North Cave Wetlands and North Duffield Carrs

 

The weather forecast was for a touch of winter so I decided to go to North Cave as there are several hides to shelter in. I arrived about 1030 and went to the East Hide. A few teal were asleep until 33 redshanks and a few wigeon flew in. Turret hide was my next stop, where with a bit of difficulty I managed to see a bittern that was sheltering deep in the reeds.

The viewing screen near the bird feeders.

Lots of activity which made taking pictures a bit difficult. The feeders were swinging from side to side due to the wind and this was made worse when several birds landed on a feeder together. Greenfinch was another tick for my year list, and it is a while since I saw so many together. Close by siskins were feeding in the alders, tick number 3.

I continued to walk around the reserve until I reached the reed bed lake. A few mallards were feeding but otherwise it was quiet. At the corner I looked at a mature tree and was able to see a tawny owl roosting near the top of the tree. Tick number 4, closely followed by tick number 5, a song thrush.

Crosslands hide was my next stop, where I was able to add tick number 6 to my list, a black tailed godwit. Then it started to snow and a group of walkers came into the hide to shelter, so I left.

Along the hedgerow a small group of bullfinches.

I decided to go to North Duffield Carrs, where I sat in the car park and ate my lunch. I was surprised to see a single decker coach in the car park, and though that the hides might be full. The coach left soon afterwards, and I presumed that it was using the car park as a turn round point as the road bridge at Bubwith was undergoing repairs and there are width restrictions.

Ian, a fellow volunteer from Blacktoft was sitting in the Geoff Smith hide. This was the first time that we had seen other for a while, so it was nice to have a chat. A couple came into the hide who Ian knew, so I left and walked down to Garganey Hide. Alan Whitehead was in the hide, and we had not seen each other for a while, so again it was good to chat, while we watched a barn owl hunting.

The light was very good and the male shovelers looked very smart.

We were both watching the starlings when the other chap in the hide informed us that a kingfisher was sat on a post in front of the hide. The kingfisher was in the shadow, so not a brilliant picture.

Then the murmuration started.

A pleasant day and my year list is now 75.