the hide, a mute swan was sitting on the grass.

Greylag geese, mute swans, mallard and a single greenshank were on Eastholm. I walked back along the west hedge and saw very few birds.

lots of little grebes in front of the "Farm "hide.

a cormorant drying its wings

The Turret hide was my last stop. Spotted redshanks

ruff

curlew

green sandpiper

When I left the reserve at 11am the car park was fairly full, so the introduction of parking charges had not stopped people visiting. I drove to North Duffield Carrs, where I joined Alan Whitehead  (duffbirder)in the hide. Work has been done on one side of the scrape. Elaine joined us for a short while.

Two diggers were still on the reserve, as they work on the drainage ditches. 3 grey herons were on the newly revealed part of the scrape.

One of them caught a large fish.

The heron had quite a tussle with the fish, dropping it at one point before managing to swallow it.

I left about 1pm and headed for Bank Island. I wanted to have a look at the newly opened building and the new roof top viewing platform. Good views from the top, just need some water to fill up the ponds.

15 different waders at RSPB Blacktoft Sands.

 

I was on duty in reception at RSPB Blacktoft Sands on Friday and this was my view from Marshland Hide about 8am. Lots of teal, over 100 lapwing, at least 8 ringed plovers flying about, several ruff, 2 spotted redshanks.

I joined Pete, the site manager in Reedling hide.

In frot of the hide were about 50 dunlin plus curlew sandpiper and little stint.

Ist hide had spotted redshanks and green sandpiper, while Townend hide at ruff at the back.

My friend Chris Downes (chrisdownes birds) arrived and he was able to see both the little stint and curlew sandpiper.

After reception closed I went back to Marshland to look at the waders but there were not many there so I went to Reedling. The curlew sandpiper was with some ruff

A grey heron was trying to land on top of a marker post

It failed so started looking for food, I am not sure what this is.

It started to rain and a couple of greenshanks dropped in, bringing the total of waders for the day to 15.

Stu turned up and we visited Marshland and Reedling hide to see the little stint and curlew sandpiper.

Wood sandpiper and spotted flycatcher.

 I had a meeting at both Fairburn Ings and St.Aidans today and afterwards spent some time at Fairburn.

I sat in the Pickup hide from about 1pm and watched the great, blue and long tailed tits fly back and forth from the feeders. Robin, chaffinches and reed bunting were also about.

a dragonfly kept landing on a nearby log.

A whitethroat kept landing on the sand martin wall.

Steve arrived and we sat and chatted until I noticed this bird

It perched for a while then flew off and returned a few minuites later. We watched the bird for about 30 minutes and then I drove down to Lin Dike car park and walked along the road to New Flash.

Waders at the edge of the mud, about 3 feet from the road.

A cattle egret was on one of the islands.

Another pleasant afternoons birding.

Hartlepool Birding

 

A day out with my friemd Chris (ChrisdownesBirds) . We started at Hartlepool Headland, where we sat for about 45 minutes. Lots of gannets flying south towards Bempton. Cormorants were flying back and forward and several terns flew south. Two common scoters flew north, We then left and had a walk around to the Pilot pier.

Lots of people about so not many birds.

 Newburn Bridge next. Oystercatchers, ringed plovers and Turnstones.

All resting as it was high tide. Phil Stead hide at RSPB Saltholme was our last stop.

dunlin, teal, black-tailed godwit. little egret and greenshank. On our walk back to the car from the visitor centre we came axross some chiffchaffs and long-tailed tits.

A very pleasnt day out, my thanks to Chris for doing the driving.