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.A blog of the things that I see on my regular walks on this part of York and my travels further afield
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.
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.
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.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 !!
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.
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.