Thanks, that's a shame. Is there a roast of any kind or is it chipolatas?

I have dipped twice :-C
(my first visit coincided with a large pheasant shoot!!)

Am hoping to go again in the next couple of weeks

How long do RLBs tend to winter for?

Definitely off to Fairburn tomorrow for the LEOs, hopefully with everyone's advice I should pin them down without much of a problem...

I may not have much time there, so does anyone know if there's anything else interesting around in any particular areas I should prioritise? I'm presuming there aren't any smews around yet.

Have looked on this site off and on now for some time and have some thing to ask of birders who visit the north bank of the outer Humber especially Welwick Saltmarsh.
If when visiting this site you see any off road bike or the like, please could you pm me with either their reg details or associated cars reg and details.
Also any shooting activity, the central section of the marsh is owned by a shoot and perfectly legitimate.
Any info from visitors would be appreciated even pictures.
There is no request to speak to any one conducting these activities just pass on details
Thanks

As mentioned by Hotspur the speed bumps have been "improved" mainly for the benefit of the residents. They provide a means of slowing down over excited twitchers. I recently told Dave Hursthouse to slow down so don't expect to be treated any different! If this is the only reason you don't visit it's a pity but I regularly visit bird sites with much worst natural speed bumps.

Went to Millington Pastures this afternoon. Too misty for raptors but had the Water Rail and a pair of Bullfinch by the pool but no Hawfinch although 2 reported earlier by some Hull birders.
Also did Welton Water. Adult Great Northern Divers and a pair of Scaup still on watersports pit and drake Red-crested Pochard on Brough Angling Complex. The banking recently deposited by the owners makes a good viewing platform but don't know how they'll react to this!
Re Tophill wardening, Richard Hampshire the current incumbent is a very reasonable guy but the "Rottweiler" is still a Vol warden but if you've ever been involved in site management you'll understand the need for some control. Give some birders a free leash and there'll run amok. We've all tried to avoid paying when on twitch!

Sorry me again. Forgot. Heading for Potteric Sunday. Is there a good time for the Caspian Gull, it's often reported at 3pm? What's the best time and place for Lesser Spots? Is there any access restrictions? Haven't been for years but remember there being some problems accessing area over the railway tracks.

When I was at Potteric before Christmas the Lesser 'Pecker was showing well in the birches opposite the Field Centre Cafe.
The Caspo was coming in about 2.30 to 3.00pm each day, according to Richard Scott, (Potteric regular who was at last Sunday's meet) the Caspo is just about the only large gull that is coming in to the roost now so should be an easy one to find.
The day fee is now about £3.00, I don't know for sure as I use an annual pass which is £12.50 now. The pass allows you to cross the railway lines.If it's a while since you've been then I'm sure you'll be quite surprised with how much has been done to improve the reserve.

You must be brave (or big) to tell Mr Hursthouse to slow down!!!!

G

If you're a member of the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, it's even cheaper. I seem to remember a day pass for members is something like £1 & I think my family annual pass only cost me about £5.

Cheers

Me too BF - For Lesser-spotted Woodpecker try St. Catherine’s Copse, Hawthorn Bank & Black Carr Wood, they seem to be the productive sites, Caspian Gull on Huxter, but it sometimes roosts at Lakeside, shot from 1st Jan 2009 below..
Daz

Thanks to everyone for their comments on the Puffin picture. Perhaps if it had been taken in Yorkshire it would have won ;)

Evening guys, I joined this site yesterday and Potteric Carr is my local. Im pretty new to the "birding" thing and have only just recently bought a scope. If you just pause for a mo and think about when you first bought your scope and the delight in seeing birds through a lens!! thats the level im at!! Yesterday I was watching a sparrowhawk in a tree from "piper marsh" hide. I sat there quite the novice in amongst the "bittern watchers" and got so excited about my own personal spot!! Everyone else in the hide were talking about the "gull" and "ross's goose" which I have to say was lost on me, but found myself trying to join in by the odd nod and grunt in hopefully the right place! Which brings me to the point, ive reached the stage where i feel i need to join a club or a group. It would be great to meet up with folks local and maybe i could draw on their knowledge and experience, it would sure beat sitting on my own. Ive looked at the RSPB group etc and apart from photographic evenings, I can see any field trips etc. So any pointers please. And curosity did get the better of me and I hiked up to the "hex" hide, was busy looking for the "goose" in amongst the greylags only to be told it had flew off half and hour since!! and as for the "gull" well if i had not been on the search for the "goose" then I would have spotted it - but that had just flown into the donny distance!!

Regards
Caroline

oh and Ps ..... its great being a novice ..... im laughing!!!

The reserve opens at 9am. If you don't know your way around, ask for a map at the entrance. If you are after LSW and Caspian, I would head straight for Black Carr Wood and hang around there for a while, pop to Piper Marsh hide for bittern and ask if anyone's seen the pecker. Head for the hexagonal hide in the middle of Huxter Well Marsh by early afternoon and wait for the Caspian to show.

You can get a lot of information from the website:
http://www.potteric-carr.org.uk/

All being well I should be there on Sunday morning myself.

Hi Caroline, welcome to the best bit of BF

A few suggestions for you...

1 Try and come out on one of the BF Tyke Meets, Caroline.
We might sound like a bunch of avid twitchers but we are nice people really. We've all improved our birding skills since the first meet a few years ago. New faces are always welcome and the more eyes looking for birds the better.

2 Have a look at the RSPB Old Moor reserve, there are sometimes wader walks and the like, to get people up to speed with various bird groups, I can remember doing one at Blacktoft Sands back in the days when the reserve centre was a garden shed! I still use some of the tips I picked up then.

3 Do go along to your local RSPB Members Group Meetings, you will meet like minded people and will no doubt be given many pointers as to what to do and where to go. If your local group doiesn't organise field trips then you can join a group that does, and the RSPB website would be a good place to start looking for such a group. The Leeds Group organises about 8 field trips per year, sadly for me they are all on Saturday so I can no longer go on them.

Have fun

Dont' forget to look at Michael's (Bird Flower) excellent bird tutorials. Great value.

I am booked onto the "birdwatching for beginners" walk on Monday 12th January at Potteric Carr. I have been on one of their walks previously and the guides were fantastic - Sue and Roger Bird. I will go back onto the RSPB website and look into the local group. In the meantime thank you for your kind responses and information. Caroline

I am without car again. If anyone is doing any birding and has a space please let me know. Thanks!

Ross's Goose at Potteric! Not heard of this report before? Sounds iffy anyway if it's with Greylags but anymore info anyone? :eek!:

Don't bother, just found details on Potteric website. Should have looked there first silly me! |^|

Last year one was reported in Cleveland until mid-March

Had a brief walk while the lads were at athletics, a few redwing about, watched a woodmouse feeding on seed put out for the birds then chanced on a kingfisher by the scuzziest beck in West Yorks. Put the bins in the car to go wait for them and saw a huge skein of geese (~200?) flying west over Liversedge towards Halifax. Too far to hear or id but v impressive.

Went up to J27 for a telly and found 40 waxwing. They're feeding on the bushes by the Mars factory - same place as last years birds. Very obliging birds landing only 6' away but quite easily spooked by passing traffic.

Wait 'til I get my camera gear out ;)

redhead Smew at Tophill today and as I drove toward home a BOP drifted over the car. That buzzard looks very long tailed, pale underneath and flys an awful lot like a giant sparrowhawk i thought to myself. The penny then dropped. Was a very large Goshawk which was exceedingly tasty. A couple of very close Barn Owls were nice as well.

Had a trip out of county yesterday that was very profitable with a self found 1st w Glauc, an adult Glauc, the GW Gull showing very well, a couple of Twite, Peregrine, Little Egret, RB Mergs and both Seal species.