Back to Blacktoft

 Went to Blacktoft Sands today as the weather forecast was not brilliant and I could soon get from hide to hide. The team are busy refurbishing the reception hide so there are a couple of gazebo's near the path crossroads for a couple of weeks.

Marshland had a good mix of waders. Avocets, black-tailed godwit, redshank, spotted redshank, ruff and a single lapwing.

The green sandpipers have moved to Townend lagoon, while the two young marsh harriers were still hunting over Reedling lagoon and came close to the hide. A couple of great white egrets were busy feeding on the lagoon as well.

This baby Robin had followed Martin from Singleton hide to where the gazebo is near the crossroads.

Several little egrets on site and two on Marshland gave the appearance of a two headed one!

North Cave tomorrow.

Curlew sandpiper

 At Blacktoft on Friday afternoon and all day Saturday.

Lots of waders again on Marshland and Townend. After monitoring the vegetation in front of Singleton hide and not recording any sign of nesting birds, the team were able to cut the vegetation on Friday afternoon.

On Saturday morning I did my usual routine of visiting each hide before visitors arrive.

I noticed a bird on the "brick" island. At first it was hidden behind the redshanks and ruff, but as they moved I could see it was a curlew sandpiper. Heather, the assistant warden went to the hide and the bird was feeding and she was able to confirm my identification. Later on the bird moved a bit closer to the hide but the sun was then shining directly into the hide.

shortly afterwards, a juvenile peregrine, with a red ring on its right leg flew over the lagoon and all the waders left. Some returned but not the curlew sand.

At least 18 little egrets on site

Two of this years brood of marsh harrier continue to provide visitors with close views as they hunt close to the hides.

Nature days at York Minster

 

Every Wednesday until the end of the school summer holidays I will be with other members of the RSPB York Local group in Deans Park, next to York Minster.

There are guided walks for children at 10am and 2pm or children can pick up a booklet and explore for themselves. 

We are there with our telescopes to show the visitors the peregrines, which breed at the Minster.

The peregrines however had not realised that the events start today so were not easy to find. Eventually we managed to find an adult sat near the top of one of the towers. After about an hour it flew off and about 30 minutes later we could hear a peregrine calling and saw a bird circling the North Tower.

We managed to locate it and it was the young male. A very poor digiscope image.

The weather was kind to us today, lets hope it is the same next Wednesday.

A wet day at the "office"

 

A day when it never stopped raining. I was on duty in reception at Blacktoft. Lots of visitors come into reception and enjoy a hot drink. As they look out of the window lots of them remark on the view and often comment on what a brilliant "office" it is with a wonderful view.

Today from the "office" I was able to watch young sedge warblers and reed warblers.

 A great white egret flew in and landed on Reedling lagoon.

Two marsh harriers were busy hunting

After reception closed I walked to Marshland hide. The light had improved slightly.

11 different types of wader on the scrape.

Lapwing, curlew, avocet, redshank, spotted redshank, greenshank, snipe, green sandpiper, ruff,  

black tailed godwit and common sandpiper.

Thursday Lunchtime at Blacktoft Sands

 Time for a couple of hours birding in between jobs so I decided to go to Blacktoft. I am on duty on Sunday and the weather forecast is not good, so I thought that I would go to the reserve today.

Marshland was the hide that most people were interested in as there were 9 different waders on the lagoon.

Avocets, black tailed godwits, greenshank, curlew, lapwing, green sandpiper, ruff, redshank and spotted redshank. none of them were close enough for a picture.

I was intrigued by the posture that this grey heron had adopted!

 I left the hide after a while to make room for other visitors.

Ian and I went to Reedling Hide where we enjoyed excellent views of young marsh harriers who were hunting over the lagoon and at one point we thought that they might attempt to get one of the many tufted ducklings. We were both pleased to see that one of the swan families still had 7 young.

Townend was the last hide I visited. A great white egret was standing on the island in front of the hide.

Difficult to get a phot showing a great white and a little egret, when the great white is standing tall.

It started to rain so I left for home.

Frampton Marsh and Freiston Shore

 Took a detour on my latest visit to Cambridge.

I was in the 360 degree hide at Frampton Marsh by 0845 on Sunday morning.

Lots of adult avocets and several young. The avocets were very aggressive towards any birds that came anywhere near their young, Greylag geese and tufted ducklings were all vigorously chased away, even though they posed no threat to the young avocets. One person in the hide commented on the increased number of breeding avocets since the predator fence was installed, and thought that this increase was having a detrimental effect on other waders breeding due to the avocets behaviour.

Lots of little ringed plovers

ruff, in various colour

Black winged stilts had raised young

Common terns were also feeding young

From the reedbed hide I saw lots of spoonbills

hundreds of black tailed godwits

To the left of the east hide were more waders including spotted redshank and tick number 177 for the year an American wigeon. Lots of butterflies about but due to the strong winds they did not settle in the open.

I got soaked as I walked from the east hide back to the visitor centre, so I decided to drive to Freiston Shore and try to dry my clothes on the way. One of the roads to Frampton Marsh is closed at the moment, so the journey to Freiston was a bit longer so my clothes were nearly dry when I got there.

Not that it mattered as I got wet again walking to the hide.

Again lots of avocets about, chasing any birds away from their young. At least 12 little egrets

Lots of redshanks. Was the visitor at Frampton correct and the avocets had forced the redshanks to move to Freiston?

Common terns were fishing to feed their young and a barn owl was out hunting by 4pm.

A very pleasant break on my journey.