Ah, you Yorkshire types are smart. You do all your acrimonious posting on other threads! ;)

Nice pictures but none of them approach the extent of green on the Welton Waters bird. The one posted by Hotspur actually shows a v.pale crown, which could be lighting, but would be worrying in the field. Don't want to sound touchy but I am vastly experienced with wildfowl and this bird did stand out as different and also I didn't jump to immediate conclusions but studied several hundred Wigeons on Wednesday before doing anything about it. Now please can we end this conversion for now unless the bird is refound. I am prepared to admit it could be a Eurasian but a very extreme variant.
Sorry Garry but you have a reputation for speaking for mind [your words on 'Red-foot' thread] so shouldn't be offended if someone bites back occasionally. By the why I made an unintentional joke at your expense but I think for made it first. {2R's] Surprised no pick up on it. I'll remember to call you Garry in future but my spellcheck likes Gary so I'll blame it.

Oh dear someone else did see the joke. Agree with the sentiment as you'll see above.

Thanks Michael {I do listen} you're right. To be honest if Mal had been coming from the west and taken the first signed turn off for Brough he'd have ended up in the middle of Brough anyway. Was a bit wound up due to people questioning my abilities. All present and correct at Welton today.
Had a pretty bad day. Went this afternoon looking for the Egyptian Geese reported near Barmston on Wednesday without success then got a call about 34 Waxies on Holderness Road, Hull N.of Four In Hand but no sign late afternoon. Also no sign of the Hessle birds. Bewick's still N.Frodingham. 2 redhead Smew still Tophill Low on Watton NR.

Absolutely!!! I strongly encourage all the warm-hearted posters on here to do as I do and vent their spleen elsewhere. This isn't Lincs, after all.

Graham

Look this is a friendly thread which like it or not hasnt ever had cross words in (except Darrell in the first month calling us all dudes for going to Blacktoft) despite running for over 2 and a half years. Garry's reputation is neither here nor there and when he has posted on this thread he has never been intimidatory or rude. How business is conducted outside is up to the individual but please think before you make childish jokes at members expense (and make assumptions about our birding ability). Most of us havent been birding for decades (but some have) but you may notice that all the regular contributors have birded pretty intensively over the last 3-4 years and we know our stuff. I understand that trawling through the thread is pretty mundane but most of the subjects you have chosen to advise us on have been thoroughly discussed in the past (sorry the example that pops into my head is Lesser and Common Redpoll) - which thanks to a very tame mixed group in York last winter most of us were able to learn quite a lot about and they caused much discussion. Earlier this month you banded about some 'advice' about Redpolls that was neither sought nor required when a polite clarification on which species we were referring too would have been more appropriate. You are obviously an experienced birder with im sure many great finds under your belt but please pay other posters a little more courtesy and understand that we like polite discussion and information sharing as we have pretty much all met from occasional meetings in the field such as with Garry to the forum meets with many of the other contributors and thus arent just virtual posters. The gen you have brought in from the Hull Valley has been superb and several of us have benefited from it, especially the scarce wildfowl recently at Welton. Your contribution is very much valued and i hope it continues for a long time but id like to echo Bitterntwisteds call for less aggro'.

Regards

James

I remember Knocker being a bit of a wind up with a couple posters in the past regarding shooting on Ilkley Moor and maybe something to do with spotted crakes. Didn't get too serious though, for most this is a hobby and not a competition to see the best birds. :hippy:

I totally agree Graham, I'll just ignore him in future instead of trying to further his knowledge!!!

G

P.S. Cheers to those that sent messages with suggestions as to who he is, some were very funny.

Post less, bird more we will all meet up in the end... Obs Smew before 9 this am @ F'burn, any sign of Bewick's @ Frod??

Was the smew on Hickson's, Darren? Might have a quick trip down there tomorrow as I'm working in Cas.

3 fieldfare in our garden today, flew of west

Hi Andy, do you know if these were fresh in or lingering birds? There could be some potential for an unusuaul thrush given occurences in Scandi and the harsh airflow.
Thanks for the Flam posts. :t:

Hi Keith

Smew, Village Bay, scoped from the new feeding station, by centre car park. GLuck

Thanks for your wonderful comments but I don't think you're totally fair. If you read the thread again you'll find the it wasn't me that started with the sarcasm but Garry. I've come across this before so it wasn't a surprise and bear him no malice as he gaves as good as he gets. Regarding redpolls it's wasn't meant to be offensive but Lesser Redpoll is a common bird, Common [Mealy] is a scarce bird which many of us would make an effort to see if local. It was a suggestion to try to clarify if possible. It's no crime to admit you're not able to 100% id any bird. I wish more birders would show some humility and ask for help, and I'd never slag someone off for asking for advise rather than sitting on their hands. When you get to know me better at Tophill you'll find that I'm very approachable to anyone regular or visitor who wants advise. I will try to conduct myself more civilly in future but on your part maybe you could confine such remarks to a PM, email or to my face.

Castleford Bird Reports & some misc reports & Fieldfares
 

Hi

I'm moving on some bird reports if anyone's interested they'll be on ebay in the next couple of days at reasonable prices

I have a fairly good run of Cas. & Dist Nat Hist annual reports and some other odds and ends

Also YNU reports for 1975 and 1976

Still looking for some YNU Bird Reports if anyone has any spares.

250 Fieldfares at Green Hammerton today ( between York and Harrogate ), they seemed to be on the move, quite active and noisy, heading NE. No Redwing with them, though did have a small flock of c15 earlier

I'm particularly interested in Tree Sparow distribution, anyone seeing any winter flocks or sizeable numbers visiting garden feeders at the moment? Any info appreciated

Right had a breather to claim down.
Had a transfer bid from Facebook but will stick it out for now but can move to a Hull Valley thread where I can say what I like but think it's best to keep God's Own County birding on one site.
Only birding I managed today was a walk on Willerby Carrs with Sam. Best birds was a Stonechat by Haltemprice Farm.
In Hull Valley area:
35 Waxies still Holderness Rd, Hull N.of Four in Hand.
G.N.Diver, R.C.Pochard, and fm Scaup Welton Waters but the nun gone.
Drk Scaup, 2 RH Smew, 2 Brambling [target bird tomorrow] and Woodcock Tophill.
10 Bewick Swans still near N.Frodingham.
Request in Hull Valley newsletter for any news of the Peregrine Falcons that inhabited Spillers Tower, Hull, which is now demolished. There have been sightings since at Hull Royal Infirmary and Humber Bridge. If you've heard or seen anything of these birds recently or in future any info would be gratefully received. Either on this thread, via the Hull Valley site or in the sighting book at Tophill. Of course any sightings that suggest breeding should be in confidence so best via HVWG site or a PM to me. We won't publish any breeding sites unless they're secure. There was a suggestion of proper viewing facilities before so there could be one if breeding occurs in this year.

Glad you stuck with us

Re Peregrine, I know it's not recent but this was posted on the ID thread last year http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=111227 I think it was over Kingswood

East Yorkshire today. Otter on Market Weighton canal, loads of goldeneye, 200 linnet, plenty of fieldfare. Moved on to Faxfleet, bloody cold and drafty. Plenty of birds moving up river, lots of greylag moving one skein included two snow geese, 4 marsh harriers together over Whitton Sands included a fairly pale female and a cracking male - there were undoubtedly more about. Thought I had a hen harrier but poor view and it dipped outofsight fairly quickly, 3 pintail.
Loads of goldies in the fields and lots more to see there than when we all went last month.

Not the biggest flock ever but the largest flock of starlings (1500?) I've seen for sometime was circling over Gilberdyke about 16:45 before diving into a leylandii to roost at the west end of the town. Sprawk went through them at one point.

With regards to Tree Sparrows, we have a flock of around ten individuals on our feeders, and I know that a few pairs bred. There are large flocks at North Cave Wetlands using there feeding stations. Over the Christmas break, I found that I was seeing more Tree sparrows than House round our area.

Got down to Rodley NR today, tried the walk from Woodhouse which isn't too bad, maybe 6 or so miles each way. En route I got a very unexpected bird with a red kite flying over Woodhouse Moor. I have seen them plenty of times over Adel, but was surprised to see them so far into the city.

Accessed the canal towpath behind the Harley Davidson dealership as someone suggested. Not much of note on the journey. A jay by Kirkstall Abbey.

Rodley was very quiet. Totted up a list of 30-something common birds on the site- lots of reed bunting about, nice views of some handsome gadwall, a snipe from Hide 2, not a lot else. No water rail or kingfisher, which was bad luck really. Got both birds easily last year.

Highlight of the day was probably the Roe Deer that came strolling by the hide whilst waiting for the rail. Seen deer plenty of times, there was a lot back home, but never seen one so fearless as today's. Really good views.

Sorry for late post but connected with the male Hawfinch at Millington yesterday. It showed really well feeding in hawthorns at both sides of the pond between 12.25-12.45 and 13.30-13.50 approx. It (or possibly a second bird) was initially picked up in flight over the road and appeared to gone over the brow but minutes later one was spotted in a roadside hedge at the pond. Corking bird!! :t:

One of my students passed on some info to me during the breeding season, which I wasn't able to verify, but I passed it on to the relevant authorities. No one ever got back to me to say whether it was checked or not, but the same source was very reliable the previous year when the Peregrines were first seen at Spillers.

I later had a juvenile bird scattering the pigeons on Hull Prison, but this was probably a one off, as I've never seen them there since.
Cheers

I do miss Yorkshire birders! Can you all move down to Cornwall please! B (:

Was it or wasn't it?
 

At about 7.00am this morning on the way to work I was just making a right turn out of Station Road, Allerton Bywater, in to Barnsdale Road, going to Castleford, when a bird broke from the cover of the bushes to my right and flew fast across the road and zig-zagged up over the scrub to my left.
Now the impression I got, in the seconds that it was in view, was of a medium sized bird, brownish in the light from the street lamps, rather than flapping its wings it seemed to be flicking them. Didn't get a glimpse of the bill as it was going slightly away from me and other than the brown tone no real plumage details.
Now the flight jizz and the size of the bird reminded me of woodcock, but I'm not 100% sure, as I've seen very few woodcock in full flight mode. Most of the birds I've seen have been roding.
So my question is, given the location, not very far from Fairburn Ings which has woodcock present on the reserve, and the time of year, what would the chance be of it being a woodcock?
I toyed with snipe but something seemed wrong with that id....

Wow. I keep hearing of more and more reliable Otter sightings in the County. And to think me and John drove all the way up to Druridge, Northumberland, to see one last year! What time of day did you see it Jim?