!st day of Summer birding

 

To mark the start of my summer I decided to go to North Duffield Carrs this afternoon for a few hours birding.

Although the water levels still look high, it is now possible to reach the second hide, however the hide is still half full of water!

Usually as I scan across the reserve, I can see whooper swans in the distance. Today they were much closer, just across the river. I was not sure if it was to shelter from the wind or the fact that there was some disturbance near the church. I could see a blue van, and a union flag flying. Elaine looked through my scope and thought that the van was near the river, where there was a houseboat. She thought that she might investigate tomorrow,

As I scanned the river bank, I noticed a peregrine sitting there. It remained there for a while before a marsh harrier disturbed it. It then flew across the river towards the swans and ducks. Later it returned again to sit on the river bank. Lapwings kept dive bombing it, and 2 carrion crows landed near it, and eventually it flew off. It flew across the river towards the swans and disturbed the teal, wigeon and pintails.

It then flew back across the river, and I could see that it had a teal in its talons. The peregrine flew quite high and I lost sight of it.

Two marsh harriers started to hunt over the other side of the river which caused lots of teal and wigeon to fly on to the reserve.  A kestrel was also flying over looking for food.

A pleasant afternoon.

Black-throated diver

 

Today is the last day of my winter. MY summer starts tomorrow. I needed black-throated diver for my year list, and as one had been reported from Tophill Low, I decided to visit. I arrived at 9am just as they were opening. It was only just light, it is still another week before it starts to get lighter in a morning.

The reception hide was still closed, so I walked on to the other hide which overlooks D reservoir.

Lots of ducks. Wigeon, teal, pintail, goldeneye, pochard, red crested pochard, shoveler, smew,gadwall and tufted duck. great crested and little grebes.They were sheltering from the strong wind, so were reasonably close to the hide, although most of them were asleep.

Some of many goldeneye on the reservoir. Several of the males were displaying. A male smew came close.

Not the best of light and as you can tell from the 1st photo, there was quite a swell due to the wind.

The black-throated diver took some finding. It was close to the far wall of the reservoir, where the water was very choppy as it collided with the reservoir wall. It spent a lot of time diving for food, but eventually it swam into the calmer water to preen. It was still a long way away.

I spent a couple of hours in the hide, hoping that the diver would come closer but it did not, so I walked back to my car. On the way, I called in at the reception hide and managed to get this photo of a female red crested pochard.

Lots of cormorants were also fishing.

I then walked towards the southern end of the reserve. The first hide is overlooking an are where a lot of conservation work is taking place, so not a bird to be seen, From the next hide I saw a grey heron, a flock of lapwing flew over, as did a kestrel. a pair of marsh harriers were hunting over the far side of the scrape.

A flock of 42 curlew was a pleasure to see.

It started to rain, so I decided to call it a day, satisfied that my year list total now stands at 203.

Little Gull

 I started at Bubwith Ings. The water now reaches the road and a flock of wigeon were close by, so I was hoping to add American wigeon to my year list. Sadly, no joy. There were flocks of wigeon everywhere, some so too far away for me to be able to identify a different bird. North Duffield Carrs was my next venue.

As you can see from the photo, the water levels are very high, and the birds are well scattered. The weather was changeable. Very strong wind, which did not help when I was scanning the wigeon at Bubwith Bridge. Rain, sunshine, rainbows.

One bonus was the little gull flying over the scrape in front of the Geoff Smith hide. I found it difficult to get a decent photo, due to the light and the way it was flying.

I was able to watch the bird for about 3 hours before I left, a pleasant afternoon.

Twite

 

Saturday morning at Blacktoft. A fairly quiet morning bird wise. I presumed that the recent storms and high water levels had scattered the birds and also given them more options to feed.

Sunset from Singleton hide. lots of marsh harriers into the roost, but only 6 in the air at the same time.

Monday morning I went to to Marske and Hartlepool. I was hoping to add several birds to my year list, but I could not find any velvet scoter at Marske, no red necked grebe at South Gare, or med gull at Newburn Bridge.

I did however have more luck at Seaton Snook.

I walked around the shore line as the tide was out, and I find it hard work climbing the sand dunes.

I was prepared to walk out to where an area is roped off for breeding terns etc. but my luck was in as I saw a flock of about 100 birds fairly close by.

They did not settle for long, partly due to continual disturbance from dogs. I decided to stand still, in the hope that they might come closer. after several fly arounds they did settle and I tried to get some pictures. However i found it difficult to spot them amongst the vegetation. None of my pictures are any good, but as I looked through them  I noticed that two birds had rings on their legs.

I was pleased to have seen the birds and added them to my year list as tick number 201.

As  I mentioned, no med gull at Newburn Bridge, but a black-headed gull.

A male eider from the Pilot Pier

A little egret at Saltholme

This was at the Wildlife Watchpoint. No water rail but 17 moorhens.

Faxfleet

 RSPB York Local Group Walk at Faxfleet. A fellow volunteer at RSPB Blacktoft Sands was due to lead this walk yesterday, bu unfortunately was unable to do so due to illness, so I offered to help.

This walk is along the north bank of the River Ouse, nearly opposite RSPB Blacktoft Sands. We  walked to where the Market Weighton canal joins the river.

The walk was along the top of the floodbank and views on the river side are restricted due to the height of the reeds. We stopped wherever possible to view the birds on the mud, as it was low tide.

As we walked along we came to a field that had been recently ploughed. We could hear birds calling and were treated to the spectacle of several hundred golden plover flying overhead. They circled for a while and then landed in the field.

It took us just over an hour to reach the end of the canal. We  had a slightly better view of the mud-banks on the river from here and could see cormorant, redshank, teal, mallard and wigeon. Looking up the canal we saw redwing, blackbird and a song thrush in the bushes, and 2 marsh harriers over Whitton Sands.

We walked back to the car park along the road as it was easier walking.  After lunch we walked along the footpath towards Blacktoft village, so that we could look up the River Trent and also over part of RSPB Blacktoft Sands.

The tide was coming in and lots of teal were on the water. A small pleasure boat went down the Trent which scattered the birds. We were able to see 2 marsh harriers over the reserve as well as 5 cormorants perched on the white marker posts.

A pleasant walk, with good company and a bird list of 27 species for the day.

Little auk at Scarborough

 I started at Filey this morning, hoping to see a little auk, as several were reported yesterday.

Very picturesque but no sign of any birds.

Scarborough Harbour was my next stop. I parked my car on the Marine Drive, and as I walked towards the harbour I saw 3 little auks flying north. Although the tide was going out, there was still lots of water in the harbour but sadly no sign of any birds.

As I walked across one of the bridges in the harbour, I came across a small group of turnstones, sheltering from the wind.

Several cormorants swimming about in the harbour near the boats and this one was busy preening.

Shortly after taking this photograph I noticed a little auk in the middle of the harbour. I took a chance and walked towards the town end of the harbour and luckily for me it continued to swim in that direction.

Not the best of light conditions, but I was pleased to see the bird, as it was my 200th species of the year.

A ray of sunlight broke through the clouds and the bird became a silhouette and I lost the bird. As I walked back to my car, I saw several little auks flying north. I decided to go to Filey Dams, and on my way stopped in Sea Cliff Road Car Park. I have stopped here several times recently in the hope of seeing a Mediterranean gull, but once again no luck.

Heavy rain showers at the Dams plus the wind was blowing straight through the windows, so I did not stay long. Lots of canada geese, teal and herring gulls, with a few mallard sheltering under the vegetation at the waters edge.

 A short visit to the country park was rewarded with a group of oystercatchers  busily probing the soft grass for food. More rain showers, so I drove home.

Whooper Swans at North Duffield Carrs

 

I decided to go to NDC after lunch, as the weather forecast was a bit more favourable. as you can see from the above photo, more water on the reserve.

The river level is much higher and Bubwith Ings has filled up.

From the Geoff Smith hide I saw a little grebe on the scrape and that was the only bird so i went down to the garganey hide. On the way I saw a flock of small birds near the flower meadow which I presumed to be linnets.

Sadly some storm damage has occurred. The wind and rain were pouring in, so I sat round the corner.

A lot more water on the reserve, but not many birds.

A pair of mute swans were feeding in this sheltered part of the reserve. Further back on the grassland were about 1000 lapwing, a couple of hundred golden plover, at least a hundred dunlin and several redshanks. 

There was a family group of whooper swans just the other side of the bund, They then came onto the bund to preen. Not a brilliant photo. It was raining and the wind was blowing the camera.

After a while they came off the bund and started to swim towards the hide, I dare not open the window, as I did not want to scare them, so these photos are through the rain soaked windows of the hide.

When they were about half way to the hide, they turned round and flew off.

A male stonechat was sheltering in the reeds.

I left about 3pm as it had stopped raining and the light was starting to fade.

Hoping to go to Filey tomorrow, weather permitting.

 

RSPB Fairburn Ings

 

Time for a spot of birding after completing the H&S checks. A walk down to the viewing screen at Lin Dike was rewarded with sightings of a sleeping spoonbill

Not a brilliant picture, but considering that it has hardly been light today, I was surprised that I could see the bird. A great white egret was looking for food in the field

plenty of highland cattle, but no sign of any cattle egrets. Black-headed gulls, cormorants, shelduck, shoveler, mallard, goldeneye and teal on the lagoon. Some teal were having a nap near the waters edge.

I then drove to the visitor centre and walked to the Pickup Hide.

Blue and great tits on the single feeder. Great, blue and coal tits on the feeder in the garden, just outside the visitor centre, plus goldfinch.

It is now pouring it down. Will we have flooding in the Lower Derwent Valley?