Buzzards of Wrench Green

The calm before the storm as the weathermen put it, a beautiful sunny clear day before the predicted snow forcasted for the weekend brought out the Buzzards at Wrench Green. Talking to the local farmer, he has seen up to eight birds together in the last couple of days, today I saw six birds.

Soaring gently through the Hackness Valley across Wrench Green then over towards Hackness Grange Hotel, finding the odd air thermal or two to push themselves high in to the sky. Some of the birds were displaying and most of them were calling after each other, what a great sound to hear and a great sight to see.

Dippers

A pair of Dippers at Hilla Green bridge were perched having a rest from feeding. To see a pair together at this time of year is a good sign, may be they could breed this year in the Hilla Green area?

Far Ings YWT Reserve

Great Crested Grebe

Little Grebe

Cormorant

Goosanders

Shelduck

Shoveler

Coot

Tufted Duck

Tree Sparrow

House Sparrow

Great Tit

Siskin

Goldfich and Tree Sparrows

Brown Rat

A trip to Far Ings YWT Reserve to try and get some images of the drake Smew that has been on the reserve for the past few weeks. It was my first visit to the reserve so I spent a good three hours walking around and finding what was about. Lots of wildfowl present with Shoveler. Teal, Gadwall, Tufted Duck, Mallard, Ruddy Duck, Wigeon and Goosander, with both Little Grebe and Great Crested Grebe showing well.

Large numbers of Cormorant on the two main lakes, but yes you guessed it no sign of the Smew. I moved out of the reserve along the path that runs along side the humber which leads to a small inlet in which large numbers of Lapwing were feeding along side some Shelducks. With no sign of the Smew I headed back to the car park were I found a lot of activity around the feeding station with a Brown Rat helping himself to some easy pickings and House Sparrow, Tree Sparrow, Goldfinch, Siskin, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Robin and Dunnock having a feeding frenzy.

Crossbills

Large flocks of Siskin with small groups of Crossbills mixed in feeding on the spruce and larch cones just north of Langdale End. Distant views but the odd individual birds did move closer to feed in some of the trees by the roadside. Also present were Goldfinch, Chaffinch, Bullfinch, Mistle Thrush & Great Spotted Woodpecker.

Filey Country Park

Knot

Redshank

Oystercatcher

Turnstone

Dunlin

Curlew

Common Gull

Grey Partridge

Another cold rainy day and I new it was high tide so i decided to drive through to Filey Country Park hoping to find some waders on the fields pushed up by the tide. When i arrived the fields were covered with large numbers of Oystercatcher, Redshank, Turnstone, Dunlin, Knot and a few Curlews for good measure. I used the car as a hide and got very close views (plus stayed dry, apart from my camera lens) with the birds coming as close as a couple of metres.

On the way home i dropped in to the Blue Dolphin to see if the Snow Buntings were still present but no sign of them, as i drove out of the main entrance of the Blue Dolphin i found a flock of 10 Grey Partridge sat in a field feeding away in the heavy rain (bonus).

RSPB Bempton Cliffs

Fulmar


Herring Gull

A quick dash to Bempton to try and see the Short Eared Owl that was showing well for most of the day around the visitor centre. Got to the reserve for 3.00pm (very wet & very dark), no sign of the owl, it had moved on due to the rain storm an hour before my arrival. At least 1000+ Gannets had been reported early morning on the cliffs, but I could only find 3 birds flying back and forth at sea level.

Apparently the Gannets do leave the cliffs to go fishing out at sea, and to see them all return is a spectacular sight, but it didn't happen in the short time I was there. Large numbers of Fulmars on the cliffs, giving good aerial views, will take another visit when the light and weather conditions improve.

Birds to see at Bempton in the forthcoming months:

Gannets

Puffin

Guillemots

Razorbill

Kittiwake

Shag

Filey Brigg 2008

Stonechat

Meadow Pipit

Sanderling

Dunlin

Curlew

Eiders

Common Scoter

First trip of the year to Filey Brigg on a cold cloudy day to try and see the Great Northern Diver which has been present for the last few days. As I parked the car on the Country Park a pair of Stonechats were flying along the fence next to the car park. As I got on to the Brigg a couple of female Common Scoters were in the bay but keeping there distance.

Wader numbers were low but still I managed to see Sanderling, Dunlin, Turnstone, Redshank, Curlew, Oystercatcher, Knot and Purple Sandpiper. Unfortunately no sign of the Great Northern Diver, will try again soon.

Scarborough Meds 2008 - Part I

Back to Holbeck Car Park armed with my loaf of bread to entice the first Mediterranean Gulls of the year in which I was rewarded with 2 second winter and 2 adult winter birds. Very grey sky not ideal for flight photography but managed a couple of half decent shots.

Burton Riggs YWT - Part II

Size difference - Scaup + Canada Goose

female Scaup + female Tufted Duck

The Scaup was still present on the reserve with Wigeon, Teal, Mallard and Tufted Duck. No sign of the White Fronted Goose that was seen on the reserve a couple of days ago, but large numbers of Canada Geese and Greylag Geese. I got to the reserve at 3.10pm, just a quick visit, the light was disappearing fast but I managed to get a couple of record shots of the Black Throated Diver in flight, a shame it wasn't good light.

Black Throated Diver

Scarborough Mere - Part II

Female Goosander and Red Brested Merganser

Goosander

Red Brested Merganser

Gadwall

Herring Gull

Another trip to Scarborough Mere and the pair of Goosander and the single female Red Breasted Merganser were still present and showing well. Huge numbers of coot on the main lake and quite a large group of gulls consisting of Herring Gull, Common Gull and Black Headed Gull.

Scarborough Mere - Part I

Goosander

Red Breasted Merganser

Goosander and Merganser

Don't come to close or else!

Coot

Moorhen

Tufted Duck wearing designer weed.

Grey Wagtail

Black Headed Gull

An early morning walk around Scarborough Mere gave good views of the pair of Goosanders and the single female Red Breasted Merganser which was spotted by the Scarborough Birders team yesterday. Also present on the mere was Grey Wagtail, Coot, Moorhen, Tufted Duck, Canada Goose, Grey Lag Goose, Mute Swan, Mallard, Gadwall, Herring Gull, Black Headed Gull, Common Gull.

Burton Riggs YWT - Part I

Black Throated Diver

Pochard

Scaup

White Fronted Goose

Hybrid Goose

Spent the afternoon at Burton Riggs YWT Reserve, Scarborough. A Black Throated Diver had been spotted in the morning by the Scarborough Birders who were out on their annual bird race,

with lots of patience this bird would show well as it patrolled the lake from one end to the other.

A female Scaup has been present at Burton Riggs for the last few days and was showing well on the opposite lake to the diver as well as a single White Fronted Goose. The hybrid Goose which i found on Willerby Carr before christmas has taken up residency with the Grey Lag's and Canada Geese, also present on the reserve was Wigeon, Teal, Pochard, Tufted Duck, Mallard, Little Grebe, Moorhen and coot.

More Snow Buntings

A return trip to Blue Dolphin for more pics of the Snow Bunting flock. Much better light conditions, but still very windy and the birds are constantly on the move making it very hard to focus and get some decent sharp images. Possibly will try again tomorrow, plus might pop to Flamborough Head as a flock of 15+ Lapland Buntings have been seen there over the last few days.

Snow Buntings

A trip back up to Blue Dolphin with Dave Mansell to try and find the flock of Snow Buntings that have been seen the last few days. Very snowy, cold, windy and dark conditions, but we thought we would give it a go to try and photography these birds in there proper climate.

If the light improves over the next few days, will pop back up to try and get some decent images, and hopefully the flock might have grown with possibly an adult male or two.