Thanks Dave. Much appreciated. There were two then? I'd heard two were reported but wasn't sure if this was correct.

I was surprised at the lack of interest when I was there. I don't know how many people need HC for Yorkshire, but it's the kind of place where I felt like the last person on earth. I was wanting to bump into another birder as I wasn't sure where I could walk and whether I would be shot at any moment! Alas I birded alone.

I tried for ages to pick one out without success, and just when I thought I was wasting my time, I spotted him up on the tip briefly. I then lost him again as he went deeper into the tip, but later picked him up in flight as wave after wave of corvids dropped into the fields.

Dave's photo hopefully sorts this one out Fair Isle!

I suspect that 'Nordic Jackdaw' C. m. monedula occurs quite widely along the coast of Yorks, though there is little interest amongst most folk in trying to separate them. Add to that the fact that only the more obvious ones are picked out then it is surely under-recorded, plus most/all? 1st-winters will not be IDable. 'Russian Jackdaw' C. m. soemmerringii is probably much rarer, it has longer to come! So these 'Eastern Jackdaws' are out there, just a matter of looking through the corvid flocks, making mistakes and learning more.

Has anyone seen any Waxwings in Sheffield or the general area this winter?

There were two Hooded Crows the back end of last winter, the sightings were a bit sporadic, but I was lucky finding one at my first attempt.

I needed it for the county - I think 20-30 years ago they were reasonably straightforward to see down the coast in the winter, definately isn't the case now.

I might have a look at Seamer Tip on Saturday, but snowed under workwise at the moment, so struggling a bit to get out.

Lawts
I did, of course, mean checking out the flocks of corvids at the tip for Nordics!! :t:
Would have thought the east coast locality, coupled with the masses of corvids that have been mentioned to be present, would provide perfect hunting grounds for a smart eastern race Jackdaw! Hell, there's even been a couple of smart looking candidates here in Staffs.

Its back, the American Wigeon has been seen at Thorganby Ings, might be worth a look in tomorrow...

16:11 16/01/08 Water Pipit E Yorks Blacktoft Sands RSPB
31 in one flock feeding on cut areas in the middle of reedbed

Blimey!

Blimey is not what I said when I read the text!
I never knew Water Pipits flocked in such high numbers in the UK.

Incidently, there was a LE Owl reported today at Bempton 'showing well from visitor centre'. I was in Flamborough seeing a customer so drove up to the reserve on the way back. To be honest it crossed my mind that bird might be a SEO but wasn't going to take a chance. The reserve staff knew nothing about any owl and seemed concerned about the possibility of a fake report. The informaton seems to have been removed from Birdguides now.

Lesson of the day: If things seem too good to be true, they usually are.:C

The message I saw today referred to a Short-eared showing well yesterday afternoon (in fact two messages). I'd have no reason to doubt this. With respect most of the staff in the centre often don't know what's going on in terms of the birds themselves.

I got an email about LEO there and showing well outside the visitor centre

Latest sightings from BirdGuides, 16 Jan at 09:58 16/01 09:58 EAST YORKSHIRE : Long-eared Owl, Bempton Cliffs RSPB [A]showing well from visitor centre; also at least 30 Tree Sparrows at the feeding station

Just checked Birdguides now. Two messages on an SEO showing well yesterday, (messages posted today). They are still on their, and no doubt correct?????????

It's all a bit wierd. Apart from another bloke who had recieved the LEO text, only a couple of people had visited the RSPB centre before the owl was reported. I think I would mention it to the staff if a LEO was flying outside the window! The Tree Sparrow bit makes it even more odd. I reckon it could be a Birdguides ****-up, especially as SEO is showing well at the moment.

Is everyone happy with the bare part colouration of the Fulford Ings Sibe chiff?

Why, what seems to be the problem, have not seen it, never mind heard it, I tried, but river was very high....

------------------------
Darren

Caspian Gull on the lifelist tonight, but now need for Yorkshire. Had a couple of brief but untickable encounters, so shouldn't be too long.

As for American - I need for life, but has it ever occurred in Yorks?

Steve, as I understand and have read, Caspian was only a recommendation last year, and not on the BOU list yet, I have seen 2 of these in York’s, but don't count yet, and yes - I have dropped Ruddy Shelduck!
______________________
Best
Darren

Darren it went on the BOU list today. Tick away

I'm in Devon and have been looking at various chiffs all day. I was lucky enough to spend about an hour with a local expert and he showed me some differences between the races in addition to the calls that are key.

I refer to the bare point colouration mentioned by Dean and Stevenson and summarised for us laymen here

Very black-looking bill and legs
http://www.birdwatch.co.uk/website/i...=830&Itemid=32

and here

http://www.fugler.no/id/200312_tristis_en.htm

Which basically says that for hand held ID black bare is essential

So as I browsed more images I noticed the Fulford one had pale bare part colouration and found that a bit out of context. I understand the call is a clincher so I am not saying it aint tristis, but that it is unusual.
Plumage wise the Fulford bird is spot on too. If it hadn;t called and had only been ringed I wonder what they would have made of the pale bare parts. Probably nothing :t:

Don't remember any near Sheffield, Pete. I get a daily digest from Birdguides for waxwings - will watch out for your area.

Sandra

The pictures on Birdguides are overexposed and do not really represent what the bird looks like in the field. The bare parts are black, both bill and legs, though grilling this in the field to be sure they're ALL black is hard. As for call, it's NOT a clincher but some people seem to think it is, although it is an ESSENTIAL addition to plumage features. A chiff which does not give the 'lost chick type call/Bullfinch/Dunnock call' will probably not be a tristis, no matter how 'good' some of the plumage features are, but if a chiff does then it's a good starter to think about tristis.

After that then a combination of all the specificed plumage features (as in the latest BBRC request) and the above call will produce what is now known as as good a tristis as you can get......but further research might change that. The latest request from BBRC will hopefully clarify what is/is not good enough for local rares committees to accept a tristis, which is, after all, a rare bird - much rarer than Pallas's, and probably rarer than Dusky or Radde's............

Hi sibechaser, welcome to BF and the Yorkshire thread...hope you enjoy it here and if you are in God's own county then you might want to check out the meet thread here

Hi Dave
Awesome website!! It's nice to see there are photo gods well and living in darkest Finland! We all must keep trying for those pics. Here's one I made earlier. Aren't birds brilliant?

It's interesting stuff. I know a lot of good birders have seen the Fulford bird so wasn't doubting its credence just interested given all the stuff I have learn't today.

I think they will turn out to be rares like you say as the paper suggests only one in ten pale chiffs are actually tristis.

Welcome to the forum too! :t: