On the Huddersfield website a week ago there was discussion of common gulls confusing the id, one being a pale mantled common gull, distinctive;

"having dismissed width of ring v width of eye as too esoteric to bother with, it proved surprisingly useful when taken in by lookalike commons whose mantle colour was scarily close as did the 'rear end like a giant BHG' when head hidden"


Dave Pennington (finder);
Re lookalike Commons - there was one round by the weir on Weds. It had an easily visible iris and a ring not that much narrower than the R-b's but luckily this one had obviously darker uppers. Still caused a bit of doubt to creep in about the R-b tho.

I went down yesterday morning, think I got taken in. Thought I'd found the bird and started snapping away until I realised it had a dark eye. Very distinctive bill ring and fairly pale mantle though. Mental note; don't just check a couple of features.

A sign of the times with 5 Buzzards yesterday afternoon and another 3 over my house lunchtime today!At least some birds are doing well.Also,Green Sandpiper at local fish ponds yesterday,first wintering bird has on local p[atch(presumably too early for spring migrant).

Flamborough
 

2 stock dove feeding on spilt grain under our bird feeders first thing this morning, 1 little owl in the trees at the side of the piggery on lighthouse road , 1 barn owl with prey on the verge next to north dykes after dinner,

All quiet on the Ring-billed front
 

No reports today, positive or negative. Anyone been?

Ring billed gull
 

I was at Sands Lane between 12.30 and 2.00, hoping for a photograph but no joy. It had been there early doors according to one chap.

Found a merlin on Pontefract racecourse this morning which was a real buzz, and not a bird I was expecting to see.

Any mammal experts around? Potteric carr have something labelled as a Water Vole on their Non-bird page taken on March 1st, but looks more like a Bank Vole, can anyone confirm? Just that we had a pair in our garden for 1st time yesterday, and sure they aren't Water Voles! http://www.potteric-carr.org.uk/

Just looking at it and I'd go with bank vole myself Mike, looks too pointy faced to be a water vole to me.

Keith and Michael - I've passed your thoughts to the potteric website administrator.

When I was a leader with the Fairburn Pheonix group we did a mammal trapping exercise with one of the Yorkshire Mammal group organising trapping and handling. The photo on the Potteric site looks just like the bank voles we were catching at Fairburn Ings.

Thats a really good bird for Pontefract Park might have a look tomorrow if i get time.

Bank Vole without a doubt! Nice mole pic just above it!

Nothing rare here for tickers or twitchers, but it is about Yorkshire.

Took a quick trip in the sunshine this morning from home to Pool in Wharfedale to stock up on bird food. I was delighted to see a Common Buzzard soaring on the thermals just up river from Harewood Bridge. Last time I drove down Harewood Bank there were about 10 Grey Heron in the pool in the deer field on the left - looks like I was far too late to see them today. The Red Kites around Weardley were very vocal, their piercing calls echoing between the hills.

The Knotford Nook lakes were worth seeing - at least a dozen Goldeneye, all paired up, plenty of Tufted Ducks and a few Wigeon, along with Mallard and Coots, of course. Only one Cormorant today, but there were two Greylags with the Canada Goose flock.

Thanks for the confirmation!

Butterflies
 

Hi Guys

With spring just around the corner, I have just added some shots to my site, which I meant to do in the depths of winter, Butterflies, which if I remember a few of you got the 'bug' last year.. They will be on the wing sooner than you think..!

Yesterday the bird was in the scrubby bushes at the northern end of the race course close to the large pool. I watched it from the western side of the racecourse and it flew east low to the ground until I lost it behind more bushes. Couldn't refind the bird when I got over the other side of the racecourse so it may have gone over the road onto the old colliery site.

I see there are some Waxwings at Shipley,might give them a go if still there Saturday.

spurn
 

Can anyone please help? having looked at the map of Spurn which area is known as the triangle?

some great shots on there darren...i too got the bug for photographing insects and after a lot of perseverance started to get some good results but was very late in the season to be honest and cant wait for things to get going again ...hopefully you and all the other posters on here will be able to guide me towards the many different varietys out there..cant wait

Here lirta1

Spurn
 

Thanks ever so much Jim much appreciated, saw that on the day i visited for a short time that a barn owl and short eared owl had been reported on the triangle, but i saw two birds and thought they were both barn owls so possibly got one wrong but nevermind next time maybe for the short eared owl

Has anyone heard if the RNG is still at Pugney's ? I was hoping to take a run up there this Saturday but no news on the pager for a few days now ?

Just as a quick addition to this post .. Can anyone tell me where Swillington Ings actually is as I,m struggling to find it on Google Earth ?

At the end of Fleet Lane, the arrow points to the Hide

http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?x...ay=428486&lm=0


Pretty sure the grebe was reported at Pugneys yesterday.

Nice one Jim, thanks very much mate.

Dave - the hide has a combination lock on it, you're looking over the river at Astley Lake so a scope is more or less vital..
Members of the Swilly Bird group are usually around so the hide is open and you can use it but if they go then they have to lock the hide after them so you have to go...or you could join the group, it's only a fiver and you get the combination of the hide;).