"Fleeting Glimpses"

 Apologies for stealing the title of todays blog. A local AJS & Matchless motor cycle club called in at Blacktoft Sands while on their tour around the "fleet" villages along the Humber. These are some of their bikes.

A sunny morning

Birds were starting to wake up on Marshland lagoon. At least 3 chiffchaff on site

Lots of visitors had been to Bempton in the hope of seeing the albatross and came to see the reserve while they were in the area. After lunch the sunshine gave way to cloud and the birds became less active.

Another chiffchaff

a redshank was feeding along the edge of Marshland lagoon.

Lets hope that the weather this week encourages more summer visitors to appear.

7029 Clun Castle.

 My father came from Swindon, where his father worked on the railway. I spent a lot of summer holidays in Swindon as a teenager, and would often go to the railway station to see the trains. I remember trains like the Red Dragon and the Bristol Pullman.

Today a GWR engine Clun Castle pulled a special train to York. I live near the railway line, so was able to take a short walk and see it. I was hoping that the train might be put into the sidings, to give me a chance to see it closer, but it was on time and kept on going.

3 outings and 3 ticks

 The weather continues to be on the cold side, which is possibly a reason that summer migrants are hard to find. My first attempt this week was on Monday when I spent the afternoon at North Duffield Carrs.

 It was fine but the wind was blowing into the hide. A birder told me that he had seen a drake garganey about 10 minutes before I arrived. It had flown and landed in a ditch and it did not show again during my stay. However a black swan was present, so tick number 1.

The blossom looks good but according to my late uncle from Dorset it is a blackthorn winter.

Thursday I went to Blacktoft. Not expecting to get any new birds for my year list, but you never know with birding! A cold day with lots of heavy showers.

I joined Karl, Ian and Sue in Ousefleet hide. The water level is slowly going down. we need a high tide to top up the water level. Not many birds in front of the hide. A single redshank, a few shoveler, lots of teal and a few shelduck.

Marshland lagoon is where the avocets are, so there is always noise and activity.

the two avocets were starting to excavate a nesting site, while black headed gulls were mating

dunlin and black tailed godwits were on one of the distant islands

time to close the windows

Townend lagoon has been the place to be if you want to see bitterns, with regular reports of at least two birds flying around. A grey lag and a pair of gadwall were preening close to the waters edge

snipe were feeding on the grass

others were sheltering near the reeds

a little egret was quite active, feeding in the lagoon, standing on the grass or flying into the ditch to look for food.

the marsh harriers were still active and I often saw at least 7 birds in the air at the same time.

Friday, today I had a dental appointment at 1330. I had seen a couple of tweets from Chris Heppell about birds at the Park and Ride at Poppleton. Ring Ouzel and little ringed plover had been seen and I needed both for my year list. While I was in the dentist I got a text from Chris Downes to say that he was watching the ring ouzel. After my dental appointment I called in home for my bins and scope and drove to the site. I was there on my own but soon there were 7 of us, looking for the birds. I saw a mallard, shelduck, pied wagtail, grey heron, several woodpigeons and 2 carrion crows. Then a birder shouted that he had seen the ring ouzel hop out from the vegetation near a hedge. We all managed to see it. I had not taken my camera, so this is a very poor digiscope effort.

tick number 2

while we were watching the ring ouzel another birder shouted that he had found the little ringed plover, which we all managed to locate, tick number 3 for the week, bringing my year total to 135. In a months time I will be on Mull, lets hope the weather improves. The gritting lorry has just been past our house!

Blacktoft again!

 One of the many reasons that I like Blacktoft is that people pop into the visitor centre and report their sightings. On Friday I missed several sightings of bitterns flying, so today was a chance to see them. It was just after 11 when I arrived on site. I had a chat with Stu and John, who were on duty and then went to Ousefleet hide. Karl and Brian joined me later.

About 300 teal on the lagoon, along with a few shoveler, teal, mallard and shelduck. 2 oystercatchers were asleep on one island. A redshank was close to the hide but this lapwing was closer.

25 curlew flew in

Marshland lagoon had about 40 avocets, a single black tailed godwit and several dunlin.

Xerox lagoon had a good number of wigeon and a juvenile spoonbill flew past.

Brian went to Marshland to see the spoonbill while Karl and I went to 1st. Only coots to be seen so we went to Marshland. When we arrived in the hide, Karl asked a lady if we had missed anything, to which the lady replied, an osprey. However we soon realised that it was a light coloured marsh harrier that had been wrongly identified as an osprey. A few minutes later, 2 bittern took to the air and flew around for a few seconds. Not a very good picture.

The birds soon dropped back into the reed bed. We then moved down to Singleton Hide.

A mute swan was constantly chasing a light coloured greylag goose.

Once the greylag had flown off the swan had a preen

snipe were feeding in front of the hide

A pleasant few hours birding.

April showers

 According to the verse, April showers brings May flowers. I dont think that the showers we had at Blacktoft on Friday would be helping flowers grow, as they were a mixture of sleet and hailstones.

The noise of avocets filled the air as they reacted to a marsh harrier flying over Marshland lagoon and then the loud burst of song from a cetti's warbler, there are at least 5 on the reserve.

Avocets had to share one island with a spoonbill, which are becoming regular vistors as they take a break from their journey from Alkboro to Fairburn.

The number of little egrets is also increasing. A chiffchaff was singing during the sunny intervals.

Snipe were feeding on the grass in front of 1st hide.

A small flock of dunlin were on an island on Marshland until a male peregrine flew over and they all flew off. 

Reed buntings were either singing from the top of the willows or on the path picking up bits of grit.

lots of shoveler still on site. A male hen harrier flew down river at the end of the day.