First Summer migrant, March Hares and coastal birds

Another sightings update.

14th March I headed back to High Eske and Pulfin managing to see:

Red Shank, Wigeon, Coot, Great Creasted Grebe – now with crests!, Reed Bunting around 7 or 8 mostly males, Tufted Ducks
GoldenEye around 6 or 7
Pair of Oyster Catchers
Gadwall in the ponds next to Pulfin Bog
Great, Blue and Long Tailed Tits
Teal

I then decided to venture a bit further and headed onto Leven Canal. I saw one buzzard soaring then managed to see another 3 soaring together. Then possibly a 5th buzzard flew out of trees and across farm land swooping down before perching in a tree next to the river barely still in sight. I then saw a pair of Kestrels hovering and heard a tawny owl calling. When I got back to the lake at High Eske I decided one more time to check the greylags to see if I could pick out the white fronted and pink footed geese that have been mixed in with the flock. Only managed to pick out a single pink footed goose though. Decided on one final look at the lake before heading back, wise choice as a cormorant flew across, landed on the water and proceeded to dive. I then saw 3 sand martins skimming across the water hunting for food.

20th March – After noticing that my pledge to add more variety to where I went birding meant that I hardly visited my local patch I decided a trip to Figham was in order. After a night with no sleep I finally gave up at 6am and thought that some early morning birding would be a good idea. In the fields next to the river I saw 2 displaying lapwings tumbling in the air. There was also a lone kestrel flying to and from trees but not doing much hunting.

Whilst scanning the trees at the top end of the common I encountered a patch first, a great spotted woodpecker! In the same location that I saw my first and only sighting of a Green Woodpecker on my patch. Shortly after I saw another patch first, although it’s probably not tickable: I’d crossed over the bridge and was on the other side of the common, trying to see if I could spot the drumming woodpecker when a strange bird flew past, which I’m pretty certain was a ring neck parakeet. I know there’s some feral ones not far away in Cottingham but never heard of them in this location. Maybe the lack of sleep was making me see things! I then walked into the far corner of the common an area I’d previously not explored. In this area is permanently wet rushes, there was a male reed bunting flying around and a few mallards. A grey heron also flew out of this area. Also spotted a hare sprint away and around the wet areas into hiding.

I also spent a few days at Filey which gave me chance to do a bit of sea / cliff watching. Plenty of auks about. Excellent views of Puffins a lot better than at RSPB Bempton. Both Razorbills and Guillemots flying from cliffs to the sea, although it took me a while to positive ID them both by their beaks due to been just slightly too far away. I don’t know how else you can ID them from a fair distance! Plenty of Kittiwakes around giving off their splendid kittiwaaaaaaaaaaaaaak call. Also lots of Jackdaws (lovely corvid, those dazzling blue eyes!) a few skylarks in the fields next to the cliffs. A lone kestrel flying close to the cliffs mid way down, 15 or so Curlew feeding on the rocks and a few seals sprawled out on the rocks at low tide. Great few hours birding spread over several days.

Finally on 28th March I made my first trip to  North Cave Wetlands (might count it as my new site for April) where I saw around 14 avocet, these birds quickly jumped into my top ten list. The handsome devils. Also at the reserve was Shelduck, a lovely pair of Great Crested Grebe, more Sand Martins, Shoveler, Teal, Red-legged Partridge and my next summer migrant  – Little Ringed Plover.

Year list up to 74

Better keep things updated

Right I’ve not updated this blog in a while due to various reasons, need to get back to writing pieces to put up on here. However in the meanwhile to make sure it doesn’t look like I’ve forgotten about this site I thought I’d post my recent sightings.

16th Feb I went back to High Eske and Swinemoor. Pretty much same sightings as the week before, however I unfortunately dipped on seeing a Kingfisher! However I did manage to tick my first Reed Bunting of the year, if you’ve read my earlier blog posts you’ll know that I have a soft spot for Reed Buntings. On the way back from Swinemoor I decided to take a detour and visit Figham. Only a quick visit but managed to see a Barn Owl out hunting, which after the winter was an excellent sighting.

25th Feb I made a proper outing on Figham. Walked along Barmston Drain to begin with a male kestrel flying around, plenty of gulls on field but too far out to ID. 3 Roe Deer (one male with good antler growth) hoping and running around. Plenty of Long Tailed Tits flitting about with the odd Great and Blue tits popping up. Usually odd sightings of Dunnock, Robin, Chaffinch and Blackbirds along with the common Corvids. Flock of what I guess due to the chattering were Fieldfare flying around a fair bit around 20 I’d guess. Grey Heron flew from the fishing pond at the top of Figham into the fields opposite, at some point it were joined by another. Odd sighting of a single Oyster Catcher on the flood bank on the opposite side of the river at same point. Little Grebe on river. Saw Barn Owl hunting over the grasses whilst a Kestrel hovered high above, rarely hovering lowly except when closing in for a single attempt at making a kill. Whilst watching the Barn Owl rest in a tree the flickering wing beats of another Barn Owl caught the corner of my eye. So looks like both the Owls I saw there in October survived the winter. Also pretty certain I saw another Kestrel however only clearly saw one male so not sure if it’s a pair.

Then on 2nd March I made a trip out to the coastal town they forgot to close down – Bridlington. Didn’t spend long birding as my child wanted me to dig up shells and bury shells with her before needing the toilet and food! However managed to seen a few Purple Sandpiper and plenty of Turnstone and of course gulls! Also walked up to Sewerby Halls and Gardens, local squirrels taking advantage of feeding time at the zoo.

Mentioning gulls in the past two weeks I’ve started to notice that a lot of Black-headed Gulls are starting to get their black heads back. Not long now until the first of the summer migrants start appearing all over. I can’t wait for the return of Swifts and their screeching!

I recently bought the Helm guide-book to Tracks and Signs of the Birds of Britain and Europe, so hopefully this will improve my fieldcraft.

Year list now up to a mere 60, I think some people had that amount in the first week of January!

Third outing of the year

Today I decided I’d go out to Swinemoor Common. Even though it’s only a ten minute walk from me I rarely ever visit this site. In the winter the fields of the common flood so it makes a great place to see waders, apparently. I only saw Redshank and lots of Lapwing out this afternoon! Although both made the year list, so not too bad. I always forget about Lapwings when I list or think about my favourite birds. I don’t know why as it really is a beautiful little bird. Its purple and green sheen, its black collar, its orange vent, its spiky crest and its distinctive call, magnificent! There was plenty of Rooks, Crows and Gulls out feeding on the common too. I decided to pay another visit to Figham on my way back as it was getting dark to see if the Barn Owl was about or even still alive. On my way down I managed to catch sight of  a wagtail in the distance, as I got close I realised it wasn’t a pied as I had lazily assumed but a grey wagtail.

When I reached Figham the light was already rapidly fading, so I walked a couple of minutes up the river until I had a good vantage point of the owl’s hunting territory. I scanned across several times with no luck, so with little light left I decided to give up and try again another time. I walked back a little then decided to have another scan, I saw something moving along the grass it was white and quickly went down into the grass. Could it be the Barn Owl? The light was really poor at this point so trying to focus was hard, I studied the area for a bit longer and watched as it reappeared again. I’m pretty sure due to the colouring, flight and pouncing it was a Barn Owl, however due to the poor light and the bird seeming to not go much higher than the tops of the rushy grasses  I couldn’t be 100% sure. I know that Short-eared owls have been seen before on Figham, however the wingspan was probably too short and I’ve read a lot about them being more diurnal. So hopefully it looks like the Barn Owl has survived the bad weather, although last time I saw them hunting there was a pair, tonight I could only make out one. Will have to check out again.

Year list now up to 32 without the owl.

I’m wanting to write more pieces like the ones on Starlings and Jeremy Kyle, however not had much inspiration. Hopefully I’ll think of something soon.

First Trip on Common

Today was my first trip on  my local patch Figham Common, the site I’m planning on using for Bird Track. Today was quite drizzly so had a bit of low visibility problems although on the plus side the time seemed to have put off dog walkers out which meant I had the place to myself. Was quite a poor day species wise, although two patch firsts for myself of a grey heron and Pochard! The rain obviously ruled out any chance on seeing if the Barn Owl is still about, will have to go back on a nicer day. My mum took the dog for a walk in the morning and saw a Tree Creeper near the Beck! Nothing about when I went out later! The Beck is still frozen in parts which could explain the high amount of Mallards on the River Hull. Year list now up to 27.

 

Top Ten Birds of 2010

Let me start by saying that I’m not a twitcher (I should write a piece on my opinion of twitching really) so my list of top ten birds I’ve seen this year might be a bit plain for some! I’m pretty much limited to my local patch but here are my favourite spots of 2010

 

10. Gannet

At number ten on my list is the magnificent sea-bird the gannet. I made my first ever trip to Bempton Cliffs this year and got to see the spectacular sights of thousands of gannets at their only mainland breeding site in the UK.

 

9. Starlings

A lot people would be disgusted at the sight of a starling on a top ten bird list, but I simply love them! From an early age they’ve always been one of my favourite town and garden birds however this year saw my love for them increase when I bought a window feeder and was then able to see their beautiful glossy petrol sheen coat close up. Fantastic colours! I’m yet to see a murmuration of them coming to roost but hopefully 2011 will allow me to see that magnificent sight of nature.

 

8. Green Woodpecker

Whilst always a beautiful bird to see, this pops up on my top ten list for the fact that it was on my local patch which is a great spot for the area.

 

7. Swallow

Not really a great spot but their aerial displays are just beautiful, on a hot summers evening is there anything more peaceful and relaxing than sitting by a river and watching them feeding? I don’t think there is. When watching swallows I’m always amazed at how they don’t crash.

 

6. Swifts

Along with number 7, the essence of summer is watching these masters of flight cut through the skies on their scythe shaped wings at high speeds screeching away. Just an amazing bird, I can’t wait for the start of spring just to see their return.

 

5. Marsh Harrier

I think most birders have a fondness for birds of prey there is just something about them. I went on holiday in October and paid a visit to RSPB Leighton Moss, whilst in one of the hides looking over the reed beds I caught the slightest glimpse of a marsh harrier swoop down for a few seconds before disappearing, a real blink and you’ll miss it moment. If my eyes hadn’t had been on that area for those few seconds I’d have missed out of a great view and a life tick.

 

4. Reed Bunting

For me the male Reed Bunting is quite possibly the cutest bird around, either that or a goldcrest. Whilst I’ve seen a fair few Reed Buntings on my local patch and other birding areas the reason this makes my list is that during the harsh winter at the beginning of the year my garden in West Hull was visited by a male reed bunting which had joined a flock of sparrows. For the area I lived it was a very good garden bird indeed. As my bird knowledge was very slim back then I did not have a clue what it was, so on a trip to my parents I dug out my dads old bird books until I discovered what it was. This then in turn lead me to buy bird books and then start to take birding more serious. So there you have it, the reed bunting, the bird which turned me.

 

3. Kestrel

As previously mentioned I only really began birding properly this year. However I’ve always had a great interest in nature and birds and for a long time in my childhood my favourite bird was a kestrel. Although they were fairly easy to spot as a child, seeing them hovering above motorways on car journeys I’d never really got a good view of them. This was one of my main aims when I took up birding. It happened to me twice this year. The first was when walking along the river; the day itself was a pretty poor day for birding. It was in mid august so a quiet time for birding not only this but there was a very strong wind that even the swallows seemed to struggle with. My list for the day was shockingly bad, under 5 spots if I remember correctly. However as I kept on walking I see a Kestrel struggling in the wind to keep hovering before diving down on prey. A great find on a very poor day. The second kestrel encounter was whilst on holiday at a Haven holiday resort in Cumbria. I’d taken my daughter for a walk on the site, we had reached an area of the site where the caravans are slightly better than those elsewhere. There is a small pond in front the group of caravans which contains a little island and there hovering above the island what do we see but a kestrel and for the extra points it’s a male too! Its beautiful blue head focuses still on the ground waiting for its prey. Or looking for his family as my daughter suggested!

 

2. Barn Owl

The common theme of this list seems to be the average / nice bird in a great situation and none beats that for me then when I saw a barn owl in late October. I’d had the pleasure of watching a Barn Owl hunt on my patch all summer, however summer had become autumn and the dark nights were drawing in, I had given up on going out on an evening birding and swapped it for taking my parents dog for a walk. It was getting close to 7pm and getting dark when my dog and I reached the middle of my patch, as we cut down into the middle to start heading back I saw the unmistakeable ghostly flight of a Barn Owl at dusk, (there were now two Barn Owls out hunting instead of the one from summer, hopefully this means chicks were reared!) I stopped still to watch it hunt for a few minutes, as it flew across the common hunting for voles it was seemingly oblivious to my presence and this was confirmed when it flew within ten feet of me at around my head height before swooping down on prey. Simply breath taking.

 

1. Waxwing

Almost didn’t make it to the list at all! However whilst walking to work on the 29^th December, through the thick mist I make out the shape of a flock of birds sat in a tree. Hang on a minute they look like Waxwings, I think so I take a better look, notice their size and the crest on their heads, most definitely Waxwings! I cross over the road to try and get a better view and can make out the patterning on their wings! A brilliant find! I’d become fed up of people saying how we we’re having a great year for Waxwings one of the best for years yet not seen a single one! I don’t know what it is about Waxwings that people seem to love, yes they’re magnificent beautiful birds with gorgeous wing colouring and patterns. Is it just that? As that alone is a great reason to love the Waxwing, is it their semi rarity value? How one year only a small few reach our shores whilst other years like this year thousands make it across? One reason for me is that they’re one of my earliest birding memories, when my family had them in our garden when I was nine years old, I remember my dad getting really excited about them but at the time I didn’t really get why. Whatever people’s reason is for loving them they’re a brilliant bird and one I’ve been aching to see for a while, even dreaming about them on a few occasions! They will probably be my last year tick for 2010, but what a great tick to finish on!

 

Other 2010 stuff

Whilst at RSPB Leighton Moss I also got to see Red Deer and a black tern both great to see.  Missed out on seeing Little Egrets at Leighton Moss a few days before I went they’d had bumper numbers! I was also hoping on seeing Raven and Bearded Tits whilst at Leighton Moss / Cumbria but wasn’t so lucky.  Maybe an excuse to go on holiday to Cumbria again? Other top bird sightings would have to be Cormorants flying above local patch, seeing a Roe Deer staring at me through the bushes only a couple of feet away, Common seal swimming down the river, Kingfisher fluttering by at great speed so all I can make out is its wonderful blue colouring.

At last another up date!

Just thought I’d put a new update on here to show that this blog is still active and I’ve not forgotten about it. I’ve just been busy with moving house and stuff. I am and have been for some time working on a new blog piece (which in my opinion is great). I’ve written about half of it just that I’ve been finding it hard to get motivated with it recently. What with being all over the place.

Anyway to relax I’ve been taking walks on Figham Common, which is one of three commons in the town of Beverley in East Yorkshire. It runs along the River Hull and is made up of semi improved grassland and wet pasture containing reed mace and hard rush. I start off by walking along the Beverley Beck and the entrance to Figham is where the Beck joins the River Hull. There’s been some great bird activity, it’s a great place to relax by on a warm night sitting next to the river and watching the swallows feed. Beautiful site! One night I didn’t venture far because the amount of activity at the enterance to Figham from the swallows and swifts was breath-taking. Other birds seen on there include various tits and warblers, skylark and one of my top ten birds the gorgeous and incredibly cute reed bunting. I’ve heard that cormorant and kingfisher have been spotted fishing in the area, but not seen them so far.

Yesterday I had a free day so decided on making a trip to the RSPB reserve Bempton Cliffs. I caught the train at ten and arrived on site just before quarter past eleven. After a quick rest, drink and look at the books in the gift shop I went birding. Walked to the viewing points at the cliffs and was met with brilliant views of gannets (funny they look nothing like a greedy child), razorbills and guillemots. The problem with Bempton’s seabird spectacular is that there are gangs of people at the watch points just hunting to catch a glimpse of a puffin, like it’s the only bird worth seeing even neglecting the wonderful and declining tree sparrows that have their patch around the visitor centre. Maybe I shouldn’t get annoyed too easily, lots of people and things annoying me far too easy and far too quick which is why I guess I like nature so much. I know a lot of people love the puffin, but it’s not really a cute bird. Now a truly cute bird the before mentioned reed bunting had been seen at the feeding station, however I dipped out. I think people confuse bright colours with cuteness and thinking that it makes a bird worth while seeing. That been said I did watch the puffins for a while and believe that all birds are worth seeing. Just that some people seem to ignore all other birds to see a certain one, like when a group of people were scanning the cliffs for the slightest glimpse of that multicoloured beak behind them they were missing a beautiful display of swallows feeding. Overall the day was excellent; I managed to see a whitethroat close up and without binoculars, brilliant! Some great walks around Bempton Cliffs area and plenty of birds to see with great close up views even without the use of optics so I highly recommend it.

Had another wood-pigeon hater today, if you feed birds you should really accept that all birds will come not just the small cute ones that you like.

I will hopefully finish writing my other blog piece in the next few weeks, I won’t say this week as I’ve got long hours at work. But hopefully it will be up here soon.

Further Reading

Birdnerd guide to Figham Common

RSPB Bempton Cliffs