New hides and update on ringed tufted duck

 

Thanks to Lucy Murgatroyd for finding out the following information

Well done and thanks to the volunteers who have replaced the hide at East Lea, Filey.

I am also glad to see a replacement for the metal hide at Lindike, RSPB Fairburn Ings. Well done and thank you to all concerned.

Blacktoft on a Monday afternoon

 

The marsh harriers continue to provide plenty of talking points as they establish their nesting areas.

Several squabbles involving 3 birds

items of prey were brought and dropped, Karl and I could not work out which birds, if any were a pair.

After Karl left, Ian and I joined Heather in Marshland hide. No sign of the little gull which had been reported earlier. Alone male wigeon gave us some concern, as it was very close to the hide and looked a bit unsteady on its feet as it grazed.

lots of swallows, sand and house martins flying low over the water as they hunted for insects.

A little egret dropped in just as we were leaving.

In between birding.

 During the past few weeks my birding has had to be in between other jobs. They are now coming to an end, and hopefully I can devote a lot more time to my favourite hobby. Dare I set myself a challenge to have 200 birds on my year list by May31st!

Saturday April 15th, North Duffield Carrs with Ian. I did not arrive until 1345, when I joined Ian in the Garganey hide. A common scoter was still present along with 4 whooper swans. Swallows, sand martins and chiffchaffs were also present along with a flock of about 80 black tailed godwits.

Tuesday April 18 saw me at Filey Dams.The only different bird I saw on this visit was this tufted duck with a ring on its beak.

I am still awaiting feedback on from the ringer.

April 19th I drove to Staveley where I spent an enjoyable few hours. 35 birds on my list including 3 year ticks. Nosterfield was my next stop. I walked to Lingham Water just in case an osprey was there, but managed to see an Iceland gull. Just as I was leaving Nosterfield reserve, 17 little gulls dropped in, 5 ticks on my year list.

April 22nd and I went to Blacktoft to give Stu a hand. Plenty of visitors and I managed to add 2 more birds to my year list, a house martin and a commo sandpiper

Cranes and scoters at North Duffield Carrs.

 Wednesday 12th April. I had just sat down in the Garganey Hide when the rain started. I had a quick scan at the birds in front of the hide as I was getting my telescope etc set up. I noticed teal flying in from my right and when I looked to see what had disturbed them, I saw 4 cranes flying.

Not the best of pictures due to the weather etc. Things settled down a bit after the excitement of the cranes. Not as many ducks as on previous visit, which is not surprising, as I expect that birds are slowly migrating to their breeding grounds Still a few pintail about and a lot of male shovelers. During the heaviest rain shower, several swallows flew low down over the water hunting insects.

Friday April 14th. I arrived about lunch time and I joined Alan, Elaine and Mark in Garganey hide.

Alan told me about a pair of common scoters that were on the reserve, so I had a quick look through my bins, just in case they flew off. Year tick 141. They were a fair distance away

The birds were still there when I left at 3.30. They kept swimming up and down the same stretch of water and did not appear to like coots or when they were surrounded by a lot of greylag geese. I enjoyed watching the scoters, as I have only seen them at sea, either bobbing  up and down on the waves, or a long line of flying ducks.

Hares were in the field to my left.

As on Wednesday, swallows came down to feed when the rainfall was at its heaviest. Two snipe also dropped in to the right of the hide.

I thought that these coots were fighting

Perhaps I need to go you know where !!

Easter Sunday Birding

 

The weather was not as pleasant as yesterdays and made watching birds a bit difficult. Not only was visibility poor but it was cold, so birds like the sand martins and swallows at North Cave were having to fly just above the surface of the water searching for insects.

My 3 milelong walk around the reserve resulted in a list of 44 species, including blackcap, chiffchaff and 13 very colourful black tailed godwits. Lots of visitors who were out for a walk, who would walk into a hide, make some silly comment and then leave and not close the door. I decided to leave the reserve and drive to North Duffield Carrs, where I was the only visitor.

Still lots of water, but not as many birds as on my last visit. To the left of garganey hide were 2 whooper swans/

They and some greylag geese were feeding in the field. A male mute swan flew in from the far end of the reserve and fed in the field for a few minutes before chasing the 2 whooper swans away. They flew around and landed on the water. After preening they made their way back to the field.

On my way home I called in at Bank Island.

The weather improved and there were sunny intervals. Wigeon, curlew, red kite, buzzard, lapwing, pintail, shoveler, oystercatcher, gadwall and shelduck were all busy feeding. A willow warbler was singing but I was unable to locate it.

Back to Blacktoft

 

March 6th was my last visit to Blacktoft, so it was good to be back. Excellent weather for a bank holiday and lots of visitors cane to the reserve.

A mixture of birds, some summer visitors and others winter visitors.

This male pintail was feeding on Marshland lagoon, while avocets were a little further away, and a bittern was booming. A snipe was feeding in the reeds just below the hide.

From Reedling hide I could see a mute swan on a nest.

The male swan was busy patrolling the water near the nest and chased away any birds that got too close.

It tolerated this canada goose on a nest on an island close by.

Chiffchaffs were calling while a male blackcap was visible but silent. Overhead small groups of sand martins and swallows were feeding on the clouds of insects.

Hares at North Duffield Carrs

 

A nice sunny day while I was in the dentist and walking the daughters dog. By the time that I reached North Duffield Carrs the weather had changed.

Very heavy rain shower just as I arrived. Lots of wigeon, gadwall, teal, mallard and shoveler all feeding. Still 2 pairs of pintails present. Curlews were flying and calling, while 2 oystercatchers flew around making a lot of noise. I spent a lot of time watching brown hares, which were in a field to the left of Garganey Hide.