I'm a bit late replying to this one but it has been my birthday after all - I really enjoyed watching the video Keith

Hi Nothernloon - playing catchup with the messages but there have been lots of fieldfare in Leeds over winter. I know that a friend of mine had 114 fieldfare in her garden in Roundhay a few weeks ago

Could anyone tell me, please, if the riverside at Richmond is still a good spot for lesser spotted woodpecker? I'm going to be in the area in a couple of weeks' time and I thought I might give it a go.

Many thanks for any advice.

Malcolm

Spent an hour on saturday morning watching 9 red kites just off the A659 en route to Otley and further hour watching them in the afternoono:)

Apparently so. I was talking to a few people at Saltholme in January about this site and they told me it had been productive last year.

I had luck at Askham Bog YWT last year and there was a record this year for Wykeham Forest, below the raptor viewpoint.

My other half and I had a walk round Potteric Carr this am, before the weather dried up! Not much about on Huxter Well Marsh at all, gone were the thousands of lapwings that were there on Wednesday, gone the large flocks of wildfowl also. Just a few swans and little grebes, the latter not visible but very vocal.
Called into the Willow Pool Hide and the feeding station, loads of reed buntings in various stages of developing their breeding plumage, a small number of coal tits, bags of blue and great tits but just like Wednesday no willow tits. Heard a green woodpecker yaffling from here but didn't manage to see it.
On the way back to the car my wife asked me what the cute little bird was that was in the bushes beside her, absolutely typical, she'd found a willow tit. Why is it always the non-birder who finds the good birds when you are out with them?
Took the new camera but failed to get any decent pictures due to the weather, the camera was in a waterproof bag under my cagoule and by the time I'd extracted it the bird had flown.

Spouses
 

'Er Indoors acts as my chief spotter - and does a very good job at that! :t:

We are at Donny this weekend and a few hours at Potteric may well present itself.

Anyone know how often LSW are seen there, and where abouts? Anyone seen one recently?

LSW would be a lifer for me.

Had myself wondering if I'd seen a LSW this morning. Never had one locally before and I checked out a small looking bird fairly high up and before I managed to focus my bins it had flown. Didn't see the white shoulder patches of GSW and the back appeared to have barring.
I probably let my imagination run riot and did indeed see a GSW but it has me intrigued now. Nothing else of note but lapwings are back in the fields and had a couple of grey partridge.

According to the list for last year in Piper Marsh hide, LSW were seen in every month up to June then again from November. They are not seen in any particular place with any reliability, although there was one a few years ago that favoured the birches by the Willow Pool hide.
I've seen them in Black Carr Woods, in the birches by the Field Centre car park as well as the bird by the hide. In total probably less than 6 sightings over several years. Now is the best time to catch up with them, no leaves on the trees. If you can gen up on the call and the drumming that will help.

Had a bird like that earlier this year in Roundhay Park Chris, heard the call, turned to see a small bird flying away from me but before I could get the bins into play it had gone. I'm nigh on totally sure it was an LSW on call but without visibly id-ing the bird I'm loathe to count it.

same as me, i was wandering about chasing curlew when er in doors said "ooh whats that bird" rubbish light and weather but managed some snaps.

Had some siskins in the garden yesterday which was a bonus. Had a work trip to Snettisham which was pretty cool. Report on blog. Managed to stumble on a suppressed male Dartford warbler as well. I thought they were all dead.

Redhouse update
 

no opportunity to go far this weekend. Redpolls still present, at times walking around my feet, and one or two lessers now hitting feeders.Birds present saturday..marsh tit/willow tit/siskin/redpolls as before(and still some interesting 'mealys' until proven otherwise), GSW x3,Bullfinch,Brambling x2,Goosander,sprawk x2.

Hi Zing, was this over Bubwith today???

Cheers, Andy

Hi Andy,
I wish! i ventured over to Grassington this was about 2 miles away from stump cross caverns, plenty of curlew,golden plover,100+ lapwings and 50+ fieldfare in the fields.

Ah ok! I was wondering if there was one wandering about locally!

Had the last couple of hours of light over at North Duffield Carrs this evening, highlight being a Barn Owl that landed on a post right outside the hide, less than 10ft away! Also had the Great Crested Grebe. Details and pictures will be on my blog later, still playing catch up after my sucessful twitch for the Rufous Turtle Dove yesterday - which is now on my blog, including stunning photo of what is truly a stunning bird. Incidently, I think there has been 2 (accepted) records for Yorkshire (meena East Yorkshire 1975) and (orientalis North Yorkshire 1889). Fingers crossed for another local one soon!

Went over to Baildon Moor to look at the Snow Buntings at the weekend. Finally added Skylark to my yearlist too. Went on a moorland walk to see red grouse while I was in the area.

Never really bothered to keep a UK year list before as I travel about quite a bit but I've had such a good start to the year that I might just do one.

What would people consider to be a good number for this time of the year and also by the end of the year?

Depends on how much birding and travelling you do. Do you twitch at all? I've only done a list for the last 4 years and it has gradually improved but then I don't travel too much. Have the odd day out and I'll take binoculars with me but I don't go chasing birds around the country.
Last year's list was approx 150, this year so far is 85 but that is slowing down already.

I have limited access to my girlfriends car so can't always get out as much as I'd like, however I do manage to get about a fair bit within about a 70 mile radius with a couple of longer trips planned in.

I don't like twitching rarities as the crowds are a bit much for me, however if something is close enough and sticking around I would go see it like the pied billed grebe last year.

I have already got 138 this year going to places I've learned are reliable plus some good tip offs from this site, although this number does include feral barnacle goose and feral ring necked parakeet.

There are probably about 15 species I really should have seen by now but haven't and even more that I have seen but not in the UK and I think this might be the year I should make the effort.

Hi Trystan, 138 spp for the year is pretty good if you aren't travelling far. 200 should be relatively easy, especially if you can manage to persuade your girlfriend that a Spring week(end) break in Norfolk would be nice ;)

The Arctic Redpoll was present at Allerthorpe Common this morning, it showed well at 11.00 before the flock (totalling over 100 birds (possibly 125+ birds) mixed Mealy and Lesser) started to disperse. They were feeding on the ground in the YWT section. Details and pictures will be on my blog tonight hopefully.

Cheers, Andy

Hi, Trystan. I'm sure that people on here could help you with the birds you haven't yet got (but should have?). If any are sensitive you could ask for a PM. Most birds aren't out of reach.

The Dartfords have had a very bad winter. We were in South Wales 2 weeks ago. Whilst there visited a site that had 6 pairs last year. But now only 1 pair to be found. They did have at least 72 pairs in all of Wales but are now trying to find out how many are left. So well done Hotspur on your fortunate find.

Ring-Bill not been seen at Sand's Lane since 20/2 according to Birdguides. Anyone seen it after that date?