Filey and Staveley

 

8 am on Tuesday morning I was sat at the edge of Carr Naze looking out to sea over Filey Brigg.

Sunny morning, which made looking over the Brigg a bit difficult due to the sunlight on the wet rocks.

The tide was slowly going out and oystercatchers returned to the exposed rocks. A steady stream of gannets went past and several fulmars flew close.

 I was hoping that this fishing boat might attract a lot of gulls and perhaps a passing skua, but no such luck.

Several guillemots and razorbills on the sea but no divers or terns. Plenty of people out walking who stopped to ask "What are you looking at?".

I left about 1130 and drove to Filey Dams.

This is East Lea. Not much water and so just 1 ruff and 16 moorhens.

Filey Dams was a little better with 2 ruff, a few mallards and teal. Then 103 lapwings arrived.

Today, Thursday I went to Staveley. A pleasant amount of water here. 36 birds on my day list including, goldcrest, chiffchaff, 3 red kites, 2 marsh harriers, sparrowhawk, peregrine, great white egret, ruff, green sandpiper and lots of lapwings.

Colour ringed curlew

 

My view from the East hide at North Cave Wetlands at 0715 this morning. Stu and I met to confirm the arrangements for our forthcoming trip. The bright sunshine soon gave way to a more cloudy morning, with odd glimpses of sum.

We visited every hide, but were unable to add to our year lists. The bar-headed goose was still visible from the Dennis Wood hide. A little ringed plover and two common sandpipers were the only waders on this part of the reserve, along with several yellow wagtails.

While we were in the Turret hide, 21 curlew flew in. One had coloured rings on its legs, but it was too far away for us to be able to read the number on the white ring. This is a very heavily cropped picture.

In the North hedge were several chiffchaffs and willow warblers.

A pleasant morning with a day list of 51 birds.

North Cave Wetlands and North Duffield Carrs.

 

My view from the Turret Hide at five past eight this morning. I started out early to beat the rain. From the hide I saw, greenshank, green sandpiper, snipe, little egret, sedge warbler and kingfisher. Nothing else to add to my day list until I walked along the western path. I stood and watched hirundines hunting over the new workings. Several were perched on the branches of a bush.

I am not sure for how much longer I will be able to add all three to my day list. I joined Catherine and Stu in the Dennis Wood hide. Catherine saw a peregrine fly past, which I managed to find in scope as it sat in a tree. Lots of geese,

These were between East and West Holm. Greylag, canada, several Egyptian, one pink footed and this bar headed goose.

 A redshank walked along the waters edge below the hide

Stu and Catherine left to walk around the old part of the reserve. After a while I too left the hide and walked further along the lane. Great spotted woodpecker, red legged partridge and whitethroat were additions to my day list. I then retraced my steps back towards the main part of the reserve. In the bushes on either side of the path were lots of birds. Blue, great and long tailed tits

Robin, wren, linnet and chiffchaff.

A few teal and this grey heron were all I could see from the Crossland hide.

It had started to rain so I made my down towards the South hide. Someone was brushing down the outside of the hide, so I was not surprised that I could not see a bird from the hide itself.

I left and called in at North Duffield Carrs on my way home.

I must take a pair of secateurs on my next visit. The scrape is nearly covered with vegetation. Carrion crow , kestrel, marsh harrier, swallow and reed bunting were the only birds I saw. From the car park I decided to walk along to the viewing point.

It must be a while since someone came this way.

The viewing platform has its own thistles.

This was my view looking up river.

I hope that the recent rain has helped to increase the water levels on reserves.

Curlew Sandpiper

 

The team at Blacktoft have managed to keep water on a couple of lagoons and this has paid dividends.

Lots of waders are attracted to Reedling and Singleton lagoons as Alkborough is dry.

I was on duty on Sunday and called in today on my way back from Grimsby. Not the best of weather for trying to get a photo of the curlew sandpiper which was always just too far away.

Lots of ruff, snipe, black-tailed godwits and lapwings. Several redshanks and spotted redshanks and at least two greenshanks and several green sandpipers. Tow curlew sandpipers, one on Singleton and one on Reedling. Two spoonbills dropped in for a feed and the number of wigeon is slowly increasing.

Hobby and active marsh harriers kept the birds moving.

Lots of yellow wagtails

the work at Ousefleet is finished and is worth a visit. Hopefully high tides this month may put some water into the new shaped lagoon.

Hartlepool Headland

 A day out with Stuart.

We started our day with a spell of sea watching from the Headland at Hartlepool.

The tide was starting to go out, but still lots of activity close to shore. Rafts of guillemots and razorbills on the sea with a smattering of kittiwakes. A steady flow of cormorants with one of two shags. Gannets were also back and forth and a single fulmar. A light phase arctic skua made a brief appearance. One, then two red -throated divers flew south, a while later two flew north and then a single one flew south. We had no way of knowing if they were the same birds or 5 different ones.

We could hear the sound of sandwich terns as they flew past along with common terns and several arctic terns. A  single light phase arctic skua flew south. Lots of starlings on the grass in front of us and house martins hunting for insects. Swallows were also flying around catching insects for their young.

A walk to the Pilots Pier did not results in any new birds for our list.

Newburn Bridge had lots of gulls and a few juvenile sandwich terns but no waders. No birds close to the road to North Gare, so we drove down Zinc Works Road and parked the car. We then walked out towards Seaton Snook.

A little water still on the sands.

A very large beach area with lots of gulls, terns and cormorants fishing just off shore. Or at least they were until the dog walkers came along and disturbed everything. Lots of sandwich terns, a few common and arctic terns and Stu found 3 roseate terns. No sign of any skuas.

Phil Stead hide was our next stop.

2 great white egrets

 A little egret, 36 black-tailed godwits

2 snipe

Saltholme Pools was our last stop as we hoped to see a white fronted goose.

The weather forecast was for rain so we did not stay long in the hide. Stuart found some barnacle geese but no sign of a white fronted goose. A pair of snipe were feeding close to the hide.

We just got back to the car as it started to rain. A good days birding with excellent company.

11 species of waders at RSPB Blacktoft Sands.

 On duty at Blacktoft on Saturday the 23rd. Water levels may be a bit low, this is Townend lagoon,

 

More water on Reedling lagoon with a good mix of duck and waders.

Thanks to careful management by the team even more water on Singleton lagoon.

From first hide visitors had good views of water rail and bearded tits, Singleton was the place to be with 11 species of wader on view.

Lots of ruff some in different plumage.

Lots of visitors to the reserve to see the waders and none left disappointed.

One couple saw yellow wagtail, water rail and bearded tits for the first time. Stu and Catherine called in to reception for a chat and a drink. A very pleasant day.