Think I might just have a wander out to Eccup on Sunday, a local diver is always nice, last diver I had at Eccup was a GN in 83. It'll be a nice one for the bird race list as well

Im thinking about maybe goign to filey on sunday to do the birdrace. What did we get last time 60ish?

I think it was just 60 or so - problem is the lack of woodland and habitat variety. I got only low sixties last time I went to Filey as well. Although I agree reaching the coast is essential, for a good total you'd need to find some good woodland, parkland and shallow water before going. You might well miss out on Gadwall, Pochard, Nuthatch, Treecreeper, Coal Tit and other 'essentials'.

This link may help your planning, James. They managed 97 just on your doorstep albeit at a different time of year. http://www.tka.co.uk/yoc/bird-race-2002.htm

I know I'm taking this far too seriously and sorry if I'm banging on. Thing is I did 3 races in 8 days with a friend at the end of September and went from 67 to 74 to 84 as we honed our skills. (He's so competitive he wouldn't come birding unless we added a 'challenge' element!) Of course we had four hours more daylight, too, but I do think the trick is to list the ones you must get and not to detour to any specialised habitats for one or two birds. I reckon we'd have got 90 if we hadn't fannied about on uplands for Dippers, Grey Wagtails, Hen Harriers etc.

I'm not planning a full day tomorrow but may go see the divers and if I'm scoring well early I could push on. I'll check the weather tomorrow for Sunday which may be a better bet. Part of me just wants to sit and watch the birds, though - I do remember the 84 day being extremely stressful and knackering and in the late afternoon I wanted to pack in and just watch the Kingfishers.

Graham

For small stuff, try Forge valley - only a mile or so north of Scarborough. Nailed on several tit species including Marsh, plus GSW, Nuthatch, finches, Jay, Siskin etc. There's loads of feeders in the woods. Also, don't forget Med. Gull at Holbeck Hall car park.

Some cracking birds just a little further up the coast, James. All 3 divers, Slavs, RNG, Velvet Scoter at Redcar. Thanks to the A1 it's not much further for me, and I am tempted. (Sorry - out of county and off topic)

That's all I did today. Was in the mood for watching and not racing and was rewarded with views of both divers together down to 40 yards so with the scope I could see every feather. The birds favour the western end and the south side and although well viewable from the footpath I was lucky enough to be escorted by a permit holder to get so close.

James, for the purposes of a combined total here's my miserable 46 but I've got a few which are not giveaways: Kingfisher, Brambling, Redpoll, Red Kite, RL Partridge, Goosander. And I've left you a lot of easy birds to get: Sparrow, Goldfinch, Herring Gull!

2 Red-throated Diver Gavia stellata A
5+ Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus A
8 Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo A
5+ Grey Heron Ardea cinerea A
3 Mute Swan Cygnus olor AC
c200 Greylag Goose Anser anser AC
100+ Canada Goose Branta canadensis AC
100+ Eurasian Wigeon Anas penelope A
50+ Eurasian Teal Anas crecca A
50+ Mallard Anas platyrhynchos AC
30 Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula A
3 Common Goldeneye Bucephala clangula A
13 Goosander Mergus merganser A
1 Red Kite Milvus milvus AC
3 Red-legged Partridge Alectoris rufa C
2 Common Pheasant Phasianus colchicus C
20 Common Coot Fulica atra A
350+ Northern Lapwing Vanellus vanellus A
500+ Black-headed Gull Larus ridibundus A
100+ Mew Gull Larus canus A
11 Stock Pigeon Columba oenas A
100+ Common Wood Pigeon Columba palumbus A
1 Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis A
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major A
1+ Pied Wagtail Motacilla alba A
1+ Winter Wren Troglodytes troglodytes A
1+ Hedge Accentor Prunella modularis A
3+ European Robin Erithacus rubecula A
>10 Common Blackbird Turdus merula A
>100 Fieldfare Turdus pilaris A
2 Song Thrush Turdus philomelos A
>20 Redwing Turdus iliacus A
1 Mistle Thrush Turdus viscivorus A
20 Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus A
>10 Coal Tit Parus ater A
>20 Blue Tit Parus caeruleus A
>10 Great Tit Parus major A
3+ Black-billed Magpie Pica pica A
20+ Eurasian Jackdaw Corvus monedula A
2+ Carrion Crow Corvus corone A
3 Common Starling Sturnus vulgaris A
50+ Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs A
1 Brambling Fringilla montifringilla A
1 European Greenfinch Carduelis chloris A
1 Lesser Redpoll Carduelis cabaret A
2 Common Bullfinch Pyrrhula pyrrhula A

There's also a report of 2 Ring Necked Parakeets from Eccup but I missed these.

The Firecrest hasn't been reported since Wednesday. Anyone know if it is still around? Another option I was considering was to combine this with an exploration of the St Ives estate in the hope of interesting finches among other things.

Thanks,
Graham

I'm probably going down tomorrow with my daughter (who didn't see it on Wednesday because she was revising for Uni exams) to check it out. Will report back!

Finally got up to the right place in Halifax, so thanks to all involved in publicising it, first lifer of the year heres hoping theres more to come.

Redcar isn't out of County. The Watsonian Counties , which both YNU and Yorkshire Birding still use are based on the old Yorkshire boundaries, ie before the county of Cleveland was formed. Therefore Redcar is in Yorkshire for our purposes.

I'm back!!

Feels like I've been away for ages. clocked some qualiy birds in the past few weeks and managed to get another one on the life list by jamming in on the wierd Black Kite down Norfolk way. Had the best winter seawatch of my life clocking all three divers, RN Grebe, Slav Grebe, Pom Skua (!), 6 Long tailed duck, velvet scoter over 4000 common scoter, eider. Following I had blocking (porn star views) of Bearded tit, also picked up over 100 Snow buntings in four different sites, and shore larks, and all the other stuff. Over 100 clocked in the Norfolk trip. Teesdale was much slower, but did bob out of Durham for some Yorkshire year ticks in the form of Raven, Red Grouse and Treecreeper.

Here's hoping for a good year. Could do with removing iceland gull this year

Welcome back Marcus, good tally of birds from Norfolk. You up for Potteric next week? If so wanna lift?

Permits....you don't need them, you can hop the fence and squat down in the bracken. Used to do it regular when I first got into birding. All the decent birds used to be down the bit of the res. that you can't see from the path. I guess the permit holder is a member of the Leeds Birdwatchers Club, as they used to have a key for the gate.

Deffo up for Potteric! Missus is darn sarf so gonna be a bumper year list push for me I reckon!

Will get in touch re the lift later this week thanks for the offer

The chap is in LBC as well as NSIBG like me. LBC members do still have keys for the padlock. I know a few people take Keith's approach and couldn't possibly comment on a public forum. ;) Anyone fence-hopping will have to take care not to flush the birds - we were sitting very very still on the remains of the hide to get them as close as we did and they were very wary. Hope you get the views we did, Keith.

Splendid! I think that may settle it in favour, especially as I am green at Marcus' sea watch.

Iceland again in the Wheldrake roost, as well as the Am Wigeon reappearing. You and James up for a late afternoon there?

Marcus, whereabouts did you get Raven. I still need it for Yorkshire?

I do as well

Loshpotts was predictably quiet. It didn't help with a young lady walking her dogs round the lake. I explained she was in a private nature reserve, to which she replied "yea I know my Dad owns it." Indeed she walked to the nearby farm that confirmed this fact. Ah well, what can you do!

Anyhow two Shelducks were a first for the reserve. Five Wigeon but nothing much else. Worryingly no grebes, where it has held up to five Little Grebes through the autumn. I'm hoping it still has fish in it. There were good numbers of yellowhammers, Tree Sparrows, Fieldfares and Redwings in the hedgerows.

I couldn't really afford the time, but had to make a smash and grab raid on the Black Guillemot on the Gare. It's no more than an hour for me as I'm straight on the A1. A Yorkshire first for me. I only added Roller as a new Yorkshire bird last year so I've equalled 2006 already. It was showing very well. Also in its company were Razorbills and Guillemots, plus a couple of RtD's, a fine drake Merganser and several Purp. Sands on the rocks. Dipped on a prty of Snow Bunts. that were in the area, but I couldn't give it long.

Graham did you get the two parakeets?

Steve,

Saved an article on Ravens at Langsett from Yorkshire Birding in 2000 but couldn't remember who wanted it until you reminded me. I've no idea what has happened since but there were up to five together in summer 2000. PM me an email address and I'll send you the scanned article. For others, either PM me, or the reference is Vol 9, number 3, pp. 94-95

Graham

PS - I didn't see the Parakeets but they were on Birdguides as a sub-entry, quote "in hedges feeding on berries to left of track down to front of Lodge" I did scan those hedges as they were full of Fieldfare but no Parakeets.

I carried the scope up so was able to watch it closely without flushing it - you need both hands to keep it steady, though.

Graham[/quote]
Blimey that's CLOSE views! Hiya Graham sorry I couldn't resist. Glad you enjoyed the 'hunt', twitching can be too artificial like you're just ticking 'em off.

Had a 20 plus flock of Brambling in the winter and wintering Linnets up there. Both a bit odd by my reckoning but then again, inland Shore Lark?!

Iain.

Approximate grid reference NY942061. I also got chatting to a local game keeper who gave me details of a black grouse lek not 5 miles from here. I went but the wether stank (plus it's a bit early). If you want red grouse this is one of the best places I know, seriously they are everywhere.

Steve / Keith,

I fear that Raven article may be out of date. Seems that whole Langsett/Strines area is horrendous for persecution of birds. And it actually seems to be getting worse. This RSPB "Peak Malpractice" publication is detailed and shocking. http://www.rspb.org.uk/Images/PeakMa...tcm5-98181.pdf

I have long thought that until the landowners are held accountable for this it will not be stopped. I expect there is a correlation between land ownership and the presence of raptors and that if you overlaid estate boundaries over maps of breeding success it would immediately be clear who the culprits really are. The RSPB can't publish this because it would be defamatory, but someone has surely done this. How may landowners are we talking about? And how many keepers? Can anyone who knows the area comment?

Graham