Blue Tuesday

Bluethroats can skulk for hours, hidden in reeds or scrub uttering the odd squeak. Even on their breeding grounds they can be difficult to see through the tangle of birch carr as they flash their orange tail bases. 

So when one turns up, and hops around in the open- take advantage.

Scarborough Fayre

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_faxjRKqJ4

 

A potter over to the coast from York via some Goshawk woods where one bird cruised across the misty treetops and settled in a conifer crown before disappearing in the murk.  In Scarborough harbour a couple of Black-necked Grebes played hide and seek between the boats and a Great Northern Diver proved to be more confiding.   Turnstones and Rock Pipits picked at chips on the front and a pair of Peregrines spiralled and stooped playfully above the town and castle cliffs.  Very nice distractions between ice creams and cod supper.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next day a walk out along side the lake at Castle Howard revealed plenty of Goldeneye, Goosander and a couple of female type Scaup.  Quite a few folk were out looking for Bean Geese that had been around the previous week.  A second look at the Canada flock on some adjacent parkland revealed the dark, wild geese.  Difficult to count but 7 was my best count.  Cracking birds.





Hometown Unicorn

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zxXF0B_SyM

 

A few days in York with the folks/grandfolks enabled some very good birding.  Monday morning dawned bright after a very grey and drizzly weekend and there had been no sight of the Pine Bunting at Dunnington I rated my chance of seeing the bird at less than 10%.  When I did find the site I also found a sizeable Yellowhammer and Tree Sparrow flock popping up and down into a stubble field, when they all got up there must have been over 200 birds but they were only moving up into the hedge in smaller groups.  I was in for the long haul but fortunately a dog walker took a path right through the middle of the field, I was well prepared for the minute or so I estimated that the birds would be flushed and alert in the hedge.  Up they went and many disappeared into the centre of the hedge my scan needed to be very quick, and quicker than I imagined the pink and russets of my first ever Pine Bunting burnt my retina.  It stayed for a minute or so before hopping the hedge, I took some speculative video and managed to grab a couple of stills of the bird from this.  I spent another 10 mins looking for it in the next field but considered my 15 minute mission a success and having enjoyed good views of the other finches I took my leave.

 

 

I decided to use the gained time to visit the nearby tip at Rufforth where I was joined by Chris Gomersall who found the Pine Bunting, a great piece of work.  We sifted through and chatted Gulls and saw a couple of 2CY Glaucous Gulls. One, a monster settled briefly close too but flew again to the farthest flock before I could get a decent shot.  By far the scarcest visitor required a second and third look, Chris asked me to check his scope "Is there really a naked lady on the tip?" to my disbelief the answer was "Yes, Chris" 

 

 

When I went back for dinner my Dad had been talking to a friend in the village who had just seen some Waxwings at the Click and Collect in Tesco's car park at the top of the road.  We headed up there in bright sunshine and found a little flock of six beauties as confiding as we could have possibly hoped.  A great hour ensued as the birds descended from their chosen Ash tree to feed on rosehips, every 10 minutes or so.  Several times the birds tossed the hips up into the air to get a better position for guzzling and they were also descending to the ground to collect fallen fruit.  A very good day around my hometown.

 

 



 



February swan sount

The wash bank is crisp as icing sugar under the moonlight. a silver-blue light that hides the swans at first, only to reveal them as the last of the darkness fades.

The islands are not islands, but rafts of waders, and the whole waterscape is covered by a hail of gulls.

As the thousands of gulls take flight in a confused flurry- almost blown into the air by the breeze, the swans wait; still sleeping, or sailing on the dawn. Only when the Sun begins to cast it's light upon the Moon do the swans begin, and even then it is a slow exodus this morning- couples, the odd family, single birds venture out towards the pink glow beyond the pylons.

Finally the Sun appears, and the day begins.

Easy, Like A Sunday Morning

Mid Morning Matters, and this mid morning found me in the heartland of North Norfolk Digital.  Northwards on the A10, out of the Ely10, to a farm and play barn outside of Downham Market. As soon as the opportunity arose I took my leave of the noise and bustle of the barn and snuck in a couple of hours birding down the road at Denver and Welney.  A trio of drake Goosander were a smart bonus at Denver Sluice and I am always baffled as to their scarcity on the adjacent washes.

 

At Welney a lone White-fronted Goose was hanging out with the Greylags on Lady Fen, on the reserve a further 10 showed well from Lyle hide and the bunds in front of the hide were teeming with wildfowl.  An hour was well spent drinking in the washland scene, all the better for being within it rather than looking in from the bankside.  The 2CY Glaucous Gull was a good way off but an enjoyable diversion and on the drive back to pick up the family a Great White Egret loafed across the fields at the back of Lady Fen and dropped into a ditch. Easy birding.



I'm sorry, I didn't catch that- I have.......Herring difficulties

A gull lands- it's a Herring Gull. No problems then. It looks like the picture in the book.

                                 

Then another one drops in. It's a bit different.....

                                 

And just to annoy you, it stands next to a third bird, which looks even more different.

 Then you start comparing the third bird to a bird that is obviously not related to the first one.

       Only to find another bird that looks like both- or neither?... or sometimes one, then the other?

 And when you've sorted it all out you're left with only one conclusion. Every gull is a completely different species.
This was a small gathering people! Not many birds at all! A dozen, max! Just imagine a field full of them!