Steve's Birding,Wildlife & Walking Blog: 2016

Wednesday, 28 December 2016

Full Of Beans And Fire-Crested Wren,Boxing Day 2016.

Leaving sleeping beauty at home in bed after her night shift,today saw me heading to part of the old patch at East Halton Skitter.
After arriving at the Skitter,i got the kit together and got well and truly wrapped up as it was pretty nippy to say the least and headed along the flood bank.Two Little Egret in the Haven,where the first notables to be seen,no doubt sheltering from the blustery south westerly wind.
As i carried on my walk,the distant sound of Pink-footed Geese and a few birds landing a couple of fields away,were the birds i had hoped to be present.It wasn't long before i was watching them spread across a flooded,harvested sugar beet field.A quick guesstimate saw me coming to the conclusion that there was about 4500 birds present,but i couldn't achieve an accurate count due to not all the birds being visible unfortunately,but what a cracking spectacle.
Several scans of the flock revealed no other species until a flock of 5 Tundra Bean Geese flew into view and then spent about five minutes circling around before landing well out of view,buggar.I managed a few crap record shots,but at least i had seen them well in the scope.These are the first Bean Geese i have definitely seen in the area after seeing some possibles many moons ago in my birding youth.
The Pink flock then flushed and this was the theme for the remainder of my visit sadly,but what a great sight and sound when they all took off!.
As i approached Dawson City,a flurry of sightings saw another view of the Tundra Bean flock,before they again landed out of view and then a lovely Common Buzzard flew along the bank side and when i arrived at the reserve itself,a cracking adult male Marsh Harrier was seen a couple of times as it hunted the surrounding area.
A scan from the foreshore in front of Dawson,saw a few nice waders on view which included a flock of 16 gorgeous Grey Plover as they hunkered down out of the wind and 5 Bar-tailed Godwit probed the estuary mud for Ragworms.
I began my walk back towards East Halton Skitter and as i approached the small wood which runs at 45 degrees from the bank side inland,the distinctive call of a Firecrest filled my ears and there it was below me.It flitted along the line of Hawthorn bushes and i managed to fire off some shots before it disappeared into the wood.The only other species i saw it with was a single Goldcrest.What a lovely surprise and to put it into context,this is the first Firecrest i have seen on the old patch,a little beauty and a very nice belated Christmas present.
I carried on back towards the car on a high after finding the little crest and travelled home contented at another great visit to my old stomping ground.

Pink-footed Geese.

Tundra Bean Geese.

Dawson City LWTR.

Male Firecrest.

The Humber Floodbank,Near East Halton Skitter.

Pink-footed Geese Heading west At East Halton Skitter.

Saturday, 24 December 2016

Happy Christmas......

I would just like to say a big thank you to all my fellow bloggers and readers out there and wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a bird and wildlife filled 2017.

Merry Christmas And A Happy New Year.

Sunday, 18 December 2016

Welwick Return....What A Day!......Saturday 17th Ddecember 2016.

With the superb juvenile Pallid Harrier continuing its stay at Welwick Marsh,i decided to go and have another visit to this cracking site and hopefully get some more views of this beauty,the following is what i recorded during my visit.
I carried on with my usual routine and arrived before dawn,so i could get into position on the floodbank,as i had done on previous visits.
After getting plenty of layers on and the pack up together i was there and in position as i waited for it to get light.
A quick scan of the marsh and there it was,the Pallid Harrier perched on top of a wooden post not too far from the floodbank.I watched this stunning bird as it preened,a quick wing stretch and that was that and it was off hunting.
Not long afterwards,i watched a Short-eared Owl and a cracking Hen Harrier as they both hunted the same area as the Pallid,giving great scope views.
I then heard,the distinct sound of Whooper Swans and i turned round to see a flock of 5 birds as they flew onto the Humber and then were lost to view....what a start!.
As more birders arrived i decided to walk along the floodbank towards Skeffling,this proved a good move as at least 1 Water Pipit was seen bathing in the bank top puddles along with at least 10 Rock Pipits and further on a flurry of activity saw 23 White-fronted Geese fly west in two flocks of 20 and 3,2 Short-eared Owls hunting,a Drake Eider on the Humber and the first flock of a total 145 Pink-footed Geese observed through the day in flocks of 7,28,35 and 75 all passing west up the Humber following the White-fronts.
Some prolonged scanning from here saw the Pallid being seen again and incredibly in the air together with a Hen Harrier and a male Marsh Harrier as a Peregrine dive bombed them all causing havoc amongst them,the Pallid then disappeared again.
After meeting up with Steve Mulligan we had a good chat and then decided to head over to the floodbank overlooking the fields towards Patrington Haven.Just as we were approaching the bankside,three geese flew in and landed and i was sure they were Bean Geese.A quick scan from the bank confirmed my suspicions as the 3 Bean Geese loafed and fed in the winter wheat field between Welwick and Patrington Haven,what a great bonus and my fifth goose species for the day.
We decided to stay here as it was a pretty good vantage point with the light behind us and we saw more excellent sightings which included 2 Hen Harriers together,one of which i was sure was a young male,3 Short-eared Owls hunting now and the Peregrine from earlier which had now caught some prey.
The Bean Geese were unfortunately flushed by a passing helicopter and flew off towards Skeffling.
As time wore on a quick phone call from Garry Taylor alerted us to the Pallid Harrier being seen perched up,so we all headed off in the direction of skeffling.It was seen briefly perched up before flying past us all and across the marsh.It was noticeable that it had a very full crop and it flew around for about five minutes before dropping into the marsh to roost.What a brilliant end to a fantastic visit today,proving this area to be very productive and with the added attraction of the Pallid,making for a great days birding!.
What an amazing day today and i can't wait to visit again.

Sunrise Over The Humber Estuary.

Pink-footed Geese,Passing West.

White-fronted Geese,Passing Overhead.

Tundra Bean Geese.

Tundra Bean Geese,Overhead.

Impressive Skies At Welwick This Afternoon.

Sunday, 11 December 2016

Dusky Stunner!....Tuesday 8th December 2016.

After the very kind offer from birding mate Tim Cowley to go and see the recently discovered Dusky Thrush at Beeley in rural Derbyshire,this was our destination this morning.
After finishing my 12 hour nightshift i travelled home as quick as i could to find Tim already waiting for me,so i grabbed my gear and off we went.
The journey was fairly quick and it wasn't too long before we arrived in the rural village only a stones throw from Chatsworth house.We managed to eventually find a parking place and got the gear together and saw a group of birders already assembled and hopefully watching THE bird.
We were greeted by many familiar faces,Steve Exley,Mick Turton,Ian Smith,Pete Wragg and Jonnie Fisk....it was like a Spurn birders day out.
Thankfully we saw the bird straight away as it fed on apples low down in the grass in the small orchard,a fantastic start and great relief for myself and Tim.After a few minutes of watching the bird it was gone,but at least we had seen it.
Now it was a waiting game until the bird appeared again and a welcome bacon buttie and hot coffee certainly warmed us up and made the wait more bearable in the cold.
The thrush was then spotted again at the back of the orchard but was obscured at first,it then flew in and began to feed on the apples still hanging in the trees giving some nice views at last.
What a stunning bird with its striking super's,pale throat,spotted breast,rufous edged tertials and rump.It again flew off after eating it's fill of apple and we saw it once more again briefly,but i was so pleased we managed to see the bird successfully.
This is the first sighting of this siberian breeding species for myself and the thirteenth record for Britain.
A big thanks again to Tim for another perfectly executed twitch and we travelled home happy to have seen this beauty,now for some sleep.

First Winter Female Dusky Thrush.

Circus Show,Cuddy's Duck And Pipit Surprise,Monday 5th December.

With the continued presence of the juvenile Pallid Harrier at Welwick Marsh in East Yorkshire and having a free morning to my self,this is where i headed bright and early this morning.
After scraping the car,as there had been a considerable frost i made my way over the bridge and into gods own county.
I arrived just as it was beginning to get light and made my way onto the floodbank and began scanning the saltmarsh and surrounding farmland looking for the Harrier,when all of a sudden,there it was.
It was perched on a fencepost,unbelievably,right next to a young male Sparrowhawk giving cracking views through the scope,with the striking head pattern and collar being noticeable even in this first light of the day.The harrier then took off and began to hunt the saltmarsh scattering waders in all directions eventually being lost to view in the direction of Weeton.
After enjoying the Pallid i carried on scanning the marsh and Humber seeing an adult male Marsh Harrier,2 Merlin,1 of which had caught a Redshank,2 Peregrine,1 Common Buzzard and a very nice surprise in the form of 18 Eider.The Eider were seen flying close inshore to the east,heading in the direction of Sammy's Point.The flock comprised of 5 adult and 2 2nd calendar year males and 11 females.This is the largest flock of Eider i have personally seen on the Humber and great to see.
Another fantastic sight was the huge flocks of waders present and every time a raptor passed by clouds of Knot,Bar-tailed Godwit and Dunlin lifted off the Estuary mud,just brilliant.
I headed back to where i had originally been standing first thing,when i bumped into Mick Turton and we stood and chatted for a while,when a flock of Pipits began to fly onto the adjacent fence line to bathe in a small puddle.The flock totalled about 15 birds,with unbelievably three species!.The flock consisted of mainly Rock Pipits,but at least 3 Water Pipits and 2 Meadow Pipits where also present.It was great to study the Water Pips alongside the other species and they gave cracking views as they perched on the fence posts and barbed wire fence,the best views I have had of the species for some time.
The Pallid Harrier put in another appearance and flew along the shoreline and looked as if it was going to fly into the distance,before it u turned and flew back towards us,the distinct jizz of the bird being noticeable even at long range,with its long pointed wings and tail,looking somewhat intermediate between Montague's Harrier and Hen Harrier in build and profile.It then disappeared again,but a brief Short-eared Owl showed for a short time.
I then decided to say my goodbyes to Mick and walked back towards the car seeing a Merlin perched in one of the hedgerows and then deja-vu,the Pallid was perched in almost the same area as first thing in the morning,but this time in good light.It positively glowed in the sunlight,with rufous underparts really standing out along with the striking head pattern,collar and pale area along the wing coverts....what an absolute stonker of a bird!.
So after a very event full 5 hours and seeing 8 species of raptor and only my second sighting of Pallid Harrier and more importantly,my first in Yorkshire,i travelled home a contented boy.

Wader's Against The Early Morning Sun.

The Eider Flock Passing By East.

Reed Bunting.

Record Shot Of The Juvenile Pallid Harrier.

Saturday, 3 December 2016

Super Scarborough....Sunday 27th November 2016.

With a good forecast and some great birds on offer,i decided to head over to my fave seaside town today.
The journey up across the wolds was trouble free and it was just over an hour before i was parking up on Marine Drive,just as it was beginning to get light properly.
As it was low tide,i decided to watch the sea first,with a few Gannets and Fulmars passing by distantly and closer in several Guillemot and Shags dived for food with 3 female/immature Common Scoter being the highlight.
I decided then to have a look for the previous days Black Redstart behind the wall along Marine Drive,but it drew a blank unfortunately,but all was not lost,with a cracking male Stonechat showing nicely.
Back to the car and just as i reached it a Peregrine appeared overhead and give superb flight views before settling down on the cliff.I then settled down to watch this supreme master of the air as he preened,giving fantastic scope views,what brilliant birds they are and i still always feel privileged to see one.
After watching the Perg,i wandered down to the harbour entrance seeing 3 Eider pass close by north and then a scan of North Bay revealed the resident Red-throated and Great-northern Divers and a couple of Guillemot.
In the Harbour the Black-necked Grebe showed well,but never close for photo's,but it was great to see all the same and could well be one of the birds from the previous winter returning.
After lunch i returned to the harbour and spent the remainder of the day here,enjoying fantastic views of the Great-northern Diver and 38 Purple Sandpiper which were roosting on the rocks near the East Pier.
After taking plenty of photos and enjoying my fill of views of the star birds i took a steady drive home after another great visit to this great birding area.

Looking Towards Flamborough From Marine Drive.

North Bay Looking Towards Reighton.

Male Peregrine,Marine Drive.

Male Peregrine Overhead,Marine Drive.

Juvenile Great-northern Diver.

Purple Sandpipers.

Roosting Purple Sandpiper.

Roosting Redshanks.

The Harbour.

Sunday, 20 November 2016

WEBS....Barrow Haven To Goxhill Haven,Saturday 20.11.2016.

Unfortunately due to personal circumstances i could not complete my monthly WEBS count last weekend,but thankfully the tide times were more favourable today and also the forecast was pretty decent also.
After making the short journey from my home at Barnetby,on slightly icy roads it has to be said,i arrived at Barrow Haven just as it was beginning to get light properly.I parked in my usual spot beside the train station,packed the camera bag with food,got well and truly wrapped up and off i set.
Very little around the Haven itself and along the first section up towards New Holland Bulk terminal apart from the usual scattered parties of Curlew and Redshank,a few flocks of Dunlin and the best sighting so far,of a single adult Whooper Swan which flew towards New Holland.
The bushes and hedgerows along the Humber bank side held a few welcome flocks of Redwing,with 27 birds in one flock being great to see as they 'Seeped' overhead with smaller numbers of Blackbirds and Fieldfare also recorded.
As i neared the outfall at New Holland,birding buddy Charlie Adland joined me and we quickly counted the waders present on the foreshore here which included higher than normal numbers of Dunlin being seen with 85 birds being counted.Good numbers of Mallard here as always in the winter months revealed 68 birds present,the Humber being one of the most important areas in the UK for this common duck species.
We quickly negotiated the Bulk Terminal,before again joining the Humber bank and continuing towards Goxhill.
As we neared New Holland ski pit,that lovely trumpeting call drew our attention to a flock of 6 Whooper Swans as they pitched down onto the pit.These were the same family party of 2 adult birds and 4 juv's which Chas had seen a few weeks before,just lovely to see,as the earlier adult had been.
A scan from the Humber bank here to search for the wintering duck flock,saw only small numbers of Goldeneye being seen unfortunately,with 36 birds present and a couple of Tufties which had joined them.
Along the bank side towards Goxhill Tilery,5 Meadow and 2 lovely Rock Pipits were seen and as we walked Charlie swore he saw a bird with a white rump,but after much searching we could not relocate it unfortunately.
Waders along here included some photogenic Turnstones and a single Black-tailed Godwit feeding on a ploughed field amongst a flock of Lapwings.Also nearby,a small group of 3 Roe Deer quietly fed along a hedge line.
As we neared Goxhill Haven,a sudden flurry of white saw a Snow Bunting fly up from the bank side,perhaps this was the bird Chas had seen earlier.To be fair it was a pain to get anywhere near and flew off at the slightest approach,so we both only managed record shots of the bird,but it was a very welcome sighting all the same and great to see.
After the Snow Bunt flew off towards the old boatyard,we carried on our walk towards Dawson City beyond Goxhill Haven.
As we neared Dawson City i was sure i could hear a snatch of Pink-footed Geese calling.We walked along the bank infront of the reserve and sure enough there was a good sized flock on the same pasture field as the birds had been using the previous winter.I managed to find a decent gap in the hedge and began counting the birds,thank god for clickers!.Eventually after some serious patience i ended up with a good count of 1557 birds.We had been looking through the flock for other species and surprisingly we managed to find 2 Bar-headed Geese at the rear of the flock.Not the hoped for Bean or White-fronted Geese,but they are smart birds,even though they are escapees.
Chas spotted another goose flock approaching from the direction of Sunk Island distantly and sure enough they came closer and closer joining the flock already present and contained a further 81 birds.So 1638 birds in total,was considerably larger than the number present when i visited last,earlier in the year and was just a fantastic sight and sound to witness.
Nearby,a small group of 5 juvenile Grey Plover fed on a winter wheat field whch was a nice bonus sighting.
After leaving Dawson,a lovely male Marsh Harrier flew out of the adjacent pit and gave some nice views before disappearing onto the reserve.
As we neared the area where we had found the Snow Bunting earlier,unbelievably,it was back in the same spot again and it was no easier again to approach,this time doing one circuit,before heading north west over the Humber.
Back at New Holland,the Whooper Swan family were sheltering under the old pier with the local Mutes and after saying farewell to Chas,the only further highlight was a Common Buzzard which flew towards Barrow Haven.
I eventually arrived back at the car after 8 hours in the field and a knackering 15 miles walked,but what an enjoyable day out and a big thanks to Chas for the great company.