RSPB Mersehead

 

Day 2 of our long weekend based in Dumfries and we visited RSPB Mersehead. The first time we had all been here and at the end of our visit we all agreed what a brilliant place it is.

We were made very welcome at the visitor centre and given excellent information on how to explore the reserve.

We decided to explore the blue route first, which took us to the two hides. From the car park we could hear and then see barnacle geese flying about. Swallows were also flying above the visitor centre. On the feeders just outside the visitor centre we saw tree and house sparrows, yellowhammer and coal tit.

From the first hide we visited we saw several deer,

Among the barnacle geese we also saw this white, leucistic goose. Black-tailed godwit, curlew and pintails were also seen.

From the second hide we saw marsh harriers doing a food pass, female blackcap, treecreeper, long-tailed tits and just outside the hide whitethroat and sedge warbler. We reurned to the visitor centre where we used the excellent hot drinking facilities and bought several snacks. After lunch we walked along the red trail to the estuary.

A red kite spooked some of the barnacle geese which took to the air and flew overhead, depositing some droppings on me in the process!. Wheatear, skylarks, lapwings, shelducks, little egrets and meadow pipits

Part of the shore is fenced off to protect the area where ringed plover are nesting. We returned to the visitor centre for a last drink and ice cream before returning to our hotel.

The Galloway Kite trail tomorrow.

RSPB Campfield Marsh

 Day one of our long weekend Based in Dumfries. The first reserve we visited on our journey to our hotel was to Campfield Marsh.

Windy and clousy but fine for our walk around the reserve. Black-tailed godwits dropped in to one of the marshes as we were looking at the ducks.

From the hide we could see the osprey platform

We could just make out the head of a bird sat on the nest. On our walk round we managed to see a bird on the platform.

A hare ran across in front of the hide.

We saw 4 wheaters at one point, here are 2 of them.

On our walk along the boardwalk we encountered this caterpillar

and a lizard

A very pleasant day. RSPB Mersehead tomorrow.

Wednesday 15th.

 Yesterday was our monthly walk around the Museum Gardens. we were joined by two young girls who certainly know their stuff and could hear goldcrests! We heard and saw a chiffchaff in the "edible" part of the gardens.

There has been lots of reports about the peregrines at York Minster, so as I was in the area I went into Dean's park for a look. The gardening team were busy laying turf in part of the park and told me that they had seen the birds mating earlier that morning.

1 bird was sat on a gargoyle on the North Tower.

A second bird was perched on the Central Tower and was calling.

Are they going to breed this year, fingers crossed!

In the afternoon it was time to take my daughter's dog for a walk.

Mallards and moorhens in the beck. Skylark singing from on high above the field of cereal, chiffchaffs singing from various places, but no whitethroats yet.

Packing today, Dumfries and Galloway tomorrow.

RSPB Blacktoft Sands

 My view over Ousefleet Lagoon yesterday morning at 8am. Lots of avocets, black-tailed godwits, shelduck, teal, gadwall, mallard and shoveler.

This little egret entertained visitors to the reception hide as it hunted for food in the ditch.

Chiffchaffs were in the willows next to the hide.

A water vole was eating grass in front of reception hide.

A marsh harrier was sitting in a bush opposite first hide, inbetween food drops.

2 male mallards were having a preen before they starting chasing a female.

Two moorhens were getting friendly.

Visitors also enjoyed seeing a female hen harrier hunting over the grazing marsh, while others saw a bittern in front of 1st hide and a spoonbill flew over towards Alkborough.

Willow warbler at RSPB Fairburn Ings

 

I am leading a walk on Saturday morning, so visited today to have a look around and see what is about.

The first thing that I noticed was that the sound of singing chiffchaff has in several places given way to the sound of willow warbler. I heard several but just managed to see one.

Little egret from the Pickup hide, and a chiffchaff looking for food near the sand martin wall.

From the top lagoons looking down to the moat area.

A mixture of grey herons, little egrets and spoonbills nesting.

RSPB Bempton Cliffs, YWT Filey Dams. FBOG East Lea

 

RSPB Bempton Cliffs at 0603 today.

I was not the first person at the reserve this morning. Lots of other people either watching the sunrise or the barn owl.

Lots of meadow pipits, reed buntings and skylarks.

Heard and saw a corn bunting but not able to take a photo. The number of gannets continues to increase.

The early morning sun gave them a pinkish tint.

other gannets were displaying.

Lots of kittiwakes, guillemots and razorbills on the sea, I did not see a puffin.

 I left as the number of visitors was increasing and drove to Filey Dams.

I was not alone in the hide!

A chiifchaf was near the hide

A common gull

A spaarowhawk flew over and scattered lots of birds, so I walked round to East Lea.

A little ringed plover was feeding along the edge of the water on the opposite side of the lagoon.

Shovelers were busy head bobbing.

A family of greylag geese became the centre of attention for all the greylags and the parents had to fend off other geese.

Jackdaws were having a bathe.

Two grey partridges flew in.

A barnacle goose was with the canada geese.

36 oystercatchers dropped in for a bathe and a rest.

I left just after lunch to try and avoid the traffic, but joined the queue for York just after the last part of dual carriageway ends.