Bank Island

 After taxi jobs and some shopping for next weeks holiday I managed to get to Bank Island late afternoon. From the first hide I could see a shoveler, several lapwing and 2 redshanks. A curlew flew in

had a few drinks of water and then walked to where the water was deeper for a bath, then flew off again.

This is the view from the second hide, still a bit of water available for the birds, but it is a fair distance away from the hide.

Lapwings were doing acrobatics and then spend some time feeding.

a female mallard was chased by 4 males, wherever she went they followed.

she flew off with the males in pursuit. Mute swan, grey herons, shelducks, shovelers, teal, a single snipe and 2 swallows made up my list for the couple of hours I spent there.

Staveley and Nosterfield

 Lots of jobs to do before I go to Mull in eight days time, so not much time for birding now. On Tuesday I had a few hours to spare so decided to visit Staveley and Nosterfield.  I was able to park at Staveley with ease as there was only one other vehicle there, often the car park was full and I had to drive elsewhere.

The dominant sound was chiffchaff as I walked along the path that crosses the orchard and leads to the reserve. After I had reached the second gate the distinctive sound of common terns could be heard. As I walked through the copse of trees I could hear blackcap and willow warbler.

At the junction of the paths I was delighted to see a field full of cowslips.

A lady and her two children were in the first hide. The children ran about screaming while the lady was on her mobile, so I left. From the second hide I was able to see the tern rafts in the middle of the water.

Not sure if the term "tern rafts" is an accurate description at the moment, as they are occupied by black headed gulls.

I only saw 2 common terns and this distant photo is of one of them, bird number 148 on my year list.

Not a lot to see from the 3rd hide, but I just managed this shot as I was leaving the hide.

I also saw my first brood of mallard ducklings this year.

As I walked to the last hide on the reserve I saw and heard a blackcap, great tit and dunnock. A song thrush perched on a wire just long enough for me to get this shot.

A mute swan was on its nest in front of the hide and there was a nice mix of birds to be seen including lapwing, redshank, oystercatcher, avocet, shoveler and shelduck. The sunny day had now become a cloudy one so I decided to drive to Nosterfield before the rain started.

Some guys were working on the entrance door to the hide, but they stopped to let me in.

Med gulls were on the island in front of the hide

a black tailed godwit was busy feeding

this lapwing was fairly close to the hide, despite the banging noise made by the workmen

this rabbit was even closer

The workmen stopped for lunch, so I left the hide and walked across the car park to the viewing screen.

Lots of flowers were in the grass verge

Not a lot to be seen from the screen so I walked back to car and on the way the rain started to I drove home.

On Wednesday I went to Scarborough to take my grand daughter shopping. We had a walk along the Marine Drive.

I was impressed with the sight and sound of all the kittiwakes.

More voices in the choir.

A sunny day at Blacktoft Sands but quite a breeze which kept the temperature on the cool side.  As I walked over the flood bank and onto the reserve I could hear lots of bird song. Earlier in the month the loud sound of cetti's warbler would be the dominant sound. Chiffchaffs then added their song along with one or two blackcaps joining in. Today the sedge warblers are now in full voice so everyone in the "choir" has to sing a bit louder to be heard. Cetti's, chiffchaff, blackcap, dunnock, sedge warbler, reed bunting and chaffinch were all to be heard as I walked along the path towards Marshland.

 About 50 avocets were on the lagoon, but very few black headed gulls, so no competition for a space on the islands.

The konic ponies were grazing at the far end of the reserve, but no yellow wagtails today.

Ousefleet lagoon is now dry, so the vegetation should now be able to grow ready for the returning wildfowl in Autumn.

Time to open up the visitor centre and a couple of visitors reported seeing 9 cranes in a stubble field near Swinefleet. They reported this to RareBird Alert. About an hour later the cranes, which I believe come from Thorne Moor, flew over. 

Later in the afternoon 2 cranes flew east.

Greylag geese are now acting as a team to defend goslings as they come under attack from harriers.

Bank Island

 A very pleasant spring morning. Just after 10am when I arrived.

Not a lot to be seen from the first hide, but I will return as there is a sand martin bank to the left of the hide, which could prove useful as time goes by.

More water from the second hide and more birds. Just like North Duffield Carrs the water level is slowly going down and the vegetation is growing which provides cover for the birds. Mute swan, little egret

were busy feeding and would often be out of sight. I heard a rasping noise from left of the hide and saw this red legged partridge.

I could hear two buzzards calling and then they and a marsh harrier came into view. The buzzards were attacked by crows and landed in some mature trees while the marsh harrier slowly hunted over the water. However the lapwings did not like it and they kept dive bombing it and it eventually flew away.

Lots of teal, a few shoveler, 5 shelduck and a pair of garganey. Blackcap, whitethroat and willow warbler calling from the hedgerow but no sign of any hirundine.

Wheldrake Ings and Skipwith Common

 Cloudy morning as I walked onto Wheldrake Ings. I could hear chiffchaffs and willow warblers singing but I was unable to locate them. A skylark was gaining height as it flew over the meadow on my left. I could see splashes of colour as the wild flowers like milkmaid are starting to come into flower. Two swallows were perched on the roof of the Tower hide.

Further along the path I heard then saw my first whitethroat of the year.

More willow warblers were singing as I walked towards the Pool hide and at last I managed to see one, tick number 2 for the day. From the Pool hide

 I could see several ducks. Mallard, wigeon, gadwall, shoveler, goldeneye, tufted duck and pochard. A kingfisher flew along one part of the pool and landed in a small willow tree. A very distant shot

tick number 3, this is getting to be a good day. As I left the Pool hide and walked towards the Swallowtail hide I heard a sedge warbler. It was at the bottom of the reeds and not easy to see.

Tick number 4 and then just above it a yellow wagtail was singing

Tick number 5

No birds were on the water in front of Swallowtail hide. As the water level is slowly going down and the vegetation is growing there are plenty of areas for ducks etc to feed where it is difficult to see them. On the more open stretches of water I could see teal, shoveler, shelduck and mallard. A marsh harrier started to hunt over this area and this caused lots of teal to fly to other areas where they became easier to see, and as I scanned through them I saw a male garganey. On my way back to the car park I saw these butterflies

I drove to North Duffield Carrs but did not enter the hide as a work party had spent the morning cleaning, etc. So I decided to try Skipwith Common .

It was very quiet on the reserve. I could hear chiffchaffs and willow warblers singing, but I was unable to locate them. I then heard a cuckoo and walked towards the area where I thought it was. It then sang again and I saw it fly, tick number 6 for the day. As it flew off I saw a crane fly over the common, what a day. 6 year ticks to take me to 146.

Good Friday at Blacktoft.

 

A very pleasant sunny morning for a Bank Holiday. Marshland hide was my first port of call

Still a large number of shovelers on site. The avocets and black headed gulls seemed to have sorted out which islands they are going to nest on.

On the path I saw this toad

I do not like disturbing wildlife and try as I may I could not avoid disturbing this peacock butterfly. It was on the ground and as I approached it flew off in front of me and landed. This was repeated several times until we reached the end of the path that leads to Ousefleet when the butterfly flew over my head and landed a few feet behind me.

From the visitor centre I got a quick glimpse of a water vole.

Lots of visitors. Some just out to enjoy the nice weather, others calling in on their way back from seeing the albatross at Bempton. Others came in the hope of seeing bittern and cranes. There were 7 cranes on Townend lagoon on Thursday! Plenty of cetti's warblers singing, along with blackcaps and chiffchaffs. I heard a sedge warbler but did not manage to see one.

Filey and Bempton

 My regular Wednesday visit to Scarborough to take granddaughter shopping and as usual I spend a bit of time birding. There was a lot of traffic on the A64 so I only had an hour at Filey Dams before going shopping.

The weather was ok, sunny spells, but still a cold edge to the wind. I could hear at least 3 chiffchaffs singing as I was in the car park and then the song of a blackcap. I managed to locate the bird, but it was not out in the open.

I heard a blackcap at Blacktoft on my last visit, but this was the first one I had seen this year, number 140 on my year list. A blue tit was inspecting one of the nest boxes

This male mute swan chased all the canada and greylag geese away,

 but ignored this pink foot

an oystercatcher had a bit of a stretch

Mr and Mrs Gadwall were having a preen

lots of sand martins were flying fairly high as they hunted insects, a pleasant end to my hour.

After our shopping trip, my granddaughter fancied a bit of a walk as she had been using her computer for several hours earlier. She decided that she would like to go to Bempton to try and see a puffin.

It was just 5pm when we arrived and the staff were closing the visitor centre. We walked down the path to the cliffs and turned right. Lots of celandines and red campion along the cliff top. The gannet colony was very busy.

this gannet had landed in the wrong spot and was attacked from all sides.

Kittiwakes were clinging on to the cliff ledges

a pair of fulmars were on a cliff ledge

lots of guillemots and razorbills on the sea, but no puffins on the ledges. We eventually managed to see some flying back to the cliffs. A pleasant end to the day. Good Friday I am at Blacktoft, will sedge and reed warblers have arrived by then? Chance of a gropper perhaps?