Birding with Flowers

Cattle's Captivity

2012-01-26T20:42:00.025Z

Those who arrived early this morning were rewarded with a Cattle Egret sheltering in a reedy ditch in the fenced-off compound surrounding the work buildings of a water treatment plant. It gave good views for about 25 minutes before flying over some trees towards a neighbouring farm. This bird was a UK lifer for all morning participants who saw it.

In all we saw over 40 species; morning highlights being: a male Peregrine, a pair of Redhead Smew, several Lesser Redpolls, Siskins, a pair of Mistle Thrush, an Egyptian Goose, a Treecreeper, and a flyover Grey Wagtail. A Merlin was reported at North Lagoon by a couple of guests in the same place where a Kestrel was seen in the afternoon.

The afternoon started with better light on the Redpolls, but no sign of the Cattle Egret. We went on to see the Egyptian Goose standing up to a pair of trespassing Greylags before it flew off north. The Egyptian Goose was a brand new bird for Thursday afternoon sessions. Again, we saw plenty of birds but the best were those near the Visitor Centre. The Redpolls were in the best light yet, including one pinkish male, and a couple of male Bullfinches. However, the climax was provided by the Cattle Egret, which had returned. It stayed just long enough for everyone to get a good look at it before it again flew in the same direction it had at 9.30 am. It's not often these days we get two new birds on a session, but today was one of those red letter days!

Cattle Egret - A Lifer for Almost All

Egyptian Goose Standing Ground with Greylags

Egyptian Goose Leaving WBP

Record Shot of Redhead Smew

Record Shot of a Pair of Redhead Smew

Redpoll

ditto

Redpoll

Lesser Redpoll

Bullfinch

Teal

Fox

Roe Deer

Curlew

Yesterday, we went to an urban park & saw most of the usual suspects. The 4 Lesser Redpolls in one car park were new, as was a Fox leaving by the main gates at 9.40 am. The rest of the birds were pretty much as expected with just the Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Crested Grebe & Kingfisher letting the groups down.

Long-tailed Tit

Moorhen

Coots - 'True Love'

Black-headed Gull [adult]

Herring Gull

Pleasure & Pain

2012-01-23T11:43:00.006Z

On Friday we went to an urban site. The morning was enlivened by a public address system, which sprang into life to chastise a particular dog walker who wasn't using plastic bags in a public park, but was hiding his dog's waste under some shrubbery. The 3 gull species were differentiated & immature plumage was compared with that of adults. The 2 geese species were contrasted and a hybrid between the 2 pointed out. A Kingfisher was spotted, but the Great Crested Grebe present the previous week had gone - probably driven off by freezing conditions for 3 days between our visits. There were about 30 Goosanders, but only a smattering of Pochard compared with the numbers encountered a decade ago. A perched Sparrowhawk was eventually seen by every am participant, whilst a different one flew behind an island after lunch. The Ring-necked Parakeet attended by the Yellow Morph was seen by both groups. It is now thought that both of these birds are escapees, but not from the park we visited, which contains several plumage variations of Ring-necked Parakeets with its cages.

On Thursday we went to a brand new location for every participant. Unfortunately, we went in very strong winds and many small passerines were invisible, as they hunkered down out of the wind. At least 2 different Marsh Harriers were seen and a pair of Kestrels, but no other raptors. The soundscape was punctuated with the bubbling call of the Curlew both morning and afternoon. Other birds seen included Redshank, Golden Plover, Lapwing, Reed Bunting, Shoveler, Teal, Shelduck, & Greylag Geese.

In the afternoon the most memorable encounter was less pleasant: a Fox caught in a wire fence. One of the participants was a former midwife & is well acquainted with dogs & after about 5 minutes she was able to free the poor creature. Unfortunately, we don't know how long it had been struggling there, and its back legs appeared very weak as it slowly made its way through the reedbed.

Ring-necked Parakeet

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Trapped Fox

Kestrel

Redshank

Seen by a Minority

2012-01-19T06:41:00.005Z

I had just turned off the main road & had started on the long winding road to the reserve when I saw 2 bright white shapes on the right-hand side. I came to a shuddering halt in a lay-by, but these had black bills, so were clearly Little Egrets, and not the Cattle Egret which had been reported from the same general area. It would have been too good to be true to have seen the Cattle Egret so easily.

We saw 37 species yesterday morning, which is 3 more than last week. Unfortunately, we endured really dark conditions so the early morning Redpoll was quite hard to see. However, when people did see it they were knocked-out to discover it was one of the one in ten males, which sport the very pink breast. Many of the marshes were devoid of birds, which seemed to be caused by a mixture of lingering ice sheets & industrial tree clearing. However at the furthest southern point we saw 2 redhead Smew, about 6 Goldeneye, plenty of Wigeon & a good sprinkling of other wildfowl, but surprisingly few geese.

We walked the whole length of the main reserve without seeing much apart from a pair of Mistle Thrushes, but there were masses of birds on the largest reservoir - these were really well lit by now & were fairly close to the hide. New birds here included a pair of sleeping Great Crested Grebes.

The afternoon group initially wanted to look for the Cattle Egret at the north end of the site, but it was flushed by a noisy tractor just before we were due to start & its location was unknown, so we reluctantly did a rerun of the morning. There were now more Lesser Redpolls in much better light with a few Siskins, but everything else was very similar.

Meanwhile 3 enterprising morning participants had started from the car park on a 2 mile hike & were rewarded with good views. I still have never seen a Cattle Egret!

Red Sky at Night, Barn Owl's Delight

2012-01-17T18:43:00.010Z

The morning started well when we saw a male Hen Harrier on the way to the location. At the venue itself we saw at least 2 Peregrines harassing Curlew, Dunlin, Redshank, Knot, Golden & Grey Plovers, Lapwings & various duck species. There was a field containing 15 Roe Deer which came fairly close to the road. There were at least 2 Marsh Harriers, but possibly another one present.

The afternoon session was less successful, but was redeemed by a Little Owl perched on some hay bales. On the way back I drove through Stone Creek & was rewarded with close views of a Barn Owl against a delicate pink sky.

Barn Owl

ditto

Little Owl

Barn Owl Box with Immingham behind

First Full Week of Classes

2012-01-16T10:53:00.025Z

Last week was the first full week of wildlife classes. The Friday sessions had to be changed because the Derwent hadn't broken its banks, so there was no flooding & very few birds to see - not enough to keep everyone interested for a 2-hour class anyway! The standby venue paid dividends immediately with a Green Woodpecker delighting the am session, plus a Stoat chasing Rabbits. In all we probably saw 3 different hunting individuals. Meanwhile a Tues am attendee managed to photograph a Stoat with what looks like a Water Vole in its jaws at the same location while the Fri am session were moving round the reserve.

Goldfinch

Shelduck

On Thursday we visited an urban location and saw at least 21 Goosanders, but the biggest surprise was a Ring-necked Parakeet. Apparently, it's been seen since early last year, but it was the first time I knew about it. It seems to hang around the aviary area, attracted by the members of the parrot family imprisoned there, but at the same time driving the prisoners wild! New class members were impressed with the Goosanders, but also with the close views of Pochard, Tufted Duck, Mistle Thrushes, Black-headed and Common Gulls, which just aren't available elsewhere.

Pochard

Goosander

Tufted Duck [drake]

Tufted Duck [female]

Great Crested Grebe

Mistle Thrush

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Black-headed Gull [moulting into its summer hood]

Black-headed Gulls in non-breeding plumage

Common Gull

Hybrid Canada x Greylag Goose

Sparrowhawk

The Wednesday group had a session on the Humber estuary. This can be a bleak place, but luckily the wind was kinder to us than normal. There were many Golden Plover in the air, but the tide was well out, so the birds on the mudflat were all quite distant. Some Roe Deer were feeding on the saltmarsh, but the raptors were noticeable by their absence. The afternoon session was saved by a Short-eared Owl, which gave several good aerial views after it had been flushed by a dog-walker on the flood-bank.

The Tuesday session went to one of the premier winter reserves in the area. The morning session went south & saw over 30 species included 2 Redhead Smew & plenty of wildlfowl. The pm session voted to head north in case they encountered Short-eared Owls. We missed a Kingfisher by 10 minutes, but the owls refused to appear. The female Great-Spotted Woodpecker seen with in the final 10 minutes salvaged the afternoon. Overall, not a classic week, but at least things should only improve from this moment on....

Robin

Grey Wagtail

Forerunner of an Invasion?

2012-01-13T07:07:00.004Z

Just a temporary update to bring the news of yesterday afternoon's surprise bird. We heard shrill calls both morning and afternoon, but it was only after lunch that the shrieks were tracked to their source. A second bird was in attendance, but we weren't able to obtain a decent view of this one. Apparently, these birds have been present for some time, but the news hasn't been disseminated to a wider public. It's probably not a case of suppression, but it was probably thought that the general birdwatcher wasn't interested in seeing these birds, or adding them to their Life, County or Year lists.

Ring-necked Parakeet

What to Expect in Early 2012

2012-01-01T11:42:00.013Z

In the early weeks of the course we should be able to have close views of both drake and female Goosanders at an urban site - as long as it doesn't freeze over. If that happens they will desert the site!

Goosanders

We are also visiting a couple of sites which traditionally hold Bitterns during the winter, but we will be very lucky to get as close to this one, as a lucky class managed at Tophill Low in March 2010.

Bittern

It is a great winter for Short-eared Owls, and we will be visiting at least 3 sites, which should hold hunting individuals - a very popular bird with all participants.

Short-eared Owl

Hen harriers aren't as numerous as Short-eared Owls, or as predictable, but we will be trying to see these at 2 locations. A good view of a male Hen Harrier would be a really special encounter.

Hen Harrier [female]

Drake Smews are one of the most popular aquatic birds seen during the winter months. We will be visiting the most reliable site for these birds, but this winter we are much more likely to see young or female birds, so-called Redheads.

One of the main focuses of the winter term are birds of prey - also known as raptors. If we are lucky we should enjoy views of Peregrine attacking large flocks of waders.

Small passerine birds are also on the menu, and one we should catch up are large flock of Lesser Redpolls. These may be accompanied by Siskins, and if we are very lucky there may be some Crossbills nearby.

Lesser Redpoll

One of the largest raptors we are likely to see, has become a much commoner sight in recent years. Hopefully, we will see these majestic birds soaring over our heads at a couple of locations.

Red Kite

Once we reach mid-February the birdsong will be becoming more obvious and we will pay special attention at attempting to differentiate the various species singing. One of the most beautiful songsters at this time of the year is the Woodlark, and hopefully we will be listening to 'Lulu' sing at a couple of venues.

Woodlark

Towards the end of term, and before the cliffs get too busy with humans, we will be trying to see Puffins, Razorbills, Guillemots, Gannets, Kittiwakes and Fulmars.

Puffin

Twinkling Scarborough Lights

2011-12-23T09:12:00.012Z

Yesterday the forecast was too cloudy for the Short-eared owls, so I thought I'd take my nephew to see the Great Northern, Black Throated & Red Throated Divers in Scarborough Harbour. The weather improved during the drive until at Scarborough itself the sunlight was very bright & the wind not too strong. Unfortunately, we could only find a Cormorant & Guillemot in the harbour itself. Not having walked around the harbour, I didn't really know where I was supposed to be looking, but we did find very some very confiding Turnstones & a single Rock Pipit. The Purple Sandpipers were a little more distant, and a Red-throated Diver flew past & came to land far out at sea. An East Yorkshire snapper also seemed unable to find anything worth photographing & a few other birders were also on the lookout. Then my nephew spotted some Jellyfish & when we looked down we found more & more of them. Some contained green flashing lights, whist others had red pulsing lights running along their sides. We also saw more typical semi-circular jellyfish, but my camera wouldn't focus on these individuals.

After lunch Ben & I popped in to Forge Valley Feeding station. The birds had run out of food, and as soon as I put a little seed down on a table, and before I got back in the car, the birds flocked down in large numbers. There were many Marsh, Great & Blue Tits, plus Chaffinches, Blackbirds & Robins. However, the undoubted stars were the Nuthatches (at least 3) who also came to the table when Ben stood next to the car. Ben also spotted a pair of Treecreepers on nearby trees.

After we left the harbour area, a Weds morning stalwart found the distant Great Northern Diver in the harbour & a twitter acquaintance & his colleague saw a Woodcock being chased by a Peregrine - now, that would have been a sight to see, as long as the Woodcock got away & the Peregrine snatched a gull or pigeon instead!

Sea Gooseberry?

dittlo

Turnstone - only 1 toe on its right foot!

Rock Pipit - with best foot forward

Purple Sandpipers

Shag

Nuthatch

Chaffinch

Marsh Tit

Robin - a sop to the season

Feeling Christmassy!

2011-12-16T14:48:00.002Z

Although we get Fieldfares flying over the cemetery every Autumn, and even get some landing in the cemetery trees some winters, I don't think we've ever had a Fieldfare in the garden before. Redwings do come in after snowfalls now-and-again, but never a Fieldfare until yesterday. There were also plenty of Blackbirds. Our Pyracanthus berries were suddenly ripe, and the birds knew it. I was secretly hoping for a Waxwing, but a Fieldfare isn't a bad start. I drew the line at 4 Woodpigeons, and once I was certain the Fieldfare had gone, I chased off the big fat pigeons.

In the afternoon I drove round our premier local owl location, but even though the afternoon was perfect there weren't any Owls. However, when I checked a flock of 35 drab little birds on telegraph wires, I was gob-smacked to discover that they were all Corn Buntings. I've seen 1 or 2 breeding birds in the area most summers, but never seen anything like approaching that number there before - in fact I don't remember ever seeing any Corn Buntings at that bleak location in the winter! I don't think it was an accident that they were perched directly over some set-aside!

Fieldfare (& Blackbird)

Corn Bunting

More Golden Oldies

2011-12-14T18:33:00.013Z

My 'students' continue to get out and about & here are the results of a few members of the Wednesday am class visiting Blacktoft Sands & on to a North Lincolnshire site; followed by the Thurs am visit to Far Ings the other week, where they managed to spot a Bittern - if you zoom in you should be able to see some blue coloration near the base of the bill, which indicates that this is probably a male bird.

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Short-eared Owl

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Killing Time with a Passerine

2011-12-13T08:03:00.023Z

Yesterday afternoon looked as if would be the most promising for Tophill's Short-eared Owls, but what to do in the meantime? I decided to go up to RSPB Bempton to look for the Desert Wheatear now the hordes of twitchers had died down. Unfortunately, no one had seen it that morning & I wasn't very hopeful. I made my way to where it had last been seen, but although there were a few scattered observers around no one had seen it.

I was a few yards from the site of the Gannet colony when I noticed a flicker of wings along the cliff edge & then a small passerine emerged and landed on a fence only a few feet away - it was the Desert Wheatear. My camera was on the wrong setting & after I'd rattled off several over exposed shots it flew further away & pulled out a couple of worms. It then flew across the field & was too far for any more photos to be taken.

On to Tophill & walking towards the favoured owl site I was delayed by a Fox up at the back of D reservoir. I caught him on the grass & knowing I'd seen him he shame-facedly returned to the path & made his way to the interpretation board & continued going, keeping to the path at all times!

I hadn't been at Hempholme long when at 1.20 I spotted a Short-eared Owl flying in high from the east towards the spot where I was standing. It just glided down until it reached the green grassy area south of the shooting estate. It then hunted on and off for the next 40 minutes before a second bird emerged from the trees behind it. 5 photographers were in various positions about the site, but when the light disappeared behind thick cloud at 14.25 I decided to call it a day. Other birds heard or seen round here included a large flock of Fieldfare, and a Great Spotted Woodpecker missing most of its tail feathers & the sound of a couple of Bullfinches flying over and a single Redpoll.

I'm not sure I'll get another chance for photography for a while, as the forecast if pretty dire for the remainder of the week.

Desert Wheatear

Short-eared Owl arriving after flying in high from the East

Dropping in to Hempholme

You can just make out those amazing yellow eyes

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Stooping down for a non-existent kill

Kestrel

Fox

Intent on getting to the interpretation board

Fieldfare

Tree Sparrow at Bempton

Owling at the Moon

2011-12-11T12:12:00.020Z

The weather has been hit-and-miss recently, but when the weather has been OK, I've gone looking for Barn Owls at our once premier location. I've seen the occasional Barn Owl, but they definitely aren't as numerous even here as they used to be until last December. However, there have been compensations. I've seen a Little Owl in a new location & one afternoon I was lucky enough to see 2 different peregrines. The first, a female, was dragging a partially plucked pigeon in its talons, struggling to get into flight in contrary winds. Only 10 minutes later a young Peregrine flew directly over our heads towards the estuary.

The other day I had my best ever views of a Short-eared Owl, but my camera was on the wrong setting & then a car coming the other way prevented me from taking any decent pictures. It flew right over my car nearly brushing its wings over my roof. There was another one the same day in a different area. And this is where my nephew and I had another close encounter yesterday. This one landed on the bank of a ditch within 6 feet of the car, but a thick hawthorn hedge made photographs difficult. A few minutes later it flew off & perched in a much more open location, but it was a lot further away. It was nearly dark by this time & I had to crank the ISO up to 3200 - something I've nearly had to do before - the results were surprisingly satisfying, even though more than 20 pictures had to be discarded!

Moon over Thorngumbald

Short-eared owl

This was less than 6 feet away, but was the other side of a thick hawthorn hedge

Not a flying cowpat

The Little Owl before it launched itself

Record shot of a Peregrine

Redshank

Back at Home - Great Spotted Woodpecker on the font

Kestrel

Roe Deer

Tall Tales out of Skool

2011-12-08T08:18:00.007Z

Although all official classes have finished this year, some 'students' just can't get enough of their encounters with nature, and are even looking for birds on their own! Below is Chris Cox's Short-eared Owl taken at the same location we visited recently. Underneath that are 3 shots of a bird Tony Robinson managed to take at Bempton yesterday. He's trying to string it as a Desert Wheatear, and the only fly in the ointment is that everyone in the birding community would agree with him. Finally, another group claim to have enjoyed great views of a Bittern, but no photos of this have been forthcoming, so we will have to take their word for it!

The weather is too wild for me to venture out today, but I hope to include some exciting pictures of my own soon...

ditto

Operation Bullfinch

2011-12-06T08:32:00.012Z

A London wildlife photographer was bemoaning the lack of suitable urban subjects, so I felt inspired to see if our local Bullfinch colony was still present. During an hour's vigil eventually at least 4 male Bullfinches were seen at the same time, plus 3 females. Also present were some bold Coal Tits, and then the usual suspects. A single Greenfinch was a new bird after several years absence. There were also several Chaffinches, but the Goldfinches weren't as bold as the species depicted in the photos, and remained out of camera range. At no time were any Marsh Tits either seen or heard in what used to be one of the few local sites where they could be guaranteed. This absence may be the result of last winter's weather or could be symptomatic of a more general decline.

A Clash of Bright Colours

Best Male Bullfinch in a Natural Setting

Female Bullfinch

Male

Coal Tit

Coat Tit (almost Crested)

Great Tit (Washed Out)

Robin - made drab by the Bullfinches

Blackbird

At Last the Tophill SEOs

2011-11-30T21:17:00.015Z

This morning I read yesterday's blog update by Richard Hampshire, the reserve warden at Tophill Low. For the second time he opined the lack of any photographs of his Short-eared Owls which have been present for nearly 3 weeks. I thought I would assess how hard they were to photograph at the site, so this afternoon I took my teacher-less nephew to have a look.

We had no longer arrived on the northern edge of the site when we saw 2 SEOs - a Kestrel was having an altercation with one of the owls. One owl disappeared from view, but the other came very close. Although it was just over a drain and partially obscured by a barbed wire fence, and most of the photographs had to be ditched, I was able to take some fairly decent record shots. Nice to actually photograph some locally & not to have to pay the bridge tolls for the privilege! A further advantage is that these birds hunt over a pleasant green field, much more aesthetically pleasing than the rather shrivelled brown habitat the ones I've been watching in Lincolnshire spend their time flying over!

Also at the site were a pair of Barn Owls and at least 5 Kestrels. The male Barn Owl was so much whiter than the darker - more camouflaged female. A pair of red-head Goosanders flew over, & on the way back a Hare was extremely confiding. All-in-all a very pleasant way to spend the dying hours of a winter afternoon!

At one stage a chinook helicopter flew very low over the reserve and only just missed going directly over D reservoir - needless to say it flushed the wildfowl off this stretch of water.

Short-eared Owl

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The barbed wire fence shows a lot in this one!

Hare - if I crouch really low he can't see me, surely?

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Barn Owl - the male?

Barn Owl - the female?

Goosanders

Kestrel

Chinook

Farewell to the Autumn Term

2011-11-27T11:08:00.022Z

On Thursday we made the almost annual pilgrimage into deepest Lincolnshire for our appointment with the spectacle of the Grey Seal Breeding season. We arrived at 10.20 & took the final 3 spaces in the car park. We stayed until after noon, but by that time the crowds had built and 2 coach-loads depositing even more people had arrived. The secret is obviously to avoid the weekend if you possibly can & arrive as early as possible if you want to try & take pictures without having your elbow jostled.

Some of the participants had never heard of the seal colony & they were suitably blown away by the sight waiting for them on the beach. Others tried to obtain better pictures than they had previously taken. It was also instructive attempting to decipher the behaviour among the seals being exhibited on the beach. There seemed to be heavily pregnant cows attempting to find a space on the beach to give birth only to be warned off by cows who've already given birth. There were also fights between 2 cows which had already given birth, but one had strayed too close to the territory of another. There were pups which had been finally abandoned by their mothers leaning on the fence to try 7 keep out of trouble. There was rope-neck who was rescued from fishermen's nets many years ago, and who had returned to the same stretch of beach almost every year since to look after her pup. There were bulls fighting with cows & a few bulls fighting amongst themselves, but these tended to be a bit further away from the fenced off area.

I checked out the area last Saturday & could only see a single pup casualty, but one heavily populated area on Thursday had at least 5 casualties, and Great Black-Backed gulls had gathered round one & were making short work of the remaining carcass. Apparently, there is a 10% casualty rate amongst pups born in the area every year - one of the saddest of the many statistics from the rookery.

We went on to a local large reservoir, which had held a Snow Bunting, & both White-fronted and Bean Geese the previous day, but when we visited there was a windsurfing competition, and all the unusual species had taken flight. All that remained were Goldeneye, Wigeon, Great Crested Grebes a Little Grebe. There was also what looked like a large flotilla of necks, which turned out to be Cormorants.

The Grey Seal Special was the final event in the Autumn itinerary, so we won't be meeting up again until well into the New Year. In the meantime there are a couple of winter species I would like to try & photograph, so I will add any interesting encounters on the blog if & when they are obtained.

Young Pup still showing umbilical cord

Mother & pup

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Another pup

Presumably a cow warning another pup away

A cow apparently deliberately suffocating a pup

Presumably a heavily pregnant cow trespassing into another cow's territory

Another territorial dispute

2 cows confronting each other (with sand thrown up)

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Attempting to rip the loose skin from the neck - a bull moving in on a cow?

Bull [left] & a Cow?

Bull & Cow fight - origin of the myth of the mermaid?

Great Black-Backed Gull Cleaning up a Casualty

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Windsurfer - one of the many who cleared the reservoir of interesting birds!

1st End of Term Special

2011-11-23T07:14:00.004Z

We had only just left our cars when a raptor was spotted perched on a bank, as it took to the air its white rump blazed out & several participants had seen their first ever Hen Harrier. It flew near us several times throughout our visit, but the misty conditions made it difficult to obtain decent photographs.

Also during our visit at least 7 Short-eared Owls were present. These were mainly seen flying as usual, but 3 birds were also seen perched & at least 2 were viewable on posts at the same time through the telescope. A Buzzard flew across the scene & landed in a Hawthorn bush & remained there for the remaining time we were there. The only other raptor present was a Kestrel.

Female Hen Harrier

Ringtail Hen Harrier

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Short-eared Owl

Final Full Wildlife Week

2011-11-21T06:59:00.023Z

Normally, we visit 4 different locations in a week of classes, but last week we only visited two. The weather was grey & misty, especially during the morning so there weren't as many chances of photography as usual.

On Tuesday & Thursday we visited Potteric Carr. There were an amazing amount of grown adults clamouring for a sighting of a Bean Goose! This is a family, which has all the charismatic appeal of watching paint dry. Anyway, these geese were too far to visit within our 2-hour time frame There were some incredibly rude photographers in the feeding station hide. They piled all their gear & clothing on the bench behind them & even though there was standing room only, they never offered to move it to allow any OAPs to sit down. Of course the OAPs were too polite to ask them to shift it!

The mild weather seemed to have prevented the usual sightings. There were only single flyovers of Redpolls & Siskins instead of the large flocks you expect at this time of year. Piper Marsh was almost completely drained, so there was no chance of Bittern here. Even the Kingfisher which can usually be guaranteed at this site, was only seen by the Tues pm session. The bird of the reserve was a drake Pintail, which was glimpsed by every class which visited.

The Wednesday & Friday sessions went to a location on the wolds. The morning groups shared cars to a water area & then on to the Red Kite Roost, whilst the pm sessions spent their whole time in the company of the Kites. Each morning was enlivened by Water Rails - 3 different individuals were heard on the Weds am - but other birds seen included Bullfinches, Grey Wagtail, Marsh Tit, Yellowhammers, Red-legged Partridges, Fieldfare, Redwing, Treecreeper, Long-tailed Tits & a Coal Tit.

Birds seen at the Red Kite Roost other than the kites included: Buzzards, Green Woodpecker, Mistle Thrush, Redwing, Fieldfare, Brambling, and a local rarity - Nuthatch - first spotted by Les. A Little Owl was heard 'barking' in the distance on one of the days, and a Siskin flew over. It was a little windier on Friday & 12 Red Kites were seen in the sky at the same time, but if we had stayed after 3.30 then I'm sure we'd have seen even more.

One of the 12 Red Kites

Mistle Thrush

Sticking its Tongue Out

Female Bullfinch Stretching for a Bud

Brambling

Little Grebe

Distant Water Rail

Willow Tit [left] & Great Tit

Pheasant

Chaffinch

Jay

Song Thrush

Male Bullfinch

Possibly Aniseed Funnel [Clitocybe odora - thanks to Nick Cantle]

Great Spotted Woodpecker

'Brain' Fungus (?)

Fly Agaric

Dog Vomit Fungus (?)

Purple Fungus

Yellow Slime Fungus

End of an Era

2011-11-14T07:06:00.011Z

Yesterday was the final Robert Fuller event to tie in with his winter exhibition. Things didn't augur well for the Winter Migrant Walk. It was quite gloomy at home and the mist thickened as I reached the higher altitudes around Thixendale. By the time the session started the visibility was very poor and it was drizzling. We started in Millington Wood, and at first there was very little evidence of any birds. So, I pointed out Birch Polypore & Ear Fungus on the way. Everyone had the opportunity of handling the latter, as I related some of the folklore associated with this species.

When we reached the pool we were greeted with the pig-like squeal of the Water Rail. Then someone spotted it creeping round the edge of the pond towards us. At that moment my watch alarm rang out & we observed the 2 minute silence. The Water Rail hadn't finished with us, because after we remembered the fallen it flew weakly past the group, dangling its legs behind it. It then called from an area of thick vegetation, whilst another called from the area it had just left. The Water Rail was a 'lifer' for all participants.

Other birds around the pool were Little Grebes, Moorhens, but the second best was a Grey Wagtail, which we saw better once we had walked along the road a short way. Also near here we were just able to discern several Bullfinches through the mist. Redwings & Fieldfare continued to fly up from the hawthorn bushes but we didn't get a perfect view of any of these. Much more obliging was a single Treecreeper and a Coal Tit. On the return journey we did get slightly better sightings of a Fieldfare and a few Redwings.

The day before was the final Red Kite Roost event of the season. Early on in the vigil I spotted a Red Kite perched in a tree. This was tagged & we were able to see it was Red No.7. It left its perch & flew down to the ground where it snatched some food from a Carrion Crow & then carried it to a nearby tree being chased & mobbed by the aggrieved Crow. In all we probably saw about 12 Red Kites making their way to the roost, but many of these were little more than silhouettes - it was Number 7, which gave us the best views. Other birds seen here included: Kestrel, Mallard, Redwings & Fieldfares. We also heard the first ever Little Owl barking in this area.

On Friday the forecast was too bad for the planned Barn Owl trip, so we switched to Tuesday's location. The Friday am group were as charmed with the new location as the Tuesday groups had been. Unfortunately, we couldn't find the Lesser Yellowlegs, but the group seemed quite satisfied with the great views of swirling Golden Plovers, plus Black-tailed Godwits, Dunlin, Shoveler, Little Egrets, Curlew, Redshank & Teal. We also had time to walk to a further hide on the eastern edge of the reserve. We didn't see a great many more birds, but a Roe Deer broke cover close to us, and when we returned a Jay was peering into my back window!

The afternoon group went to a different location. It was extremely grey, but we were able to see several Short-eared Owls. one flew right over our heads, and a little later I found one perched on the ground. This stayed ion place for several minutes, and this was enough time for everyone to observe it through a telescope - it was a 'lifer' for some participants.

Water Rail (taken at Spurn)

Record shot of Red Kite (Number 7)

Record shot of Red Kite & the aggrieved Carrion Crow

Record shot clearly showing No.7

Short-eared Owl

ditto

Roe Deer

Jay after looking through my back window

A Day of 2 Halves

2011-11-11T06:54:00.005Z

It was a gorgeous morning at Filey. We waited for an hour for the Glossy Ibis, but it failed to show. A pair of female type Goldeneye came very close to the L-shaped hide, but the only waders this time were a couple of Redshank. The female Sparrowhawk impressed with her aerial acrobatics, as she was mobbed by crows & then mobbed them back!

We went down on to the beach & had good views of Purple Sandpipers, Dunlin, Turnstones, more Redshank, Oystercatchers & Knot.

Just before the pm session started some sea fret came in, which put a real damper on the day. The Goldeneye were further off, but the Sparrowhawk flew in & panicked a Redshank & a group of Teal. There were Herring, Common & Black-headed Gulls having a bath, but the Glossy Ibis still failed to show. The tide was in, so we walked on the cliff top instead. From here we saw several Shag & Cormorants flying past, and then a Red-throated Diver on the sea & a Grey Seal came up for some air. It's just a shame we lost the sun!

Goldeneye

Teal

Sparrowhawk

Oystercatcher

Knot [centre] with Dunlin

Admire my Ear Tufts!

2011-11-09T21:56:00.007Z

In the morning the most notable thing was dodging the dog mess which was horrific at this site. However, I'll forbear from putting up loads of images of that visual treat. Some of the 38 birds seen included: Black-tailked Godwit, Lapwing, Fieldfare, Redwing, Wigeon, Goldeneye, Gadwall, Little Grebe, Cormorant, Curlews etc.

The afternoon was a different matter. Shortly after 1pm we saw a Short-eared Owl having a prolonged 'dog' fight with a Kestrel. It was seen hunting over a reedbed for a considerable time, but then I spotted another at the opposite end of the area. I fiddled with my camera setting while my 'students' noted the point at which it seemed to disappear into the reedbed. As we neared the area I noticed that was the one point some branches of a washed-up tree were appearing over the heads of the reeds. We crept closer & I fixed my gaze on the lower regions of the tree, and eventually I could just make out the shape of the Short-eared Owl, but it was almost completely obscured by the reeds.

We inched closer & then Sue set up her scope on the owl so everyone could get a decent view, while I tried to get even nearer. Everyone had taken a look at the bird through the scope when it realised I was watching it. It permitted me to get within photography distance before taking to the air. The fighting Owl & the one which was perched certainly made the afternoon pretty special. Hopefully, the morning group will never realised what they missed!

Short-eared Owl

Am I bothered?

The 1st glimpse through the reeds

Taking to the skies at last

Meanwhile some 'students' from the am went to see an SEO elsewhere

Another Tuesday, Another Lifer

2011-11-09T06:25:00.010Z

We were supposed to be watching large raptors on the wolds yesterday, but drizzle & thick mist was predicted, so we shifted to a lowland site instead. This was a brand new venue for all of the afternoon session, & most of the am crowd.

It took the morning crowd ages to reach the hide, as there were plenty of birds to see on the way. We also heard Green Woodpecker & a Jay from the car park before we really got started. There were crowds of Yellowhammers, Reed Buntings, Linnets, Greenfinches, Pied Wagtails, Goldfinches, Meadow Pipits, and were were assured a Water Pipit. We didn't get a great view of the latter & it was too gloomy for pictures. However, I did hear a sort of "tsk" sound, a much harsher call than that of a Meadow Pipit.

A few yards further on we saw 2 waders on an area of flooded farmland. One of these was a Redshank, but what was the smaller, more elegant wader? On closer inspection it proved to be a vagrant from the U.S. - a Lesser Yellowlegs. We were able to watch it for a considerable time, as it seemed to be feeding happily alongside the Redshank.

On reaching the hide we saw thousands of Golden Plovers with smaller numbers of Lapwing, Dunlin, Teal, Shoveler, Black-tailed Godwits, Curlew & Heron. There were also at least 3 Little Egrets on site. A Marsh Harrier caused panic among the waders, and the sound from the Shoveler's wings when they went up was incredible.

The afternoon was a repeat run of the morning with few passerines near the hide, but a Ruff had joined the Lesser Yellowlegs & the Redshank.

The venue was warmly praised by many of the attendees, so it looks as though this may become a permanent fixture on the Autumn itinerary - one participant even described it as a "little gem of a reserve!" However, there was virtually no wind yesterday, so people weren't really seeing it under normal circumstances!

Better pictures of the Lesser Yellowlegs taken with a larger lens & in brighter conditions may be seen here: http://pewit.blogspot.com/2011/11/lesser-yellowlegs.html

Record Shot of Lesser Yellowlegs

Record shot of Lesser Yellowlegs

ditto

Little Egret

Catch-Up

2011-11-08T06:37:00.008Z

The last few days have been very hectic, so this is the first chance I've had to bring things upto-date. On Thursday we changed to North Cave Wetlands because of a dodgy forecast. The Green Woodpecker was a new bird for some there, but we only had a distant view. The Little Grebes gave the best photo opportunities.

The weather on Friday was abysmal, but we stayed with our original intention of visiting Tophill Low. Despite the rain the Kingfisher put in a brief appearance for both sessions. The one in the morning was seen in poor light with rain clearly visible in the water behind it. A Water rail slinked past the reeds, but it was too dark to snatch a photograph. We saw 2 drake Goosanders heading south in the rain over D reservoir. The light had improved considerably by the afternoon & the pm crowd enjoyed 2 visits. With the improving light a photographer had also turned up. We went on to see 2 Barn Owls near the North Scrub box, 2 Whooper Swans flew over heading south & a Black-tailed Godwit was flushed briefly in the Hempholme area. The pm session saw 5 red-legged Partridges in the new scrape area, plus at least 3 Mistle Thrushes. We bumped into the reserve warden, who escorted us into parts of the site I hadn't visited before. He showed us paths made by Otters & everyone sniffed Otter poo & were suitably impressed with its sweet aroma - which managed to smell completely unlike lavendar!

On Saturday morning we had an influx of Woodcocks with at least 4, and perhaps 6 concealing themselves at the base of some of the trees. Unfortunately, they weren't very relaxed & were soon flushed & the morning was too dark for photography.

The Red Kite roost event at the Robert Fuller Gallery went well with perhaps 12 individuals seen, but the photo opportunities weren't as good as last week. The Saturday SEO safari is described on the previous post, but we went there again yesterday. Several participants weren't dressed warmly enough, and the weather was very gloomy & we had drizzle at first. This meant that the Owls seemed more likely to perch in the open, so we had good views of those, & I went back for the telescope so everyone could enjoy better views. We also had several chances to appreciate an immature female Hen Harrier, which came fairly close at times.

Tophill Kingfisher - showing its right profile

Now it wants its left side to be admired!

Immature Sparrowhawk

Little Grebe

A Silver Birch - & if you look really carefully there is a Green Woodpecker

From 7 to 70!

2011-11-06T08:28:00.011Z

Watching Owls is very weather dependant, so I studied the weather forecast carefully to check that the rain wasn’t due to reach our area. I also had to check the wind speed carefully, as the birds sometimes won’t fly if the wind is too strong. When it is very windy the owls can’t differentiated the rustle of a vole from the rustle of the grass due to the gale force winds!

A group of 12 very eclectic people aged between 7 & 70, and some coming from as far as Leeds shared cars to yesterday’s planned location. As we neared the venue I spotted a harrier species, but it was soon lost to view behind some conifers. We had only just left the cars and were scanning an area from a bridge when one participant spotted a “bird of prey”. Immediately we saw a very dark brown bird with a white rump – a ringtail Hen Harrier – either a female or immature bird.

We watched her for several minutes, and then turned our attention to the opposite side of the road. Immediately an owl was seen flying low over the vegetation near the railway line. Then another was seen under a heavily wooded area. We continued to scan the area during the remainder of our visit, and saw at least 4 birds in the air at the same time, and almost certainly as many as 6 in total – possibly several more. At times a couple of birds flew very close to us, and the observers gasped with admiration of their flying skills and their beautiful markings. Other raptors included a few Kestrels, a Marsh Harrier and a distant Buzzard. During the 2 hours we also heard or saw: a charm of Goldfinches, an exaltation of Skylarks, a single Meadow Pipit, plus flocks of Fieldfare & Lapwings passing over.

Short-eared Owl - almost black & white in the gloom!

Hen Harrier

ditto

Short-eared Owl

ditto

Crossing the Road - watched from both sides!

Bloody Snack on the Beach

2011-11-02T19:30:00.020Z

After yesterday's exciting species, today had to be an anti-climax. The best sighting was a young Kestrel observed hovering in the car park at lunch time. It then went along the cliff edge & pounced & dragged its catch to the beach where it calmly devoured it as we looked on.

In the pictures the voles features seem to be frozen in a deathly grin. less than 5 minutes later the Kestrel had removed all the innards from the vole & the meal was over.

The walk today was rather tough in the considerable winds. There was a large movement of Skylarks this morning with a flock of 22 heading south over the sea, and smaller flocks moving through virtually all morning. I don';t think there was a single sighting of a Skylark in the afternoon!

Waders seen on the beach included: Grey Plover, Sanderling, Ringed Plover, Oystercatcher & Dunlin. In all the am group encountered 24 species - this is nearly 20 fewer than some other venues this term. We won't be hurrying back to this venue.

Kestrel

Trick of the Light? Vole appears to be 'smiling'

ditto

Too gory?

The medicine goes down

Grey Plover

ditto

Grey Plover - showing black 'wing-pits'

Grey Plover

ditto

Redwing - located by Aileen

Goldfinch

Cormorant [immature]

Grey Partridge

Glossy Mags

2011-11-01T18:14:00.009Z

Today was our 3rd & final visit to Filey. I checked on the car sharing venue on my way in, as yesterday an interesting bird was present. The car part was busier than usual, but not too bad, and the 'interesting' bird hadn't been seen that morning. However, it had been commuting between the main pools & the hidden East Pool yesterday. Half an hour or so later the class shared cars back to this venue, and I made the fateful decision of going to the L-shaped hide. The group were able to discern the differences between Bar-tailed & Black-tailed Godwits, but there wasn't much else of interest. However, fairly new recruit Margaret (hence Mags in the blog title) asked what the unusual dark bird was directly under the other hide. She had found the Glossy Ibis. I set up the telescope on the birds & everyone was able to watch it quietly feeding.

After 10 minutes or so we decamped to the other hide, but before we got there apparently the Ibis flew over to the pool we had been watching, but we were screened by Willows, so were unaware this was happening. We were later informed that the Ibis flew off because of excessive noise in the small hide, but have no evidence that this was indeed the case.

Both classes went on to the beach in the 2nd half of their session & saw Purple Sandpipers, Turnstones, Oystercatchers, Redshank, Knot & Dunlin. Cormorants were on the Brigg in the morning, but we managed to find one in the sea during the afternoon. A massive flock of probablte Common Scoiters was seen heading south before the am session finished.

I returned at lunch time to find one of the county's top listers in place behind the screens. We stood behind the exterior screens for some time, and was joined by an am class member & eventually the Ibis took to the air again, and it was mobbed by a couple of crows before it disappeared into East Pool.

The afternoon group couldn't actually get in the L-shaped hide, and despite a long wait the Ibis remained out of view. However, plenty of entertainment was provided by 3 Sparrowhawks fighting amongst themselves & being mobbed by the crows & a Magpie.

Yesterday James Spencer of Ornithological Idiocy managed to get some different shots, which I've tried to add to this blog without success, so please visit his blog & take a look here: http://idiocybirding.blogspot.com/2011/10/ibis-at-dams.html

Glossy Ibis & Carrion Crow

ditto

A record shot showing some of the gloss

Glossy Ibis heading to East Pool

Oystercatchers

Knot & a Dunlin

Purple Sandpipers & a Turnstone

First Red Kite Roost

2011-10-31T09:49:00.008Z

Yesterday was the first of the Red Kite roost events on behalf of the Robert Fuller Gallery. We shared cars to the location & had no sooner got out of the cars when a Red Kite was seen flying very close to the parked cars. The colours were picked out vividly against the Autumnal colours of the trees behind. In the 2 hours we were there at least 6 were seen in the sky at the same time, but many other individuals swept by at other moments. Unfortunately, due to the enthusiastic participation of 3 youngsters bombarding me with questions & anecdotes I lost count of the individual birds coming in! Hopefully, they may turn out to be leading conservationists of the future!

In addition to the flying kites we also saw a few perched in neighbouring trees, but also 200+ Fieldfare, and a few Redwings, at least 2 Kestrels & a Green Woodpecker kept returning to the same tree for a few moments. Unfortunately, it never stayed there long enough for everyone to see it through the telescope, before it bounded away to another area, where it remained hidden. There was a flyover Skylark, a Meadow Pipit, Mistle Thrushes & Chaffinches. Throughout our stay a group of Mallard laughed noisily in the background.

The views yesterday were some of the best I've seen of Red Kites locally, but none of the photos really captured the ruddy tail of this special species. Hopefully, future visits will remedy this situation. One youngster confided to his brother that "this was the best day of my life". His brother then broadcast this information to the rest of the participants! Although it would have meant more if someone aged 85 said that watching the Red Kites was the best day of his life, at least his experience may inspire the youngster to help conserve our wildlife in the future!

Red Kite

ditto

Record shot of Kite

ditto

A perched youngster (?)

Ringing at Spurn

2011-10-27T07:15:00.044+01:00

We were due to watch ringing sessions at Spurn on Tuesday & Wednesday, but the weather forecast for Tuesday was so bad, that these original sessions had to be cancelled, and the participants were asked if they could manage Wednesday or Thursday instead. Unfortunately, this wasn’t possible for most of those who had registered, but more than 80% generously agreed that their fees could still be donated to the scientific work undertaken by Spurn Bird Observatory Trust (SBOT).

Although the main emphasis of the sessions was to observe the ringing process there was also time to look at birds elsewhere on the peninsula. One of these highlights was provided on Thursday afternoon when a Pallas’ Warbler was spotted in the garden where we were witnessing the ringing. The pm crowd were spellbound as this bird, little bigger than a Goldcrest, was observed flitting among the foliage & hovering as it attempted to pluck insects from the underside of leaves. This was a ‘lifer’ for every attendee, and was also the best view I’ve ever enjoyed – even its pale rump was visible. Sadly, my bigger lens was in the car, I was expecting to photograph birds in the hand, so this beautiful image is provided by Martin Standley from another occasion.

The non-ringing highlight on Thurs am was a Firecrest which was first glimpsed through the crack of my window as it sat on the top of a bush right next to the road. The whole class were then able to see it as it flitted from one Sea Buckthorn bush to another. The bird then disappeared when a Miriam Margolyes look-alike, who had earlier also observed the ringing, and was later to gas her way round the point, turned up.

Record shot of Firecrest

Unusually, we are able to get decent views of some Fieldfares on most of our visits. These are usually wary birds, especially when a large group is present, but these individuals were relatively confiding – perhaps they were exhausted and hungry, although the photographed bird appears to be alert.

Fieldfare

Back to the ringing process – every bird was weighed, such as the Goldcrest below. An average weight of this species is 5.5g – any specimens which weigh less than this are released without being ringed, as it is essential that they forage for food as soon as possible, so they may put on some weight and hopefully will survive. In addition to being ringed and weighed, each bird had its wing measured, and all these details are noted in the records.

Goldcrest being weighed - average 5.5g

Known Locally as Grey Pate - young Goldfinch to rest of the world!

Wing being measured of Reed Bunting

Redwing - displaying its err, red wing

Tree Sparrow - well over 300 of these were ringed

The wall of the lab was covered with pictures of star birds ringed at Spurn including: Woodchat Shrike, Great Spotted Cuckoo, Nightingale, and various Warblers amongst others. In one corner of the wall were several strings of graduated rings to fit particular species: the smallest for Goldcrests, and then others for slightly larger passerine species. Rings for more specialised ringing sessions of geese, waders and swans were kept elsewhere. Each ring is stamped with the words “British Museum”, and is given a unique serial number, so it can be traced back to Spurn – if a ring is ever recovered. Despite all the work put in at the observatory literally ringing thousands of birds ever year, only about 1% are ever recovered. Fewer are returned for tiny birds like Goldcrests, but for larger birds, such as swans the percentage which are returned is proportionally higher – people are more likely to stumble across the corpse of a swan than a Goldcrest!

Wall of Honour - incl a certain calendar!

Wall of honour contd - incl bags of birds to be ringed

Mist Net - believe it or not between these 2 posts

Explaining why this is a Young Song Thrush

In the morning sessions most of the ringed birds were trapped in a Heligoland trap, which has a narrowing funnel, which the birds are ushered into until they reach a small box at the narrow end and are carefully placed in cotton bags – a maximum of 2 are placed in each bag. These bags are then hung briefly from hooks in the lab before the birds inside are processed – ie weighed, measured & ringed it is possible to age some birds, so this Song Thrush had pale tips to many of its body feathers, which showed it was reared this year. The Robin’s mandible was opened, and when it was yellow inside this was another proof that it was a young bird; while the bird depicted had a dark inside mandible, so was an adult.

Song Thrush

Paul Collins, Warden of Spurn Bird Observatory - making a point

Female Goldcrest

Lesser Redpoll

Robin

Robin - checking the mandible to prove it's an adult

The other Friday a woman asked Autumnwatch why so many black-billed Blackbirds had suddenly appeared in her garden. Chris Packham didn’t know, but this was explained when we saw examples of both. Every year the east coast is inundated with thousands of blackbirds from Scandinavia. The young males have moulted into their black body feathers, but their bills have not yet taken on their distinctive golden hues. The priority for these Blackbirds is to conserve their energy for the long migration, and the bills will change colour over the winter. If, and when the birds live to return to Scandinavia in the spring, then they will be resplendent in their yellow bills, as without those they could face rejection by their prospective mates.

Juvenile male migrant Blackbird

Adult male migrant Blackbird

Brambling

Bags full of birds waiting to be ringed

Rings to fit birds the size of Woodpigeons

The Wednesday am session in particular was dominated by the number of Tree Sparrows being ringed. The weather conditions were perfect for huge numbers of them to head south and more than 300 were ringed on that particular day. Other birds we saw being ringed during the 2 days included Lesser Redpolls, Goldcrests, Redwings, a Brambling, a House Sparrow & a Reed Bunting.

Barry Spence releasing a Tree Sparrow after ringing

Many people aren't aware that SBOT is a completely separate organisation to the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust who of course run the Spurn Point Nature Reserve. The ringing of birds is an expensive undertaking with the metal rings costing upwards of 10p each, & small mist nest costing more than £50, with larger ones retailing at £75. While we were there more than 300 Tree Sparrows were ringed on the Wednesday alone, and during the course of a year literally several thousand birds are ringed in total.

Black Redstarts

I would like to thank everyone from Spurn Bird Observatory Trust who made these sessions so memorable, especially to Paul Collins who gave of his time, & who explained all the interesting byways of bird migration & who provided plenty of interesting anecdotes; but also to Rael Butcher, Steve Exley, Andy Roadhouse & Barry Spence, and those we met on our travels, such as Geoff Dobbs, and anyone else I may have inadvertently overlooked.

Finally, I am also extremely grateful to those who attended the Spurn ringing session, but especially those who booked on the cancelled Tuesday session, and who were unable to attend any of the re-arranged dates, but who generously agreed that their fees could still be donated to SBOT. Therefore, I would like to single out the donations of: Jan Davie, Jackie Gilbert, Claude Hargreaves, Caroline Hunt, Gordon Kitching, Maureen Moore, Janet Park, Tessa Potter, Brian & Margaret Richardson, Alan & Ann Smith and Linda Terry. Because of their generosity, and those who were able to attend, we were able to raise more than £360 for SBOT!

Black Redstart

Owl Recce

2011-10-26T06:05:00.009+01:00

Yesterday afternoon I had arranged to be watching birds being ringed at Spurn, but this was cancelled because of the uncertain weather, so I went to check whether the Short-eared Owls were still showing at the venue we will be visiting soon.

Things didn't seem very promising at first - there was very little to see apart from 3 Kestrels perched high on the bushes, and a swooping Sparrowhawk just before we reached the village itself. We overheard people saying it was a poor vole year & that there had been quite a few owls but that they hadn't been seen en masse for several days. We decided to stick it out & at about 2.40 a single Short-eared Owl was seen for a few minutes being attacked by a Kestrel - kleptoparasitism in action. We decided to go for a walk, but there were no further sightings of owls, but we did see Mistle Thrushes, Skylarks, Goldfinches and a large flock of Fieldfare. I also heard a Yellowhammer and a Reed Bunting.

Eventually, we reached a small group of birders watching something from a bridge & we were rewarded with a stonking male Hen Harrier. He flew slowly, low over a patch of dried grasses between 2 small areas of young conifers when he suddenly flushed a group of small birds, which were about the size of Linnets. Suddenly his behaviour altered & he flew in a series of sharp mad circles as he tried to catch one of these small passerines. He wasn't successful and he soon disappeared, but watching his behaviour was incredibly satisfying.

We turned at right angles & walked along the bank of a dyke. There were a few Redwing & Robin noises emanating from a small group of trees, and some loud Mallard sounds coming from the other side of the dyke, but very little to see for a while. Suddenly the duck noises increased and a Short-eared Owl was seen hunting over an area of rough grassland. We watched it for several minutes & then scanned the whole area & were able to pick out a further 7 birds. The birds nearest to us was fairly dark underneath, but there were a few over the vast area of sedge which appeared to be much lighter. The 8 were seen hunting over a vast area for about half an hour, but then numbers dropped again, so on the return journey there were maybe 4 in the air at any one time. A female Marsh Harrier came over the site, but she was chased off by one of the Short-eared owls! Despite the failure to locate the Rough-legged Buzzard, a Peregrine or Merlin it was a very productive afternoon.

The reason the owls hadn't been seen in large numbers for a couple of days were the strong winds. Owls prefer hunting in calmer weather when they can hear the rustle of voles through the thick grass & when they aren't hampered by a howling gale. Hopefully, it won't be too windy when we revisit!

Best view from the back!

Coming towards the camera

Looking right into the lens

The underside

Above & below

Coming closer

Probably the nearest we got & when the camera worked!

2012 Calendar Competition: Week 5

2011-10-23T14:52:00.004+01:00

August 2012 Calendar pics

1. Wednesday morning - 32

2. Wednesday afternoon - 15

3. Friday morning - 14

4. Tuesday morning - 9

5. Thursday morning - 9

6. Friday afternoon - 7

7. Tuesday afternoon - 6

8. Thursday afternoon - 2

Other sales - 69

Grand Total - 163

Faraway Filey

2011-10-22T09:12:00.013+01:00

Yesterday we ventured the furthest north we are going this term. The long drive seemed to deter quite a few participants, as the turn-out was lower than average, but luckily there was nothing average about the birds. To land-locked West Yorkshire birders this area is the favourite of many, but to those of us in the east we tend to take the coast for granted!

The highlight for the morning group was probably the female Sparrowhawk, which kept up a running battle with Crows & Magpies. Sometimes they instigated the resumption of hostilities, but at others she harassed them first - it seemed rather a nervy way to spend your day. However, we found this was only a morning ritual as the Sparrowhawk failed to appear for the afternoon group. The group were also thrilled to see 2 Barn Owls around the nest box - one was definitely a youngster, so it looks as though they have been successful in this particular area. There were 3 species of Gull bathing: Herring, Black-headed & a single Common. Most duck species seem to be almost out of eclipse now with fine examples of a Shoveler, the ubiquitous Mallard & plenty of Teal. There were single Bar-tailed & a Black-tailed Godwits, which were great for comparison purposes, but otherwise waders at the inland location were rather thin on the ground. A pair of afternoon Snipe spotted by Jim were a welcome addition.

To increase the wader count the pm session regrouped on the beach, where we were lucky enough to get a very good view of a confiding Purple Sandpiper, Turnstones, Dunlin, a few Knot, Oystercatchers and a single Redshank. In the sea itself we spotted single Red-throated Divers & Great Crested Grebes, but several Cormorants.

It was high tide at the end of the morning session, so we tried Parish Wood for the first time. We didn't see or hear much in this new plantation, but did find a family party of Long-tailed Tits, a couple of Bullfinches, and heard a Yellowhammer, and a Meadow Pipit, but the best birds in this area were nearly a dozen Skylarks, which were both heard & seen

Purple Sandpiper

ditto

Sparrowhawk

Sparrowhawk & Carrion Crow

Dunlin

Redshank

Teal

Barn Owl

Crow

White Horses

Not Waving, But Drowning

2011-10-20T20:38:00.018+01:00

Those who arrived early this frosty morning were rewarded with a really smart-looking Fox. It sauntered through the old feeding station, pounced on a grass pile, and scratched itself on the 'lawn' before settling down under a patch of brambles to have a snooze in the sun.

This made up for the Kingfisher which failed to show for the morning session. Of course it had been seen before we arrived! A further compensation came in the form of a Sparrowhawk, which settled in some trees opposite the hide, but kept itself partially concealed until it chased a few birds. Another interesting sighting were 7 Whooper Swans which flew just over the hide heading South.

The afternoon Kingfisher vigil was almost a direct copy of the morning with the Kingfisher sighted an hour before our arrival, but not during our wait! This time the diversion was provided by a Barn Owl out hunting in broad sunlight at 1.30 in the afternoon, and that was after a clear dry evening. The Owls must be hungry, as it seems unlikely that they are still feeding chicks this late into the season! A pair of [probably] young Sparrowhawks indulged in some mid-air dog fights before one broke away & headed away from the hide. There was a Comma and a Red Admiral on a Ragwort-like plant in front of the hide, but a swimming creature turned out to be a Hawker species of Dragonfly. It almost appeared to be waving, as it flailed around, but unfortunately despite surviving a night of intense cold, it was not waving, but drowning! [Apologies to Hessle-born poet Stevie Smith].

Elsewhere on the reserve highlights included Great Spotted Woodpecker, Buzzard, Siskin, Redpoll, Little Grebe, Gadwall, Teal, Goldcrest & Long-tailed Tits.

Red Fox

ditto

Barn Owl

Goldcrest

ditto

Long-tailed Tit

Red Admiral

Gadwall

Maggie's Cuckoo! [Sparrowhawk]

Fungi

Common Darter

Hawker sp [Not Waving, but Drowning]

Wizard!

2011-10-20T05:44:00.007+01:00

Yesterday we met at Paull & shared cars to the wilds of Holderness. We saw huge flocks of Fieldare, possibly 300+ with only a couple of Redwing in tow. The fields were fairly dry, so we didn't see as many waders feeding in them as usual, just a scattering of Curlew, Lapwing, Woodpigeon, Stock Dovers, but later some Golden Plovers too. At the estuary it was high tide in the morning, so we didn't see a lot of waders either, but there were a couple of Curlew, Cormorants and Mallard at the creek's mouth. A Kingfisher flew across the road on a at least a couple of occasions, but it was so quick not everyone could get on to it in time.

The situation was transformed in the afternoon as the tide had subsided leaving the mud exposed for several Redshank, Knot and single Dunlin & Grey Plover. Both groups saw a Little Egret in the area, but neither group saw an Owl of any species.

The walk around the hedgerows threw up a few Fieldfare, Redwing, and in the afternoon a couple of male Yellowhammers. 5 Bullfinches withan atypical call flew due swiftly west, but in the morning there had been several Redpoll & Siskin in the area.

We about to drive back in the afternoon, and I put my camera in the boot, saying we may see something good if I kept the camera there. Sure enough 10 minutes later a raptor the colour of a juvenile Sparrowhawk flew up from a hedge. However, it's wings were swept back and its underparts were covered in dark streaks. In flight just over the car it looked to be juvenile Peregrine, but later when a bird landed on the grass just to the left of the cars it was an obvious Merlin. Perhaps, there had been 2 different birds seen near the same area? Anyway this Merlin was a lifer for virtually every participant present & was an excellent way to finish the afternoon. But 15 minutes later I saw a distant large raptor huddled up on the side of the ditch. It eventually took to the air & was mobbed by a Carrion Crow. It was a Buzzard - quite a new species for this low-lying area - an excellent end to the afternoon!

You can see more of Martin's excellent pics here:

http://eastyorkshirewildlife.blogspot.com/

My ropey pic of a Merlin [below] taken at Spurn 2 years ago

Fieldfare

ditto

Yellowhammer

Knot

Going Underground

2011-10-19T07:54:00.007+01:00

Yesterday we should have been walking along a cliff edge, but the strong winds put paid to that. We went underground instead. The birds weren't especially plentiful, but both groups saw Bullfinches, Goldcrests, Long-tailed Tits, Chaffinches & both Great, Blue & Coal Tits. In the morning there were also at least 2 Treecreepers, plus flyover Redpolls and other small passerines.

Bullfinch

ditto

Two Day Round-up

2011-10-15T10:03:00.020+01:00

Thursday & Friday were at 2 very contrasting sites. On Thursday we met at an urban car park adjacent to a major local employer & walked along a river bank until we reached a large lake & then retraced our steps. On Friday we went to an alleged wildlife hotspot & had a circular walk on the coast. Thursday resulted in more than 52 species, the Friday hotspot wasn't able to compete with this. On Thursday the weather was very overcast with occasional drizzle & very little wind. On Friday there was barely a cloud in the sky after mid-morning, but the wind was very unpleasant.

One of the highlights on Thursday pm was a mid-air skirmish between a Short-eared Owl and a Carrion Crow. In contrast, the highlight of Friday pm was probably the minute & confiding Goldcrest. There were plenty of Redwings on Fri am, but these had all pushed off by the afternoon, however 2 short-staying Bramblings took their place. It was rather annoying to find we were at the right location when an elleged rare bunting was seen, but no one had the grace to let us know such a bird was present. A highlight on Thurs pm was a family party of 9 Bearded Tits 'pinging' in the reeds before flying up & moving away from us.

Other Thursday birds included: Pintail, Redpoll, Siskin, Fieldfare, Grey & Golden Plovers, Snipe, Curlew, Redshank & Heron. One bird which was expected, but which failed to appear was a Marsh Harrier. Other Friday birds included: Curlew, Oystercatcher, Great Black-Backed, Herring, Common & Black-headed Gulls. A single Yellow-Browed Warbler was seen, but not heard - a Chiffchaff did appear briefly to sight though. One bird which may have been expected, but which failed to appear was a Red-Flanked Bluetail!

Goldcrest

ditto

Sparrowhawk

Brambling

Redwing

Bearded Tits

Short-eared Owl

A view of the cement works ruined by a Short-eared Owl & a Crow!

Heron

ditto

Red Admiral

Wildlife Crime: Ring 999!

2011-10-13T06:39:00.003+01:00

A previous course participant emailed me about his fascinating brush with illegal hare coursing yesterday & I thought you'd be interested in the outcome!

Yesterday, on my return from an afternoon at Tophill, I came across 3 men "exercising" their lurcher dogs across the fields just outside Garton-on-the-Wold on the A166. I gave the police a call on 999. Later I got a return call to say that the police had apprehended the three, and that as they had been questioned earlier in the day in the Holderness area, they would be prosecuted.

The police women who spoke with me said that I had done the right thing in ringing 999 rather than ringing the local station, as that had allowed them to respond quickly and consider the use of the helicopter for a possible pursuit. She emphasised that Humberside Police take farm and wildlife crime very seriously, but need early involvement if they are to be successful in their work.

Given that this year's leverets are getting on to be full grown, there may be more of these "incidents", so you may want to pass on my recent experience to others.

Brown Hare

Saved by the Kingfisher

2011-10-12T18:37:00.013+01:00

On a day of appalling weather there aren't that many locations you can go to & still see quality birds, but Tophill Low is one of them. The morning was particularly bad until a Kingfisher duly obliged, we went on to see another 35 species. A late highlight was provided by a pair of synchronised underwater swimmers - some Little Grebes! The afternoon drizzle was less persistent and a different Kingfisher appeared less than 5 minutes after entering the hide. We were able to go for a longer walk - the biggest surprise was a site rarity - 3 Grey Plovers flew round D reservoir 3 times before heading off in a SE direction. Despite the drizzle a Barn Owl was spotted at 2.30pm. It tried to hunt from stationary objects - a fence post, a bale of hay & a Yorkshire Water sign, but none of these yielded a ready meal. It headed off along the River Hull where I hope it was more successful. The afternoon ended on a high with a very confiding Treecreeper near the car park. Everyone went home damp but well satisfied with their sightings. Hoping for an improvement in the weather soon!

Kingfisher [pm bird - adult male]

ditto

Melanistic Rabbit

Record Shot of Barn Owl

ditto

Dodging Autumnwatch

2011-10-08T08:02:00.012+01:00

The Friday class met at Spurn, but the hopes weren't high after another week of strong westerly winds. The first surprise came in the car park when a 'strange' duck was spotted at the far end of Borrow Pits. In the light it initially was reminiscent of Eider with a large head & beak, but it soon became apparent it was a female Scaup. As this species had never been encountered by a Fri group the original plans were jettisoned for a closer look.

We walked along the river bank sending up plenty of Meadow Pipits, Tree Sparrows, Linnets and a Reed Bunting. We also saw 2 Wheatear in the next field which flew towards the Seawatching hut - the old story of how they got their name was repeated & I explained what the original Anglo-Saxon name had been - which is much more fitting than the one they have!

We had a quick look in Canal Scrape, but there were very few birds, so we returned to the car park & shared cars to the point. A walk here resulted in very little - the most numerous birds seemed to be piping Dunnocks. The Brown-tail Moth saga was related again - it seems to have resumed its stranglehold on the very point this year.

We then travelled to Chalk Bank & were rewarded with a stunning male Stonechat - the best we've seen all year on any of the sessions. While I was creeping closer for a better photograph the group saw a very yellow bird nearby, but they couldn't narrow it down between a juvenile Chiffchaff or a Siskin.

The afternoon was a re-run of the morning with fewer passerines seen, but as the tide was coming in the visit to Chalk Bank was much more rewarding with good views of Bar-tailed Godwit, Grey Plover, Ringed Plover, Curlew, Knot, Dunlin, Oystercatcher, Cormorant and Great Black-backed Gulls. The Stonechat put in another fleeting appearance in front of the hide.

Although the morning was well below the average expected in a typical Autumn, one of the morning crew had never birded at Spurn before, and he was very impressed with the range of birds seen, and the Brent Geese were new for a surprisingly large number of participants.

We first came across one of the Autumnwatch cameramen in the Canal Scrape during the morning & we encountered one of the two men & their liveried Land Rover at various places throughout the day. They were united for a piece near the lighthouse; were filming a Kestrel near the gate, and the Brent Geese on the Saltmarsh. It is to be hoped that they spent some time filming the spectacular display of the waders at Chalk Bank. The latter resulted in plenty of "OOs" & "Ahs" from the appreciative pm crowd, but no stills camera can do justice to that particular spectacle.

Male Stonechat

ditto

Scaup

Knot (mainly)

Selection of Waders

2012 Calendar Competition: Week 3

2011-10-07T16:43:00.005+01:00

1. Wednesday morning - 25

2. Wednesday afternoon - 15

3. Friday morning - 14

4. Tuesday morning - 8

5. Thursday morning & Friday afternoon - 7

7. Tuesday afternoon - 2

8. Thursday afternoon - 0

Other sales - 36

Grand Total - 107

Birding in a Fissure

2011-10-07T06:47:00.021+01:00

We were supposed to be birding on the edge of a cliff yesterday, but the winds were too strong, so we switched to a deep fissure a few miles away. The birds weren't brilliant & the fungi was almost non-existent (too dry), but we did have a few close encounters with a couple of species. Both groups encountered 10+ Red Admirals dividing their time by nectaring on a large clump of Ivy, & sunbathing nearby. Shortly after this in the pm the group had a very confiding Treecreeper which charmed them for several minutes. The equivalent in the am was a buck Roe Deer, which seemed pretty unconcerned by our attentions.

Both groups saw a Grey Seal bobbing in the sea, but only the am group enjoyed a decent glimpse of a Goldcrest - as you can see my camera didn't! A noisy Kestrel didn't allow its photograph to be taken, and some distant Gannets were way out of camera range, but the remainder of the sightings are summarised in the pictures below!

Treecreeper

ditto

Red Admiral Nectaring on Ivy

ditto

& Sunbathing

Speckled Wood

ditto

Roe Deer [buck]

Grey Seal

Fungi

ditto

Record shot of Goldcrest

Record Shot of Rock Pipit

Snails nestling in a crack in tree bark

Another Dead Guillemot

Diving in the Ruff

2011-10-05T21:13:00.015+01:00

I was dreading the long drive to the furthest venue of this term. I'm usually pretty unimpressed with the wildlife seen there too, despite this being one of the most popular locations for West Yorkshire birders. The gale force winds didn't inspire confidence either.

We started by sharing cars to a reserve hidden behind a housing estate. We had good views of 6 Ruff here, plus a single Bar-tailed & a single Black-tailed Godwit, which were side-by-side, so were a great model for comparison purposes. At the other hide we saw a pair of Pintail, and a couple of Snipe and a female Sparrowhawk, which became 2 in the afternoon.

Then we went for a walk on the beach but the incoming tide meant we only saw a Great Crested Grebe, some Cormorants, and some huddling Oystercatchers & Turnstones. In the afternoon this scene was transformed, so we were able to add a single Sanderling, some Knot & Dunlin, and closer views of everything else. However, Doug spotted an unusual bird just off the beach, which turned out to be a Red-throated Diver, and another darker individual was soon spotted further out to sea. The first bird gave really good views, and was even seen to catch a fish. At least 3 Sandwich Terns were fishing in the bay, plus a few gulls, but no Skuas.

The morning group also had a walk on the cliff top, where a large flock of Linnets were added with smaller numbers of Meadow Pipits, and a single Rock Pipit. We didn't have time to explore very far and the wind threatened to blow us into the sea, so we didn't spend long there - despite this a Skylark was also heard flying over.

The afternoon was more or less a rerun of the morning, but the beach walk was far more successful, but this was all due to the state of the tide. Next time I have to visit this location I probably won't be quite so reluctant - although the very slow drivers in this area will never go away, I suppose!

Red-throated Diver

ditto

A Nice Selection of Ruff

Lovely markings on the back of a Ruff

Showing the thin white line on the back of a Ruff, plus tail markings

Sanderling

Oystercatcher

Sandwich Tern

Sparrowhawk

Rock Pipit

Dribbling Meadow Pipit

Linnets

Woolly Bear [caterpillar of Garden Tiger Moth] ??

Jacking in the Hobby

2011-10-04T19:55:00.010+01:00

This morning we explored the south side of the reserve, but didn't see anything exceptional for a while. However, in one hide Liz was looking through her telescope when she spotted what she thought was a Snipe, but it was bobbing up & down! This immediately rang the required bells, and sure enough after checking carefully the diminutive bird in view I was able to confirm its short bill, bobbing action, & vivid yellow stripe all along its back added up to a Jack Snipe. Apparently, we were the first to see & confirm it's ID. later that morning others looked for it without success, but eventually other telescope users in the afternoon managed to confirm our sighting - phew! The only other wading bird of interest was a very short-staying Black-tailed Godwit, which landed briefly on a nearby marsh before flying off in a Westerly direction. The afternoon brought some fly-over Curlews in the same area.

At lunch time I encountered some former class members & they reported good views of both Kingfisher & Hobby at a different part of the reserve, so the afternoon group initially went in the opposite direction to the am session. The Kingfisher was present for a few minutes - really just until all the session managed to see it before it disappeared. We then had a long wait, and I was about to give up when the Hobby appeared along the tree line on our left. It then performed some fantastic aerial fly-overs on several occasions, when it was observed munching on dragonflies. It was so quick not everyone managed to pick out its orange trousers, but most people saw its white cheek contrasting sharply with its black moustachial stripe. It really put on a fantastic performance, so the group didn't mind giving way to the reserve warden who was showing the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust's Martin Batt & 3 clients from France round the reserve - hope they got to see it too! This was the best ever view of a Hobby seen by the Tues pm session!

The pm group made the long journey to try & see the Jack Snipe too. This was very difficult for some because of the high winds, a shaky shelf for telescopes, and a very cryptically coloured bird, but we remained until everyone confirmed they'd managed to observe it bobbing up & down like a little pnuematic toy. Although it was a lot cooler than recent days, the birds put on a great display & everyone went home satisfied!

Hobby

Kingfisher

Chiffchaff in the garden before setting off today

ditto

Svalbard Cruise

2011-10-03T14:36:00.013+01:00

David Tasker from Tuesday mornings has been on a Svalbard cruise several times, and this has proved to be an excellent situation to take photographs of some species we don't see round here very often, if at all. As there are no pictures from today, I thought you may like to see them.

The Ivory Gull was taken near the kennels of some Huskies at Ny Aalesund, and most of the others were taken near Bear Island. The Polar Bear was taken near Magdelene Fjord. David has also seen Arctic Foxes in the same place, but didn't see them when he was on the cruise earlier this year.

Little Auk

Ivory Gull

Glaucous Gull

Barnacle Goose with Goslings

Fin Whale

Fulmar

Little Auks, Bridled Guillemot & Guillemot

Bruennich's Guillemot

Polar Bear

Perfect Light

2011-10-02T11:12:00.016+01:00

Rolled up at Friday's location not long after 8am - the warden was opening the reserve early for a week, as an erruption of Bearded Tits was expected. The Reedlings didn't show, but the light in one hide was perfect, and many of the waders were extremely close. Of course by the time the am session arrived the birds weren't as close & the light wasn't as perfect. The high tides had brought in a lot more water than was present the previous week, and there were more Black-tailed Godwits, Spotted Redshanks, Redshanks & Greenshanks to see, but the Ruff & Green Sandpiper failed to put in an appearance. A female Stonechat next to the Visitor Centre was a bonus in the morning, but was only glimpsed through a distant telescope in the afternoon. 4 Marsh Harriers came out of the reeds at exactly 11 am, but after that they were only seen intermittently. A couple of the hides still looked out onto acres of dried mud, so it is to be hoped that the high tides will have flooded more of the reserve in the next couple of days!

Spotted Redshank

ditto

Black-tailed Godwit

ditto

Black-tailed Godwit - in non-breeding plumage

Greenshank

Bog-Standard Redshank

ditto

Heron

Marsh Harrier

Drake Teal Coming out of Eclipse

2012 Calendar Competition: Week 2

2011-09-30T18:33:00.003+01:00

1. Wednesday afternoon - 15

2. Friday morning & Wednesday morning - 14

4. Tuesday morning - 8

5. Thursday morning & Friday afternoon - 7

7. Tuesday afternoon - 2

8. Thursday afternoon - 0

Other sales - 29

Grand Total - 82

Sun, Sand & More Sun

2011-09-30T05:41:00.007+01:00

Whinchat - Archive Picture of Bird of the Day

Common Lizard - Best Sight of the Afternoon

Although the weather was very pleasant yesterday, it didn't make for a brilliant day's birdwatching, especially once the tide had gone out. It was so bright it was difficult to make out birds flying over & there was a terrific glare on the estuarine mud, so many birds were just silhouettes. A Brimstone butterfly was a welcome sight at the end of the morning session, whilst 3 Whinchats were the best birds seen during the 1st session! By the beginning of the afternoon the very low tide meant there was very little point following in the footsteps of the morning class, so we tried a different location. Unfortunately, the flora had died back & there were no butterfly species to see. A small compensation was a solitary Tree Sparrow & a Linnet. However, a basking Lizard provided a little late afternoon excitement

Curlew

Golden Plover

Darter

Darters Coupling

Golden Arrivals

2011-09-29T06:53:00.012+01:00

We had 2 consecutive days on the bank of the Humber in glorious sunshine, and the bigger surprise - no unpleasant winds. Yesterday morning group saw 38 species - which doesn't include the dead Guillemot! The waders were better in the morning just after the tide went out. There were at least 28 Black-tailed Godwits, 2 Knot, some Dunlin & Ringed Plover. There was a large flock of 1000+ Golden Plover with a Sprinkling of Grey Plovers, whilst the noisiest birds were the bubbling Curlews, and one Whimbrel. More Golden Plovers seemed to be arriving from higher ground during the late morning. More unusual were 2 immature Gannets heading east along the river in the afternoon. The only raptor was a Kestrel. The Wheatears & Yellow Wagtails from last week had moved on. This venue is a lot better for birds in late October, so we'll have to change back to that time next year, plus visit at a time of high tide for maximum impact!

Golden Plovers

Goldfinch

Turnstones

Turnstone

Teal

Sloe

Guillemot

Sea Aster

Nirvana

2011-09-26T18:16:00.006+01:00

Today I was invited to a local Buddhist retreat, originally to see if I could take on the task of erecting, maintaining and cleaning out the nest boxes, but also to see if this was a suitable venue to take my classes. The answer to this came almost immediately, as I opened the door of my car to be confronted with the call of a Nuthatch - a locally scarce bird. In quick succession I also heard Marsh Tits sneezing, the high-pitched call of a Treecreeper, the ugly screech of a Jay, and the flight call of a Green Woodpecker.

A walk round the site included patches of woodland, a walled garden, a couple of lakes, capacious lawns and rough grassland. There were other birds, including Siskins, Redpolls & Skylarks, but these were all heard rather than seen. There is a cafe, which is open Wednesdays to Sundays, a toilet, and a big enough car park, so this venue should have great potential for a spring visit to take advantage of the birdsong. Next a meeting with the owners is to be arranged to ensure that future visits may take place, but the prospects look very promising indeed.

Back at the car park many Hornets were flying around in the warm morning sunshine, whilst Red Admirals, Speckled Woods and Migrant Hawkers were on the wing - with only a Comma basking in the warmth.

Hornet

Comma

More Stars than Hollywood

2011-09-26T07:00:00.020+01:00

Local naturalist Barry Warrington has made yet another interesting find, and yesterday he offered to show me the results. I made the trip to the lonely wilds of East Yorkshire & we popped into some scraps of woodland behind a tacky supermarket to see the stars in all their glory. Last week Barry counted at least 93 of them, and they were still present in all different stages of development. I came across a few of these at Spurn several years ago, and I've shown my groups a handful at Potteric Carr, but I'd never seen such fine examples, or so many. There were also some Fly Agarics, some Blushers, Birch Polypores, Hoof Fungus, Common Earthball, some puffball, some Candle-Snuff, and several species to which it wasn't possible to put a name. It's amazing that such an apparently uninspiring scrap of woodland could hold so many interesting species of fungi.

Collared Earth-Star at Full Magnitude

Collared Earth-Star - on the wane

Collared Earth-Star - one just opening up

The Blusher

Same Species of Earth-Star? at Potteric Carr 2 years ago

Another Earth-Star Species at Potteric Carr

Unidentified Fungi Species

Shaggy Parasol

Common Earthball

2012 Calendar Competition: Week 1

2011-09-25T09:02:00.006+01:00

The May 2012 Calendar picture

There's always a little healthy competitive rivalry between my different classes. Sometimes an afternoon person will ask if the am group saw as wonderful a species as they'd just identified, or an am pupil will enquire if last week's afternoon's session was as good as the morning had been. In this spirit of friendly rivalry, here's the calendar sales results after the 1st full week of sales.

1. Wednesday morning - 11

2. Tuesday morning - 8

3. Thursday morning & Friday afternoon - 7

5. Friday morning - 6

6. Wednesday afternoon - 5

7. Tuesday afternoon & Thursday afternoon - 0

Grand Total - 44

So, if that sample is representative, it seems that the calendars are more popular with morning attendees, than afternoons. In fairness it should be pointed out that quite a lot of afternoon folks were on holiday last week, and there's plenty of time for them to catch-up!

More details of the calendar can be read by clicking on the picture in the top right-hand section of the blog

Dancing with the Devil

2011-09-23T20:09:00.008+01:00

Today we visited the venue which often seems the windiest place in the county. The forecast said the winds wouldn't exceed 12 mph, but in the morning it felt a lot stronger than that! There weren't any fishermen to guard the cars, so to avoid a repeat of the attempted break-in of last week we shifted to the reserve car park. It's not a great site for getting close-up photographs of most of the wildlife, so the Turnstone (pm), Ringed Plover, Meadow Pipits, Golden Plovers, Dunlin, Shelduck, Curlew, Gannets & most other wildlife remained un-photographed. One of the highlights of the morning were 7 Yellow Wagtails and a Wheatear on a grassy car park. These were harder to see in the afternoon as the car park was a lot busier & the birds were disturbed by a slow walking obese couple who refused to pay the entrance costs of the 'attraction' they had come to visit.

The tide didn't reach the high tide mark before the conclusion of the afternoon class, so most of the waders remained distant, although a pretty reliable stream of Golden Plovers swept over our heads on & off during the day, with an occasional flock of Dunlin or Ringed Plovers. I'm going to have to ensure that next year we visit on a day when the high tide is around lunch tiome, so both am & pm classes can benefit from the birds brought in by higher water levels.

The find of the day was probably the Devil's Coach-Horse, which was new to every morning participant, although most reference works describe it as common. We saw 2 of these at Tophill Low last week, but no one had a camera on that particular occasion. When the 'Cocktail' originally raised its tail it had a white substance either side of the underside of the tail, but this doesn't appear in any of the photographs taken - maybe next time!

Devil's Coach-Horse

Sometimes called Cocktail for some reason!

Devil's Coach-Horse

Record Shot of Wheatear

Yellow Wagtail

Bar-tailed Godwits

The Eyes Have It

2011-09-23T06:34:00.018+01:00

Yesterday didn't begin very promisingly with major path construction work underway, plus several of the pools completely devoid of standing water. Some of the Usual Suspects were still present, but many of the waders which were there a fortnight ago had departed. The reserve is now awaiting the high tides at the end of this month to see if flood waters will replenish the water supply. Despite this we did see: 4 Curlew Sandpipers, 3 Greenshank, a handful of Black-tailed Godwits, Redshank, Snipe, Little Egret, Heron, Shelduck, Shoveler, Teal & Mallard. About 6 different individual Marsh Harriers were seen, and a Kestrel being mobbed by a crow, but the highlight of the afternoon was provided by a common or garden Sparrowhawk. I pointed it out to my 'pupils' having a drink but a photographer with a much longer lens managed to get on to it & fire off the impressive shots below. Thanks to Ray Schofield for sending his pictures. The path construction work was completed, so visitors to the reserve today shouldn't encounter the same problems

Below - the best I could manage of the same bird!

Little Egret

ditto

Marsh Harrier

Shelduck

Teal

Record Shot of Greenshank

Red Underwing

Blow-fly sp

More of the Same (almost...)

2011-09-21T21:11:00.008+01:00

The day started well with a male Common Buzzard heading south along the peninsula being mobbed by crows. There were a lot more Wheatears around first thing this morning compared with yesterday. Plenty of Pipits were also heading south, as were numbers of Swallows and Martins. There were quite a few immature Gannets on the Humber, plus in the afternoon single Arctic Skuas, Guillemots & by the Chalk Bank car parking a juvenile Chiffchaff. Unlike yesterday neither group had to waste time looking for a non-existent beached Whale! The Whimbrels were harder to see today, but the Little Egrets were as prominent as ever. One of the best sightings of the day was a confiding group of Bar-tailed Godwits, and a single Sanderling near the Humber Lifeboat platform. There were also family parties of Linnets in this area feeding on seed-bearing plants on the beach, but these were a bit flighty as they flew backwards and forwards. Other birds reported but not seen by my groups were a couple of Lapland Buntings, a Merlin, a Sooty Shearwater and a disputed Hobby/Peregrine.

Why they Got Their Name!

Before Take-off

Wheatear

Willow Warbler

Knot

Immature Gannets with Gas Terminal as Backdrop

Sandstorm near the Old Lighthouse

One Day Too Late!

2011-09-20T19:00:00.008+01:00

It was rather an unprepossessing day at Spurn - there was negligible wind at first, it was warm and overcast - so I took my am session to see the stranded Fin Whale which had been washed up on the beach a fortnight ago. I was told exactly where to find it, but it had gone - only a few tyre tracks in the sand marked where it had lain. My clients brought the pegs for their noses in vain - it was carted away yesterday. As you can see from see from the pics below it was quite an impressive sight, but it was also giving off a tremendous pong by all accounts.

After that disappointment we went to Chalk Bank in heavy drizzle to connect with the waders, which gave some good views - a couple of summer plumage Grey Plovers were particularly popular - we also saw Bar-tailed Godwits, Whimbrels, Curlews, Sanderlings, Dunlin, Ringed Plover, Turnstones, Oystercatchers & Cormorants. Apparently, a Pectoral Sandpiper circled the hide we were sat in, calling away, but we were oblivious. We stopped off at Canal Scrape although another group were already ensconced there - they kindly pointed out a Water Rail out to us & even those having to stand at the back were able to see it.

The afternoon was a re-run of the morning, although obviously we didn't bother looking for the Fin Whale - all the morning birds showed more distantly than in the morning, but we did get a good view of a juvenile Sparrowhawk. Is it possible to order North-East winds before we visit Spurn next? Unfortunately, not!

ditto

2012 Calendar Ready

2011-09-19T17:38:00.005+01:00

Now Available for £8 (incl P & P) UK only

Below front cover

Below - January picture

Discover where & when to see specific species

28 colour photographs

Nearly 300 lines of information & suggestions

Now revamped to include sites from all over Yorkshire

& more info on mammals & other wildlife

Below - June Picture

Featuring the photos of Vince Cowell, Chris Cox, Adam Drinkel, Luke Massey,

Dr. Paul Reed, Steve Rutt, Martin Standley, Barry Warrington & Jim Welford

To order, please either post next to this message or email me on: mflowers81@live.co.uk

Buzzards Now in Unlikeliest Places

2011-09-15T21:04:00.011+01:00

Today was the first day for some time that we were able to visit the originally planned location. This venue is probably the most exposed of any we visit, but for the 1^st time in 7 years it was warm, and there was no wind in the morning. We walked along the edge of the Humber from where we saw Redshank, Oystercatcher, Meadow Pipits, Black-tailed Godwits, Dunlin, 47 Ringed Plover, Knot, Curlew, Shelduck, a Great Spotted Woodpecker, Swallows, House Martins, Teal; and heard a few Skylarks. We travelled back a different way, and the highlight there was a family of Long-tailed Tits accompanied by a few Blue & Great Tits with a Chaffinch included.

The afternoon group visited a different section of the site, where they enjoyed a raptor fest. A female Sparrowhawk was seen just outside the car park; and not long afterwards a female Buzzard was spotted hovering over the saltmarsh. This is a species I've never seen at this site before. She was later joined in the air by a mobbing Kestrel, and then 2 male Buzzards also seemed to attack the female – one of them appeared to perform a stoop towards her. The remaining birds were few and far between, but we did see at least 3 Little Egrets, a flock of 50 Golden Plovers, and a few Redshank. A Wheatear near the hide was stunner, while a final high was provided by a distant Spotted Flycatcher. Mammalian highlights were provided by a racing Hare, and this was the second day running we came across a dead Shrew.

Common Buzzard

Wheatear

ditto

Curlew

Hare

Grasshopper sp.

The Humber was preternaturally calm & pleasant!

ditto

All Non-Human Life is Here!

2011-09-14T21:26:00.028+01:00

Virtually every major wildlife family was represented today. We had birds (36 species incl Black-necked Grebe etc), mammals (Bat, Stoat, Rabbit, Shrew), Butterflies (Painted Lady, Red Admiral), Amphibian (Marsh Frog), & Snake (Grass Snake). There were even some flowers & trees!

GSW [male]

Today's Grass Snake - spotted by Miles

Painted Lady

Red Admiral

Comma

The Comma is actually visible here

Small Tortoiseshell

Common Darter

Ruddy Darter?

ditto

Common Darter

Speckled Wood

2 Speckled Woods feeding on Brambles

Common Buzzard - sometimes mistaken for an Osprey!

ditto

Recently Deceased Shrew Species

Marsh Frog

Record shot of Fleeing Stoat