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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Yorkshire Birding (14 Viewers)

it was down to the Rother Valley for the swallow... we got loads of 'em but not one with a red ass! Should have been warned by it's absence on Birdguides this morning, the only entry was last night's sighting not uploaded till this morning.
At one point Ken and I were watching a flock of about 30 or more swifts circling upwards at a ridiculous height above the nature reserve lake. Couldn't make them out with the naked eye and they were just specs in the 10x bins, but they were still ascending. Must say that the great crested grebe at the country park are very quick to fly, saw total of 4 birds in flight today, more than I've seen in all my previous years of birding.

This bird was claimed mid-afternoon also a Black Kite reported over there. Now I'm not one for rubbishing anyone else's records. But given that the latter wasn't seen by the regulars (who I trust implicitly) and that a Marsh Harrier had been present at Carr Vale earlier (an awful lot of Carr Vale birds pass through the valley) I am on this occasion somewhat cynical.
 
We were at Rother Valley from around 1.30 till 3.00, watching first the nature reserve lake then the water sports lake and all we saw were regular swallows....nothing even remotely like a red rump. No BOPs seen by anyone I spoke to there.

Most peculiar.... the Black Kite is posted on Birdguides as being present at 3.00pm but there are negatives for the red rumped before 3.00 and after 3.00
 
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Pat Haven

A quick walk down the track and a look over the bank this evening produced grasshopper warbler, little egret, yellow wagtail, some very fine looking grey plovers and other common waders.
A drive back around the minor roads produced a single barn owl and corn bunting.
 
My luck needs to change:

1) Dipped the stilt (needed for Yorkshire) - was in Scotland.

2) Couldn't go for the Ib Chiff today - was in Cardiff all day. It wasn't even for the match - it was work. Set off at 6.00am this morning, boring course all day, just got home to see extra time and the beloved Foxes lose on pens. :smoke:

3) Won't get to PC until Saturday, unless anyone knows if it's staying open late. Based on numbers there tonight - i.e. our kid on his own I doubt it.

4) All I need now is the finch to be gen.

At least I don't need the Pratincole.
 
Never mind Steve, at least there are more local games in the Championship. Elland Road will be easier to get to.

Hopefully if things do warm up as forecast I might have a better chance of the local gropper I've heard a couple of times. Doesn't sing for long so it's been impossible to pin down.
 
Steve
I'm almost certain that PC still has the gate system for late visitors to use, allowing you to exit the reserve when the normal entrance is closed. Just don't park in either of the car parks as both are locked.
 
Steve
I'm almost certain that PC still has the gate system for late visitors to use, allowing you to exit the reserve when the normal entrance is closed. Just don't park in either of the car parks as both are locked.

That's right Keith - almost!

The Sedum House entrance is officially closed at 4pm, so if you arrive before that time and intend leaving after 4pm, park in the overflow car park across the road - this is not locked. The Sedum House car park will be locked and if your car gets locked in then its tough luck.

If you leave after Sedum House has been locked up you need to walk out via the magnetically locked gates by the portacabins. There is a button on a post in front of each of the locked gates. The button unlocks the gates. Just make sure you close them behind you.
 
Thanks for clearing that up Richard, I've been loathe to stay late at PC as I didn't know the exact procedure but knowing that the over flow park isn't locked is just what I needed to hear.
 
RSPB Birds Magazine

Hi all

Just been having a tidy up and wondered if anyone was interested in the following:

RSPB Birds magazine for:

2008 - all issues
2007 - all except Autumn issue
2006 - all issues
2005 - all issues
2004 - all issues
2003 - all except spring issue
2002 - all except winter issue
2001 - all issues
2000 - all except winter issue
1999 - all issues
1998 - all issues
1997 - all issues
1996 - only winter issue

Comes to a total of 45 magazines.

It would be nice to give them to a good home but in the process raise a little cash for say the YWT or Spurn. If your interested and would like to offer some cash for "chhhaaarrrriiitttyyy" then please either put a note on here or PM me. If there is any takers we can arrange collection etc.

Cheers

John
 
Thanks all for the Potteric info. I experienced exiting it late tonight first hand, along with the Chiff I'm pleased to say.

It didn't play ball but did eventually show - a very tatty bird as people have said - love the pointed bee-eater type tail on it.

The voice wasn't classic either. In fact by late evening it was just giving a Chiffchaff like sub-song without the trill at the end - still perhaps more hurried and more "whistley" than Chiffchaff.

Of note as I was leaving a chap thought he'd had a juv. Bonaparte's Gull, and was trying to reloate it. One to look out for.
 
Just spent a couple of hours at Beal Carrs and Great Heck flood,had a 2 Common Terns at Beal and at Great Heck 2 Yellow Wags first of the year and a couple of LRPs.
 
Had a brilliant couple of days. Frampton for the Pratincole yesterday along with wood sand, lrp's, garganey and a very confiding corn bunting. Called in at PC for the chiffer on the way home - fantastic views. Got up and went for the great reed warbler today. Had to wait 2 hours for a decent show but it came out and sang eventually. The reedbed it is in is minute! After that went up to Padley Gorge in the hope of a wood warbler. Got pied fly and redstart after a bit of searching but no wood warbler. Treecreeper, 5 nuthatch and 3 tree pipit along with loads of chiffs and willow warbler where the wood meets the heath / moor.
 
My week in what little birding I could fit in......

1) Saw a Grey partridge in what you would probably consider to be an unlikley spot this week. There is quite a lot of development going at this site building wise. Are they afforded any protection from such development if breeding could be confirmed?? Just a thought seeing as they are getting scarcer and scarcer.

2) On a more positive note, called in at Calder Wetlands this eve on the bike and not a dog or person in site, had the place to myself and immersed myself in the constant noise of reed & sedge warblers and reed buntings, each trying to out sing the other, lovely. Not too much else down here - LR Plovers, shelduck, gadwall, comic tern over.

3) Will the I Chiffchaff still be at PC tomorrow? Will her indoors let me go? We shall see.......

To all readers - have a good birding weekend.

John
 
Thanks all for the Potteric info. I experienced exiting it late tonight first hand, along with the Chiff I'm pleased to say.

It didn't play ball but did eventually show - a very tatty bird as people have said - love the pointed bee-eater type tail on it.

The voice wasn't classic either. In fact by late evening it was just giving a Chiffchaff like sub-song without the trill at the end - still perhaps more hurried and more "whistley" than Chiffchaff.

Interesting about the song of the chiffy because today late afternoon it was singing really well giving the classic Iberian song and calling differently too... however much like the Portland bird it did sing loud strident chiffchaff style notes as well at times, and dropped some of the song (particularly the last section) quite a bit. It showed very well next to the path too!
Really tatty bird tho'.... interestingly if you read the article by Brian Small on Surfbirds he talks about seeing really worn birds in Portugal in May.

I have to say what a smashing reserve this is at Potteric, as someone who hasn't ventured there since 1984 (and I wonder what that was for:-O) it was a very pleasant surprise. Its a credit to the YWT! I wont leave it so long before venturing over the border from Derbyshire to there again LOL!

All the Best

Steph'
 
Our very own James Thomas (Jim) has a Greenland Wheatear pic in today's Yorkshire Post. Next stop joining the RSPB photographer's panel?

It's a very strong YP country issue with articles on insights on Buzzard behaviour from watching them at their nests, and a piece about biodiversity loss in the county - eg Bustards & Stone Curlews were once 'common' on the wolds, but are extinct there now etc...
 
Flamborough

woodchat shrike at south landing late this morning and over dinner time, was found on the cliff top then flew over onto a hedge to the east of the burnt out cafe, showing well on top of the hedge also elusive at times too, it flew back across the road and onto the hedge that runs along highcliff manor private road, then flew south over the wooded ravine at south landing, i had to go to work and it wasnt relocated as far as i know???, second recorded woodchat for flamborough too :t:
 
Back from two weeks honeymooning in Italy (where while not birdwatching I managed to find what appears to be a vagrant trumpeter finch while sightseeing on Capri... why can't I find rarities like that in Britain?!). I managed to get some south European glamour in South Yorkshire today with the Iberian Chiffchaff at Potteric... OK maybe glamour isn't the correct word, but it was an interesting bird that showed well and sung nicely. Also managed to mop up some of the migrants I've missed while away, including whitethroat, garden warbler, sedge warbler, reed warbler, house martin and sand martin(!). Some nice humbug-style shelduck ducklings were also a nice sign of spring.

Sorry I seem to have missed the Rotherham Red-rumped swallow that seemed to be at RVCP from the day I went away, and disappeared the day after I came back!
 
I have a pass out for a silly o'clock visit to Strid Woods, having missed last weeks trip.

Stupid question time, but where's the best place to park, as I assume the normal car parks won't be open at that time.

Cheers,

Richard
 

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