Go back a few weeks.

Rock Bunting
 

Not really any walking involved. If it's the area near the start of the uphill path, then it's just over the bridge near the stepping stones before the ford and the money tree.

You'd think it would prefer the open ground on the moor higher up rather than the wooded valley. The ones I've seen abroad have usually preferred this type of habitat.

What a record!

going early tomorrow, anyone need a lift from york?

We were out yesterday evening watching roding woodcock and observed some interesting behaviour. We quickly realised that there were two birds roding in the same area (based on frequency and direction of flight) and eventually we saw two birds flying side-by-side with quite a lot of noisy vocalisation - this happened a couple of times during the period of observation. Does anyone know if this is likely to have been two males engaged in a territorial spat? We wondered if it might be otherwise be a male and female engaged in some kind of pair-bonding.

Anyone got any insight?

Shame, I was there on Monday and could have had a look around.

I was there on the same day (Sunday) but didn't go up the hill having hit all my targets.

Went chasing whinchat that I didn't see anyway. That'll teach me.

Skipwith Common, Bank Island, and Wheldrake Ings
 

Had a top day out around Skipwith Common, Bank Island, and Wheldrake Ings yesterday.

Skipwith Common - Highlight was a singing tree pipit. Unfortunately no reptiles seen (it was a bit chilly first thing, and I've never been much cop as a reptile hunter anyway), but great views of stoat and roe deer.

Bank Island - Greenshank and Wood Sandpiper. The Lapwings obviously under a great deal of pressure from predation by crows here.

Wheldrake Ings - A couple of hobbies about and 5+ yellow wagtails from Swantail. Loads of garden warblers along the path, plus the other usual warblers. No lesser whitethroats or groppers heard, despite some guidance on the latter, though it's difficult to hear anything when that wind pump is going (it sounds great though, very mournful).

All the best

Redshank with rings
 

Interesting Redshank at Spoonbill Flash, Fairburn this aft, it had 4 rings, 2 on each leg. The right leg had red above black plastic rings and the left had black above what looked like a metallic ring (looked brassy).
Also one of each Ringed Plovers was a nice comparison, Cuckoo on wires, M Harrier above stacks and several Whitethroat and Wibblers.
There were c20 Swift flying over stacks, in what looked like family formation squadrons.
Joe

Report the redshank here Joe
The Wader Study Group collate all records of colour ringed waders.

Done....! Thanks Keith
Joe

Really chuffed with my local patch bike ride this evening. Took in mainly Pugneys - loads of swifts screeching low which I find a great spectacle. Not too much else about but then as I started to head towards the river my evening turned even more enjoyable - listening to the reeling of a Grashopper Warbler.

Put the bike down and just sat on the floor, it started up again but could I see, could I hell!!! I must have been sat there nearly an hour and then a flick of a branch and I saw it moving up a bush, finally came out into the open and started reeling again, really worth the wait. It eventually dropped down even closer to me but out of sight, few minutes later it flew deep down into some bushs to my right, listened to one more reel before bidding it goodnight.

Cycled back through Calder Wetlands with the light beginning to fade, plenty of sedge & Reed W singing away, couple of Oystercatchers on there. Headed back home and to my surprise as I cyclyed by I could hear another one reeling in the scrub over the road from the Red Kite pub!!!!!

Nosterfield Quarry 1400-1700
Lingham - Common Tern, 6 Avocet, 16 Common Ringed Plover, ~20 Shelduck
Flasks - adult Whooper Swan, 2 Common Sandpiper, 1 Avocet (possibly missed one in flight from Lingham), 2 LRP, Grey Heron
Kiln - Little Stint dancing amongst 6 sum plum Dunlin, Common Sandpiper, 10+ CRP and possibly 2-3 LRP, 2 Egyptian Geese
Plus the usual.**

Birdwatching Walks in the Yorkshire Dales
 

Thanks Jim,the book " Birdwatching Walks in the Yorkshire Dales" arrived today and I am so excited about the many opportunities to walk and birdwatch. Many thanks to you and others who advised me to buy the book.

Cheers

Andy K

Glad you like it Andy. I can sit and read some of his walks and relive them in my head as they are routes that I have walked many times.
It's just a shame about the tufted duck picture...it ain't a tuftie. My guess is the proof-reader and the editor were not birders, and some minion grabbed an incorrectly labelled library shot.

A trip to Flamborough today and nothing exceptional to mention - Northcliff Marsh - 1 Wood Sandpiper, 1 Greenshank, 1 Dunlin, 1 Grey Plover

Anyone know anything about the Nightjar reported at Stairfoot in a Tesco car park. Would be awesome to see one in an urban area!

Swinemoor
 

I had a quick look on Swinemoor last night-still some good birds around including temmincks stint, wood sandpiper, lrp and white wagtail.
Went this morning -no sign of any other waders apart from lapwings chasing everything away.

For anyone interested there are more shots on the blog.

never been to swinemoor, was that shot from a hide? what a photo of the temminck's!!

Cock Fight & A Pair Of Partridge
 

http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/a.../birds/007.jpg

http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/a...e001edited.jpg

Yes-of a fashion-my bag hide.
Swinemoor is a large meadow area between the river Hull and Barmston drain.
There are various pools dotted around but most of them are dried up-there is just one wet area left and the waders seem to congregate around there.

Agreed but the Wood Sand is sickeningly good, well done Martin.

Been to Frampton Today. The weather wasnt too good but I had a great day with 55 species in a couple of hours which included Temminck's Stint, Little Stint, and a showey pair of Turtle Doves. The Red Necked Phalarope wasnt seen all day.

Down your way tomorrow Rovin' to hopefully actually complete the BBS survey this time, after getting rained off last week.

Do you need a hand Keith

BTO Survey
 

Sorry Rovin' didn't see your post as I'd already gone to bed, 4.00am start on the surveys so I need at least some sleep.
The surveys are simple things to do, just listing all birds seen and heard, but doing them on your own is tedious so company would be welcome for the next one which will be next month. I'll pm you nearer the time, it will be a Sunday morning for sure.

Today's survey was done with almost no cloud cover and plenty of sunshine in the open areas. So much better than last Sunday.

Not as many whitethroat as last year, but yellowhammer numbers beat last year hollow. Couldn't find any skylarks at all which maintains the trend, that I've been logging over the last 8-9 years, of dropping numbers, last year I only found a single singing bird. Willow warblers and blackcaps were at a similar level to last year but only 1 chiffchaff singing today. I was expecting the wren numbers to have dropped due to last winter but found birds singing at all the usual locations and in part of the area where I hadn't logged them before. Most unexpected bird was a curlew flying through and landing across the river.

I found two broods of goosander on the river but I don't hold out much hope for them as I also found what appeared to be a pair of mink in the immediate area. I say a pair as one was a good one third bigger than the other when I saw them together. They do look cute but boy do I wish I'd had something a little more lethal than a sharpened pencil on me.

I was watching the goosanders trying to get a picture when one of the bullocks in the field thought it would come and say hello. First time I've ever had a cow nuzzle my back. To say I was startled would be an understatement, as I'd been so engrossed in trying to get the picture I hadn't realised how close the animal was coming. The same beast came to say goodbye when I reached the end of the survey, I was stood at the gate to the field watching the mink when it again came over and started to nuzzle me. Was most amusing when one of the mink came bouncing up the riverbank turned to make it's way through the gate, saw me and then reversed direction to run between the bullocks feet before scuttling down the riverbank and into the water.

added a few pics from just outside the survey area.