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Yorkshire Birding (46 Viewers)

Hotspur

Hotspur

James Spencer
United Kingdom
Seeing as every other county/ area seems to have a thread, i thought i would start one for Gods own county. Went out for my first visit to Tophill Low a couple days ago. Not a huge amount going on, Pochard with young, Shoveller with young and several Water Rails making a racket in the reeds by the lagoons. No sightings mind. Also got some ball breaking views of kingfishers on the lagoons just like a TV documentary. Wonderful. Not a lot on the reservoirs as there were workmen everywhere. Nevermind. Will definitely give it a return visit. Plus my parents just moved in 8 miles north. All the excuse i need.
As for this thread anything to do with birding Yorkshire seems good to me, current hotspots, rares, inbfo sharing etc. Hopefully have a few contributers.
 
Hotspur said:
As for this thread anything to do with birding Yorkshire seems good to me, current hotspots, rares, inbfo sharing etc. Hopefully have a few contributers.
Click to expand...

See my thread: Peregrines at Malham Cove.
Well worth a visit. The youngsters should be in the air within 7-10 days.
Also Redstart, Housemartin, Green woodpecker, Spotted flycatcher, Kestrel, Grey wagtail, Yellow wagtail, Wheatear, Little owl, Tawny owl, etc. can be seen.
 
Ah great - a Yorkshire thread! Lived in Queensbury (up the hill from Bradford) for 12 years until a couple of years ago and did a lot of birding around there. Some fantastic habitat and great diversity of birds. Look forward to hearing about what's about in some of my old haunts. Hope someone's checking out the wader breeding up in the Dales!

Edit: Hang on a mo! are you intending to cover all four Ridings in one thread? Jeez - that's going to get big and busy. Must be hundreds of BF'ers up there with postings to make. Everything from coastlines (cliffs, estuaries and beaches), loads of reservoirs, moorland, rivers, woods and mountains! Blimey, I though 'Backwater Birding' was busy (and gripping) and that's just Seaton! Can't wait!
 
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Going to pickering today so might have a look in on Dalby Forest drive see if i can find anyhting interesting. Probably not but hey....
 
Couldn't be bothered to trawl out to Pickering so i went round a few local patches in the lower derwent valley. Bank Island was reasonably productive in that there were loads of birds. Shame they were all lapwings and redshanks, eh! Seriously, nice to see a successful season for them both. Also 3 teal were present which is early/late for them and a lonely female wigeon. Haven't seen one on sight for a couple of months. Also dodging amongst the bushes at the back of the small pond/scrape was a wader that i had very fleeting glimpses of but i could have sworn was a sanderling. Like a wind up toy! Maybe wader passage has started. After this i had a wander down to North Duffield Carrs. Not a huge amount doing here due to people collecting hay. But hold on.... two of those shelducks have stood up and have very long legs and a pointy beak. Lo and behold its the pair of Little Egrets that have been kicking around for a month or so. First multiple record for me of little egrets in the LDV and first time ive seen em at North Duffield. Added bonus was a patch tick in the form of a large female Marsh Harrier scaring the crap outta the lapwings and crows. Surprised i hadn't seen one before but a wonderful sight none the less. Had a look in at Fulford Ings on the way back but not a lot doing, a few whitethroats and a well coloured juv. Willow Warbler. Happy with that for an afternoons work.
 
Had walk around Roundhay Park in Leeds today. Not really a birding trip more a bit of exercise but I was pleased to note that there were at least 3 broods of coot on the lakes there. Also a couple of pair of great crested grebe with at least one pair having young. No sightings of the kingfisher today.
Due to the strongly gusting wind there wasn't the normal count of passerines, only a lone blue tit by the waterfall.
For anyone wanting to visit, go early for the best sightings. The gorge area, north of Waterloo Lake is very good for woodpeckers, green and gs, along with warblers and at least 3 species of tit. (Yet to log coal tit for the area.)
Other places in the Leeds area are
Eccup reservoir north of the city, best reached from the Harrogate road. Good gull roost.
Rodley Nature Reserve, in where else..Rodley but this has restricted opening times...Wed, Sat and Sun only.
Golden Acre Park, which is good for brambling in the winter, but also gets a good number of warblers in the summer.
Adel Dam which is at the side of Golden Acre Park but is owned by the YWT.
 
I see the cranes in east Yorkshire seem to have got into a routine. Wonder if they are from Norfolk. Appear to have a juv w/ 2 Adults. Would love to see a new colony in Yorkshire! Seems like a perfect area though, east Riding.
 
Called in at Blacktoft Sands Friday afternoon while visiting parents in Taddy. Eight superb full summer Spotted Redshanks, plus one presumably first-summer, all from Marshland Hide. At least five Marsh Harriers.

Steve
 
sonic said:
which one do you miss out then north,south,east or west!!!!!!
Click to expand...

Under the old Ridings system there were only North, East and West.

South Yorkshire came into being during the boundary shuffles in the 70's. As far as I am aware the Ridings as a political unit no longer have any meaning.

But who gives a c**p...as for record keeping purposes the older Watsonian county boundaries are used which means that we have bits of Gt Manchester, Cleveland and Lincolnshire still classed as Yorkshire.
 
East Yorkshire

Hotspur said:
I believe North Humberside is officially The East Riding of Yorkshire these days. Except Hull weirdly.
Click to expand...

Hi,
There is no such place as North Humberside it is East Yorkshire even Kingston upon Hull is in East Yorkshire.
 
No, i can promise my in-laws are administered by Kingston Council while my parents are in the East Riding of Yorkshire a mere 10 miles away. Same as York isnt a part of North Yorkshire any more but its own entity. Now am stopping my pedantry and i apologise profusely :D
 
Steve Lister said:
Called in at Blacktoft Sands Friday afternoon while visiting parents in Taddy. Eight superb full summer Spotted Redshanks, plus one presumably first-summer, all from Marshland Hide. At least five Marsh Harriers.

Steve
Click to expand...
Only been to this venue once (for a very rare bird indeed!) but anywhere hosting summ. plum. Spotshanks deserves plenty visits!! Cracking birds.

Think some jealous Lancastrians have been on this thread, giving it mighty harsh star ratings. Wait till they start a thread - hammer 'em!! ;)
 
Last time i went to Blacktoft about a month ago 3 Spotshanks were doing their best impressions of Godwits wading upto their necks in it. Unfortunately all winter plumage still but a great sight non the less.
 

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