Tyson......maybe PM Dave and he'll give directions, a bit too demanding of local know how for me to direct you.....we probably walked only about 1.5 mls to get there..
Cheers Joe

Everything you wanted to know about the Yorkshire Honey Buzzards, but were too afraid to ask is answered on page 11 of the Country Section of today's Yorkshire Post accompanied by this pic (c) 2012 Mike Day

More pics here: http://eybirdwatching.blogspot.co.uk...ney-mummy.html

Close Encounters Of The Merlin Kind
 

Had a quite afternoon birding on the great white cape this afternoon, nothing much about, untill i had this drop on the deck 10 foot in front of me, Flamborough tick for me too :t:

http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/a...8thJuly012.jpg

It doesn't tell you when the birds are next gonna fly at Wykeham, Michael, so hardly everything...;)

Had a cracking day at Flamborough, Bempton and Spurn today, shattered now! Highlights were 50+ Knot in breeding plumage, Bar tailed godwit & loads of sanderlings (all spurn), the wall of noise provided by kittiwakes at flamborough and the wonderful smell of gannet shite to wake you up from an early morning at bempton!

Tomorrow its off to Blacktoft Sands & North Cave with rspb wakefield group. While the wifes away...!

Be sure to sample the bacon butty at North Cave... it is second to the Potteric Carr's but it's a very narrow margin....

You don't mention the Curlew Sandpipers at Beacon Ponds?

I didnt make it up there til 4 and was no sign from the hide, just a greenshank and tons of terns!

Another top day of birding with great company today, north cave & blacktoft sands with Wakefield rspb group. Highlights were corn bunting at north cave and at blacktoft - spotted redshank about 12, 3 greenshank, around 12 snipe in the open, 4 ruff, bearded tit, dunlin, water rail, bittern & 8 juv yellow wagtails. Fantastic day!

Sounds brilliant Andy. Blacktoft seems to be coming up with the goods in the last few days

Most of the text of Richard K Broughton's excellent 2002 book "Birds of the Hull Area" is now available on-line for the first time: https://sites.google.com/site/birdsofthehullarea/

Appalling slaughter! Not about Yorkshire directly, but some of our birds may be involved. Here's a link to today's radio prog. It will be repeated 9pm on Thursday, but later today it should also be on iPlayer: Bird Wars on Malta: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01l7sff

If you are passing a travel agents be sure to go in and collect the Malta brochures and deposit them in the nearest recycle bin.

Nice idea but it wouldn't work as most travel agents won't let you take multiple copies of the same brochure. Much better solution would be to prepare flyers to pop into the brochures outlining Malta's behaviour.

Just noticed that this month's BF photo competition does have a prize that might be of interest to any dslr users find the competition HERE

I'm always on at people about Malta and Cyprus too but the general populance don't really care.

It was worth listening to but a pity we are not exactly squeaky clean when it comes to certain birds.Maybe we should but more pressure on certain folk here at home.

Hi all. I am Mike and have been a regular reader of the Yorkshire forum for a couple of years, thought it was time to join in. I am retired and I have lived all my life in Hull.
We caravan most weekends not far Pocklington on a small site with its own small lake so I get in some regularly bird watching from our warm comfortable hide. Have seen some interesting birds from the site including a nightjar back in 2010.
Look forward to making my first post

Mike

Hi Mike - look forward to hearing about your sightings. Do you visit the Millington area when you go to Pocklington? - some good birds and a fantastic cafe! Nightjar was a fantastic record - well done- did you submit it?
Stuart

What caravan site is this?

Hi Stuart been several times to Milington Wood once spotted a bagger there in broad daylight, I used to bike to Milington springs when I was a lad complete with bread and jam sandwiches.
Recently have been to Kilnwick Percy nearly always see red kite and common buzzard from the farm, more often these days we spend the weekends on a farm near Melbourne, last weekend sat watching a Arctic Tern scanning the pond for its dinner. As for the Nightjar would not know how to go about submitting it
Mike

Hi Tim It’s a Caravan club site called Ballhall Farm a small 5 van site with a small lake. Earlier in the year saw two Cuckoo together and several single stings could have been the same one, only ever seen one ever before.

Mike

Any info on or recent sightings of the Crossbills at Haw Park near Angler's CP. Apparently they were reported around a timber yard or something a week or so ago?

I believe the regular ones in Haw Park have not been recorded recently. There have been the odd flyover records over the reservoirs in the last week or two.

Hi Mike - re submission the vice county recorder for this area is Geoff Dobbs, 1 Priory Road, Beverley, HU17 OEG - geoffdobbs@aol.com Nightjar is not a description species in Yorkshire - it would just require date, time and a few details of the sighting. I've just looked up Nightjar in Yorkshire Report 2010 there were 5 records of migrants away from known breeding sites, which illustrates what a good record yours was. I always enjoy Millington but only seem to go in Winter - guess I am hoping for a repeat of the Rough Legged Buzzards that were there a couple of years back. Look forward to hearing about your sightings.

Nice weather so went for a walk from Bramhope to Otley via East Carlton. Just a few minutes into the walk had close view of Spotted Flycatcher then Meadow Pipit. Don't know if Flycatcher numbers are up or if I've just got my 'eye in' but seen a few this summer round lower Wharfedale. Also saw x3 Whitethroat.

Plenty of Goldfinch feeding on thistles on rough ground next to East Carlton. Nice to see them out in the countryside instead of where I normally see them, picking their way around Woodhouse in Leeds! Good numbers of House Martins and Swifts, and Red Kites and a Buzzard idling over the airport.

Highlight was flock of small birds in the woods south of Chevin Country Park Hotel. There were 30+ Blue and Coal tits, a couple of family groups of Long Tails, just a few Great tits, 6+ Wood Warblers, a Nuthatch (!) and a few SBJ's - all feeding together and heading along the tree line in same direction and pace. These wood's are part of my patch and to be honest it's always very quiet in there, so pleased to stand and watch for some time.

Along with a close view of a young Roe Deer buck trying to find a gap in the fence around the airport a good day.

Purple Hairstreaks - York
 

My local patch of Clifton Backies has been quiet for birds lately but in the past week I've been getting good views of a colony of purple hairstreaks in a copse of oak trees. On several occasions a few have been flying at head -height allowing a close approach.

Mike

The Spurn Bird Observatory website has been completely revamped and updated and can be found at the same address www.spurnbirdobservatory.co.uk
There is still some up dating of archive records which will be done during the next couple of weeks and we will try to update the sightings page every evening or early the next morning.
Andy Roadhouse

Thanks for the info. Andy - actually just been on before I read your post - looks good.

Hello... Myself and my partner are visiting Whitby in September on a walking holiday. We would appreciate advice on good birding areas especially on or near the coast and also on the moors... Many thanks.

hello does anyone having any info on the storm petrel ringing sessions this weekend? or do i have the wrong end of the stick ..

Hi any more info on the white rumped sand at Beacon ponds,was thinking about going to Spurn in the morning anyway and this would be a nice bonus,cheers.
Mick

The Honey Buzzards (3) showed well at Wykeham this afternoon, along with at least 4 Goshawks (3 juvs), 2 Hobbies and a Marsh Harrier.

It's at South Landing tomorrow night. I think you need to book with the YWT in advance.

I suspect it won't be too productive unless the winds change but you never know.

Present early evening - view from south side. Not sure where south side is in relation to hide but if you make your way down the track I'm sure you'll get some gen.

Dumb question time - what would be the most optimal weather for attracting storm petrels in to Flamborough? The forecast at the moment looks to be cloudy with winds from the ESE.

It may seem a bit odd but you need westerly or south-westerly winds. Now you might think that would keep the birds out at sea and easterlies would be better, but you need it to carry the sound out to sea from the gheto blasters that play the birds' call.

Whitby
 

The habitat along the coastal path from Kettleness Point in the north, right through to Robin Hood's Bay in the South is fantastic habitat for migrants. Walk along the coastal path (the Cleveland Way?), or explore the network of paths across the inland fields and keep your eyes peeled for migrants.

I'd have thought most of the birds would have been off the moors by September, especially later in the month, but the area to the North of Helmsley and Kirkbymoorside is good if you want to try, although I suspect there is as good closer to Whitby.

Wykeham forest is worth a look at the raptor viewpoints for goshawk, crossbill etc

Let us know how you get on at Whitby

Ollie

Long tailed skua reported at Wintersett, any further information?

Birdguides says till early afternoon then flew north