As so often happens as we move into June and the summer months, things usually quieten down with regards to the birding scene, but things ticked over nicely on my four visits to the local patch during the month.
Saturday 7th
Today i basically travelled along all the areas at East Halton, with Winter's Pond, Marsh Lane, East Halton Village and the Skitter area being covered.
Highlights went to the lovely sight of 3 Med Gulls together at the Skitter, which was a really good record and a new species for my local patch year list. The trio consisted of 2 1st summer and a 2nd summer bird and they gave some nice scope views as they fed along the shore with a flock of Black-headed Gulls.
The other highlight went a 1st summer Peregrine as it flew along Skitter Road, scattering the local Corvids in all directions. This was the same immature female i had seen earlier in the spring.
Other bits seen included a Mistle Thrush on the edge of the marshes, 2 Little-ringed Plover on the marshes and 2 pairs of Shelduck with 10 and 9 ducklings respectively.
Saturday 14th
A misty start at Goxhill today had the desired effect i hoped for, as this can disorientate seabirds at this time of year and it certainly did the trick, with first an unseasonal Dark-bellied Brent Goose flying west off the haven, followed later by the amazing sight of 31 Kittiwakes together in a tight bunched flock as they headed out east along the estuary. Both these sightings are pretty good for the time of year and are species i usually associate with easterly winds in October or November, not mid June.
Another Med Gull was seen today, as a spanking adult flew east close inshore and later it or another flew west, such striking birds in summer plumage.
Other nice sightings consisted of 2 Yellow Wagtail, 4 Bearded Tit, 4 Marsh Harrier and 5 Teal.
A lovely encounter with a buck Roe Deer saw me getting some lovely photos and video with the telescope.
Sunday 22nd
A productive visit to East Halton today, saw autumn migration beginning, with 90 Lapwing, 25 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Green Sandpiper and a male Ruff featuring in the days sightings on East Halton Marshes, with 6 Little-ringed Plover here also.
Wildfowl numbers were also beginning to increase with 4 Pochard, 20 Teal, 93 Mallard, 190 Greylag and 17 Mute Swans all being seen on Winter's Pond.
Other sightings during the visit included 3 Marsh Harrier and 2 Great-spotted Woodpecker.
Sunday 29th
A short visit to Goxhill today before the sweltering temperatures later in the day, saw a respectable 59 species being recorded between Dawson City and the Old Boatyard.
Highlights went to my earliest returning juvenile Wheatear along the flood bank near Dawson City. This little cracker gave some lovely views and i manged some decent pics and video with the telescope and phone.
Other highlights along here included an adult Yellow-legged Gull sat on a lightship off the haven, 37 Black-tailed Godwit and a single Grey Partridge.
Best non-bird sighting went to a cracking Dark-green Fritillary as it bombed past west along the Humber shore while i was watching the Wheatear.
A decent month overall, now the autumn migration begins and we will see what it turns up!.
 |
| Winter's Pond Early Morning, 7th. |
 |
| East Halton Marshes, 7th. |
 |
| Skitter Road, 7th. |
 |
| A Murky Goxhill Haven, 14th. |
 |
| What You Looking At!, Buck Roe Deer, 14th. |
 |
| Hide And Seek With This Gorgeous Buck Roe Deer, 14th. |
.jpg) |
| Winter's Pond, 22nd. |
 |
| Small Skipper, East Halton, 22nd. |
.jpg)
.jpg)
 |
| Small White, East Halton, 22nd. |
 |
| Black-horned Cleg, Winter's Pond, 22nd. |
.jpg) |
| Goxhill Haven, 29th. |
 |
| Juvenile Wheatear, Goxhill Haven, 29th. |
