TOP pics Joe nice one ;) dont be hard on yourself any picture is better than no picture!!

Watch this space - although the date isn't great for either species, it would suit Black-headed Bunting more than Yellow-breasted. Heavily marked Yellowhammer?

Yeah I guess there could be abarant Yellowhammer/Reed Buntings, escaped cage birds and weavers to contend with as well as BHBunt. I hope it turns out better than the only yellow-breasted bunting that i've twitched before, that turned out to be (a very nice but not what I wanted) Ortolan!!!

Hopefully Rich will see it and get some photos tomorrow and clear it up one way or another!

Andy

Yeah I guess there could be abarant Yellowhammer/Reed Buntings, escaped cage birds and weavers to contend with as well as BHBunt. I hope it turns out better than the only yellow-breasted bunting that i've twitched before, that turned out to be (a very nice but not what I wanted) Ortolan!!!

Hopefully Rich will see it and get some photos tomorrow and clear it up one way or another!

Andy

Having just followed links to the Tophill Low blog http://tophilllow.blogspot.com/ I have a question for some of you. When I was told by the lady running the Blacktoft Sands reception today that there was a Rough Legged Buzzard, I took her at her word. Then when I saw it (quite close while flying) there were features which made me wonder whether she was correct. Firstly the black patches under the wings were missing (she said they were very faint but I couldn't see any) although under the wings was almost all white, and secondly, although it did have a white patch at the top of the tail, it was not very pronounced or solid. It did have the white feathers all the way down the legs though. I also mentioned to her that it could easily be mistaken for an Osprey (which the White Buzzards of Tophill Low have been.) when viewing it on top of a bush. My doubts were kind of taken away by the 8 or 10 serious (looking) birders I saw coming past reception hide confirming this was a RLB. I still have my doubts for the reasons I have given and for the fact that it looked nothing like the bird from S Ferriby. Tophill Low isn't that far from Blacktoft.
Thoughts anyone?

Woodlarks
 

Has anyone had any recently at any of the Yorks. sites? I'd appreciate a PM - particularly keen on any at songposts that would offer photo. opps.

Thanks.

Bunting is a very strange/interesting Yellow Reed Bunting!!! Pictures now on the tophill blog!

apparent Green-winged Teal hybrid, Fairburn Ings
 

Dear all.
Yesterday afternoon at Fairburn Ings I located what I at first took to be a clear cut drake Green-winged Teal. On closer inspection though, it also showed something of a horizontal white scapular bar. I assume it can’t be anything other than a Green-winged/Eurasian Teal hybrid, even though the vertical white bar was very conspicuous, and the horizontal white bar less so. The head pattern also seemed slightly more in tune with Green-winged than Eurasian Teal, with inconspicuous buff edges to the green on the head. Very bad photo attached, and have put it in the id forum for further comments. It was showing distantly on the island from the Village Bay Hide.

Also:
13 Pink-footed Geese with the Canadas at Lin Dyke; total of 4 Willow Tits – one visitor centre feeders, one singing near Bob Dickens hide, two at Lin Dyke (one singing); 12 Lesser Redpoll near Bob Dickens Hide; 1 Kingfisher; c6 singing Chiffchaffs; 1 Sand Martin; 3 Black-tailed Godwits from Lin Dyke

thanks,
Jonathan

Can anyone give me directions to the last known siting of the skipwith GGS. I'm going to give it a look in this afternoon.

Cheers Mark.

Short-toed Treecreeper
 

If anyone fancies sharing travel costs tomorrow please call me this evening - 07769954044

Had a good survey today around sunk island. Had 2 Chiffchaffs from the garden setting off. On site Little Egret, Brambling and a single Sand Martin were appreciated as were the two Short-eared Owls scrapping. The actual survey was very quiet and between counts I bumped into Garry.

I also managed to shoot off to spurn after and got great views of the male Firecrest in the Crown & Anchor car park late on plus a Swallow overhead. Pics from the day Inc firecrest and owls will be on blog later once I have wrestled the laptop off my wife.

Finally last night I had a woodcock riding over the house. Surprise garden tick

:-O On a flying pig?

hmmm....stupid iPhone auto spell.

I searched for @spurnbirdobs on twitter with no luck - not sure if its my imcompetence or there is some technical problem. Has anyone else had problems?

Try THIS

Swillington Ings- Slavionian Grebe
 

Hi, just wondered about the best way to reach Swillington Ings and where to start looking for the Slavonian Grebe thats been reported around as I have never been before.
PS - best way to reach Huggin Carr?

Thanks in advance, Sam

The slav was at Swillington Ings on Wednesday afternoon,
if you are coming up the M1 stay on the motorway rather than dropping down into Leeds. Come off the motorway at Junc 46 and take 3 rd exit on the roundabout, A63 towards Selby, at the next roundabout take the 3rd exit A642 towards Wakefield. Keep on this road through Swillington village and down the hill, crossing the river Aire and the Canal and going under the railway. Look out for the Lidl store on your left, turn left here onto Fleet Lane, follow this to the oil depot, take care as the road has some great pot holes. You can park in the oil depot car park on the right, keeping to the far end. The hide is visible from the car park, there's usually one or two of the local birders in there so they'll be able to give you the latest gen,. On Wed, the bird was on Bowers lake which is on the St Aidan's site, this isn't accessible and you have to scan from the fence. From the car aprk take the path downriver to the first bridge, cross the river and follow the path by the fence around the St Aidan's site until you reach the concrete spillway, by the 3 rd bridge. If you now look towards the dragline Bowers Lake is the water closest to the dragline. The grebe was on here. You will definitely need a scope to get reasonable views.

Thanks a lot Keith

Also, does anyone know if the LEO are still at Fairburn - probably not but worth a punt

I heard today that there were some Common Crane commuting between Wheldrake Ings and North Duffield Carrs - where they still there this evening? I'm hoping to get there bright and early tomorrow morning and check out both sites. I've never seen a Common Crane. Anyone know where the best viewpoints are?

Also, the hybrid teal at Fairburn Ings - where is the best place to view it from?

I've just put a couple of flight shots of the Common Cranes in the LDV from today on my blog. They appeared pretty mobile today Yashca. They were not seen (as far as I know) after they flew off north from North Duffield at about 1pm.

House Martin was still flying round my house all day. And the Great Grey Shrike was still present at Skipwith Common.

Cheers, Andy

Cheers Andy. Looks like I might have missed my chance then. I'll give Duffield and Wheldrake a look anyway. It'll be nice day out nevertheless.

Got it. Thanks

Can't do a search on Birdguides but weren't 2 or 3 reported further up in North Yorks yesterday, Northallerton?

Good news Garry, how are you intending this to work? Are we likely to get real time updates as birds are reported or will it be a daily summary? Not having a radio and not visiting enough to make one worthwhile (even if available!) I'd find find the former very useful.

Cheers.

Edit: Will it be used for finding out whose tea is on the table? ;)