Yo JIm, listened to the CD yet?

Got a Bridlington bird cruise ticket going free (for tomorrow) if anyone wants it- cruise is at 10.30 am I think.

Any recommendations for where to go afterwards? (Preferably with hides-forecast heavy rain). Was gonna do Spurn after but may wuss out.

Sorry to hear about your job Marcus. Hope you get another soon

D

Peregrine over Leeds city centre yesterday as I came off the M621. Never seen one in the city before.

Graham

When I used to work in Leeds city centre in the 80's I once watched a peregrine take a pigeon in the churchyard for St John's just by the side of what used to be Lewis's.

Oh BTW... Rhinos 24 St Helens 16 ...way to go boys....!

Bad news Marcus, I've had redundancy twice so I hope it goes well finding a new job.

Great result last night lads. The city needs some sporting success.

It was in full wing moult - my trainer said it was the first 1cy blabi in wing moult he had ever seen. Very strange. As for the ssp - i realise that to call it German is superfluous - i meant continental but my trainer keeps refering to these as german birds.

Bad luck on the job Marcus, fingers crossed you manage to sort that situation out.

Just for you James

0-1

Thanks john. My wife is a tigers fan as are all my outlaws. The texts are flooding in. Great.

Flamborough head
 

grey phalarope feeding just offshore today at 11:15am.
cheers one man and his dog

To my eternal shame it went in my away day bag while we were out the other week and I forgot all about it. Will hunt it out this week and have a listen, thanks for the reminder.

Gorgeous afternoon so had a ride over to Eccup to watch the Red Kite. Plenty there, up to 11 in the air at one point sharing the thermals with at least 2 Common Buzzards. Nothing much on the water, but in the fields good numbers of Lapwing, 30 - 40 linnet, mipit, skylark, tree sparrow, goldcrest. Probably could have found a good bit more but I couldn't resist watching those Kite soaring.

Marcus - really sorry to hear about the job and hope you get something sorted out soon. I don't think you'll be short of transport given the activity on this site.

Re the Leeds peregrine. I got a call from a guy working at the Town Hall to ask me to look at some bird corpses just under the town hall clock (it's an RSPB thing!) - there were 4 woodcock skeletons and a couple of pigeons - I put it down to a peregrine using a perch under the clock as a feeding site. People have told me that they have seen peregrine flying over the headrow before and I've seen one flying past the 8th floor of Merrion House. Anyone have any other ideas about that? I'm guessing it was enjoying a different kind of snack during migration - the closest roding woodcocks were probably miggie woods to the south.

I'm a very happy bunny about the Rhinos result - I wasn't really expecting a win over the Saints - perhaps the wet weather worked to our advantage.

I used to regularly (as in daily) see up to three peregrine on the clock towers on Water Lane.

First results with the new lens here

Sorry about the job Marcus. You thought about taking your photography further?

Richard

The breeding Pregrines at Derby cathederal had loads of different feather / bones in their nest [from what I remember from the RSPB website] including several Woodcock, from where who knows. So much for feeding mostly on feral pigeons though...

A mate of mine got made redundant a couple of years back and now makes a mint being a self-employed photographer. No doubts that Marcus can take a decent photo :eek!:

Absolutely, which is what I was eluding to!! I am always impressed by Marcus's photographs & I'm sure he would do well professionally.

Hi Linda

I too have had Peregrine overhead (low down) on the Headrow a couple of years ago. As I work on Regent Street, have 2 or 3 sightings of Peg mainly in the winter quarter, but since I’ve stopped smoking and don’t visit the roof as often in our building, the sighting will decrease..I heard a rumour they are/were breeding on a flat topped roof not far from Regent Street. Other bits over the last 9 years include a recent Black Redstart by The Markets, 3 Dipper which included one pair on the a storm drain at the back of our building, were Grey Wagtail nest, A few sightings of Waxwing & Pink-footed Geese, when moving, but probably the best Red-Legged Partridge, which my mate found saying ‘I’ve just had a Duck waddle past your window’

As far as Woodcock, I’ve watched ‘casually’ Middleton Woods, since I was a nipper, more intensively (nearly every lunchtime, & early morning visit in the spring) between 95 - 99, when I too was made redundant. I had 3 sightings of Woodcock, so they could be from here or Temple Newsham, other sightings from the woods & clearings included annual Whinchat, Wheatear, Lesser White-throat bred, 3 sightings of Wood Warbler, 1 male Redstart, never got a Pied Fly, Female Lesser-spotted Woodpecker, Reed Warbler & Gannet through which perished on Pugney’s CP. 1 Possible Osprey, 1 White-winged Gull (I favoured the slender winged Iceland) & Merlin, my best find was the Woodlark, with the overnight influx of Skylarks..

Best

Daz

Ps ~ Apart from Purple Hairstreak the best butterfly was Marbled White.

Tophill Low
 

Having had no chance to get to Tophill Low, I had written off the RF Falcon. He seems to be lingering & there is a possibility I may get chance tomorrow afternoon. The Yorkshire Water website says the reserve is closed Mondays and Tuesdays, but there is a report on Birdguides today that the bird is over South marsh. I have not been before but are parts visible /accessible even if the reserve is closed? Would be grateful for any insider information!

Regards

The website is quite old, im not sure but it may have changed to week long opening with the new warden. Im headed down there tomorrow before uni so may see you.

I've just spoken with my mate - who is the warden at Tophill Low, he said that the Reserve is open 7 days a week whilst the Red-foot is hanging around. As long as you purchase a ticket from the car park you won't have any trouble. I think the bird has been showing better in the afternoon, eg 3pm. Also a Slav Grebe knocking around today too.

Hope this helps

Cheers, Andy (Schiffornis)
at Ade's house!!!

Daz - I remember you and Terry helping Roger out with the bird lists when he was working at Middleton and, somewhere, I still have the report. It's a great site and I wish I could spend more time there although I think it may be a bit too risky for a girly on her own. Perhaps I'll drag Annette along with me one day.

Bob - I'm sure the peregrines look forward to an alternative snack from time to time. What was strange with the skeletons at the Town Hall clock was that they were complete skeletons, not just bones.