New Swillington Ings is open to the public at weekends but only from the other side of the canal to the reserve. You can walk along the canal side but not cross over. The hide used to be locked, you could get the combination from any of the local birders who were around. I've not been down there for quite a while so have forgottewn the combination.

You've confused me a little there Keith. Do you mean there is a part accessible beyond the fence? I usually look in from the chain link fence or from close to the hide. Haven't used the hide in years because I'm usually on the bike, though when I did I felt as welcome as a fart in a spacesuit.

Not been for a while Chris....from Fleet Lane I used to walk along the canal side for about 100 yards going towards Astley Lake....can't remember there being a fence last time I went but quite feasible that one mayt have been put up. Know what you mean about the hide though....I only went in a few times...more conversation to be found inside a morgue than in there. Such welcoming folk they were...not.
From what I can gather the entire area is going to be part of the new RSPB St Aidan's reserve,they are developing at the old open cast site....they aim to be link up all the reserves along the valley in to one large super-reserve.

The lake where the old power station used to be would make a good part of a super reserve but the last time I went down there it resembled Beiruit. All kinds of junk and an overturned camper bus on the roadside, bit too close to some very dodgy areas.

You mean Skelton Lake......that used to be a good site. The pied billed grebe turned up there in the mid 90's....at that time you could drive a car around the lake and use it as a hide...got some good birds there. Sadly the jet skiers caused so much bother there that the access was blocked off for an awful long time. I only went once after that...didn't get more than 100 yards from my car before a couple of low-lifes put in an appearance and started to pay a little bit too much attention to the car...so I gave up and returned to the car before something went missing from it.
It would be nice if the RSPB plans include Skelton Lake but I think they stop by the Aberford road.

Be careful around Skelton Lake. Only one way in and out. I've heard reports of birders driving in, and there exit being blocked by vans containing blokes who.......let's just say they weren't there to conduct a wildfowl census, but were still keen to "borrow" your optics.

I can't remember the combination for Astley either but you can just about view from the bank or from outside the hide door - especially if you're dealing with a Gt. W. Egret.

I'm a member of the New Swillington Ings Bird Group, but only of a few weeks standing, so I'm not sure if I can/should advertise the hide code on here. I'm sure, though, that there will be plenty of people about and no trouble being let in if the egret hangs about. The report said it was on Astley Lake, and could therefore be viewed from anywhere on that bank anyway. If it moves on to St Aidan's, as I woudl have thought likely, it will be hard to see whatever - the Little Egret was on there for 3 weeks and I only had good views a couple of times - but the extra elevation of the hide might improve the odds - that said it faces the wrong way and you need a good powerful scope.

I'll be there at dawn tomorrow with my fingers crossed. I was gutted when I saw the news - at 11AM I had a last minute change of heart and drove straight past Fleet Lane and on to Fairburn for a change. So I traded being at the find of a Great White Egret for a WillowChiff and a Mallow Tit in the pouring rain!

I think it depends who is in the hide what the atmosphere is like. I've found two of the members very friendly and welcoming but others have been less chatty. But likely they are quiet rather than rude.

Maybe see a few of you down there. (I'm the giant with blond hair and a beard)

Graham

Hurray! GWE found at 0740 this morning, sailing past the sunrise, marvellous!. Although it cleared off fairly sharpish thereafter it might still be worth a look at Skelton Lake? I tried Leventhrope Hall but it was too foggy. Also had a Marsh Harrier through west before 9AM. A fine start to the day - sorry the GWE didn't hang around but I would think it'll turn up somewhere in Yorks or Lancs very soon.

Graham

No GWE for me today but a lunchtime walk around Golden Acre Park did give me nice views of greater spotted woodpecker, red kite and jays. What was even more noticeable was the absence of finch flocks....a solitary chaffinch rather than the flocks of greenfinch, chaffinch and linnets that I would normally see.

Hi Graham and Keith, how do you get access to Leventhorpe? When I've cycled past the vineyard the road that leads to Leventhorpe looks to be private with no public access.
Chris.

Sadly Chris I can't help you...I've never been able to find out how to get there myself

You don't! Leventhorpe Hall and all its grounds are, it seems, very strictly private. The only views possible of Leventhorpe are from a raised platform on the north side of the canal, south side of the river at Woodlesford Lock, from which you can see most of the lake. Due to an ongoing dispute you will notice that the woman who owns the land has responded to the platform by erecting a fence to block viewing of the flood meadow. I haven't dared ask more!? (Access to Woodlesford Lock by car via Pottery Lane, or along the canal on a bike, obviously - To find the platform, cross the lock and head for the corner under the trees ahead of you and to your right - There's a New Swillington Ings Bird Group notice board nearby)

To be honest, the lack of close access to a lot of the recording area is frustrating. You do need a scope to see a lot of the area, but when you look at the species list the popularity and reason for persistence is obvious. By 9AM today I had Great White Egret, Marsh Harrier, Peregrine, numerous Pintail, Curlew, Snipe etc.. Not many places on the outskirts of Leeds you can see raptors, waders and wildfowl like you can down there. (And Marcus, I promise I'll be in Rodley next Wednesday!!)

BTW - It was very cheery and friendly in the Astley Lake hide this morning. Promise! And the Egret came back this afternoon after I had left - good luck to anyone that goes to see it - apparently when it was on St Aidan's yesterday it was well viewed from the Great Preston side near the dragline.

Wonder what's going on with the finches in Golden Acre Park, Keith? Is there a feeding area? Could it be trichomoniasis?

Graham

Thanks Graham, I believe I know where the board is, the last and only time I went down there it was a struggle to see anything and there was the added bonus of chavs on a motor bike causing problems. If the weather is any good on Sunday I'll be popping down to check out the whole area.
Cheers,
Chris.

Ah, Chavia motovelorius! An easy patch tick down there.

There is a feeding area...a few stumps of wood that have been stood on end. Sadly it looks like this area isn't cleaned down so there is a very strong possibility that it could be trich. Couldn't find anybody to have a word with on Thursday so will try again.

In today's Yorkshire Post the birdwatching column is saying that both LEO and SEO are being seen at Fairburn Ings....is this kosher gen or is the reporter on the whacky baccy?
Also I am playing host to a BF MOd next Sat 21st Oct...anybody got any suggestions for a birding trip in Yorkshire, and would you like to meet up there?
I've been looking at the tides and it'll be low tide at Blacktoft for most of the day which is where I had planned on taking her so probably not the best of locations.

I see there is a cattle egret at Fairburn Ings. Gonna have to pay a visit to that!!

...and a one day izzy wheatear at filey, argh!!

Just got back from Fairburn. Had some excellent views of the cattle egret chasing insects in the wake of the highland cattle near lin dyke. Previous to this it spent half hour hiding in a ditch. By the time i left you could see it from a mile away as it sat in a tree. Excellente!

I've just been there too!! Was in the tree when I left. what were you wearing??

Was in a blue cap and crappy Gap hoodie. I see you need to edit you bogey birds ;)

Well, well, well. When I called my girlfirend on my way home from London and asked if she wanted to go away little did I expect to be four lifers to the better after the trip!

The trip started well in Yorkshire with a new yorks bird in the form of Great White Egret at Swillington, and then straight onto the A1 and up to Northumblerand. I'd agreed to take the missus to hogwarts (i.e. Alnwick) for a nice meal, alongside a bit of biriding!

So first stop Beal and LIFER 1 ROLLER shwowing well hedge hopping between, well hedges. Whilst at the site both sparrowhawk and Marsh Harrier flew through. Missus strating ot get fed up looking at the ' blue swiss roll' so we headed out onto Holy Island. My fist time there and WOW what a place. First to the Snook and a year tick in the form of Great Grey Shrike, whilst there had a superb male hen harrier come in off the dunes! Onto the village and LIFER 2 BARRED WARBLER showing exceptionally well - too close to scope! Also there was Yellow Browed Warbler showing in the same hedge. Went to look for the Red B*****d Flycatcher, but no joy (would have been a lifer), but not to be so went to the Lough. The birds are now pouring in. Brambling and Redwing crawling on the path nearby! Down there on the lough there were pintail and a couple of scaup, with a few gannets passing offshore. Then another Yellow browed warbler (self find) in the sycamores by the hide. Small Passerine incoming - stonechat - in off the sea! Further along shore lark pottering around the beach.

Back to the flycatcher again but alas no joy. So started heading to Alnwick. Quick stop at the causeay produced eider, grey plover and plenty of curlew. Spent Sunday morning around the castle looking at the Quidditch pitch (I think). Anyhew... back to the birding and LIFER 3 BONAPARTES GULL showing at Newbiggin, also in the area at least ten Mediterean Gulls - Jeez I remeber the days of scanning gulls! Also there black redstart, red necked grebe and BT Diver NEVER known it so good!!

So decided to head home and call in at Fairburn for LIFER 4 CATTLE EGRET - if that wasn't enough also saw a kingfisher feeding away oblivios to my presence!

Superb over 100 species, and nearly forgotten about that Red Ba****d Flycatcher now!!!

West Yorkshire BLING
 

Sometimes it pays to get to work early saw these tired little fella's in the trees this morning.

Picture of the fairburn egret to boot too!!

I see there is a Raddes Warbler at Filey this morning in the top scrub.... lovely!

I fancy a trip to my mum and dads this afternoon, they are only 6 miles from filey. Forgot my camera yesterday so no pics of the Cattle Egret but that was its pose as i looked back from toward the car park. A good half mile away.

Am very jealous. Good luck! Raddes never normally stay for more than day. Anyone want to be it wont be there tomorrow?

An Acrtic Warbler too at Filey - in the top end of Arndale..... well jealous now!

and a Pallas's there. Greedy if you ask me

It's the new Holy Island, which was the New Scillies.

See there's a YBW not far from you Jane

I can see the trees its in!

The Arctic at Filey isn't one... its Two-barred Greenish or Greenish.... if the former I may get out there tomorrow, its a form I really want to see.

Hopefully going to filey tomorrow after uni to meet the ringers and find some rare warblers. Maybe not if my practical drags on.

Think you should have bitten the bullet and gone tonight, but I really hope everything sticks for you. It's a dry night, but seems to be cloudy too.

There's rain tomorrow night so it may be Wednesday that there''s a load more stuff in.

Fingers crossed dude!!!

Would have gone today but my tutor kept me until 4.15 and thus it would have been dark when i got there. Can/will do Weds tho!

All still there today!! Good luck Hotspur.

I have to go to Brum until Friday so no chance I can get out.

Hay-a-Park
 

Hi everyone, I posted the following info in an ID thread in conversation with Graham, but would probably be more suited to this thread:

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Hay-a-Park (Knaresborough)

Hay-a-Park was great for me as a kid, as it was just a 5-minute walk from the house where I grew up, but whilst it's not the greatest site in the area, my lack of expertise probably prevented me from seeing a few good spots. Back then it was relatively unspoilt, but well kept. Earlier this year I popped in for a quick look, but it all seemed a little neglected. I've heard that there's a large housing development in the area too, which probably won't help. One year, my dad and I spotted a very large raptor circling high in the area on thermals. It was too far away for us to determine what it was, but later that year we heard that a White-tailed Eagle had been in the area at that time.

When I was a kid I found the best spots to be around the far (big) lake, which was always far quieter and didn't get so many fishermen. It also took longer to get to. The approach that I used to take to get to the big lake was from the gate under the railway bridge on Park Lane (via Chain Lane) and take the paths around the smaller fishing lakes. When you come out at the big lake there is a small island just offshore if you take the clockwise route. This was the best place to see the commoner water birds, but also good for migrants. The downside is that there's a country-lane entrance close by and it's a popular spot for locals "feeding the ducks". In the anti-clockwise direction you'd pass over a "dam" made of large boulders and onto a small meadowlike hill, which provides great views of the site. I've attached a crude map based on the OS map of the area in case you ever need a reference. The area behind this, and furthest from the roads, provided the best overall patch (overlayed with green on the map); although maybe not so for the water birds.

I'll try to dig out my old notes from my parents' loft, but from memory:

• The small fishing lakes used to be the best areas for Little Grebe and species that like reed beds/bullrushes.
• The area around the "dam" and hill used to be best for other divers with Great Crested Grebe and Goosanders quite common, and Black-necked Grebe and Red-breasted Merganser possible.
• The island area has had White-fronted Goose and Pink-footed Goose during winter, and I also saw Whooper Swan there, but more commonly (I think) within the green area.

We also had flocks of 20+ Waxwing and Redwing in our garden nearby, so these are probably possible there too.

In all the times I visited, I never once saw another birder, but I was inexperienced and maybe looking in the wrong places or couldn't pick them out in their camouflage Since neither me or my dad entered the BirdGuide sightings, at least one other person is/has been watching the site.
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Although not on par with the great places many of you report on, it was my local patch as a kid. Have any of you visited the site? If so, did you see anything of note? I don't live in Yorkshire anymore, so I no longer visit, but would still be interested in hearing of anything seen there.

My practical has just finished at half 4. No chance of getting there in time. Nightmare. My tutor was arranging for me to meet the ringers that are busy there at the mo as well. Bugger.

Hi everyone.

Just got back from a great week in Scotland with the girlfriend. A number of lifers were seen including White-tailed Eagle, Capercaillie, Crested Tit and Pine Marten. Also saw Golden Eagle and loads of other cool stuff. Hope to write a brief trip report in next week or two for those who are interested.

Had today off work so I could un-pack and catch up on some boring household chores. At least that was the plan until on the way back from an errand to Hull I ended up at Spurn Point (must have taken a wrong turning or something!!). Nothing much about apart from loads of Redwings, some Stonechats and a Black Redstart.

Decided to drive back to Brid to finnish my Jobs, but missed my house and somehow ended up at Filey Country Park! Arndale Ravine was my first port of call where I had some great views of Two-barred Greenish Warbler. I then walked up to the top scrub where after walking around and waiting for half an hour, I got some decent views of the Radde's Warbler.

Think I've probably used up my birding luck for the next year or so. Back to work tomorrow and back to reality!

I sincerely hope the warblers stay around for the rest of you- good luck!

hi jimmy two faces
thought it was you at fairburn on sunday did you get any good shots of the cattle egret? i met you first at spurn in may(gargeneys on the canal pool and red backed shrike at the riding school),though thinking maybe at fairburn last year.cannot belive your girlfriend was asleep in the car at fairburn!

I live in Wetherby and visit Hay-a-Park from time to time. It is a damn good local patch, and well-watched. It has a good selection of winter duck. It's a good spot for Lesser Whitethroat in Spring. Little Owl is also regular. I still park just after the bridge near the rugby pitch. Now and again there's the odd nutter there being a nuisance, but compared to some places (e.g. Skelton Lake) it'a as safe as houses.

It gets its good birds as well. Within the last few years I've seen Slavonian Grebe and two Red-rumped Swallows that spent several days. Going back a bit further I had a drake American Wigeon viewed from the pylon, and of course the Penduline Tit some years back. I remember a Spotted Crake there as well but I dipped on that.

I just wish it was a few miles nearer so I could nip there regularly.

I'm a definite shade of green at the moment. Everyone seems to be seeing stuff, and it's all going on around me. This happens to me every year. I think I'm on top of the situation and handling it, then October erupts and I lose control.

I was thrown of course last weekend when the Canada Warbler went. All week I'd been planning to go but fortunately I'd waited before booking my flight and also had kind of agreed to hang on until this coming weekend to go with my brother. Anyhow, I can forget that little gem.

I just have to tell myself that not everyone is seeing everything. It's like that even when visiting Spurn or Flamborough in a single day. You look at the list of birds seen and think what was I doing, then realise very few people if anybody has clicked with it all, and probably had a similar day to you.

I got the Great White Egret last week, (very distant) and Cattle Egret on Sunday but hardly compensation for what has been about.

Fingers crossed I'll get out this weekend somewhere. Here's to low cloud, drizzle and an east wind - long may it continue.

One bright spot for me last night. Don't get me wrong I'm Yorkshire through and through except for....footie. For some strange reason I've followed Leicester City all my life. The rest of the family are Leeds. A very enjoyable 90 minutes in the away end! I'd swap it for a day of good birds though!!