Yellowhammer

 Bertie is not keen when I bird watch on our walks, he thinks that I should be throwing a ball for him to chase.

However I had a new bird for my inner York list today, a smart looking male yellowhammer.

Plenty of fieldfares and redwings in the bushes eating the berries.

The small pool in one field has increased thanks to the recent rain and has attracted quite a few common gulls as well as herring and black-headed.

Aire Valley tomorrow.

Peregrine at North Duffield Carrs

 

I decided to visit NDC this lunchtime to see if the recent rain had resulted in water on the reserve.

Bubwith ings was flooded as per usual, with a small amount of water in front of Garganey Hide.

This is a view from the Harganey hide looking towards the river, no water and no birds.

Beofre I joined Pete in Garganey hide I spent about 90 minutes in the Geoff Smith hide.

A family of 6 whooper swans flew across the reserve and I presume judged that the water level was too low and continued upriver.

Teal, wigeon and tufted ducks were on Bubwith ings. In the area near the church a small flock of starlings was flying about.

A carrion crow had found a corn on the cob.

It then decided to attack a kestrel that was hovering nearby.

A Great white egret started to fly from Bubwith Ings over the river, and as I was using my telescope to watch it I noticed a peregrine sat in a tree on the other side of the river. The GWE landed on the far side of the river out of sight, so I looked for the peregrine again. It had gone. Then i saw it chasing lapwings over Bunwith Ings. It flew high, then stooped down but was unable to catch a lapwing.

A pleasant end to a spot of local bird watching in cool conditions.

Changes at RSPB Fairburn Ings.

 

More water in front of the hide at Lin Dike and about 250 teal either on the water or feeding around the edges.

A large flock of greylag and canada geese in the field and lots of geese flying over, sadly no pink feet or whitefronts. Fieldfares were chattering as they flew from bush to bush looking for berries.

Near the visitor centre a few changes.

A new open area witha small pool should provide good viewing in the future, 

more work in front of Pickup Hide should also be of benefit to wildlife and visitors.

Black grouse.

 A day out with our host Simon. Simon is not only a genorous host but an excellent birdwatcher with an extensive knowledge of the Highlands. We  visited severa spots and this blog covers some of the highlights. Stuart needed red and black grouse for his year list.

We saw 32 in total including one on a telegraph post! Next target bird was a red grouse, which we disturbed as we drove along. White-tailed eagle sat on the top of a distant tree.

Sadly no divers but another beautiful place.

Not the best of weather but the autumn colours are stunning.

One last stop as the light was starting to fade and the mist was rolling in.

A brief glimpse of a crested tit

Dipper on a stream.

Another year tick for Sturt. An excellent days birding thanks to Simon. 

Sadly our last day. Many thanks to Simon and Fiona for their excellent hospitality, I hope to return for another visit next year.

Thanks to Stuart for his brilliant company.

Trip list total is under review but I think is about 80 birds, plus red squirrel and red deer.

RSPB Insh Marshes.

 Day two of our trip to Speyside.

One of the feeding stations at where we were staying. Lots of coal tits and a new bird for our trip list a great spotted woodpecker.

Time for a walk in the forest. Again lots of coal tits but nothing bigger to be heard or seen.

A fleeting glimpse of a crested tit.

Julie who used to work at Blacktoft is now at Insh marshes so we went to meet her.

First stop was the Lookout. Fantastic views.

Whooper swans, mallard, a sparrowhawk chasing the birds on the feeders. Several buzzards and a red kite "hanging" in the wind across the valley.

We drove with Jlie to Feshiebridge we we looked for a waxwing that had been reported, No luck.

Time to say goodbye to Julie as we were going out for a meal with our hosts Simon and Fiona.

RSPB Loch Leven

 Day two of our journey north. We stayed overnight near Musselburg and drove to RSPb Loch Leven.

We had a pleasant chat with the staff in the centre before visiting the hides. We added anothere 10 birds to our trip list including whooper swans

Pochard, pintail, goldeneye and little egret. On our way back to the car we caught up with this little chap.

An excellent reserve, well done.

Musselburgh

 Stu and I are having a stop over on our way to Nethy Bridge.

Our first stop was at Musselburgh where we walked to the sea wall.. Nice sunny day, but the blustery wind had a cool edge to it. Eiders, slavonian grebe, great crested grebe, red throated divers, wigeon, shelduck and mergansers on the sea.

As we walked along the path we disturbed 2 twite, (a year tick for us both) and several goldfinches.

We exchanged news with other bird watchers, and all remarked about the absence of scoters.

We then visited the lagoons.

Lots of greylag geese, a smaller number of pink footed geese. Curlew

oystercatchers were asleep.

Mallard, gadwall, teal, mute swan, linnet and redshank helped lift out trip to 52.