Black Throat Disaster

Also today some very shocking news!! I found the 1st winter Black Throated Diver injured on the side of the road next to the harbour slipway with a fractured skull, broken right wing and a fish hook attached to its breast with fishing tackle leading from the hook up to a tangled mess around its bill, but the bird was still alive. Apparently it was seen flying in to a lamp post head first and then falling on to the road by a passer by, I managed to put the bird in to a cardboard box whilst I called the local wildlife rescue officer - Jim Ward to come and take a look at it.

Whilst waiting for Jim the RSPCA turned up (called by the passer by) to which I passed on the bird. Once Jim arrived he took a look at the Diver but it was just a case of putting the poor bird down, the RSPCA took the bird away for a second opinion at there local HQ and that was the last I saw of this magnificent species. The Diver had been in the harbour since early November giving great views and good photographic opportunities (check out my posts of this bird).

Washington Wetland Centre - Part I

Eider Duck

Hooded Merganser

Canvasback

Cinnamon Shoveler

Bufflehead

Chilean Wigeon

Carolina Wood Duck

Smew

Ferruginous Duck

Mandarin Duck

Marbled Duck

Ruddy Shelduck

Whistling Duck

White Headed Duck

Red Breasted Goose

Magpie Goose

Bar Headed Goose

Ne Ne Goose

Pink Footed Goose

Snow Goose

Black Swan

Black Necked Swan

Bewick's Swan

Chilean Flamingo

A great day out at Washington Wetland Centre, Tyne & Wear to take a look at all the different species of waterfowl. Washington has on offer a large collection of captive species but also has a large wild section to the reserve. If you have never visited a WWT reserve then I would advise you to do so, log on to http://www.wwt.org.uk/ to find the nearest reserve to you.

I still have lots of images yet to identify a name to, so once I have sorted them out I will put together - Washington Wetland Centre Part II.

Scalby Lodge Pond

Smew with Pink Footed Goose


Grey Lags, Pink Foot and Smew


Smew and Canada Goose

Pink Footed Goose

Grey Lag Goose

Redshanks

Wigeons


Grey Herons

A dash up to Scalby Lodge Pond as a Redhead Smew had been reported and an Iceland Gull. The Smew was showing well from a distance, but no sign of the Iceland Gull. One individual Pink Footed Goose was present with 48 Grey Lag Geese and 36 Canada Geese. Wigeon were constantly flying on to the pond and a large flock of at least 50+ Redshank was at roost.

On the small pond above Scalby Lodge Pond 9 Grey Herons were perched around the external fence, a fantastic site (see above pic).

Willerby Carr

Whooper Swans

Mystery Goose

The small goose below was feeding with a flock of 25 Canada Geese, haven't got a clue what it is. I think it is a possible hybrid of something, if anybody has a clue please let me know to rest my mind.

Redpoll

Bullfinch

On the way to Top Hill Low I called in to Willerby Carr which is just 10 minutes down the road from where I live. As I drove down the lane towards the Carr large flocks of Goldfinch's, Redwing, Fieldfare and Chaffinch's flew along the hedgerows, mixed in with the smaller birds were Bullfinch's and Redpoll's.

I eventually came to the field that I had wanted to look out, a field which after some decent rain fills up with water to form a very large scrape in which to my amazement 13 Whooper Swans were feeding on the edges. Also on the scrape were a flock of 25 Canada Geese and as I counted them I came across a very unusual goose feeding with them. As I stated above if anybody could identify this goose it would be appreciated.

Top Hill Low Revisited

Teal

Shoveler

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Lapwings


Another trip to Top Hill Low, this time to try and photograph a couple of drake Smews that have been present on Watton Pits for the last few days. A very disappointing day really, firstly not much bird life, secondly no Smews and finally crap weather.

There was a fair few species of wildfowl present with Shoveler, Teal, Pochard, Goldeneye, Wigeon, Tufted Duck, Mallard and Gadwall. A Great Spotted Woodpecker followed me along the path as i approached the first hide of the day and huge flocks of Lapwings were congregating on the fields behind the reserve.

Harbour Revisited

Black Throated Diver

Red Throated Diver

Cormorant

Rock Pipit

Another trip to Scarborough Harbour to find that both species of Diver are still present. A couple of Cormorants were chasing each other after their catch and a single Rock Pipit was on the North Pier searching for food.

Red Grouse

A trip on to Danby Moor gave me some great views of Red Grouse. Very well camouflaged within the heather, there call lets you know that they are around somewhere and with a little bit of patience they slowly start to appear out of the heather.

Very disappointed with not seeing a single raptor and the only other bird present on the moor were a couple of Stonechats. The moors at this time of the year are quite desolate and cold, but are still worth a visit, you never know what you might come across.

Manor Gardens

Kingfisher

Water Rail

Moorhen

Carrion Crow

A walk around Manor Gardens, which is proving to be a very good wildlife haven at the moment. A pair of Kingfishers were giving me a fly pass, just could not get them perched together and they were quite distant. It took me quite a while to locate the Water Rail which has taken up residency on the muddy edges of the lake.

It was a very cold and icy morning hence the picture of the Moorhen walking across the ice. Light conditions were all over the place but i was quite happy taking a few snaps of the bird life in the gardens. No sign of the Little Grebe now the lake is covered in ice.

Cromer Point

Stonechat

Desert Wheatear

Another trip to Cromer Point to see if i could get some shots of the Water Pipit that has been present for quite some time. No sign of the Pipit but the Desert Wheatear was still showing as well as two pairs of Stonechats which were flicking from post to post along the cliff path.

The Northern Wheatear that was spotted a few days ago was also present but to distant for any decent pictures.

Bullfinch

A trip up north to Washington Wetland Centre, and in the hide in Hawthorn Wood i decided to have my pack lunch and then to my amazement a flock of 40+ Bullfinch's invaded the bird tables in front of the hide.

Not only is the Bullfinch my favourite British bird, but to get close views and to see that many together was unbelievable. Check out my next post of the wildfowl seen at Washington Wetland Centre, its well worth a visit.

Little Grebe

Another walk through the Manor Gardens to see if the Water Rail was showing for me to try and get some better images. Unfortunately no sign of the Water Rail but however I did find this Little Grebe feeding on the boating lake.

Hackness Lake

Mandarin Duck

Goldeneye

Cormorant

A very large influx of Mandarin Ducks on Hackness Mere was an unusual sight, I counted up to 38 but I think they possibly could be more. There was two or three small rafts of birds on the lake but mostly they were under and on the willow trees to the left hand side of the lake. Also present was Cormorant, Goldeneye, Teal, Mallard, Little Grebe, Mute Swan and Moorhen.

The Lake District

Red Breasted Merganser

Great Crested Grebe

Goosander

Goosander

Goldeneye

Black Headed Gull

Magpie

Jackdaw

Kestrel

A few days away in the Lake District with the family gave me my first ever wild Otter (mega) which was hunting in the small lake behind our cottage, very distant but fantastic to watch. I did a tour of the lakes but the most bird life seemed to be on Coniston, Rydal and Grasmere.

Goldeneye's seemed to be on most of the lakes, only saw Red Breasted Merg's on Coniston and Goosander on Grasmere, plenty of Little and Great Crested Grebes every where but nothing special. Unfortunately at this time of the year in the Lake District the light conditions were extremely poor (you can't have everything).

Desert Wheatear - Part III

A few more shots of the very impressive Desert Wheatear at Cromer Point (had to take the dog for a walk some where!).