Take Wellies

Do you have a welly fetish?!!!!!!

Spend all week off work looking for migrants with little results. However today was a little better. Found a Egyptian Goose at Hornsea Mere on Swan Island. Never know the status of this goose in Yorks but at least this one is more accessible than Kelk Beck! Also the LRP I saw Friday was still around Kirkholme Pt as well as the over friendly Garganey.
At Tophill the fm Smew, fm Goosander and 3 Pinkies were again on D res and I finally caught up with Sand Martin. Fm Brambling back at the feeders but no sign of the LRP seen at Watton NR y'day.
Green Sandpiper on the way out on flash nr Blue Keld.

:t: have I mentioned Wellies before?
I actually got a new pair for Christmas so if you know of any big puddles give me a shout ;)

Redpolls
 

I've recently spent a couple of days at a private site in Linthwaite studying redpolls.

It's become a bit of a crusade now, as these birds are by no means easy, especially this time of year, as the Commons acquire some browner tones.

It made me re-visit the birds Hotspur, Uncle Lawts, Martin Standley and I looked at just a year ago at York Uni.

On Yorkshire Birding 3075, IMO both pictures show a Common Redpoll - looks straightforward now. On thread 3071 the first picture shows an interesting bird; pale mantle lines, whitish wing-bar, grey face but buffish below - probably a Lesser, (ironically the bird behind may be Common). On the right-hand shot, once again the bird in the background is key for me, not the one Martin was trying to capture - bulkier and very grey - I believe this to be a Mealy.

On Martin's separate thread "York Mealy Redpoll", 3 and 4 depict a Common Redpoll. I think 5 is a Lesser. I haven't studied 1 and 2 yet.

A few poor shots of recent Mealies in Linthwaite attached

A few more, the last one shows a Lesser. Interested in opinions. One thing I've noted recently - Lesser can show a white-wing-bar and Common can show quite a buff wing-bar this time of year.

... no sign of the Kelk ones this afternoon.

A very quiet weekend for me, sod all about. A few singing Chiffchaff the only real interest. Saw my first Peacock butterfly of the year - always good to see them reappear.

Thanks for the info. Helps in assessing records. Egyptian Geese certainly do make it from Norfolk but don't know how common they are in collections locally but haven't seen any myself. Bred High Eske a few years ago, which was the first 'in the wild' in Yorks. Also had one ringed in the Midlands at Heron Lakes and Dacre Lake a few years back.
Drake Smew still at Welton Waters today.
Good number of Common Toads at Tophill Low y'day as well as a few Crested Newts. Also many Small Tortoiseshell, a few Peacocks and a Brimstone. Had a Brimstone in Cottingham too.

Not to worry I invested in a spanking new pair of Le Chameau wellies. Well over £100 but I wont have to keep buying new ones every few years. I'm hoping to get them muddy on Ten Acre Lake now!

My wellies only lasted about 3 months, should have bought the Karrimor ones instead of the so called designer. It's possible they could be repaired though if I look hard enough for materials. One tip, don't try jumping a barbed wire fence while wearing them. I did and ripped the inside leg of my jeans and was lucky not to gash my leg and the major blood vessel.

To add to your top tip, have you tried the leather chaps that fasten on a belt these offer excellent inside leg protection for just these instances.

Hi guys

Just thought I would fill in about my bird day on Friday – somebody somewhere may be interested.

The whole event has been planned / thought about for months and months since the last one ( last August ) was cancelled when my Grandma died, however this one was jeopardised after spending two hours in A&E on Tuesday night with a suspected fractured tibia !!

Despite the pain I was in it was going ahead, we improvised and my dad drove instead of me, and we didn’t do a lot of walking …… so here’s the recap of the day

Thorngumbald – Paull Holme Strays

Started in the village, picked up Wood Pigeon, Starling, Pheasant, Jackdaw, Curlew and a superb Barn Owl en route to Paull Holme Strays. In the car park we turned round and saw a Little Grebe in the small pond beside the car park – couldn’t manage the stairs and we were behind schedule, so we headed off.

Paull Holme Strays – Spurn Point

My dad’s not a huge fan of windy roads, he’s only been driving 6 months ( aged 60 ) so he loved the journey to Spurn !! Added all of the normal roadside species, Blackbird, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Collared Dove, Greenfinch, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Magpie, Rook and Mute Swan. Parked up at the Crown & Anchor – whipped the scope out and spotted the first lifer of the day …….. Brent Goose ! There weren’t the 700 previously reported, but a group of twenty or so was fantastic – also added Redshank.

Spurn Point – Hornsea Mere

The next drive was to Hornsea, I knew we could pick up some easy ducks at the Mere – so off we went. Got there eventually and picked up Blue Tit, Canada Goose, Dunnock, Goldeneye, Great Crested Grebe, Greylag Goose, Mallard, Moorhen, Oystercatcher and Tufted Duck. We did a search for the Garganey but couldn’t see it – so in the car again and off we went.

Hornsea Mere – Flamborough Head

While driving to Flam we went through small village where we saw Song Thrush and Robin on the green – arrived at Flamborough about 12pm. Had a packet of crisps and a drink in the pub then wandered to the cliff tops – saw Fulmar, Gannet, Guillemot, Kittiwake, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Razorbill and Skylark. No sign of Puffin, but couldn’t walk too far round the top.

Flamborough Head – Scarborough

Moved out of county but stopped along the way to look for the Hooded Crows in fields near Flam – no sign, but we moved quickly up to Holbeck near Scarborough. Armed with loaf of bread we waited for the Med Gull – after a little while we decided to walk down towards the sea ( more stumble than walk ) as we reached the bottom an adult Med Gull flew past us towards the bread I’d just left out !! Also saw Black Headed Gull and Common Gull. Next stop was Scarborough headland – but no sign of the Peregrines …

Scarborough – Wykeham Forest

Got a little sidetracked en route to Wykeham, arrived from the opposite direction to where I expected but arrived nonetheless. Loved the feeders at the raptor site – saw Coal Tit & Great Tit. As we walked to the raptor watchpoint, another guy who had just parked up shouted Goshawk !! Guess who didn’t see it !! It swooped left behind the trees and didn’t reappear. As time was an issue for us we went down to the Shrike clearing – and I found it !! Was chuffed to bits as this was the third lifer of the day – and the best bird by far. On the way out of the forest we saw Red Legged Partridge.

Wykeham Forest – North Cave Wetlands

A huge drive from Wykeham down to North Cave – probably should have planned something in between ………. But nevermind. No sign of the GW Teal but we added Goosander, Lapwing, Pochard, Ringed Plover, Shoveler, Snipe & Teal – no Avocets while I was there.

So that was our day – covered about 160 miles I think, in hindsight I think we went too far north – but two of our three lifers were in the Scarborough area so what can you do.

Thank you to everyone who helped with directions, updates and information – it really is appreciated by both my dad and I.

Not to be sniffed at.

Actually, if you did have a fetish, I think (only guessing) that's just what you would do!

If I had Facebook #2...

Jim is disgruntled. Waxwing are not on his garden list but the Pyracantha has taken a serious hit over the weekend.

PS Graham, do you ever empty your mailbox??

I've assumed that most recent birds locally (around Leeds) have been wanderers from the expanding feral population, but just to confound things I picked one up in flight over Harewood Park Lake during the recent WeBS count that promptly flew back into the Bird Garden.
Also at Harewood, I have usually had the two regular White Storks on most winter WeBS visit over the last few years, but I have not seen even one there for over six months. If they have finally cleared off (or died) it should make it easier to detect genuine vagrants this year.
Also at Harewood, Snow Goose, Bar-headed Goose and Harris's Hawk on the last visit, but the free-flying Red-breasted Geese have not been seen this winter. A female Lesser Spotted Woodpecker near the lake and several Mandarins.

Pity you picked a day it wasn't playing ball. Had it that evening but was v.distant on the opposite bank. Showing well again today though. Should a Garganey be so approachable?. Assume it's the bird I found from the hide in November and saw again in January.
Another drk Garganey on the pond at Barmston y'day and 11 Waxwings in Hull by Ganstead r/bout.

This conversations getting worrying. Can give you a link to the Second Skin website if you're interested. Purveyor of leather and rubber clothing for those with a 'special interest'.

Up at Tophill today doing my second last dissertation visit and found a LRP on the Borrow Pits which was pleasant. Apart from that a female Brambling and a male Siskin on the feeders were the highlights.

Blah blah... waxwings... blah blah... 13 at tram stop on my way to work this morning... blah blah yawn etc. ;)

I never thought I'd start getting slightly bored by waxwings! Shows what a good winter it's been!

Once fed bread to a flock of 50 wild Garganey and 100 Pintail on a small pond in New Delhi Zoo: they become just as used to humans as the Tufties at East Park

You are becoming an expert on this! I don't think there is any doubt on 3075 as Common/Mealy and Ingsbirder also was very convinced. I tend to agree with your views on 3071 as well. Haven't looked at the other thread.

Saw the Garganey this afternoon, It was very close in, between the boat jetties sheltering from the wind

Cheers Geoff. Interested to know what you and others think to my recent shots from Linthwaite. The birds are all numbered. For me the best candidates are Birds 1, 7, and 8. I think Bird 5 is a Common, but the buffish wing-bar worries me. I think Birds 4 and 6 are, but then I start to challenge myself on those two. It's really difficult when you can't compare size. Bird 3 is clearly a Lesser. I was also shooting into the sun creating "grey" conditions.

What's so frustrating is you think you've nailed it and then something else comes along. As well as mine, check out the photo. on Birdguides today of a Lesser in Warwickshire; greyish above, especially around the head, white wing-bar, not particularly buff below, large bill, pale around uppertail coverts, white mantle lines, and yet I agree it's a Lesser - especially with brown rump! It also looks thin and lacking the bull-necked appearance of Common.

Mal, being out on the coast you should have tried to fit bempton, theres been 2 peregrine showing really well and theres been puffin seen on the sea. The gw teal at north cave hasnt been seen for 4 days i was told today

Ryan