Probably the best Water Shrew pic I've seen. Nice one.

Came across a water shrew a couple of years ago on a bike ride. Nearly picked it up to shift it out of danger, didn't know then about the toxic bite so it's a good thing I didn't.
Chris.

I got nipped when i was a kid, after catching one that ran out of a tussock in front of me. Had a numb tingly arm for about half an hour, up to the elbow.

please can someone PM me the HB gen. thanks.

And me. Failed again at Wykeham on Saturday despite being there when three were reported. Is the 2nd car-park, and not the designated watchpoint, the place to be? May try again this weekend.

Graham

Are you at the cricket all weekend?

yeah, but on gardening leave at the mo

[QUOTE Is the 2nd car-park, and not the designated watchpoint, the place to be?

[/quote]

I too would be grateful for a PM about this as planning a trip soon . As previously mentioned the instructions on the Forestry Commission website are a bit vague. According to Birdguides lunchtime seems to be good - would you all share this view? Presumably a warm day helps too?

Regards

Following a record of three birds over Swillington Ings back in May, an enquiry to the Bird garden resulted in the admission that there are currently three free-flying birds from there.
I have seen up to four free-flying birds at Harewood and at present regularly see two birds around the lake on WEBS visit in the winter (when they probable get extra food from the enclosure) but rarely in summer, when they are presumably on their travels (if not breeding ferally). They have been traced to various counties both north and south of Yorkshire, and will travel considerable distances. One of these two birds is ringed but the other is unringed, making judging the provenance of a single straggler virtually impossible.

Yeah, I've got an email back from Harewood today saying there's three free-flyers from there, plus two more in the area they're aware of - a "large male" and one wearing a red ring. Their birds were "home" at the weekend, but they couldn't rule out one having a pop across to Donny and back!

God help anyone who sees a genuine white stork in Yorkshire and tries to get it accepted...

If you're going for HB's, the designated raptor viewpoint is where I watch from, as it gives the best visibility of the valley and therefore the best chance of seeing one - the air space viewable from the first car park is very restricted.

They are less than a minutes drive from each other, so nothing to stop you doing both.

If I was going, I'd be there from 9.00am onwards. Tried yesterday for 1.5 hours, and didn't get any, but the weather was far from ideal.

At the end of the day you'll need luck, but the more people there the better - usually someone will pick one up.

I scored at about 11.30 looking westward up the valley from the raptor watchpoint. Ringing this morning about 1 mile inland from Filey Dams, not alot caught (2 Dunnocks, 1 Robin and a Willow Warbler) but loads of potential with a large mixed copse against a quarry face and some standing water. I imagine it will be crawling in Pied Fly's and phylloscs in the right conditions. Had a female Redstart there today sat on the net loops taunting us actually inside the pole but not the net. Next time!

New website including full account of recent trip to the Farbes. It would be the best birding place on earth, if it was in Yorkshire that is.

It's taken a while to develop, but I hope you like it!!

www.ebirder.net

EDIT - please update links if you link to the other site!!

Link updated

An unringed White Stork at Wansford yesterday... prob same Tophill in late June <HVWG>

Will keep my eyes out when I'm over this weekend!

Cheers,
Bob.

Interesting... what was the consensus on the "tickability" of the Tophill bird?

I notice that the bird seen in Malton (not far from Wansford of course) on Saturday was sighted around 20 minutes before my sighting in Armthorpe. Enough time for a stork to fly there or is this likely to be two individuals?

No idea, but there must be some doubt.

How far, 40-50 miles? If so it must be two birds.


Cheers,
Bob.

I was about to contact Harewood myself with the following four questions, so don't know if these have been answered from your mail:

1) How many free-flying White Storks does Harewood claim to "own" - i.e. whether currently in residence or not.

2) Are they currently all home?

3) What rings/absence of rings do they have?

4) Have they lost any birds over the last 3-5 years? If yes, what rings/absence of rings did they have?

I used to contact the bird garden curator on a regular basis, and also had a yearly ticket for a couple of years at one point. It sounds like your mail is similar to the responses I used to get - i.e. they don't seem to really know.

I'm assuming breeding has stopped there in the last few years.

Ah, hadn't quite grasped the distance between the two places. A 120mph stork is something I'd like to see!

My email basically said I'd seen one and was asking if theirs were "home" at the weekend, and this is the reply I got.

Finally got Honey buzzard onto the yearlist, on my third trip to Wykeham this year. I had excellent views , but for an entirely unfair 10 seconds or so.

Spent the earlier part of the morning at Allerthorpe, where a good number of bird were still singing - tree pipit, chiff chaff, blackcap and garden warbler all in song. Family party of green woodpeckers too. Managed three adders, which were a lizard lifer.

Should have come with you shouldn't I? Adder would have been a lifer for me too.
So 10 secs view...does that mean no pictures??;)

In Scotland when things got desperate I would leave the camera in the car. Thought I would try it again, and hey presto! I guess I spend more time looking than fiddling with my camera!

Big thank you to our resident herpeologist for the quality gen

I've got Monday off work, and thinking of spending it mopping up two species that have managed to evade me this Spring - pied flycatcher and whinchat.

I know pied fly will be a challenge this time of year, but does anyone know any sites within bus-distance of Sheffield which delivers a good chance of both?