I bloody wish! Already thinking of a plan, but christmas is my busy time at work. I bloody hate these short days. B******!!!!!!

Well done with the photo BTW

Fairburn still remains a good spot for them. Five minutes viewing the feeders around the main reception will secure a sighting. Although I also thought I heard Marsh when I was there.....but anyhow defo Willows always present.

cheers for that James - sounds v interesting.

rob

Have you read this thread Mike?
http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=103302

At fairburn i tend to see more Willow Tits around the Kids screen near where the LEOs were. Wheldrake Ings is normally a good spot for Willow Tits as well.

I would imagine the feeding station at Dalby is probably chocka with Brambling now Mike.

Thanks for the info after a three hour search and turning up practically every woodland bird myslef and another birder (wha could have been Brian Blessed!) clocked the lesser pecker in the willows from the stone bridge. Showed well, before moving back and out of sight. Plenty of 'tree shots' but none of the little fella.

Also Willow tit, green and greater pecker, bullfinch, treecreeper, goldcrest, bullfinch and a chiffchaff (not sibe, but did check).

And my resolution is;

'Whenever I have searched for way too long, to persist for another 30 minutes!'

I would have missed a couple of birds in the latter half had I not stayed way too long. The latest being lesser pecker this AM - oh go on then one last circuit...

... not to mention Honey Buzzards...

... sorry guys.

Just on the Honey Buzzards, I have spoken to Geoff since and he said the birds were not seen from the watchpoint that day but down in the valley below, so even if we had stayed longer there was no guarantee we'd have seen them

At North Cave for a shrt while this afternoon. Saw green woodpecker, pintail and a mixed finch flock with siskin and lesser redpoll. Pintail and Redpoll were 105 and 106 on the NC list.

I was very bad today and left work a little early, (OK, left work very early) to go on a Brambling hunt. My excuse to myself (and staff) was there was a load of Christmas trees to collect in the general area of Dalby so I would be absolutely stupid not to go myself and get out of the office.

My first port of call was the Dalby feeding station where a huge flock of Chaffinch kept me busy for half an hour. As much as I tried I couldn't find my target. I would have to try much harder.

The woman at the visitor centre couldn't understand why I wanted to know where Flax Dale was but she finally gave me directions (once she was confident I wasn't planning an illegal New Year rave). Once in the area I walked until I stumbled across a Beech wood amongst the conifers.

GSW, Jay, various tits, Goldcrest, Tree Creeper and several large flocks of Siskin kept me alert, as did a party of Crossbill. The light was very poor and many of the birds were just black shapes high up in the trees.

Just as I was about to give up hope, an enormous flock of orange birds took off from the woodland floor, quite far from the path I was on. Obviously these were my Brambling but I wanted confirmation. Walking through the wood I eventually found a fragment group of birds and was able to get one in my scope. Result!

I will have to get up extra early for work tomorrow but it was well worth it. Need a new Bogey Bird now.

Great Northern Diver still present at Tophill. First diver I've seen that wasn't a red-throated. Two smew on Borrow Pits too.

Hi all
updated the "meet forum" for the 27th of December

Added Little Owl to my 'seen while working ' list today. Grumpy little bugger turned it's back on me when I slowed down for a better look. Now I know where it lives I should see it every week. Plenty of Fieldfare about today and the female Mandarin is still on Burton Fleming pond.

Large, noisy flock of Pink-Feet just went over in the dark - nice addition to the garden list!

Just noticed, Hotspur's (aka James) Skink (aka Mike) and my "life list" are all very close to each other:smoke:

My life includes the stuff ive seen abroad - if 274 is your UK your thrashing me! Some jammy so and so has had a Lap on the Knavesmire whilst i was out thrashing Wheldrake this evening in the fog. To misty to pick up anything of interest in the gull roost but i finally flushed a couple of Jack Snipe. Also a treecreeper that was looking a lot like a woodpecker in its behaviour that for a nanosecond i thought id got a bogey bird sorted. But nope... Another trip to fairburn soon is required i believe, possibly new yearish. Other stuff at Wheldrake (which was mainly frozen and has been for sometime apparently were a few Pintail, Goldies, Lapwing, Dunlin, The usual gulls, Fieldfare and Redwing (no mistle thrush though!)

At last
 

Got the Lesser Pecker at Fairburn this am, had only been there 5 mins when he first showed, also saw a Greater, heard a Green, didn't see him but not bothered, Treecreper there as well.
Felt sorry for a bloke from Hull, he was half way along the M62 when he realised he hadn't put his bins in the car, tried to get him on the lesser pecker with mine but the little b***** wouldn't stay still long enough.
Little Owl still in same place.
pete

Pete, where's the LO frequenting again? How good would it be for photography? Thanks.

Lawts,
It's favourite place seems to be on one of the fence posts in the grass paddock behind the visitor centre, usually top-left hand side, (if you stand square on to the gate) it stays still for long periods, but don't think it will be near enough for photo's, now prove me wrong!!! Kieth will be able to give you a better opinion, he's seen it there,
good luck,
pete

If the pecker showed as well as it did when I saw it then you wouldn't be too put out for not having the bins. Would spoil things for the rest of the reserve though.
Chris.

So if flyovers count for the garden list then cool, I got red kite two Saturdays back.:t:

Chris.

Chris, I saw the little beauty clear enough without my bins, but each time this bloke came anywhere near it took off onto a distant perch, he was still looking when I left, no doubt he will have seen it as it was all over the place,
I think he only wanted the lesser, as I didn't see him near the visitor centre during the next couple of hours
pete

May I be the first to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. B (:

Hope those of you that arn't working are making the most of your free time and doing some last minute birding. I've just got back from work and planned to spend the afternoon somewhere. However, I've got a hangover from hell from my birthday activities last night. Also got to wrap some more gifts, tidy up etc, etc. It's a hard life...

Crap Mike, I missed your birthday. If you're hungover it must have been a good one.
No birding for me until 27th at Potteric.
I'll join you in wishing everybody on the Tyke thread Season's Greetings

Hi popped over to Potterick Carr today, and to some shots of Bittern on Piper Marsh (Ilike the one with the Heron). Merry Christmas to all, and happy Birthday Mike...

Merry Christmas to all Tykes, and happy birding, Happy Birthday Mike

Happy birthday and happy Christmas to all. Any birding tomorrow will be part of the early morning dog walk, pub for the afternoon. May get out on Boxing Day, down to Swilly.
Chris.

... and a superbirdtastic 2008 |:D|


Cheers,
Bob.

Happy Birthday Mike for yesterday or the 22nd if it was that date -getting confused. Same as my wife if 22nd.

I won't be able to make the Yorkshire meet on the 27th (working) - enjoy Potteric Carr, and remember if the Bittern is not there it actually is still there! Mind you if you get views like Dave's photos this won't be an issue.

Have a merry and bird filled Christmas and New Year. Hope Santa brings you that Wallcreeper or whatever you've asked for.

See you at the next meet.:t:

Christmas greetings from the east coast. New to Birdforum, my main interest is photography, so liable to follow those threads in particular, but also interested in general Yorkshire birding.

Merry Christmas All. Won't be able to make Potteric - off down south to family for a few days - have a great time and see you all in the New Year!

Graham

Welcome to Birdforum and Happy Christmas. You don't know where Hackness Pond is by any chance do you?

Go to Google maps, when Hackness comes up theres no water there but switch to satellite image and there is a large lake just to the south of Hackness.

Nice pics of the mandarins here; http://racebirding.blogspot.com/2007...ness-lake.html

Hackness Lake is adjacent to the road that runs through Hackness village, the same as Jim describes - approaching from the A170 turn right at the 'T' junction, and the lake is 150 yards further on, right hand side. Park up somewhere safe and walk along the road/perimeter fence to view - a bit obscured in the summer, but not too bad this time of year.

An alternative to there Mike, you can try the pools at Hilla Green for Mandarin - turn left at the Hackness 'T' junction, carry on for a mile or so, then take a left turn, signposted Troutsdale - park up just before the bridge 600 yards further on. Take the style next to the bridge, heading north, and there are a few wooded pools directly to your left.

They can get 20+ Mandarin on there, and the general area is very good for Dipper, Kingfisher & Grey Wagtail.

I've tried to attach a shot taken at Hilla Green - no idea if it will work.

Hi eastaytonbirder, welcome to the forum. Hope you enjoy, your thumbnail worked well.

I have just "signed up" (no cost involvement) with Bupo www.Bubo.org with the intention of starting a 2008 list! Nothing like a little healthy compertition...

I have just "signed up" (no cost involvement) with Bupo www.bupo.org with the intention of starting a 2008 list! Nothing like a little healthy compertition...

Or Bubo even.

Steve

Thanks for the info on Hackness Pond guys. With this info, plus previous help, I should have no more problems finding it. If I do, shoot me!