Last days of birding in my summer.

 

My summer starts on December 22nd when the nights start to get lighter and ends when BST ends in October and we change our clocks. This summerI, have been out birdwatching on 182 days and visited North Duffiled Carrs 25 times, and have seen 88 different birds there.

My last visit was on the 22nd of October, the highlight was when this great white egret landed on the scrape.

Carrion crows were very active, chasing away buzzards, marsh harriers and kestrels.

On Wednesday I was leading a walk in Homestead Park, as part of York Environment Festival.

The weather was better than what was forecasted. Not many birds to be seen.

I started the week at Fairburn Ings,

Lots of activity at Pickup Hide.

So 58 days of winter birding before summer starts. Can I find 2 other birds to get to 200 this year?

Homeword Bound

 Our last day at Flamborough Migfest. Ringing session this morning had some new birds, grey wagtail and coal tit.

I came home via North Cave to see the Jack Snipe. David and Suzanne were just leaving as I arrived and gave me instructions of where to go to see the bird. I followed their instructions and soon saw the bird. It was a fair distance away, hence the poor photo.

While I was watching the bird, I spoke to a couple who came with me on a local group trip to Mull before the pandemic. They are going to Mull in May next year, a couple of weeks after me.

There were lots of people on the reserve, so I decided not to wait for Stu to arrive and drove home via North Duffield Carrs.

a rainbow after a rain shower.

Still some water in the scrape, so the rain was welcomed. This pheasant was the closest bird!

A very pleasant trip with excellent company. Thanks to Suzanne, David and Stu for their generosity.

Migrfest Day 4

 Usual routine, ringing from 8am. Chiffchaff, blackcap, redwing, robin, blackbird, blue tit and yellow browed warbler.

Bempton Cliffs was our next visit, where we hoped to see brambling.

The team have planted sunflower seeds and the plants are now attracting finches.Sadly we only saw goldfinch and greenfinch\

A late flying dragonfly

We walked to the small pond where we saw goldfinches and redwings coming for a drink.

a chiffchaff also popped in for a drink. There was an emergency at the reserve and lots of police and coastguard staff were present and a helicopter was hovering.

lots of noise and disturbance so we left and went to Filey.

The tide was going out so lots of people and dogs on the beach and only a few herring gulls.

Last day tomorrow.

Migfest day 3

 

Ringing starts at 8am and conditions were more favourable . Redwing, Blackbird, Song thrush, Dunnock, Chiffchaff, Goldcrest  and long-tailed tits.

After ringing we walked down to the beach. Dunlin, redshank, little egret, arxtic terns. After lunch we went to Thornwick Pools.

Stonechat, starling, teal, snipe, linnet and corn bunting.

Flamborough Migfest

 

Bird ringing started at 8am this morning. The weather was not brilliant , cloudy and a strong wind. However the team found a few birds in the mist nets. A blackcap and the above redwing. After ringing finished we walked down to the beach.

Bar-tailed godwit, curlew, dunlin, ringed plover, oystercatcher.

After lunch we went to the Lighthouse area.

We spent the afternoon in the seawatch hide. Lots of comic and arctic terns along with kittiwakes, red throated divers and guillemots. A message came through about a grey phalarope so off we set, but it was lost to view, however we saw grey plovers, another year tick for me.

We returned to the hide and saw more terns, auks, gannets and 2 long tailed ducks flying south and 2 caspian gulls.

An excellent day, will we be able to see the Northern Lights tonight?

RSPB Bempton Cliffs

 

Flamborough Migweek. I called in at Bempton on my way to meet Stu, Suzanne and David.

I was surprised to see lots of gannets flying over the sea and on the cliffs.

A young gannet

Plenty of activity at the pond at the feeder station.

Hoping for better weather tomorrow for the ringing session.

York Environment Festival

 

My week began at RSPB Fairburn Ings on Monday morning. The hard work that the team has put in is working as water levels are rising. I had the pleasure of guiding a school party who were undertaking their Duke of Edinburg Bronze award. The students were keen to see the birds and took pictures and made sketches.

 This month is York Environment Festival and as part of it we organised a Community Bird Watch in Museum gardens. 13 people attended and the highlight of our walk was watching a tree creeper on one of the mature trees. We are holding another on October 21st in Homestead Park.

This afternoon I spent a couple of hours at North Duffield Carrs. Alan (Duffbirder) was in the hide. 

 

The water level in the scrape is about the same as on my last visit. Perhaps the rain today will help keep it at this level until the river floods. 

A male pheasant walked across the scrape while the female remained partly hidden in some vegetation.

Perhaps she had seen the buzzard on the hedge.

A flock of pink-footed geese flew over.

Flamborough Migweek starts tomorrow. Will the weather bring us some nice birds?