Superb Spurn.....A Cracking Day Out,Saturday 23.05.2015.

A pre-planned visit today with fellow birder Tim Cowley saw us doing the BIG walk down the peninsula and back...this is what we saw.
 An early morning start with plenty of layers as it was fairly cold first thing saw me arriving shortly before Tim and a quick scan around saw a hunting Barn Owl and a lovely Fox in the Triangle...a nice start to proceedings.
 When Tim arrived we were off...as we neared the breach,i flushed a small bird on a number of occasions,but just couldn't get anything on it until it doubled back and flew past us towards the Warren...a Sedge Warbler,but it did have us going for a bit.
 Nearby the very sad sight of a moribund Long-eared Owl was found just before the breach and it was later donated to Rich Swales to do a post mortem on and to collect the skin.This was such a shame for this stunning bird to end it's life in this way.
 As we neared the narrows,the resident Brent flock was encountered and we thought to ourselves that the Black Brant reported the previous day must be still present with the flock.After a quick couple of scans there it was with 3 Pale-bellied and a good sized count of 363 Dark-bellied birds.It was a surprise to see so many birds still present which hadn't departed for the breeding grounds yet.
 No further notable birds were really seen apart from some stunning summer plumaged Grey Plover and Sanderling.
 Interest was then turned to insects as we approached the VTS tower as i found a roosting Lesser-treble Bar on one of the light porches on the tower,this is a nice looking moth and was a welcome bonus.
 The whole area was covered in the very abundant Brown Tail Moth larva and this year it looks like it is also going to be a bumper year for the stunning Garden Tiger,with 100's of caterpillars seen.
 As the sun came,out a few butterflies began to fly around and i managed to find a single,stunning Green Hairstreak and Brown Argus,both new species for Tim and first records for the year for myself.A couple of species of Hoverfly were seen also,Myathropa florea and Leucozona leucorum.
 After walking around all the decent habitat at the point and a quick refreshment stop at the Green Beacon we walked our way back down the peninsula to the car,seeing a single Wheatear at Chalk Bank,the only migrant of the day!.
 The Brent flock were still in the same spot at the narrows,but now dozing in the sun and we flushed several male Common-blue Butterflies as we walked through the grassier areas and also disturbed a couple of Roe Deer.It is surprising when you look properly how good an area it is for Flora with us recording some nice species which included Sea Holly,Common Restharrow,Birds-foot Trefoil,Common Storksbill and the attractive Scarlet Pimpernel.
 Eventually we arrived back at the car slightly worse for wear,12 miles in wellies is not for the faint hearted.
 After a quick footwear change and an aborted attempt at looking for Red-veined Darter on Clubley's Scrape,we enjoyed a very welcome Icecream at the Bluebell cafe..well we certainly earned it!,we then had a half hearted look along Beacon Lane for the Golden O,but to be fair we just couldn't be arsed and after chatting to Andy Gibson we went back to our cars and headed home after a superb visit to this brilliant area.Day totals saw us recording 9 species of Butterfly,1 Damselfly and 4 moth species....it's not always about the birds.

Moribund Long-eared Owl found near to the breach.

Pale-bellied Brent with Dark-bellied birds at the Narrows.

Black Brant with Dark-bellied Brents at the Narrows.

Black Brant with Dark-bellied Brents at the Narrows.

Lesser-treble Bar at the VTS tower.

Garden Tiger Caterpillar at the Point.

Brown Tail Caterpillars at the Point.

Green Hairstreak at the Point.

Buck Roe Deer,Sheep Fields.

Male House Sparrow,Beacon Lane.

Male Reed Bunting,Beacon lane.

Messingham Sand Quarries....Another Dull Day,Sunday 17th May 2015.

Another dull days forecast saw me heading today to my second home at MSQ,this is what i saw.
 Bird wise it was pretty quiet,with the most notable and enjoyable sightings going to a flock of 50 plus Swift feeding low over Grebe Lake,giving some superb views as they screamed their way around the lake and a nice find in the form of a Willow Tit nest.The latter a really nice sight to see with the serious decline in this species.
 Today,as on my last visit,it was insects which are beginning to come to the fore,with several nice sightings through my visit.The best of which was a nice Rhagium mordax,or Black-spotted Longhorn Beetle as it is now known,which i found on the edge of the heathy meadow.This is a cracking member of the Cerambycidae family of beetles and is a very striking species with it's large eyes,it's larvae develop in rotting Oak stumps.
 Syrphidae featured heavily again with some nice species being logged which included Dasysyrphus venustus,Rhingia campestris,Leucozona leucorum,Cheilosia illustrata,Xylota sylavarum and the similar pairing of Parhelophilus fruititorum/versicolor,the latter are difficult to identify with certainty in the field.
 A couple of Shieldbug sp. were encountered today as well,the very common Green Shieldbug and the diminutive Birch Shieldbug,the latter are one of our smaller species.
 Very few species of Lepidoptera were recorded on the visit today but included a single Common-white Wave,Small White and Speckled Wood,a poor return,but not surprising in the conditions.
 So today wasn't too bad a visit,but we really do need some settled warm weather.

Bogbean.

Female Great-spotted Woodpecker.

Small White.

Black-spotted Longhorn Beetle.

Rhingia campestris.

Magnificent Monty's......Monday 11th May 2015.

With continuing reports of this breeding pair relatively locally,i decided this morning to make the area a visit.
 On arrival a patient wait was needed and i busied myself watching and scanning through the decent numbers of Common Swifts feeding over the river and surrounding reedbeds.A smaller number of Swallows and Sand Martins were also seen feeding and hawking insects.
 All of a sudden a hive of activity saw the stunning male Monty's appear,flying in with food and the female rose up and a food pass was observed.This was a great piece of activity to witness and the female soon disappeared again.The male then went on to mob a passing male Marsh Harrier giving a great chance to compare both birds identification features,build and plumage etc.
 The male then also disappeared and that was that.
Lets hope that this incredibly rare raptor can be successful in raising some chicks to fledging....watch this space.
 A great few hours watching these cracking birds.

Seabird City....Sunday 10th May 2015.

A free day for Trace and myself saw us heading to the home county again today and the superb RSPB reserve that is Bempton Cliffs.
 After our pretty trouble free journey and a very welcome brekkie stop for Trace at Maccy's in Brid,we eventually arrived at the now huge new car park and monster new visitor centre.
 After getting the kit together and some warm clothing as it was a tad nippy to start,we made our way to the viewpoints.
 It is always a joy to visit this brilliant reserve,along with the sights,sounds and definitely smells of this seabird city.
 I spent ages just watching my fave birds here,the beautiful Gannets and they put on the usual superb show,with a few groups being particularly close on the cliff top allowing some great chances for some pics.
 On a downside we didn't see many Puffins at all,with only a handful of birds observed and a look later at nearby Flamborough it was the same story,hopefully this is only a temporary fluctuation in the population.
 Non seabirds seen here included the usual excellent numbers of Tree Sparrows and a nice singing male Corn Bunting along with Whitethroats,Blackcap and Willow Warbler.Full marks must go to the excellent management of the surrounding land here by the RSPB as the numbers of Tree Sparrows shows perfectly.
 After our visit to this brilliant reserve we made the short drive over to Flamborough and after a welcome lunch at the superb Headlands restaurant and pub we explored the area.
 A cracking male Greenland Wheatear in the lighthouse compound didn't let me get close enough for any photos sadly.
 Our final destination for the day,North Landing provided more superb seabirds and included some close encounters with the breeding Kittiwakes here,just lovely!and along with the cracking scenery made a great final place to visit.
 Another great visit to this superb area.

Adult Gannet,Bempton Cliffs RSPB.

Adult Gannet watching a passing aeroplane,Bempton Cliffs RSPB.

Displaying Gannets,Bempton Cliffs RSPB.

Displaying male Pheasant,Bempton Cliffs RSPB.

Razorbill,Bempton Cliffs RSPB.

The iconic lighthouse at Flamborough.

Old boats at North Landing,Flamborough.

Adult Kittiwake,North Landing,Flamborough.

Adult Kittiwake,North Landing,Flamborough.

Stunning Snowdonia And The Gwynedd Coast,Wednesday 29th April - Saturday 2nd May 2015.

Trace and myself had booked a few days away on the Gwynedd coast staying at a lovely B&B at Llandecwyn near to Harlech close to the stunning Snowdonia National Park.This is a short post on what wildlife we encountered and some of the beautiful places we visited.
 Day one....after arriving in Gwynedd we decided to visit lovely Barmouth or Abermaw as it is locally named.While taking a few shots of the beautiful scenery the first goodies were seen,2 Raven as the flew along the coastal cliffs,a good start.
 As Pont Croesor wasn't too far away,we travelled the short journey over to the Glaslyn Osprey Project to see the local Ospreys.On arrival at the cracking new visitor centre,we were treated to some fantastic live pictures of the female as she ate a large flatfish.The nest was a mile from the visitor centre and the bird was just a mere silhouette through a telescope,but thanks to the live pictures it was a real treat to see her so close up.The trials and tribulations of this female can be followed on the superb Glaslyn Wildlife Web Page which is updated daily.
 Day Two....After visiting the highly overrated Port merion and lovely Betys y Coed were we saw 2 Dipper,we travelled over to Anglesey and the fantastic rocky headland and coast at South Stack RSPB reserve.We had come to hopefully see Choughs and along the approach road we saw one straight away feeding and collecting food in a sheep field.I had last seen these beautiful members of the Corvid family in February 1991 when visiting to see a White-billed Diver in Holyhead Harbour...a distant memory now,so it was great to refresh my memory today.
 More superb views were had of these enigmatic members of the crow family as they wheeled about over the cliffs along with several Stonechats and a single Raven also being added to the sightings for the day.
 Travelling to and from the B&B was a real pleasure today seeing some amazing scenery particularly around Llyn Ogwen,just beautiful.
 Day Three....Today was going to be spent travelling up to the summit of Snowden on the Snowden Mountain Railway and then walking down the Llanberis Path back to the car in Llanberis.This has to rate as one of the greatest experiences i have had in this country with regards to scenery,it is just out of this world and the snow at the summit made things even more special.
 On the walk down the mountain a few notable birds were seen and included 3 Raven and at least 15 Wheatear along with several Meadow Pipits,but to be fair i was just gob smacked by the outstanding scenery.
 After enjoying a very welcome cuppa at the superb Penceunant Isaf Tea Rooms with our new friends Al and Cheryl and the superbly friendly and kind Stefan we made our way back to the car.On the way back to the B&B we visited the lovely Beddgelert and added another beautiful place to our list of superb scenery enjoyed while on this fantastic holiday.
 After a good sleep and waking up to torrential rain we reluctantly made our way home back to Lincolnshire a tad sore,but sad to be leaving this stunning part of the world.

Abermaw And The Mawddach Estuary.

Carneddau Mountain Range Scenery.

Chough,South Stack,Anglesey.

Meadow Pipit,South Stack,Anglesey.

Raven,South Stack,Anglesey.

Llyn Ogwen.

Eryri.

Yr Wyddfa,Eryri.

Crib Goch,Glaslyn And Llyn Llydaw,Eryri.

Llyn Glaslyn.

Mountain Scenery near to Llyn Gwynant.

Crowle And Thorne Moors NNR,Monday 27th April 2015.

With some continued sunny weather Trace and myself travelled over to this superb NNR primarily to see if we could find and record any Odonata(See here http://www.LincolnshireOdes.blogspot.com ),but also to record any other interesting sightings as well.
 After a mini picnic it was onto the NNR and to be fair today birds took a back seat with a few summer migrants logged and a pair of Common Buzzard seen and it was insects that came to the fore.
 The first highlight was a new species of Ground Beetle for us both,Carabus granulatus and is a fairly large species with its distinctive ridged and pitted elytra and mettalic sheen...a cracker.Also noticeable today was the abundance of Green-tiger Beetles,with at least 100 individuals seen as they escaped us with that distinct short flight.They seemed to be on every open sandy part of the reserve we visited and are fantastic mini predators and those jaws!.
 There were quite a lot of butterflies on the wing today with Peacocks being the most common encountered species with at least 35 logged,but some nice variety also came in the form of Comma,Speckled Wood,Green-veined White,Small Tortoiseshell and a female Brimstone.
 Some nice species of Syrphidae were also recorded and included the very smart Sericomyia lappona and also a very brief Chrysotoxum sp. which i didn't see well enough to ID it properly.
 A very brief sighting of a female Red Deer added some variety to the days sightings logged and there were tracks all over the reserve where these large animals had walked,but no other mammals were observed on our visit today.
 A very productive visit today,with some interesting sightings logged,i'm sure it won't be long before we are back again.

Ground-beetle sp. - Carabus granulatus.

Hoverfly Sp. - Sericomyia lappona.

Tachinid Fly - Tachina ursina.

Harestail Cotton Grass.

Messingham Mixed Bag....Saturday 25th April 2015.

After finishing my final night shift of the week and starting my ten day break from work,i was determined not to go out today,but some decent sun saw me heading over to Messingham again.
 As i was slightly knackered from my week of nights i decided to just check the reserve itself,this is what i recorded.
 After arriving,a quick check of the horse paddocks revealed nothing out of the ordinary today,with the male Ring Ouzel from my last visit departing to northern climes.
 A prolonged scan of the Grebe lake saw some decent numbers of hirundines at last and feeding amongst the flock was my first Swift of the year.These birds are just amazing to watch scything their way through the air with the agility of a fighter pilot,just superb no doubt their aerial predators the Hobby won't be far behind now.This mixed flock contained a minimum of 87 Sand Martins with a really good count of 42 House Martins,but smaller numbers of Swallow with only half a dozen being seen.
 Eventually Dave arrived and we carried on walking through the pathways of the reserve adding another 'First' for the year in the form of a singing male Garden Warbler.These are my favourite warbler species with their lovely subtle plumage tones and super liquid song.
 Noticeably,today,there was a vast increase of insect numbers and far more species involved in the sunny spells with our 'First' Orange Tip butterflies being logged with 2 males and another good selection of 'Syrph's' included,with Eupeodes luniger,Eristalis pertinax,tenax,intricarius and arbustorum being added to the notes.
 A quick look around the small pond before you reach the heathy area revealed a huge count of 17 Common Frogs and the expected Slender and Common-ground Hoppers,the former a new species for Dave.These mini members of the Grasshopper and Cricket family are just superb to watch in their leaf litter home.
 A great bonus on the bird front today was the sight of 3 displaying male Snipe seen over the sheep fields to the north of the reserve,sadly a shadow of former numbers,but great to see all the same.
 An increase in flora today saw a few species beginning to burst into life and included our first Cuckoo Flowers and Greater Stichwort and the large areas of Cowslips and Marsh Marigold did their best at brightening the now dull light as the predicted rain arrived.
 Dave and myself both travelled our seperate ways as the rain began to come down much heavier,but another great visit was enjoyed.

Eristalis pertinax.

Green-veined White.

Speckled Wood.

Juvenile Pike.

Preening Mute Swan.

Female Sparrowhawk.

Eupeodes luniger.

Barnetby-Le-Wold Parish.....Sunday 19th April 2015.

After yesterdays Male Rouzel at Messingham,i decided to walk down to the quarries on the outskirts of the village this morning in the hope of finding another,or possibly more as there are some superb areas for them to feed in.
 I started by parking in my usual spot along Queens Road and began by heading along Marsh Lane,checking the first horse paddock which had nothing in it but the local Blackies...buggar.
 As i neared the first of the ponds,that familiar scratchy song of a Whitethroat had me enjoying some superb views of my 'First' of the year as he sang from his little patch of nettles....the old country name of 'Nettle Creeper' is very apt.A further two males were seen further along my walk.
 On the first pond a pair of Little Grebes chased each other and a Canada Goose sat on it's nest,when out of the corner of my eye a ghostly white shape...a stunning Barn Owl.I never got close enough to get a sharp shot of this beautiful bird,but it was great to see one down here and i couldn't recall seeing one before at the quarries,so a patch tick.
 As i arrived at the rear of the fishing ponds,it was apparent there was quite a bit of activity as always,with at least 10 Swallow,6 Sand Martin and another first for the year in the form of 3 House Martins.It was really great to watch them all wheeling around together hawking for insects,spring is definitely here now.Also on the pond,2 pairs of Great-crested Grebe were watched in that distinct,head shaking display and a Grey Heron passed over head.
 After looking over the fishing ponds i decided in usual fashion to walk down the edge of the quarry and back up the hillside.There was quite a lot of activity on the water filled quarry which included 25 Gadwall,6 Teal,2 pairs of Oystercatcher and a female Goldeneye.
 I carried on walking and all of a sudden i heard the call i had been wanting to hear all morning and quickly replicated the 'tack tack tack' as a Ring Ouzel shot from the hedge i was walking along...bingo!.It was watched as it seemed to fly for miles into the village to the original area of horse paddocks i had looked at earlier.It certainly wasn't an adult male as it had a subdued neck gorget and was fairly brown.This is the 'First' record of the species for myself of this lovely species down here,so i was well chuffed to say the least.
 A little further along the edge of a ploughed field,the distinct white rump of a Wheatear,saw a flighty female showing at distance and she obviously didn't want her picture taking,as she flew again into the middle of the field...woman eh!.
 As i got half way up the hillside a commotion of noise was heard in the nearby hedgerow,with a Robin,Blackbird and a Blackcap all mobbing something.

 The culprit was soon discovered as a lovely Little Owl flew from it's perch.I was pleased to see they are still in the area and are always great birds to see and have recorded them on quite a few occasions in the past.
 The final stretch of path towards St.Barnabas church resulted in not one,but two more Ring Ouzels added to the day list on the area i had hoped to see them,the first a female type flew from the hedge adjacent to the paddocks and flew into the churchyard,the second bird an adult male was watched feeding on the paddocks themselves at fairly long range,but i took a few record shots all the same.I was really pleased with these Rouzel sightings as it proved the area is certainly attractive to them in an influx situation like the current one.
 Spring certainly seems productive in this cracking little area as i have now found Male Black Redstart,Male Redstart,a singing Male Firecrest and now the Ring Ouzels,I'm certainly going to have to keep a close eye on it.
 A very productive 4 hours today and only five minutes from home. 

Distant record shot of the Male Ring Ouzel.

Distant record shot of the Male Ring Ouzel.

 
 

MSQ Migrant Explosion.......Saturday 18th April 2015.

After what seemed a very long week at work,i was ready to get out and look for any newly arrived migrants from distant shores and to see if i could find anything a bit rarer.
 I began my day by looking on the sheep fields to the north of Messingham Sand Quarries nature reserve and the new workings nearby.
 It was apparent as i got out of the car how cold it actually was,reading 4 degrees C on the car temperature gauge and evidence of a ground frost...typical spring weather i thought.
 As i walked,the first migrants were heard in song and consisted of that repetitive song of Chiffchaff,the lovely fluty sound of a male Blackcap and the best of all, the gorgeous,sweet song of Willow Warblers.
 The sheep fields were again,as on my last visit,alive with activity from the breeding waders,with singing and displaying Redshanks,Lapwings and Snipe.I searched intently trying to find a Wheatear or a Ring Ouzel on the short cropped grassy areas,but nothing apart from the locals.
 On the 'New Workings' a single Ringed Plover,2 Pied Wagtail and a small flock of 4 Sand Martins fed in the dull morning light and i retraced my footsteps back to the car.
 The short journey over to the reserve was soon completed and by this time it was wall to wall sunshine.
 Close to the car park my first Sedge Warbler of the year was belting out his song and putting on a great display,with a 2nd close by which was more subdued.A quick look in the plantation as i waited for Dave to arrive,saw a nice surprise in the form of a pair of Brambling,with the male singing briefly as well,a nice addition to the days sightings.Also here was a single male Siskin singing his scratchy,wheezy song.
 After i met up with Photographer buddies Matt Latham and Mark Johnson i wandered back to the car park and just as we were chatting,a cracking male Ring Ouzel just happened to hop into view,what a bonus!.I managed to get some record shots through the fence before he flew into a nearby Elder.This apparently,as i discovered later,is the first record of this species for the reserve,so a double whammy.This bird is no doubt part of the nationwide influx of this species,as birds are being deflected across the north sea with the easterly wind as they make their long journey from the wintering grounds in Africa.
 I said my goodbyes to Matt and Mark as Dave and myself had a look at the Rouzel again before continuing our visit to this gem of a reserve.
 Another 'First' for the year was added just past the first dipping platform,as last year,a singing male Reed Warbler in exactly the same spot,it would be amazing if it was the same bird.Further on and past the first bench another singing male Sedge Warbler and Reed Warbler were both added to the notebook.
 There were some nice sheltered,warm spots around the reserve today out of the North Easterly wind and a good selection of Diptera were seen,in particular Syrphidae.With Eristalis Pertinax,Eristalis tenax and the Bumble-Bee mimic Eristalis intricarius being seen along with Tachinid flies Gymnochaeta viridis and Tachina ursina.
 Lepidoptera were at last putting in a decent appearance with my 'First' Brimstone(1 male),Green-veined White(1) and Speckled Woods(2) of the year,with other species consisting of Peacock(8) and Comma(2).
 Back to the birds and another new species for the year in the form of two Common Tern watched chasing and displaying over their breeding site on Grebe lake.This species are always a joy to watch and are superb parents chasing every bird and animal in sight away from the breeding raft including Mute Swans,Otters and myself.
 More of the same was observed around the remainder of the reserve,with some lovely areas of Marsh Marigold adding some welcome colour to the marshy areas and the Willows are now covered in flowers,a great sight to see.
 So what a brilliant visit to this superb little reserve again and i travelled the short journey home feeling accomplished after another notebook full of useful records.

Singing male Sedge Warbler.

Singing male Sedge Warbler.

Male Ring Ouzel.

Male Ring Ouzel.

Peacock Butterfly.