A couple of visits to the local patch over these two days resulted in a couple of pretty decent visits,with some nice birds seen as always,the following is what i saw.
3rd May
I started today,as alway's,by parking at Winter's Pond and after getting the required kit together for my visit,i was off and exploring.
As i walked along the Humber bank towards the seaplane jetty,that familiar rattle of a male Lesser Whitethroat was heard and then another,so two birds was good and my first records of the year of this lovely little Sylvia Warbler.
Other singing male Warbler's in the Winter's area included 6 Sedge Warbler,4 Whitethroat,3 Chiffchaff,a single Willow Warbler and 4 Blackcap,as well as the 2 resident Cetti's Warbler.
Other niceities around the area included a single Common Sandpiper along the Humber shore,2 Curlew and 4 Whimbrel.
After Winter's i then decided to cover the mitigation area,with a pair of Wheatear,Black-tailed Godwit,2 gorgeous summer plumaged Golden Plover and my first 'Patch' House Martins of the year,being the highglights.
Coverage of the Skitter area,saw the Pink-footed Goose still in residence,with 2 Avocet also being recorded.
I then decided to walk along Skitter Road and this proved to be a good move,as the best bird of the day was seen.
I was just walking past East Halton Grange,when i turned around to see a lovely male Ring Ouzel fly past me and onto the sheep pastures.I walked around there,but could not see any further sign unfortunately,but was very pleased to have seen the bird.It is the first i have seen on my patch,for many years,what a lovely surprise.
Also along Skitter Road were decent numbers of Insects and i managed to find both Rhingia campestris and Rhingia rostrata within close proximity of each other near Redhouse Wood.The latter was my first sighting of the species and a welcome addition to my Syrphidae list.
The only other highpoint of the visit,bird wise,was a pair of Grey Partridge and another singing male Lesser Whitethroat seen along Marsh lane.
9th May
A totally different visit today,with the weather turning around to a southerly/south westerly airflow and boy did it make a difference.
A rainy start first thing,saw me watching the Estuary from the car,which certainly paid dividends,with 2 flocks of 4 Arctic Terns flying out south,a welcome year tick and good start.
Also from my watchpoint here,a lovely Grey Seal,50 Dunlin,14 Ringed Plover,a Cuckoo and a single Avocet were seen.
After the rain stopped,it was back around to Winter's and the best sighting's included a Swift south,my first of the year,2 Common Sandpiper along the Humber shoreline and the first of a good movement of Hirundines moving north along the Humber bank,which included mainly Swallows,with smaller numbers of House and Sand Martins and Swifts.
I then walked along the seawall up to the Skitter,seeing the lovely sight of a flock of 10 Whimbrel feeding on the mitigation area and as i reached the Skitter,a very smart Sanderling was added to the increasing year list as it flew close,past with a Dunlin and also another Whimbrel entered the notes.
Some concentrated coverage around the Skitter,saw a really rare bird for my patch being found,a Corn Bunting!.
This bird was watched feeding around the muck heap near the gas compound and is the first i have seen on my local patch,for a long,long time.
Also around the same muck heap,was a lovely female Wheatear.
I then walked up along the floodbank to Dawson City seeing another female Wheatear,near to the long wood and also another 8 Whimbrel feeding on one of the cattle pastures.
On Dawson City itself another Whimbrel on the pasture at the rear of the reserve,a Little Egret,9 Curlew and a Cetti's Warbler were noted.
Nothing much different was logged on the return walk to the Skitter and i then decided to walk along the edge of the mitigation area and back to Winter's.
Along the Mit site,more Hirundines were watched moving north still,with a lovely Redshank seen displaying,showing some hope for possible breeding,a pair of Teal and 2 Snipe still and the lovely sight of 4 more Wheatear for the day,together,2 male and 2 females.
A good couple of visits with some decent numbers of summer migrants in at last.
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| The Humber Floodbank,Near To Dawson City. |
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| Dawson City LWTR. |
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| Cranefly Sp. - Tipula vernalis. |
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| A Very Important Hedgerow Plant,Garlic Mustard,The Foodplant Of Orange Tip And Green-veined White Butterflies |
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| Hoverfly sp. - Rhingia campestris |
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