Used to have a rarities video with footage of the Kumlien's but like everything I own can't put my hand to it currently! However I believe Tony Dixon has converted it to DVD which would more useful anyway.
Only thing of note today was a female Marsh Harrier at Hornsea Mere. Tophill Low was very quiet.
The drake Smew was still at Welton Waters last week. Probably Wednesday when the Diver was reported.

Does everyone find it so hard identifying when first starting out or is it just me?


No, it isn't just you Helen! And I enjoy reading replies to ID questions when who I think are top birders on this site argue amicably long and loudly over a photo of, say, a buzzard/honey buzzard etc. I expect not to be able to ID these - so it's reassuring that these guys even have trouble sometimes.

Sandra
:t:

After a quick visit to Fairburn (Long-eared Owl); spent the remainder of the day at Swillington. Highlights being adult summer Med Gull and 1st winter Iceland Gull on Skelton Tip; 1st winter and possibly 2nd winter (maybe advanced 1st winter) Iceland Gull at the Astley Lake roost. Also one of those 2ndcy Herring Gulls with broad pale fringes to the primaries - and another interesting Herring Gull that I may post really bad pics of later (depending on how bad they are).

Regards
B

Am hoping to call in at Fairburn on Tuesday on my way to a meeting near Tadcaster.Where abouts is the owl - same place as last year? or pm.Much else about at Fairburn or anywhere else in the area.

Thanks,

Hugh

It appears that the Glaucous Gull from Barmston/Bridlington has made it up to Peterhead. Just had a peer at Tristans blog and some pics of our boy are on there seemingly identified by the black spots behind the eye.

I wouldn't use the black spots as an ID feature - they are some sort of invertebrate infestation that seems to be fairly widespread in these 'arctic' gulls. The Peterhead bird has apparently been present throughout most of the winter and has got gradually paler during its stay.

Didn't manage to get out michael, but i'm going to do wykeham, scarborough and then filey today. so i'm going to scan the fields in the filey area if i have time.

I'll let you know how i get on.

mark.

Just got back from a great day out in north yorkshire. Thanks for the PM's, managed to get great views of the great grey shrike and goshawks displaying. On to scarborough to have a quick look for the iceland gull but it wasn't obvious in the harbour so we moved on to see the med. gulls at south bay. Also managed to witness mating peregrines along the way. finally on to filey but the wind was strengthening and we only saw a lone pipit, probably of a non rare type. No sign of the newts in the ponds at carr naze yet.

mark.

Another count at Tophill. Highlights were mammalian with a couple of mating hares, 4 Roe Deer spooking within 20 yards and a Fox. Best bird was a barn owl

Water Pipit at Holderness Drain near Bransholme TA.112.359. Hope to check it out tomorrow.

Sorry for not replying sooner - didn't see your response and I've been offline ill.

I'm heading out on a birding day with my dad on 20th March ( they are down visiting for my daughter's first birthday on the 19th ). We plan on doing as many sites and seeing as many birds as possible - with hopefully some lifers among them.

One of our first stops will be Spurn ( we live near Hedon ) and I was wondering if you could give me some advice on where to start.

I've been to Spurn twice - the first time I wandered aimlessly to the point and back ( took me over 3 hours ) the second time I went to the triangle looking for a shrike that I never saw.

I would love to see the Brent Geese ( pale / dark / whatever ) if they are still around. Could you give me some guidance on where to start my search for them ?

Thanks

Mal Skelton

The website is a good place to look as well Mal.
There were 300 Brent Geese there on the 4th

http://www.spurnbirdobservatory.co.u...s/march09.html

Waxwings in my garden this morning. They don't seem to be settling but I managed one shot (with a camera;)).

Keith.

Hi Marcus

I've spent a lot of time on their website - I also check the Hull Valley, Birdguides and Michael Flower's bird blog ........ each of which is very useful and has broadened my birding horizons immeasurably. I've added six to my life list in 2009 already ( Woodcock, LEO, RC Pochard, Smew, Bewick's Swan, Stonechat ) almost all because of information read and received from these websites and this Yorkshire thread.

The issue I have is that Spurn is a big-ish place, as I discovered the last time I went and walked end to end ( which was quite rewarding - as my grandad's WW2 ship was sunk just off the tip of the peninsula ).

What I'm afraid of is spending time looking over the humber estuary / marsh part of the peninsula, when I should be looking in fields to the north for eaxmple.

It's not that I'm being lazy and want the birds on a plate ( metaphorically speaking ), but I work full time and coach junior football on a weekend and have a daughter who is 11 months old - I just simply can't spend 3 hours walking the length of Spurn again, as much as I would like too.

My last couple of birding trips I'm at 25% for my target birds - I'm just trying to improve this by being better prepared before I head out :-)

Mal Skelton

Often I take a trip to Spurn around early march to get views of the geese as well as all the waders that can be seen. It's worth noting that the spring tide that occurs around this time will usually render the Spurn road undriveable, you'll have to park at the top and walk all the way down. That said, I've always seen the Brent geese at the top end of spurn if not feeding on the humber side then feeding in the fields between Kilnsea and Easington. I've always seen them on my way back in the mid to late afternoon, don't know if this is a general rule, or just the way it's happened to happen for me.

I have to admit I don't really know a great deal about working Spurn in general, I've gleaned a lot of information off've here, but as I say I get there most winters or in very early spring so I may be able to help you if you have any questions.

The Spurn Bird Observatory website is very helpful. It mentioned that 300 brents had been seen the other day.

I don't think it is necessary to all the way down the peninsula, most birds can be seen from the top. There's a bench where, if you have a scope, you can have views of the vast majority of the birds on the mud. You can park at the Canal Scrape hide park (it may be a good idea to print off the map on the Bird Obv. website because lots of the pools have local names.) You walk down a path heading south west towards the humber there is the bench with great views across the estuary.

Beacon Ponds is worth looking at too. Don't do what I used to do and walk all the way down from Easington, walk upwards from Kilnsea, parking by the Bluebell.

Called in at Swinemoor on my way home - no Little Egrets (but lots of lone loafing common gulls in the distance-grr). What was there were a good number of Ruff, plenty of Goldies coming into summer plumage and plenty of Lapwings plus a couple Shelduck. On my way to uni had a Kettle(2) of Buzzards which was pleasant.

Hi Mal,
There's upto about 700 in the area at the moment so they shouldn't be too hard to find. The website says less than this because nobody really spends too much time counting the birds to teh north of the recording area.

The best place for good views is probabaly off the crown or down the canal bank around the tank blocks but the fields around long bank and beacon ponds can also be very good, smaller numbers get off the narrows and at chalk bank usually when the tide is up.

G

Did Welton Waters this afternoon. Both drake Smew and Great Northern Diver still on watersports pit. Also had sev Woodlarks in the county this morning.
Mal, I suggest you check the tide times for your trip to Spurn and to be there on a rising tide so the Brents will get closer. If you go at low tide they might be too far out for useful viewing. As far as where else to go, March is early and not classic migration time so ask any birders you see on the day for advise.

Was the Merlin at rest or just belting through?

Mal, on March 20th High Tide will be at 12.26 at Spurn. It's a low high tide, if you see what I mean, so unless it's blowing a gale, it's unlikely that the road to the peninsula will be closed.

In most instances a high spring tide at Spurn doesn't wash over the road unless it coincides with very strong east or north east wind. Strong winds frequently blow sand onto the road but the road only gets washed over on average every other year.

G

My copy of Yorkshire Birding landed on the mat this morning...... guess who's the featured Yorkshire Birder this month?
No it ain't me!

Marcus?