Yes me too - Sanderling would get me to 183 BOU for the recording area...

Best
Daz

Hi all.
I wonder if anyone has any information as to good birding sites in North Yorkshire, particularly around the Malton area? My aunt and uncle live near Malton, and the possibility has arisen that I may be able to stay up there for the weekend. Particular target species would be Red (and if possible Black, although I know the sites are sensitive) Grouse on the moorland. Any information on Crossbill sites would also be appreciated.

I have birded a few places up there in winter (Castle Howard Lake, for example) as well as the east coast (Flamborough, Filey etc) in autumn, but I have no experience of the area in summer.
Does anyone have any suggestions?

Many thanks
Joe

What's your range? Let me know and I'll factor into response.

Andrew,

If no-one knows anywhere closer (and there may not be any as they are not common anywhere) Nidd Gorge woods at Knaresborough are good for Marsh Tit. GSW are common in any even partially wooded habitat and all sites in and near Wakefield have them. Nuthatch strangely local and much less widespread than in the south. Bradford and Leeds have them and they've spread up to Ilkley and Harrogate but still rare east of here (they are common at Nidd Gorge, BTW, and in my garden) Yellow Wagtail much commoner in the east - Spurn is great but a very very long trek from Wakefiled - I don't know a reliable site near Wakefield.

Graham

If it's a year before you're back over I'd say stick a post here about a week or so before you arrive and we can sort something out.

Joe, is it this weekend you are in Malton or some time over the summer?

Did a little bit of self-analysis on my Yorkshire list dips since I started to get serious on the Yorkshire list (allegedly) in the last four and a half years. It got me looking as I've recently bumped off two long standing birds - Golden Oriole and Osprey.

I'm still rather disappointingly averaging roughly two dips of tickable species per year.

Since 2004 I've dipped/not attempted the following tickable species:

1) Stone Curlew - dipped what turned out to be an untickable one, not this tickable one
2) Dartford Warbler
3) Cetti's Warbler - dipped three times at Worsborough
4) Nightingale - dipped this year
5) Serin
6) Purple Heron - dipped by ten minutes
7) Storm Petrel
8) Black-throated Thrush
9) Spotted Sandpiper
10) Chimney Swift (if accepted) - dipped

I've not counted Quail, unless anyone wants to contend that some have been tickable.

In summary, far too many dips for someone who's supposedly an active lister.

2008 mid-term report "could do better"

Rejected.........

Hi Joe

The moorland public footpaths around Goathland should give you a chance of red Grouse. Dalby Forest and the forestry commission woods at Yearsley have Crossbill I believe. Not sure about black grouse near Malton - I think you have to head up much further north

HTH

Mark

At this time of year you could do worse than go for a drive around the back roads of the Wolds in the evening (e.g. around Sledmere) - could see several different Barn Owls in an hours drive. Little Owl also fairly likely - keep your eyes on the telephone posts.


Cheers,
Bob.

Ah well that reduces it to nine!

A pic of that Osprey has appeared on the Spurn website.


Cheers,
Bob.

Steve, I can't say how reliable the reports were but birdguides had dartford warbler at Swilly a few years ago. Maybe someone knows better.
Did my timed tetrad visit this AM and was pleased with the results, used the voice recorder on my mp3 player to make it easier but have managed to lose all my music on it. Gutted but the disk space is still used up so maybe it's still there hiding.
The one pleasing aspect is that I have finally nailed lesser whitethroat (doesn't sound like I expected (Rspb recording)) and garden warbler, ok not special but they make the life list at last.
Chris.

A drive from along the Brid to York road produced both Little Owl and Barn Owl sat on fences close to Driffield the other ay.

The other option from Malton could be Wykeham raptor point followed by nightjar.

Thanks Graham; looks like I should be embarrassed about not seeing GSW after all; will forgive myself about the rest ;)

Thanks for the responses. Lawts, the limit of my transport is probably maximum one hours drive from Malton, although if there are any particularly good sites, maybe an hour and a half.
Thanks
Joe

Any species in particular? Norvern ones I assume?

Cheers, I'll have a peep.

Black Grouse in Arkengarthdale in the Yorkshire Dales to be precise. See Yorkshire Birding No.8 Volume 4 (page 136) for article by John Hewitt on this subject.

Marsh is a rare wanderer, Nuthatch = no chance. Willow Tit breeds though, and comes to feeders at the visitor centre.

If you're going on the Wolds then Wharram Percy is a good site for Marsh Tit. They breed in the bush/tree lined valley along the stream, alongside the small conifer plantation. They also breed in Dalby Forest (N York Moors, west of Scarborough).

There's a piccy on the Hull Valley site -> Wet n' Rosy


Cheers,
Bob.

The owner of the house showed me that pic on her doorstep. Bah

Is this a willow tit
 

Can you tell me is this a willow tit or a marsh tit thanks Phill

Phill
No way on that photo would I want to call it as a deffo. Using Poeciles tips looks more like a willow than a marsh...no pale area on bill or pale edge to mandible. As we can't see wing coverts or see neck area other clues are not available.


just occurred to me you may not know the thread so here's the link

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=107725

As Keith says, that photo isn't easy at all - the cheek colour is all burnt out and to me the other features are contradictory. Try posting in the ID Q&A where Poecile will hopefully pick it up. It might be ID-able from the tail feathers if it can be aged first but that's beyond my expertise.

Graham

Went for a long walk round the deer park at studley royal. Watched kestrel and GSW bring food to their nests in the oaks above the stream. Further into the park watched a Little Owl hunting for worms of all things. Took some photos using bins and a mobile phone, talk about cutting edge digiscoping.

mark.

It's a Willow. You can tell from the bill alone, but also from what you can see of the cheek (looks good for Willow). Underparts on the warm and fluffy side too = good for Willow.

Poecile's dead, by the way. Got taken by a Sparrowhawk.

Obviously a good time for finding owls, was watching a SEO in the Huddersfield area at 9:45 this morning, Little Owl at another site this afternoon. Little owls normally feed off insects including earth worms as do Tawny Owls.

Was volunteering at Old Moor today, doing guided walks, and half way through the first one a spoonbill turned up! Added a nice little star attraction to the end of the walks.

It was still there when I left at about 3.30pm, anyone else seen it?

Hi all

I'm in Aberdeen on a course for a couple of weeks in August and was wondering if there was anywhere not too far away I could get to for Osprey/Golden Eagle..just a thought might as well try get somewhere while i've made the long journey

thanks

Chris

Dunno mate???

Hi Andrew,

Nuthatch - surprised you did not get one at New Miller Dam - they are down there - Ive even seen them on the popular lake circuit - keep trying.
A place Ive had a lot of success for Nuthatch is Nostell Priory - about 20 mins drive from Wakefield, you have to pay to park in the 'parkland' but check out the area near the lake furthest from the car park. You should also get Kingfisher in the same area and GS Woodpecker is a defo possibility.

GS Woodpecker - try Cannon Hall (15 mins from Wakefield) near the cricket pitch, or as I think someone else has said - Pugneys - check out the area near the hide next to a small wood.

Yellow Wag - its luck - if your here April or May time along the canal is a good a place as any, a few were on Pugneys this year.

Marsh Tit - first Ive seen for a number of years was at Fountains Abbey last year - this is about an hour away from Wakefield.

Good luck

John.

Dipping is my hobby!!!
 

Hi all

Just back from seeing five Hoopoes..........but not in Yorkshire......been on me hols and I am just checking my e-mails.

I must just mention that everytime I am unable to get out birding or I am away on holiday, a magic weekend of birds occur. I will let you know when I am away next so you can all book yourself in at Spurn etal...........!

Well, as we all know, you never know what will turn up tomorrow........

Wykeham
 

For you guys who are planning to visit Wykeham on the 29th for HB, confirmation that they are back in location. Two birds seen yesterday one of which was displaying. Best of luck.

Mick.

Thanks for that, Let's hope we don't dip this year

I visited Nostell Priory last year (with some friends, not birding) and I was pretty peeved about the charges. A friend has National Trust membership so parking was free as was the entry for them. I was charged almost a fiver just to enter the grounds and it was rubbish. Save your money and go somewhere else.

We,re planning a trip to Spurn next weekend (do we need passports;)?) and would be awa the moon if anyone could give us some local info regarding the best places, times, parking, local beer,etc (anything that would make the trip a bit more special, really!)
Thanks in advance and look forward to maybe bumping into one or two of the local birders.

Regards

MICK

You'll want to go to Beacon Ponds, just up the road from Spurn. It's lagoons with breeding terns and waders etc. On the point itself, you have to pay to get onto it in a car (about 3 quid), but it's free on foot (although it's a 3 mile walk to the tip). Birds can turn up anywhere on the point, and it's all one long hot spot. But then it can also be totally dead! You can park wherever you're not in the way, but be aware that there's a lifeboat station at the end of the point so park sensibly. There's plenty of lay-bys etc.

There's a decent pub just up the road in Kilnsea, Crown & Anchor, which does nice food. There aren't any local breweries, so the beer is pretty much your standard Yorkshire stuff. The pub garden also attracts birds too.

If you want decent pubs and cheap places to stay, try Hull. It has some very good ale pubs (Ye Olde White Harte, Ye Olde Black Boy, New Clarence, lots more) and is 40 mins from Spurn. And if you head to Hull from Spurn pop in at Paull Holme Strays, which gets lots of waders etc. Google all these places for directions.

All the info we needed and a swift reply, thanks for that. If you're really unlucky you may bump in to us, we'll be the cluless looking ones(mind you Ross has got a posh new pair of bins:-O) with the dodgy accents/ haircuts etc.

Kindest regards

MICK