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Yorkshire Birding (13 Viewers)

It's not really a viewing platform....just an area on the otherside of the hedge that they have fenced off so that 'scopes could be set up. You'll see it at the dam wall, other side of the road to the wall. There's a notice board...or was last time I was there. You look across the valley from the dam wall for the birds.
 
Eccup

Keith Dickinson said:
It's not really a viewing platform....just an area on the otherside of the hedge that they have fenced off so that 'scopes could be set up. You'll see it at the dam wall, other side of the road to the wall. There's a notice board...or was last time I was there. You look across the valley from the dam wall for the birds.

There's a nice walk from Eccup Reservoir which takes you into the Harewood grounds. I did it last Saturday and saw at least 10 Red Kites as well as Common Tern, Grey Wagtail, Cormorant, Curlew, Yellowhammer and Grey Heron.

Eccup is good for Goosander in winter.

Jon
 
Masham area

Hi,
We will be staying in Masham for a week from 19th August. Can anyone suggest good birding sites in that area? Also, what is the must see site in Yorkshire? Birding time will be seriously limited, alas.

All suggestions gratefully received.
 
bigbadal said:
Hi,
We will be staying in Masham for a week from 19th August. Can anyone suggest good birding sites in that area? Also, what is the must see site in Yorkshire? Birding time will be seriously limited, alas.

All suggestions gratefully received.

I'd say the best site in yorkshire to see something is probably blacktoft sands. Of course the East Coast sites can be exceptional but you need the right weather conditions. From where you are nosterfield is pretty close and is worth a trip, but if you ask my opinion the best place in the world is Rodley Nature Reserve in well Rodley ;)
 
Blacktoft Sands today

Spent the morning at Blacktoft Sands - wonder if I saw any Forum members there. I did have my badge on but didn't notice any caps etc..

Highlight was 3 spoonbills from the Townend hide. There hadn't been anything of note there when we arrived but we went back just before we left for home and there was a completely different 'set' of birds. Green sandpiper, sparrowhawk, marsh harrier, lots of herons, ruff, godwit, redshank & spotted redshank, yellow and pied wagtail. Someone had seen bearded tits along the reed edge and we had barn owl flapping over the reeds in the distance. It had rained heavily yesterday apparently so maybe it was making up for lost time and hunting in the daytime.

Lots of tiny frogs hopping on the path to the Singleton hide. Maybe there should have been a sign at the beginning of the track warning us to be careful. Mistook a rabbit turd for a frog at times (fancy going through life being mistaken for a rabbit turd!)

I'd be interested to know if any Forum members were at the reserve today. We arrived at 9.15 and left round about 12.15

Sandra
 
Sandra (Taylor) said:
Spent the morning at Blacktoft Sands - wonder if I saw any Forum members there. I did have my badge on but didn't notice any caps etc..

Highlight was 3 spoonbills from the Townend hide. There hadn't been anything of note there when we arrived but we went back just before we left for home and there was a completely different 'set' of birds. Green sandpiper, sparrowhawk, marsh harrier, lots of herons, ruff, godwit, redshank & spotted redshank, yellow and pied wagtail. Someone had seen bearded tits along the reed edge and we had barn owl flapping over the reeds in the distance. It had rained heavily yesterday apparently so maybe it was making up for lost time and hunting in the daytime.

Lots of tiny frogs hopping on the path to the Singleton hide. Maybe there should have been a sign at the beginning of the track warning us to be careful. Mistook a rabbit turd for a frog at times (fancy going through life being mistaken for a rabbit turd!)

I'd be interested to know if any Forum members were at the reserve today. We arrived at 9.15 and left round about 12.15

Sandra
Good stuff Sandra,
I was there Friday, and saw all the birds that you did.

Then have spent the weekend down at Rodley Quite a few new birds down there including snipe and black tailed godwit. Good numbers of common sands, and some litlle grebes started a new nest - seems late to me...
 
Sandra (Taylor) said:
Spent the morning at Blacktoft Sands - wonder if I saw any Forum members there. I did have my badge on but didn't notice any caps etc..

Highlight was 3 spoonbills from the Townend hide. There hadn't been anything of note there when we arrived but we went back just before we left for home and there was a completely different 'set' of birds. Green sandpiper, sparrowhawk, marsh harrier, lots of herons, ruff, godwit, redshank & spotted redshank, yellow and pied wagtail. Someone had seen bearded tits along the reed edge and we had barn owl flapping over the reeds in the distance. It had rained heavily yesterday apparently so maybe it was making up for lost time and hunting in the daytime.

Lots of tiny frogs hopping on the path to the Singleton hide. Maybe there should have been a sign at the beginning of the track warning us to be careful. Mistook a rabbit turd for a frog at times (fancy going through life being mistaken for a rabbit turd!)

I'd be interested to know if any Forum members were at the reserve today. We arrived at 9.15 and left round about 12.15

Sandra

Hi Sandra

A coach party from the north east will be visiting next Saturday - several BF members will be on the trip :)

Hope the Spoonies hang around as would be most welcome and probably a life tick for some of the party.

Beardies too would be most welcome. Can you post a full list, or PM me the list so I can let the group now what is available as I have never yet visited this reserve. We were advised of Marsh Harrier, what of Bittern? Avocet? I believe they frequent the area too.

Steve
 
Sandra (Taylor) said:
Spent the morning at Blacktoft Sands - wonder if I saw any Forum members there. I did have my badge on but didn't notice any caps etc..

Highlight was 3 spoonbills from the Townend hide. There hadn't been anything of note there when we arrived but we went back just before we left for home and there was a completely different 'set' of birds. Green sandpiper, sparrowhawk, marsh harrier, lots of herons, ruff, godwit, redshank & spotted redshank, yellow and pied wagtail. Someone had seen bearded tits along the reed edge and we had barn owl flapping over the reeds in the distance. It had rained heavily yesterday apparently so maybe it was making up for lost time and hunting in the daytime.

Lots of tiny frogs hopping on the path to the Singleton hide. Maybe there should have been a sign at the beginning of the track warning us to be careful. Mistook a rabbit turd for a frog at times (fancy going through life being mistaken for a rabbit turd!)

I'd be interested to know if any Forum members were at the reserve today. We arrived at 9.15 and left round about 12.15

Sandra

Hi Sandra,
I was at Blacktoft today from about 11am to 3pm, so we probably passed each other!
I missed the Spotted Redshank and the Yellow Wagtail, but saw most of the other species you mentioned. Did you see the Little Egrets? They seemed to fly about alot between the different pools on the reserve.
I was also lucky enough to see several small groups of Bearded Tit. I sat for ages in Marshland Hide with my bins trained on the reed edges and was finally rewarded with brief views. I also saw a large number of Sedge Warblers.
Come to think of it Sandra- if you left at lunch time- I was the bloke sat in the black pick-up truck, stuffing his face with sandwiches and crisps! :eat:
 
Marshland was the one hide we didn't go in . We left it until later then as we walked towards it we saw that huge group of birders advancing on it so we wouldn't have a chance of getting a seat. The whole crowd of them seemed to stick together instead of splitting up and going to different hides - can't blame them really because their leader sounded really knowledgable when he was explaining what was about.

Didn't get the egrets as, like you say, they were flitting about and we were never where they were!

Good day out though

Sandra
 
Hi Steve

Bitterns are certainly there regularly but I've only ever seen them in cold weather when the ponds were frozen over. Water rail had been seen today too. Peregrine regular. Many people today saw bearded tit briefly.

Our full list :

Swift
Swallow
House Martin
Sand martin (100s)
Mallard
Teal
Gadwall
Coot
Moorhen
Little Grebe
House sparrow
Tree sparrow
Chaffinch
Collared dove
Wood pigeon
Marsh harrier
Sparrowhawk
Kestrel
Pheasant
Barn owl
Sedge warbler
Green sandpiper
Ruff
Godwit (Iceland race) blacktailed?
Spotted redshank
Redshank
Spoonbill
Grey heron
Yellow wagtail
Pied wagtail
Song Thrush
Blackbird
Snipe
Avocet
Lapwing
Reed bunting
Dunlin

Think this is all but I may have missed something. Not bad really as we just went for spoonbill. The godwits looked beautiful with their rusty-red plumage.

I'm sure your Group will have a good day out next week. Please post a report or e-mail me with how you went on.

Sandra
 
Last edited:
In addition to Sandra's list and my above thread, I also had Dunlin (think you forgot to add it to your list Sandra!), Reed Bunting, Greenshank and possibly Peregrine.

The Peregrine was identified as a speck in the sky by a group of 'regulars' who seemed to know their birds (Do I add Peregrine to my list or not?)

I will also be interested to know how your trip next Saturday goes Steve. Perhaps you can write a report on this Yorkshire thread?
 
If I was looking at a speck in the sky and someone was certain it was a peregrine, I'd put it on my list.

Thanks for those omissions - reed bunting as well as dunlin.

I really should carry round a notebook and jot names down as I see them.

Sandra
 
Thanks for all info - nice and varied list. It is a local RSPB trip and I'm sure there will be something for everyone.

Of course I will post a report on here - especially as it is my first visit.

Of course x2 you can count the Peregrine, Skink. These "regulars" (like seawatchers) are reliable ;)

Thanks.

Steve
 
Not likely we cant get coins out of our pockets down here let alone anything bigger. Went to bank island today nr Wheldrake Ings. Nothing there. At all, saw a fox and heard a tawny owl. Best of the rest was a sedge warbler and a heron very close so i could sketch it (badly, cant draw) in my notes!!
 
Went for a walk on skipwith common and by the bird tower saw what i assume to be Green Sandpipers on one of the drying up pools. I say assume the were small tringa with not red legs. Thats all i could glean from them in my 2 second view before my fiance shouted "its sooo quiet here!". I may have mentioned it was until she pitched up. Also got a nice male Bullfinch which is a patch tick i believe.
 
Yorkshire lifer for me today Honey Buzzard flying low over copses Sicklinghall nr Wetherby/Harewood.

Popped into blacktoft after work 5 spotted redshank, 3 Greenshank, 8 Green Sands, 2 little egrets, whimbrel and yellow wags moving through plus marsh harrier and the spoonbills chilling out
 
Did a long old walk round Wheldrake ings. Very little water on the pools. Quite a few common passerines and loads of cool butterflies, plenty of commas, painted lady plus some dragonflies which i have no idea about. There were red ones! Got mobbed by sedge, reed and garden warblers in the reedbed. Was amazing with all these very loud skulking birds suddenly 3 feet from my head. Must have been 20 birds in total (with my first good view of a garden warbler, clear as a bell). Great fun. Went down to swantail and got a patch tick in the form of Green Sandpiper. Also loads of snipe sowing machining it up round the edge. Only 1 cormorant present (the rest must be at filey). Virtually no water on the main pool which led to lots of lapwing and not a lot else. Lovely day for it!
 
jimmy2faces said:
Yorkshire lifer for me today Honey Buzzard flying low over copses Sicklinghall nr Wetherby/Harewood.

Popped into blacktoft after work 5 spotted redshank, 3 Greenshank, 8 Green Sands, 2 little egrets, whimbrel and yellow wags moving through plus marsh harrier and the spoonbills chilling out

Jimmy I'm assuming you were the bloke who heard/saw the Corncrake at Sicklinghall earlier this year. I tried the same day without success. I'm intrigued to know the circmstances of the find if it was you. For example were they before or after the buildings at the bottom of the road?
 
Lawts said:
Jimmy I'm assuming you were the bloke who heard/saw the Corncrake at Sicklinghall earlier this year. I tried the same day without success. I'm intrigued to know the circmstances of the find if it was you. For example were they before or after the buildings at the bottom of the road?

Yes that's me.

If you head down paddock house lane you come to a barn (where they burn the willow), and a building called Prog Hall (this is where I work). One of my colleagues had been working late the night before and told me about a noise they'd been hearing late at night - knowing I'm a naturalist. He said it was really annoying. Anyway as he was telling me it started up again, and I immediately knew what it was. It was calling from the horse paddock which is next to the public footpath that heads roughly west from paddock house lane. I heard it intermittently until around lunchtime at which point the local farmer (Gareth) moved his horses into this field. The next morning my colleagues told me they had heard the noise again, but from the east, and I thought I could here it too in the distance. It was much further away though, and at the time couldn't go looking.

Most of birds reported in that area are made by me. For example I've also had whimbrel in the area too. Fustratingly there are wondering winter geese in the area, but I haven't pinned them down as yet. There's loads of other good stuff - bullfinch, y'hammer, little owl, lesser whitethroat, quail, and of course all the red kites.
 

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