Early morning walk to Newburn Bridge.

 

Looking towards South Gare

6am on Saturday morning

I walked along the coast path to Newburn Bridge. It was high tide and a few waders were sheltering on the shingle.

Not brilliant pictures as I was facing the sun. A few oystercatchers, turnstones, ringed plovers and purple sandpipers. On the way back to the apartment, I came across this group of redshanks.

Mariners Point

 

Spending the weekend with friends in Hartlepool.

Strong winds and rain as we arrived. When the rain stopped I went for a stroll. Was disappointed to discover that I could not walk to the lifeboat station as the road is now fenced off. So no kittiwakes.

A walk along the old pier was rewarded with good views of a male eider, a small flock of redshanks and a single female common scoter.

Hoping to add to my year list before returning home on Monday.

 

Rawcliffe Lake

 

Time for a short walk around the lake on my way to a hospital appointment on Saturday.

This cormorant came very close, as did a little egret. Where was my camera!

Mothers Day at Blacktoft

 

Not the weather you would wish for on any day, let alone Mothers day. Cloud, rain and a cold wind.

After a brief chat with Katherine and Craig in reception, I walked to Marshland hide. I chose this hide  as it was the only one you could sit in with the windows open and not have the cold wind and rain blow in.

I cannot remember when I last saw a little grebe on land, this one was asleep, sheltered by the wigeons from the worst of the weather.

This was one of several tufted ducks on the lagoon, sometimes when they surfaced their beaks were covered in mud. Several snipe were resting in sheltered spots.

When it stopped raining, marsh harriers started to display.

One sat on a bush in front of First hide. If only the light was better.

A pleasant visit, despite the weather.

 

I cannot remeber

Aire Valley Birding

 

After completing the weekly H&S checks I went for a walk around part of St. Aidans. A cold wind, with the odd burst of sunshine. Greenfinch, goldfinch, blue tit, magpie and dunnock in the car park. No sign of a little owl in the Oddball compound.

As I walked along the path a red kite was soaring over the hillside. After a skirmish with a carrion crow the red kite settled on a fence post.

I walked along the path that leads towards the causeway and I saw a black-necked grebe on my right hand side.

A little grebe was also swimming in the same area. A group of pochard were busy looking for food.

At the next footpath junction a couple of black-necked grebes arrived.

Further along the path I saw this great crested grebe

Astley Lake was my next stop.

A shoveler was sleeping in the reeds

A smart male goldeneye was further out on the lake.

At least 3 bitterns were booming in this part of the reserve. On my way back to the car park I saw 2 grey partridge in a field on the hillside.

I then drove to Fairburn  Ings, and parked at the Lin Dike end. Lots of activity near the bird feeders.

The wind was blowing straight into the hide so I did not stay long. 3 whooper swans were on one of the flashes, along with several pochard. Further along I saw nesting spoonbills.

Lots of cormorants in the same area.

A pleasant day with 2 more year ticks.

Late afternoon birding in the LDV.

 Busy morning at football, so it was mid-afternoon when I arrived at North Duffield Carrs. After a short chat with Mike, who had been in the Geoff Smith hide, and was now on his way to Bubwith Bridge, looking for the American wigeon.

I walked to the viewing platform

As you can see from this photo, water levels are still high. Birds were a long distance from the hide, so I had a stroll down the path towards the Garganey Hide.

Still at least a foot of water in the hide. No sign of the linnets I saw on Thursday, but two hares were in a nearby field. I then drove down to Bubwith Bridge.

Looking towards Drax power station. Lots of wigeon, teal, pintail and a handful of shoveler, and a few whooper swans were asleep. A marsh harrier flew over and this disturbed a small flock of dunlin, ruff and redshank. No sign of the American wigeon.

2nd day of spring at Blacktoft

 

Marshland lagoon early on Saturday morning. When I got out of my car I could hear whooper swans, so walked down to Townend hide in the hope of seeing them. However as I was about 10 yards away from the hide the swans flew overhead in a southerly direction.

I just managed to get 1 shot of them, not a brilliant one but you can see the swan with a bend in its neck.

Spring was in the air. Little grebes were chasing each other about, ducks seemed to be in pairs

I assume that the wigeon will be heading East soon. There was a group of 10 pochard, and some of the males were showing an interest in the females.

The marsh harriers were very active

The weather forecast was for rain all day and soon the sunshine gave way to a heavy shower of rain, then a bit more sun before a long shower of hailstones. This resulted in lots of rainbows.

The sun was shining again as I checked the hides before I locked up. The island in front of Townend hide had 27 sleeping snipe on it.

Tree sparrows were occupying a nest box near reception.

The view from Singleton at the end of the day.

No sign of the 2 otters which were there earlier, or the bittern in flight. But a pleasant day with lots of visitors going home after witnessing some spectacular marsh harrier displays.