RSPB St. Aidans and RSPB Fairburn Ings.

 

After completing the H&S checks at St. Aidans, I had a short walk around the part of the reserve near the car park. Several people were trying without any success to find the little owl. I had seen it earlier, so I was happy to show them where it was sitting, and even happier when one lady I showed, had never seen a little owl before, it was a life tick for her.

I guessed that it was keeping out of the wind, but sadly due to its position some people were not tall enough to see it.

I then drove to the car park at the Lin Dike end of Fairburn Ings.

This mute swan was sitting in the car park. It looked ok and when people approached it, it raised its wings. I rang Beth at the VC to let her know, just in case other visitors contacted her.

This was my view from the hide at Lin Dike. It was good to see the sunshine, but the wind was still a bit on the cold side.

Most of the birds were towards the back of the lagoon, including these 6 pintail.

On my left I could hear buzzards "mewing" and eventually I was able to see 4 and a red kite. A bit closer to the hide, but still some distance away, a marsh harrier was having an altercation with some carrion crows.

The birds were too far away for decent photos, and I could not determine if there was a prey item that they were fighting over. Meanwhile on the other side of the lagoon, 3 great white egrets were looking for food, when 1 flew a little bit closer.

It was still a long way off and soon flew over the road, where the other 2 joined it, before long, all 3 returned to the far end of the lagoon. I had been there about 90 minutes and it was time to go. Just as I got out of my seat, Vince turned up. I had not seen him since we met at North Cave, where he bought a new scope. We chatted for a while, before I headed back to the car.

Lots of activity at the feeders in the car park. Another pleasant visit to this part of the Aire Valley and my 117th tick of the year.

Lower Derwent Valley

 

A dull and grey day, not quite how I interpreted the weather forecast. So I decided to stay local for birding today and started at Bank Island. A good view from the viewing platform and I was hoping that I might see scaup. They had been reported by Stuart from Wheldrake Ings, but I did not fancy the long trudge to the far hide in wellies.

Lots of tufted duck, wigeon, teal, a few gadwall, 3 goldeneye. After an hour I drove to the viewing platform at Thorganby.

No sign of a little owl in the field next to the orchard, perhaps I will see one at St. Aidans tomorrow.

Pintail, wigeon, teal, kestrel, lapwing and a common gull, so off I set for North Duffield Carrs.

I had the place to myself.

A grey heron at the far end of the scrape.

Lots of wigeon and 2 mute swans. Teal, mallard, pintail, gadwall on the Carrs. Across the river were at least 3 whooper swans, but they were keeping close to the river bank, so viewing was not easy.

Marsh harrier, sparrowhawk and red kite disturbed the birds and about 30 pink feet flew over, heading towards Thorganby. A pleasant 4 hours.

Wykeham Raptor Viewpoint

 No football again today due to the state of the pitches. Decided to go the raptor viewpoint at Wykeham.

I stopped at Thornton-le-Dale on the way.

This is the pond near the car park. I walked along the footpath towards the bridge over the stream and saw my first dipper of the year.

Net stop was the North Yorkshire Water Park.

 My first ever visit and I joined 2 other birders who were looking for the smew. It is a large site and we were not sure where to look, so I did not stay long

I stopped at the car park in Forge Valley, where the bird feeders are.

A very distant nuthatch, my first of the year. Coal blue, marsh, long and great tits

I then drove on to my final stop, the raptor viewpoint.

There had been enough snow for someone to make this large snowball.

Across the valley I saw my first goshawk of the year, and then later a buzzard soared over the tree tops.

I heard crossbills as they flew over, 2 or 3 at a time. Then a flock of about 30 appeared and settled in the top of some distance pines. Not the best photos I have taken.

It started to rain so I left for home. A pleasant day out with 4 more ticks for my year list.

RSPB Fairburn Ings

 The strap on my binoculars broke yesterday so I went to Fairburn Ings today to buy a replacement. While I was there I also bought a pocket field guide to birds for one of my friends. He has been seeing ring-necked parakeets in his garden near Clifton Bridge and did not now what they were.

Steph, the lady who also does H&S checks at Fairburn was there, so we were able to have a chat as we don't often see each other. I fixed the new strap to my binoculars and then went off to walk around the boardwalk. There had been a report of a a redpoll at the garden feeders, but no sign of one when I was there, No willow tit at the next 2 sets of feeders, but I did see my first sparrowhawk of the year. so I drove down to the Lin Dike end of the reserve.

Someone has put various feeders in one of the trees at the entrance to the car park and I saw, blue, great, long tailed and my first willow tit of the year.

.This was the view from the screen at Lin Dike. Open water a few yards from the hide and lots of birds near the edge.

a male goldeneye

a marsh harrier was hunting over the fields where the cattle were grazing

a single shelduck joined the other birds on the ice

A pleasant few hours as it was not as cold as yesterday. 34 birds on my day list including 2 year ticks.

Winter Wonderland.

 

This is the view I had from the Geoff Smith hide at 10am this morning. Water everywhere, and a lot of it was frozen. There were a few pockets of open water, but most of the birds were on the river.

This squirrel found something to eat.

Alan came into the hide, he was hoping to see an American wigeon that had been reported yesterday.

Most of the birds were on the river and sheltering from the wind by staying close to the nearest riverbank, which hid them from our view. Even when a marsh harrier flew over, the ducks took to the air, but remained in roughly the same area. A skein of about 200 pink-footed geese flew around for a while before landing on a stretch of open water.

It was possible to see pintail and the odd shoveler in the distance, otherwise it was mostly teal and wigeon I could see.

Elaine arrived, with her little dog that she is training for deaf people. She left for lunch and shortly afterwards Alan left. Just as I was about to leave Gary and Wendy turned up, so I stayed for a while chatting. I then left and drove the short distance to Hagg Lane.

On previous visits I have seen corn buntings in this field but today all I could see and hear were skylarks and a single meadow pipit. I walked a little further along the lane.

Looking across the river I could see the viewing platform at Thorganby, but not a bird in sight, just frozen water. As I made my way back along the lane a flock of 45 golden plover landed in a field to my right, they joined 15 lapwings. Just before I got back to my car there was a field with a small pool of water and a small group of fieldfares were having a bathe and a drink.

Just one new bird for my year list today, but I enjoyed chatting to the people I met.

Askham Bog

 In-between 3 shopping trips yesterday I managed to fit in a couple of hours at Askham Bog in the afternoon.

It was a pleasant surprise to find that my friend Chris was already there. After a short chat Chris put some bird food on top of one of the fence posts in the hope that a marsh or willow tit might come to feed.

Sadly we managed to see great, blue and coal tits but only a fleeting glance of a marsh tit.

A grey squirrel came to feed on the food that Chris had put on the fence post, and the birds stayed away. Shortly afterwards Chris left and I walked down to the pond area.

I stopped there until it was starting to get dark, in the hope of seeing a woodcock, but no such luck. I added redwing and buzzard to my day list.

It was good to see Chris again.

Wednesday 17th.

 At the moment on a Tuesday and a Wednesday I pick up my daughter from her work and take her home or to college. I also walk her dog, so I try to fit some birding in between the taxi jobs.

Today I was walking the dog on Leeman Road Millennium Green, when I spotted this little egret in a tree close to Holgate Beck.

After walking the dog I went to Askham Bog. I put some seed on the top of fence posts and waited to see which birds might come for some seed.

Blue tits, great tits and then a marsh tit. Another year tick.

This coal tit was waiting for its turn

Having taken a piece of seed it flew up into a nearby tree and started to eat it.

I walked further along the boardwalk to the pond. In the past I have seen bullfinch, siskin, redpoll and great spotted woodpecker here, but today I only saw

Mrs blackbird and a reed bunting

Further round the boardwalk I stopped to listen and watch redwing and jays. As I was standing a robin came and landed on my shoulder! So I put some seed on my open hand.

Just before I reached the entrance to the reserve I saw a tree creeper.

A pleasant walk in the sunshine.