2023 Birding

Birding at the moment is something that I am trying to do in between other jobs, including looking for a new car.

I have a courtesy car at the moment and managed to get to Blacktoft for a few hours on New Years Day.

I started at the Ousefleet end of the reserve. From the 5 bar gate I scanned the grazing marsh and could see a small group of greylag geese and about 24 curlews. From the screen I was able to add mallard, tufted duck. little grebe and gadwall to my list. As I sat down in the hide, these 3 konic ponies strolled past. On the lagoon there was about 350 teal, 18 shelduck, 4 shovelers and 2 lapwings. A flock of about 60 lapwings and a few dunlin were circling overhead, but were reluctant to land. A male stonechat was flitting about in the reeds to the right of the hide. During the time that I was in the hide I saw 3 different marsh harriers.

Marshland lagoon was much quieter. A few teal, but at least 19 snipe on the islands. The entrance way to the new hide has been built, but the path is still cordoned off. John was in reception and I had a chat with him while I ate my lunch. During the short time that I was in the hide, a barn owl flew past twice, and a kestrel was perched in the elderberry bush in front of the hide, some quality birds for my list.

1st hide was its usual quiet self, so I did not linger and walked to Townwned hide. Already in the hide were Karen and Simon Spavin, so we exchanged seasons greetings as we watched a kingfisher fly across the lagoon, another quality tick. A buzzard was perched in a bush at the far end of the lagoon.

A marsh harrier flew towards and  "buzzed" the buzzard. The buzzard ducked a little, but a small bird flew out of the bottom of the bush and landed in a nearer bush. The marsh harrier flew off but the buzzard flew to the nearer bush and the small bird flew towards the hide and we could see that it was a juvenile merlin, yet another quality bird on my year list.

I assumed that a lot of the visitors to the reserve had come to watch the raptor roost, so I decided to stay in Townend hide. I left just before 3pm, but had seen 11 marsh harriers in the sky at the same time. 

A steady start to my year with 36 birds on my list.

Wednesday the 4th was a chance to add a few birds to my list, as I was taking my granddaughter back to university at Scarborough.

A very windy day and a quick walk around the harbour. Not many birds about, just a single turnstone for my list.

Filey was my next stop. I did not walk along the cliff top too far due to the strong wind. Oystercatcher and meadow pipit were new birds for my list. A short visit to Filey Dams allowed me to add 3 gulls to my year list, plus moorhen.

Scarborough Mere was my last stop on my way home. More birds for my list, goldeneye, coot and canada goose., brought my total to 49.