January 2012 - Great Grey Shrike and Whooper Swans!

Sunday 8th: Out and about again to see the Great Grey Shrike. After parking the car and talking with birders who had seen the bird earlier in the morning, I faced a 40 minute walk to it's location. Apparently the bird had been caught in a mist-net earlier and was identified as a Shrike that was ringed at Spurn last year. For more details on this go to the Doncaster Birding Blog. Here you will find a detailed discussion on it's race and some lovely photos.

Looking at it through a scope offered great close views and the familiar black mask across its eyes stood-out immediately. The bird appeared to be fluffed-up when I saw it, probably still had a strop after being caught! A Great Grey Shrike is about the size of an adult Blackbird, so at distance, appears smallish. I took a few photos as it shifted position. Not great but a record. For the next 90 minutes I stayed in the hope of getting a closer photo as it is prone to get quite close. We were treated to three more sightings of it as it patrolled it's territory. But none of these were closer. Is it here for the winter months, who knows? Though it has already been in residence for over two weeks. What a smart-looking bird and a great way to start the new year!

Whooper Swans and Mute Swans  were still on the field at Alderfen and all showing well. As usual 3 Kestrels were seen hovering in the fields around me. As I was walking back along the southern bank of the river Torne, the Whooper Swans took to the air. What a wonderful sight and noisy too as they continually call to each other in flight.

January 2012 - No Shrike but Rooks and Whooper Swans.

Monday 2nd: A trip out to Wroot to see the Great Grey Shrike that has been hanging around for a week now at least. When we got to the location where it resides, a cold wind was blowing and there was already several birders in attendance. Sandra and myself took up position on the south bank of the Torne and waited and waited, scanning the countryside with binoculars....but we didn't see it! We must've been the only people who missed the bird as everyone else got a good show! One birder even pulled our legs about not seeing the bird! We did manage to see 2 Buzzards, 2 Reed Buntings, 3 Kestrels and 3 juvenile Mute Swans...if not the Shrike!

Behind me was the field where all the Whooper Swans seem to favour. I counted 47, of these there were 3 juveniles. Some Mute Swans were also in attendance. Above are some snaps of these magnificant long-distance flyers!

On our way back, just outside of Wroot was a large flock of Rooks all perched on telephone wires.There numbered 67, made up of 41 adults and 26 juveniles. The juveniles are noticable by their shorter beaks and of course smaller body. What a grand sight, all to rarely seen unless you are visting farming areas. In the second image of Rooks, you will notice two birds to the bottom left. I have magnified the image of these birds and have identified them as a male and female Chaffinches.

December 2011 - Whooper Swans & Fieldfares!

Friday 2nd: Woke to the first frost of Winter and the temperature at 8:30am was 0° centigrade! Driving round the corner to collect Sandra, I bagged my first sighting of the day. Darting-out in front of the car and alighting on the pavement to my right was a Yellow Wagtail! Wow, fantastic sighting, regaled in all its finery. Sadly no chance or time to grab the camera, but I did stop the car to revel in this splendid looking bird. With Melanie seeing the Grey Wagtail again, for the third sighting this week, in the garden at 10:20am, this has been a good week for Wagtails.

After the initial excitement (on my part), we headed for the Wroot and the countryside. The Sun was up but still it was freezing. We stopped by the river Torne and were greeted by a huge flock Fieldfares. So many that to try and count them was an impossible task, so we agreed that there was 500+. They were everywhere! Many perched on the telephone lines, in bushes and atop trees. Of course these were Hawthorn bushes and trees covered in berries. Two Kestrels were perched on the telephone wires, not taking much notice of the Fieldfares even though they were being crowded-out! The male Kestrel did change locations and even came near us to hunt. But the abiding image must be of the clouds of Fieldfares taking to the blue sky every now-and-then.

A couple of miles up the road, just outside Wroot and in one of the farm fields were what we were looking for. There, off to one side, 70-odd Swans. Wow! Whooper Swans, I counted 34, and 37 Mute Swans.

After chatting to a fellow Birder, he advised us to walk up to the banks of the Torne to get a better view with the scope. He wasn't wrong either, outstanding views! A flock of Lapwing, probably 250 swirled around the sky and descended onto the field. Behind us on the other side of the Torne, Sandra spotted another Kestrel and we watched as it hovered and dove and hovered.

Below is a photo of an adult Whooper and 1st year in the field at Alderfen. This image was captured by Sandra by placing her camera at the eye piece of the scope (digiscoped). Even though the weather was freezing cold and a bitter wind was howling around us, she managed to capture this remarkable image!

Another image from Sandra below is of a flock of Lapwings, 210 in this photo! They may be just specks but I can assure you that they are Lapwings and that there were even more!

Both feeling very cold now, it was time to make for home and a hot cuppa tea. A fantastic few hours of birding.