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

Yorkshire Birding (17 Viewers)

bitterntwisted said:
Hello Yorkshire birders! Newish to the forum, and first posting on my 'local' thread.

Steve, Have you got a grid reference or full directions for Loshpotts? I'm in Chapel Allerton so your patch is no distance for me. If I've only an hour or so to fit birding in only Eccup and Harewood are within easy reach. Although I should really have a proper look in Gledhow Valley as my "own" patch.

Anything else is too far away for a real "quicky". Swillington Ings etc. 20 mins, Fairburn 30, and once I'm going that far I'm too tempted by Blacktoft and so I keep going. As mentioned so much here, Blacktoft is a proper good site, but nigh on impossible to make your own finds.

Graham

Welcome Graham. Don't forget to come over to Rodley sometime!

Marcus
 
bitterntwisted said:
Thanks. Absolutely will head over to Rodley soon, Marcus, though I understand opening hours are limited, and a little erratic?

Graham

Hi Graham
Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday only....posted opening times 10.00am to 4.00pm.
It's only a small reserve and depends on volunteers to open it so sometimes there can be problems getting enough people to man the resrve properly.
 
Keith Dickinson said:
Hi Graham
Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday only....posted opening times 10.00am to 4.00pm.
It's only a small reserve and depends on volunteers to open it so sometimes there can be problems getting enough people to man the resrve properly.

just adds to all te excitement in my opinion

failing that you could try Sykes wood - Keith this is the site I was telling you about - link below

http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/wildlifeatwestleeds/sykeswood.htm
 
Welcome Graham. Don't be disappointed with a trip to Loshpott though -(Gripping stuff it aint - I feel under pressure now)! By the way it's only me that calls it Loshpott!

On the Explorer 289 map it is at 415512 (down Loshpott Lane - about a mile north of Wetherby) - Leave Wetherby north on B6164 and head towards Walshford on A168. Take right turn and immediate left to Ingmanthorpe after 200 yards, and follow narrow lane for 1/4 mile. Park near small pond, (looks good for crakes!) and walk over A1 to view pits from road. Please don't enter site and don't park on road. Scope necessary really.

Two more new birds for me there tonight - Snipe and Teal. Common Sand. still present. Wigeon moved through. It just provides that hour's birding after work which is great.

These finds you are all sharing is putting me to shame. I've been birding for over 25 years - too much chasing to the other end of the country I think!

Anyway, I'm turning into a patchman now!
 
Best Yorkshire finds

GND .... Eccup in 83/4 can't remember which...too idle to look it up in my notes. We were on a birding visit to the reservoir and had permission to be in the grounds rather than on the path. I called my friends attention to this funny looking grebe....we watched it for about 10 minutes during which time I managed to workout from the field guide that it was a juvenile GND...lifer.

Honey Buzzard....at the junction of the A1 and the A64 in August 99. Driving home from York to Leeds and noticed a bird slowly drifting over the trees around Bramham Park...as i got to the Leeds side of the A1 I realised that it wasn't a Red Kite and so I very quickly parked the car....narrowly avoiding a pile-up in the process. In those days i used to carry my scope in the boot of my car...so was soon glowing inside at my first Yorkshire honey buzzard.
 
Keith Dickinson said:
Best Yorkshire finds

GND .... Eccup in 83/4 can't remember which...too idle to look it up in my notes. We were on a birding visit to the reservoir and had permission to be in the grounds rather than on the path. I called my friends attention to this funny looking grebe....we watched it for about 10 minutes during which time I managed to workout from the field guide that it was a juvenile GND...lifer.

Honey Buzzard....at the junction of the A1 and the A64 in August 99. Driving home from York to Leeds and noticed a bird slowly drifting over the trees around Bramham Park...as i got to the Leeds side of the A1 I realised that it wasn't a Red Kite and so I very quickly parked the car....narrowly avoiding a pile-up in the process. In those days i used to carry my scope in the boot of my car...so was soon glowing inside at my first Yorkshire honey buzzard.

I Remember the GND (if it's the same one) - it was a lifer for me as well but it was 1982 - I saw it on the 13th (decided it was Black-throated) and went back on the 14th and deided it was a GND. 1982 saw my passion for birding rekindled after a few years of non-birding.
 
Lawts said:
What are your best finds Yorkshire Birders???


A rough-legged buzzard on the Harewood estate in winter 2004. At least, I'm pretty sure it was . . .

Someone mentioned to me that Roundhay Park can be good (and even that there were deer there), but I've never seen much of note. With a new baby in tow I'm going to give it another try as we won't be welcome in any hides any time soon. Does anyone have any hints about which part of the park to look in?

Jon
 
Rodley nature reserve

Went to rodley last week[sun].Looks a great place with real potential.The thing i cant work out is the opening times?Crack of dawn for the dawn chorus,and evening for raptors hawking dragonfly[subbuteo].I think lots of stuff will be overlooked,due to the 10-4pm opening.Cant they have a members list who can be key holders?I think the list would then grow considerably.
 
jonjyfisher said:
A rough-legged buzzard on the Harewood estate in winter 2004. At least, I'm pretty sure it was . . .

Someone mentioned to me that Roundhay Park can be good (and even that there were deer there), but I've never seen much of note. With a new baby in tow I'm going to give it another try as we won't be welcome in any hides any time soon. Does anyone have any hints about which part of the park to look in?

Jon

Hi Jon,
you need to be at Roundhay early to avoid the plebs....I generally work around the gorge area...that's at the top of the large lake following the stream up to the Ring Road. Also the woodland between the small lake and Roundhay Park Lane can be good. I'm thinking of starting to work the park regularly as my local patch.
Certainly there were deer in the park at one time, last one I saw, a couple of years ago, was dead at side of the Ring Road....I think they were not resident in the park but just visited occassionally from the Shadwell area.
 
jtw521 said:
...or a trip down the M1 to Bretton Park or Cannon Hall - Deffer Woods opposite there is a nice walk.

Bretton Park is good but the parking fee is extortionate. Not been to Cannon/Canon Hall for ages...me thinks a trip there is called for.
 
Keith Dickinson said:
Bretton Park is good but the parking fee is extortionate. Not been to Cannon/Canon Hall for ages...me thinks a trip there is called for.

Agreed on the parking fees and on the spelling of Cannon/Canon Hall - spelt both ways but I think two n's. If you go there do check out Deffer Woods, there's usually no-one in there but it's a big wood with plenty of mature deciduous trees and conifers - and it costs nothing to get in (farm v. expensive at CH).

If you go to BP in winter it's normally worth checking the fields at the roundabout above the park where the A636 and A637 cross. There are often large flocks of Golden Plover and the occasional curlew.
 
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jonjyfisher said:
A rough-legged buzzard on the Harewood estate in winter 2004.

Popped out briefly to Weardley / Harewood this evening. Had a Buzzard over from the gates on the A61 opposite the Wike turn. Having read your mail just before leaving, Jon, I tried very hard to make it into Rough-Legged, but it was insistently common as muck.

BTW, what phase and date was your rough-legged. I pulled over on the Harrogate road just north of Eccup to watch a Buzzard perched on a hedge. Thought it was somehow 'odd' at the time, but this is just wishful stringy reminiscing, I fear.

Graham

I was considering going up the A1 to Nosterfield tomorrow. Any recommendations?
 
jtw521 said:
...or a trip down the M1 to Bretton Park or Cannon Hall - Deffer Woods opposite there is a nice walk.

Is Bretton still good for Hawfinch? I read in Mather's "Where to Watch Birds" it was a good spot. Would love to see one of them. In Focus in Denby Dale have a picture on the wall of one coming to someone's garden feeder!
 
Don't know about hawfinch at Bretton....sadly Mather's book is well out of date and don't think that by buying a second edition you're getting an update 'cos you're not.
Got a Yorkshire birding article about Hawfinch in Yorks...i'll dig it out and post deytails if you want
 

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