March 2011 - A Grand Tour

Saturday 19th: Another early start to a cold but sunny morning. By 7:25pm we were at Hatfield Moor (North) at Ten Acre Lake. We were there to see the Red-necked Grebe. Well, I needed to walk back to the car to get the tripod for the scope. While I was gone a flock of Whooper Swans flew over the jetty where Sandra was viewing the lake. I heard then but unfortunately couldn't see them! Having set-up the scope, the Red-necked Grebe was soon spotted, not one but two amongst the few Tufted Ducks and couple of Gadwell! We spent a good half hour there mainly watching the Grebes through the scope and the Gadwalls. A male Reed Bunting in summer plumage was seen by us through the scope and caused some consternation as at first were weren't sure what it was! There was another bird that we still can't identify. About the size of a Starling and all grey!

Driving away, I stopped the car st the side of the road to view the hundreds of birds in the stubble fields. A massive flock of Redwings, Fieldfares, Blackbirds, Corn Buntings, a couple of Lapwings and various other birds that we failed to identify, took to the air. Very impressive! Distracted we must've spent another 30 minutes here just photographing the obliging Fieldfare and Corn Bunting there were perched close to the car.

Soon we were at North Cave Wetlands, a short trip up the motorway. Here we were treated to Tree Sparrows and House Sparrows in the hedgerows. Seven Avocets were amongst the waterfowl. But good views of a couple of Snipe, which can be seen on the photo across the water from the two Avocets. Oystercatchers, Shelduck, Greylag Geese and a plethora of Gulls, mostly Black-headed and a pair of Shovelers. A pair of Great Crested Grebes were nest building and performing a wonderful mating ritual. After a quick bite to eat, it was a short drive back down the motorway to Blacktoft Sands.

Unfortunately my camera had discharged its batteries and the spares were also flat! So no images of our visit to RSPB Blacktoft Sands on this occasion! But we got some good showings as we walked around the Reserve. Tree Sparrows, Chaffinches and Goldfinches greeted the visitor to the NR. A Toad was our first encounter outside the Visitors Cabin. From inside, we saw the first Sand Martin of the year for Blacktoft. From a hide further along the Reserve we spent 30 minutes or so observing the Marsh Harriers as they flew low-level over the reeds. I counted 4, Sandra 5. From the same hide good views of 17 Black-tailed Godwits at close quarters together with two Ruff in winter plumage were had and 5 Snipe in the grassy tufts. From another hide we had superb views of a Hare through the scope. We we lucky that it stayed close to us in the grassy stubble near the waters edge. To round-off the day a Song Thrush was singing its heart out from the top of a tree in the car park as the Sun began to set.

September 2010 - Fairburn Ings RSPB

Friday 24th: It's true what they say; "what a difference a day makes"...or two! Last Wednesday, myself and Sandra went to Old Moor RSPB and the weather was warm and even sunny at times... so warm that shirt-sleeves was all that we needed. But today...today here in Yorkshire it was blowing a right old gale! Heavy rain all the previous night only relented at around 8am this morning! A grand day to spend outside watching birds! So fleece and jacket was required but the gloves were left behind and were sorely needed at times. We drove up to North Yorkshire to visit Fairburn Ings RSPB near to Castleford. Setting off early we got caught up in the "rush-hour" traffic but by 9.30am we were parked in a bleak wind swept car park wondering; "is this worth it".

Well we needn't have worried, within the first 30 minutes we had already twitched a Kingfisher at close-quarters that obliged by constantly fishing and gave us around 20 minutes of breath taking views. Marvelling at the antics of Goldfinches, Chaffinches, Greenfinches, Tree Sparrows, Marsh Tit, Coal Tit and others on and around a closely situated bird table. After all this, anything else would be a bonus. Well during our long and wind-swept trek around the NR we were to get that bonus!

On our trek down to the village-end of the lake, the usual suspects were seen; Cormorants (17), Mute Swans (lots), Mallards (quite a few), Coots (too many to mention) but also Shovelers, Gadwalls, two Herons, eight white Geese that were probably farmyard related and Grebes, both the Little variety and Great Crested of which we saw five adults and one adult shepherding three immatures that were probably about 3 months old! But the bonus was another two Kingfishers that flew in front of Sandra and the female Goosander sitting on the bank of a lake that I would have walked right past if Sandra hadn't motioned to me!

Having slogged back to the car (at least 3 miles were covered in total) we ate a hearty bunch of sandwiches and drank tea while watching the Tree Sparrows on the feeders. House Martins wheeled overhead in the steadily bluer skies and out of the blue glided a Buzzard! We watched through binoculars as it slowly wheeled around in the sky - what long wings it has!

We had a quick tour of the feeders by the Visitor Centre and over at Pickup hide we watched in amazement as a Kestrel was mobbed for some 10 minutes by three Carrion Crows! To finish the day, we drove up to Spoonbill Flash, but alas no Spoonbills! Here were lots of dabbling and diving ducks, the usual suspects a Black-tailed Godwit and two other waders that have yet to be identified but what was to be the last highlight of the day was the Kestrel that spent some time in front of our hide hovering and dropping to the ground in its search for food. And we got some good close views as it wheeled in front of the hide...binoculars weren't needed it was so close! But the very last highlight was when we got back to the car and Sandra nervously fed a band of Mute Swans tuna sandwiches!

September 2010 - Old Moor RSPB

Wednesday 22nd: Today I went over to my local RSPB nature reserve near Rotherham. A warm late September day meant that it was shirt-sleeve weather -no need of a jacket! I called for Sandra and we got there just before lunch time. almost immediately we were treated to some sights: a male and female Bullfinch, Sandra's first since 2006! Greenfinches, Chaffinches, Blue Tits, Great Tits and even a Willow Tit (we think), was seen from the hide attached to the Visitor Centre. Luckily everything is very close at this hide as my binoculars are just too powerful... must remember to bring the 10x25's as well! Being a warm day, there were plenty of Dragonflies about and one of the Red Darters even landed on Sandra's hand, obliging long enough for me to grab some photos! The Tree Sparrow Farm area was strangely quiet with a couple of birds about, a Tree Sparrow (Sandra's FIRST) and a chiffchaff.

On the Main lake there were the usual suspects: Canada Geese (37), Mallards, Coots, Gadwalls, a couple of Mute Swans, 5 Great Crested Grebes, 5 Little Grebes with 2 Cormorants and 10 Wigeon. Across the lake wheeled 8 Swallows or were they House Martins?

The highlight of the day was over at Wath Ings hide. Here there were flocks of various types of bird, all congregated over the grassy banks and mudflats. Unusual to say the least was the sight of 11 Grey Herons all equally spaced along the bank or fishing in the shallows. A large flock of Lapwings was on the mudflats, could have been 200+. Amongst them were smaller numbers of Golden Plover. As always I take my scope and that just added to the enjoyment of seeing the details of the birds. Amongst all this were... well at least 20 maybe 30 Linnets! Again Widgeon with some Pochard and quite a few Shovelers! A Kestrel disturbed the flock and all Lapwings, Plovers and Linnets took to the air. A mass flock swirled around the sky as the Kestrel tried to pick one from the swirl! Fantastic... but the sight of a lovely plumaged Black-tailed Godwit on the far bank was the bonus!

After a quick bite to eat we toured the outlying areas of the NR where we came across what I took to be a Scaup. Now female Tufted Ducks are often mistaken for Scaups but this duck was bigger than your average female Tufted Duck. The jury is still out on that and I will need to consult some more pictures and compare with mine.

The late afternoon had brought the cool air and the sky became overcast. It was time to depart for home and reflect on a marvelous day out. I have some video footage that when transferred from tape, I will attach to this entry... soon.

April 2010 - Blacktoft Sands RSPB

Friday 2nd: Another day, another field trip to view birds. This time I'm at Blacktoft Sands RSPB, a small Reserve situated at the convergence of two rivers; the Ouse and the Trent at the mouth of the Humber. This site provides a necessary stopping-off point for a variety of waders to feed and nest. I was hoping to see some Avocets and maybe a Bearded Tit or two. Alas...none were forthcoming. But I was in for a day of remarkable displays by the Reserve's current influx of Marsh Harriers. For I had arrived at just the right time as the males vie for the breeding rights to the sitting females in the reeds.

Now I've only ever seen one Marsh Harrier before and that was a good few years ago! Here today, I would be witness to five individuals in the sky at the same time! And remarkably, no sooner had one descended into the reeds, another would take it's place in the air. In fact I must've spent 70% of my time there, just watching and videoing the Marsh Harriers. I lost count of the number of individual Harriers but I believe that there were easily in excess of 12! These raptors would slowly cruise the sky with lethargic wing-beats and glide into steep turns and swoops towards the reed-tops. The individual colours and markings could readily be seen with the unaided-eye and through binoculars or my scope, were truly amazing! The video below shows one such display by a lone male.

Other birds of note were a Kestrel, hunting on the edge of a field, 40-odd Black-tailed Godwits on an island resting amidst all the cacophony from the Black-headed Gulls and mild indifference from a pair of Oystercatchers and 3 Wigeon. A large group of Shelducks and Shovelers shared the pool seen from Ousefleet hide along with a pair of smartly-looking Pintails. Various passerines such as Willow Warbler, Chaffinches, Reed Buntings, Tree Sparrows and Pied Wagtails to name but a few.