King Eider

What a MEGA bird! Only the third record for Yorkshire (so I was told), to see this bird so close to home off the North Landing at Flamborough Head was just amazing. My second record, 1st sighting was back in the late eighties in Aberdeenshire, so to be given the chance again of seeing this species was just fantastic.

Got to Flamborough for 6.00am but it didn't show until 8.20am, but it was well worth the wait as the bird showed fairly close off the North Landing before it eventually flew off further south along the headland.

Hoopoe

Got a call from Dave Mansell that a Hoopoe had turned up at Scalby Lodge Farm, I was at Bempton at the time so I made a mad dash back to Scarborough to try and find it. When I got to Scalby Lodge Farm quite a few birders had already arrived but the bird had flown over the barn towards the pond.

Eventually the bird showed and after a little bit of patience it gave some good views feeding in a field with some farmyard geese before it came a little closer on to the stone track which leads to the farm from the main road. A superb bird,only my second tick in the UK.

Tundra Bean Goose

Grey-lag, White Front, Pink Foot and Tundra Bean Goose


Tundra Bean Goose


Tundra Bean, White Front and Pink Foot


Tundra Bean and White Front


Greylag, Pink Foot (with white rim along bill-base) and Tundra Bean Goose


Greylag and White Fronted Goose


Greylag Goose

Greylag Goose

Talk about confusing or what! Firstly in the one field where 6 Pink Footed Geese, one of which had a white rim along bill base (just to confuse matters), 25 Greylag Geese, 1 White Fronted Goose and the Tundra Bean Goose and ALL seen at a distance. Really pleased with the first image in which I managed to get four species of goose in one shot.

North Yorkshire Moors

Red Grouse

Lapwing

Northern Wheatear

Meadow Pipit

Took a drive through the North Yorkshire Moors National Park to see if any migrants had arrived yet. There have been a few reports of Ring Ouzel already on the moors but unfortunately I didn't come across any, but did manage to find a single male Northern Wheatear.

Most of the moors was still covered with snow, a beautiful sight (need to start taking some landscape shots) and the weather was very cold and cloudy, but with plenty of bright spells allowing me to take a few pics here and there. I will pop back again, probably in mid May by then the moors will be buzzing with bird life.

Scarborough Harbour

Great Crested Grebe

Kittiwake

The Great Crested Grebe was present in the harbour again after appearing for a couple of days last week and in between the snow showers eventually came up close for me to snap a few images. Two Kittiwakes have arrived back in the harbour and were perched on two old nests on the side of the pier just below the lighthouse.

I took a drive around the Marine Drive on the way home and the 400+ Kittiwakes which have been sat on the sea where now on the cliff face, a fantastic site to see and hear, also on the headland were numerous pairs of Fulmars.

Ultimate Predator

The Peregrine Falcon the "Ultimate Predator". I could watch this amazing bird of prey for ever, they never cease to amaze me with their speed, elegance and grace.

Little Ringed Plover

Took a trip up to Teesside to see Little Ringed Plover at a disclosed site. I got excellent views of this small migrant wader from Africa.

Firecrest v Goldcrest

Firecrest

Goldcrest

The Goldcrest our smallest British bird at 8.5 - 9.5cm and the Firecrest a migrant measuring in at 9 - 10cm are two little gems, proving that some of our smallest birds can just be as magnificent as some of our bigger species. I took a trip to Spurn Point were I came across these to birds side by side. This week there has been a large influx of Firecrests along the east coast with Spurn having up to 8 on one single day and also 7 birds recorded at Flamborough Head.

I love both of these birds but it has to be said that the Firecrest is just an amazing bird, which looks like it has been hand painted. Both species are very hard to photograph, hardly staying still for a second, constantly on the move looking for insects and grubs. Let me know which is your favourite out of the two by voting on my poll which is situated on the top right column of my blog.

Also seen at Spurn Point where: Northern Wheatear, Black Redstart, Barn Swallow, Marsh Harrier, Brent Goose, Meadow Pipit, Reed Bunting, Bar Tailed Godwit, Grey Plover, Sanderling, Knot, Turnstone, Redshank, Dunlin, Oystercatcher, Ringed Plover and Curlew.