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

Yorkshire Birding (13 Viewers)

Ok, not the rarest of birds on the list, but I had quite a spectacular sight at lunchtime (if in a somewhat bizarre location).

I had a sparrowhawk being mobbed by a load of blackbirds whilst I was walking down Horsforth Town Street on my lunchbreak. The hawk couldn't have been more than 6 inches off the pavement & was heading straight towards me before veering off!!

Richard

Sparrowhawks always brighten my day. Had one over my house yesterday, bringing the garden species list up to a respectable 6.
 
Hi Guys "feel sick to the core" dipped on the South Yorkshire Woodchat, now there is one at Spurn, just home from work (to late to go now) and leave for Lisbon (Portugal) early in the morning. Tempted to get up at 03:00, and race down to Spurn, but with my recent "run of luck" it will lift tonight.....On the bright side I am home from my travels on Monday and planning a trip to Norfolk Thursday to Sunday, however if the "East Coast" stays hot I might stay at home, any photos John???
 
Hi Guys "feel sick to the core" dipped on the South Yorkshire Woodchat, now there is one at Spurn, just home from work (to late to go now) and leave for Lisbon (Portugal) early in the morning. Tempted to get up at 03:00, and race down to Spurn, but with my recent "run of luck" it will lift tonight.....On the bright side I am home from my travels on Monday and planning a trip to Norfolk Thursday to Sunday, however if the "East Coast" stays hot I might stay at home, any photos John???

No photos I'm afraid, I lost my homemade camera adapter on sunday and have'nt had time to make a new one yet
 
Various

Nipped in very briefly for the Black Terns at Swilly tonight - scored straightaway. I wasn't sure where the Garg's were and didn't have time anyhow.

I meant to mention the three White Storks the other day. I would love to have seen these. I'm guessing the Scottish/Lancs. birds and most likely nothing to do with Harewood.

I'm hoping we finally have some Yorkshire W S's that are untarnished, or as untarnished as it gets. I don't think any of these birds were ringed. It would be nice if they were found this weekend, and the Black Stork for that matter.

Finally, Craig gave me some more gen on Nightingales - we can stop beating ourselves up. All rather depressing though - just three singing birds last year, and two of those sang on just one date. Throw the flooding into the mix afterwards and I think we can see why we didn't score. this year. Hopefully things will turn round - may need to see what happens this year and plan for next. The Nightingale walk is an evening walk to listen to them. With the greatest respect I'm not sure this will progress much but I will still enquire for completeness.
 
Could the Woodchat Shrike be the same one from North Anston? Any pictures?

Went for the Woodchat shrike tonight.Got there at about 6.50pm and it was quite distant (viewed from the river bank overlooking canal scrape.
It flew to the bushes at the end of the hedge nearest the riverbank.
It stayed there for a couple of minutes then went to ground.
It never appeared after that.
I left at about 8.oo.
Nice bird.
 

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I think that's a different bird. At North Anston I was struggling at the raneg to work out the pale area at the base of the upper mandible - on reading up I saw no mention of it being feathering on 2CY birds and concluded it was the bill base mentioned in BWPi - these shots confirm my first impression that it was actually some pale feathering, but nowhere near as extensive as on this bird.

This bird also seems to have some worn brown wing feathers, as did the North Anston bird, but it's not easy on these shots to work out the extent (no disrespect, Martin)

Graham
 
Back from the work trip to Exeter to Gods Own. Three year ticks, AGPlover, Hobby and Dartford Warbler. Called in at Upton Warren (right next to the M5 if anyone commutes as much as me!) to see a flcok of 20 or so black terns. Awesome/

Then had an hour to kill so headed to blacktoft - waste of time. I saw one wader speices the water is too high. Really fustrating and not a patch on somewhere like northcave or swine moor. Fustrated of Stanningely.
 
If anyone wants easy to see Dotterel there were 16 of them alongside the road tonight on Danby Beacon - they may hang around for the weekend. The arrow on the map marks where they were tonight but mostly they've been by above the '2' of the 290m contour. As the week has gone by more have arrived. It's not often you get chance for such easy views and of so many together.
 

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I think that's a different bird. At North Anston I was struggling at the raneg to work out the pale area at the base of the upper mandible - on reading up I saw no mention of it being feathering on 2CY birds and concluded it was the bill base mentioned in BWPi - these shots confirm my first impression that it was actually some pale feathering, but nowhere near as extensive as on this bird.

This bird also seems to have some worn brown wing feathers, as did the North Anston bird, but it's not easy on these shots to work out the extent (no disrespect, Martin)

Graham

Agree Graham - different bird. The extent of the pale base to the upper mandible alone would clinch it for me.
 
Had a nice walk on the moors above Halifax. Nothing too exciting but found a Common Sand that wanted to pose..
 

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Up not so bright and very early again for my 1st ever survey this morning - Tetrad SE35J, Scotton and the Nidd north of Knaresborough. 46 species is OK, with highlights 4 Grey Wags, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Tree Sparrows, and 4 Marsh Tits including a probable nest site, and no less than 8 Treecreepers. Disappointments were no Kingfisher, Dipper or Mandarin which I've had on all previous visits and no Lesser Spot despite the good habitat and finding two just outside the tetrad last winter.

Must say it's hard work noticing and counting every Robin, Wren and Starling but good fun and nice to contribute something to the atlas.

Graham
 
Going tetrad surveyng for the first time tomorrow AM - got the Nidd Gorge - surprising no-one's bagged that or a few other choice spots? Apart from Keith, who else on the thread is doing one (or more)

Graham

For my sins I am doing 8 BTO Atlas squares around Leeds, as well as my regular BBS tetrad and 5km of canal for the Waterways BBS and two other breeding bird surveys for private concerns. I had hoped to be well under way, but the poor weather in April means I've only just started. I have some time off work soon so should be able to catch up.
Is it just me or have Reed Bunting numbers dropped?
 
Garganey

Had a lovely drake Garganey on my evening bike ride near Pugneys. It was spending time with what I believe is an escaped/hybird whistling duck(??). Also saw some common terns and a little ringed plover. No sign of any Black terns this evening.
 

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