Friday, 22 August 2025

North Cave Wetlands, Sunday 17th August 2025

With the chance today, to meet up with Tim, Rich and Dan as the Army Ornithological Society were meeting up at North Cave, a trip away from the local patch was the order of the day.

I arrived before the guys and had a quick recce around to see what i could see and begin my day list for the day.

The first niceties of the day went to a couple of Green and a single Common Sand on the Village Lake area amongst the Wildfowl and i then walked up along Dryham Lane recording some decent numbers of Warblers and variety, including Willow, Chiff, Blackcap, Lesser throat, Whitethroat and Reed Warbler.

As time wore on i wandered back to the car to meet Tim and wait for the army lads to arrive.

More scanning of village lake and searching along Dryham Lane saw a couple of Great-spotted Woodpeckers being seen and a distant Red Kite was noted.

After Rich and Dan arrived, we began to explore the reserve proper, adding a juvvie Greenshank and Black-tailed Godwit to the days ever growing bird list.

Overhead an adult Peregrine but in a few appearances and i also added a male Marsh Harrier and Common Buzzard to the days sightings.

The reserve has drastically changed since my last visit and is just getting larger and larger by the day.

We all eventually made it to the western end of Dryham Lane where we had been told a family of Little Owls were residing at a farm. The birds were immediately on view and gave some great views, with these two fledged juveniles definitely having the aww factor, such smart little birds.

It was soon time for the army lads to leave, but it was really nice to see Rich and Dan again after such a long time.

Tim and myself then had a lovely bite to eat from the butty bus and then went for another explore before Tim had to leave. I walked back with him and then got my scope and headed back to the Little Owls for a go at photographing and videoing them with my scope and phone. This time there were 3 juveniles on and off and i managed to take some decent shots and nice video clips, what a privilege!..

After enjoying the Owls again i walked back to the car and was just about to leave when someone found a Whinchat. I had spent the previous day searching all over my local patch for the same species.....birding eh!.

The Whinchat was a scruffy moulting adult, but was still nice to see. It had a juvenile Stonechat for company and this brought an end to a superb visit to this great reserve.

A quick look on ebird and i totalled up a very respectable 78 species for the day.

A Slight Mist At Dawn Giving The Reserve A Lovely Atmospheric Feel.



A Neck Collared Greylag Goose.

Juvenile Little Owl.



What A Cute Face!





Tuesday, 12 August 2025

Flamborough Head & Bempton Cliffs, Friday 8th August 2025

A chance to get out again today, saw me taking Lee out for his birthday and heading up to the stunning coast line of Flamborough Head and Bempton Cliffs. We planned to visit Flamborough in the morning and then head over to Bridlington to catch the Yorkshire Belle up to Bempton Cliffs and back.

After a nice drive up to Flamborough, we were soon parking up and getting our cameras and my scope together and heading down to the fog station to look on the sea.

It was a lovely morning, and we wandered down taking in the cracking scenery taking plenty of photos on the way and watching a flock of about 200 House Martins as they rested and fed over the lighthouse grassland, preparing for their long migration south.

Once we reached the cliff edge, i began to scan the sea looking for Whales and it wasn't long before we were watching at least 2 Minke Whales feeding around a feeding frenzy of Kittiwakes, Gannets and Auks. These amazing animals showed pretty well at about a mile range and became Lee's first ever sighting of a Whale.

Also around the area where at least 400 Grey Seals and 10 Harbour Porpoise, with a distant Great Skua watched harassing the feeding Terns and Kits offshore.

After enjoying all the cetaceans, Seals and maritime bird species, we headed to the Headlands restaurant for a well earned brekkie.

After breakfast we headed over to Brid, parked up and then caught the bus into the town ready for our well anticipated boat trip.

Once we got underway on the Yorkshire Belle, i went up to the front and began scanning for birds etc.

No real rarities were seen on the boat trip, but it was great to see flocks of feeding Common Terns, Sandwich Terns, hundreds of Razorbills with their chicks and mixed flocks of feeding Gannets, Kittiwakes and Gulls.

The ships captain took is in pretty close to the cliffs and showed us several of the hundreds of sea caves and geological features, which included the famous Staple Neuk where the Gannet colony is located at Bempton Cliffs.

For anyone who has not been on this trip before, i highly recommend it, as seeing the cliffs and geological features really shows Flamborough and Bempton from an interesting and  different angle.

After enjoying our boat trip, it was time to travel home after a brilliant day out.

Selwick's Bay, Flamborough


Flamborough Lighthouse

Cattlemere, Flamborough.



Selwick's Bay

Adult And Juvenile Razorbill's, Flamborough Head.

Flamborough Head.




Gannets.

North Landing, Flamborough Head.


Adult Gannet, With A Downy Chick, Bempton Cliffs.



Staple Neuk, Bempton Cliffs







Sunday, 10 August 2025

North Yorkshire - Sunday 3rd To Wednesday 6th August 2025

A lovely few days away with Mrs R staying in North Yorkshire, saw mixed weather not allowing to get out walking until Tuesday 5th when we completed a lovely, if slightly hot walk from Hutton-le-Hole, taking in the lovely villages of Lastingham and Appleton-le-Moor, then back to Hutton-le-Hole.

We also managed to visit a few other lovely little places which included Lealhom, Goathland and Rosedale amongst wet morning visits to Whitby and Scarborough.

The first night we stayed at East Ayton Lodge, but then stayed for 2 nights at a lovely little farm, with a stunning cottage at Middleton.

The following are my favourite photos from our stay away.

Low Moor, Near To Goathland.

Goathland Station

Hutton-Le-Hole

Lastingham

St.Mary's Church, Lastingham



Scenery Between Lastingham & Appleton-le-Moor






Lealhom

Mrs R On The Stepping Stones At Lealholm

The Only Remains Of The Abbey At Rosedale

Rosedale