Woodcock

 One last try to find the 200th bird for my year list. Flamborough was my first stop. A long-tailed duck had been seen on a regular basis.

A bit of a swell on the sea so I walked along the cliff top path towards South Landing in the hope of seeing the duck in more sheltered conditions.

Not a sign, just a rainbow as I returned to the car park.

Bempton Cliffs was my last hope. As I entered the reserve a chap was looking at something in the dell. I parked up and joined him and other birders. We were trying to look through the gap in a bush to see a woodcock. Eventually I found it.

Not a brilliant photo for the 200th bird of the year.

I then walked down to the cliifs.

I was surprised to see razorbills on the cliff.

I walked back to my car, and thought that I would have one last look at the woodcock. Dean a volunteer was there and I asked him if there were any owls about. At that moment he received a message on his radio to say that there were 3 short eared owls hunting in a field near Bartlett Nab.

We walked along the outer path and stood near a gap in the hedge and watched the owls. They were a fair distance away and carrion crows were mobbing them.

It started to rain so I left for home.

Marsh tit

 

Trying to increase my year list to 200, so am visiting places where I hope to see birds I have missed earlier in the year. Forge Valley was my first stop, where within seconds I saw a marsh tit, year tick 199. Next stop was the raptor viewpoint, where in the past I have seen crossbills.

I was aware that tree felling was taking place in the area but was surprised to see how much.

 I had obviously misunderstood what was happening. I thought that they were going to fell trees to maintain an open view across the valley, I was so wrong. Not a bird to be seen or heard. I visited other sites but no joy. So plan B. Go to Filey, I have often read reports of grey partridge sightings near the old tip.

Lots of dog walkers,both of which were walking in fields where crops were growing, so after a quick scan of the area I drove to the Dams.

A lot of work had taken place here, with presumably more to come in the new year. Very high water levels and not many birds.

sleeping shovelers and a male gadwall preening.

I have family taxi jobs to do for the next three days, can I find bird number 200 before Thursday?

Glossy Ibis

 

My year list total has been stuck around 186 for ages, and I did not think that I would be adding to it before the year end. However things have changed recently and when I discoverd that my total was now 195, I decided to try to get to 200. My recent trip to Teesside increased my total to 197, so where to get 3 more birds from.

Glossy ibis have been reported at St.Aidans for a while, so I decided to go there today. Not the best of weather and lots of visitors, including wild swimmers.

I met Neil while looking for the little owl in the compound, the last time I saw him was at Blacktoft.

I had a chat with Jo in the welcome hut and she told me where the Glossy Ibis had been seen. I popped into the Little owl cafe to see Romona and then headed for Bowers lake. 

No sign of the ibis, but a smart looking male red-crested pochard was nearby.

I slowly walked around the whole site and had 33 birds on my day list, by the time i returned to see Jo. She told me that visitors had reported seeing  3 glossy ibis, so I returned to Bowers lake. Lots of coots, black-headed gulls, shovelers and tufted ducks, but no Ibis. I helped a couple of birders locate the red-crested pochard, but still no ibis.

Then I was watching a male marsh harrier hunt over some reed beds, when a female flew over and they had a bit of a display. This caused loads of lapwings to take to air and in with them were 3 glossy ibis. 3 other birders joined us, and we had more views as the harriers kept disturbing the birds.

I returned to Jo to report my success.

Can I find 2 new birds tomorrow?

Black redstart and Hooded Crow.

 A sunny day so I made the most of it with a trip to Hartlepool. A glaucous gull had been seen on industrial sites off Ferry Road. Neither I nor several other birders could locate it. However I did manage to see a black redstart in the same area.

On my way home I called in at the cemetrey at Acklam and saw my first hooded crow of the year.

Just 3 more ticks for 200, will I make it?

More water at North Duffield Carrs.

 5 days since my last visit and the water level has increased. The water is now above the windows on the Garganey hide and the lapwings are standing in water.

There was a shoot taking place on the other side of the river and the noise of gunfire caused the birds to fly to the other side of the reserve, near the submerged hide.

3 whooper swans flew downriver.

One had a distinctive neck.

Only 25 birds on my list today, 15 less than my last visit.

Male hen harrier and 4 short-eared owls

 Yesterday, Monday the 22nd of December was the first day of my summer, and as it was not a foggy day, I decided to try to add to my ear list. I had read on various social media reports of sightings of hen harriers and short-eared owls along the Humber, so headed for Welwick. 

I settled in the small hide and scanned the surrounding area. I was looking towards the sun so not very good for photos.

A small group of black-tailed godwits were feeding in the lagoon along with several wigeon. In the fields behind me was a flock of brent geese.

Lots of chaffinches on the fence post, mostly male, often called batchelor birds due to the males forming large flocks in winter. David Armitage walked up at this point and we chatted for a while. He then set off to walk to the next hide. After a while he returned and told me that he had been talking to someone who had been watching harriers etc earlier that morning near Patrington Haven. So off we drove.

We parked in an area I last visited to see an Ivory gull.

I viewed the area from the hide while David set off to explore the area towards the pumping station. 

Lots of curlews

A kestrel was hunting

Half an hour passed by and David had not retuned, so I set off to walk towrds him. After about a 20 minute walk I came across him and other birders watching birds in a field. Lots of grey herons, little and great white egrets and a male hen harrier. The bird was some distance away as it hunted over the field.

Not brilliant photos due to the light and distance away. I had been watching the bird for about 30 minutes when 2 short-eared owls appeared.

I saw 4 owls hunting over the area. A good day and 2 more birds for my year list. I might make 200 yet.

Murmuration at RSPB Fairburn Ings.

 

Nice sunny day, so after completing the H&S checks I spent the rest of the afternoon bird watching at Fairburn. The above photo was taken from Lin Dike. Lots of black-headed gulls

A very distant male goldeneye

slightly closer great white egret, one of the 3,  I saw today. I then went to the visitor centre and spent some time watching the birds at the feeders.

Another distant shot. The cattle were in the field in front of the Pickup hide and there were 5 cattle egrets in with the cows. Blue, gret and long-tailed tits at the feeders.

Coal tits flew in and out so fast I only managed this poor shot.

Goldfinch, chaffinch and reed bunting were a bit more obliging.

I then walked up to the lagoons.

The "Big Hole"

Looking back down from the top. The white dots in the green field are cattle egrets.

From this footpath you look down on the moat and a grey heron seems to have occupied its nesting site already.

Looking towards the hide at Lin Dike.

The North Lagoon

Lots of coots and tufted ducks and once the sun had set the starlings flew in.

A pleasant end of the day.