After a hectic day at the football club yesterday, time for some relaxing bird watching not far from home. Thorganby Ings viewing platform was my first venue. A mother and son from Selby had been looking for the 2 bewick swans that had been reported yesterday. They had seen swans in the distance but could not identify any as bewicks through their binoculars. I had my scope with me and they looked at the swans in the distance but even through the scope it was not possible to identify any swans other than whoopers.
They left to go to North Duffield and I stayed a while scanning the birds on the flood water but was unable to see anything different.
We met again in the car park at North Duffield. They told me that there were not many birds to be seen.
I walked to the Geoff Smith hide and looked out over the water.
There is still a lot of water on the reserve and the garganey hide still has water in it.
looking through my scope I could see greylag and canada geese in the field behind the hide and 2 egyptian geese to the right.
A chiffchaff was busy hunting food to the left of the hide. It flew from branch to branch and did not settle long. I managed a few shots.
It has some king of growth on its beak!
Cormorants and wigeon were on the river bank.
A wren was singing from the top of some brambles.
Mr & Mrs mallard were hiding in the vegetation
while a great crested grebe dived for food
Male goldeneye were displaying to females.
A small party of whooper swans were on Bubwith Ings.
Two little grebes were fishing
I think that this one caught a newt!
A pleasant afternoon with a list of 34 birds.