[Dint See It]

Originally Posted by Keith Dickinson

A good book for this is
Moult In Birds by Ginn and Melville from the BTO

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Moult-birds-...6842671&sr=1-1

Crazy thing is you can't buy it from BTO unless you are a registered ringer but you can get it on Amazon.

Cheers Keith, gunna order 1 myself. Only £7:50 + free p+p from The Book Depository.co.uk

[trappeddownsouth]

my first experience inside the swillington ings hide today.. DELUX, what more could you want.. comfy seats, ideal height for scope fodder, a collins field guide!!... no Smew for me, but distant roosting Tawny... also checked the sewage works for wapit but no joy, used to be reliable but i have not seen records anywhere for ages.. does anyone have any good sites? i really need a water pipit =)

[walshey]

Originally Posted by trappeddownsouth

my first experience inside the swillington ings hide today.. DELUX, what more could you want.. comfy seats, ideal height for scope fodder, a collins field guide!!... no Smew for me, but distant roosting Tawny... also checked the sewage works for wapit but no joy, used to be reliable but i have not seen records anywhere for ages.. does anyone have any good sites? i really need a water pipit =)

I think you'll have to wait until there's a freeze up now to get a Wipit at the waterworks site. There was 1 there last Jan. Lots of other good habitat for them now in the area where they are difficult to observe.

John

[Chris-Leeds]

You'd have had to go for a walk for the smew. Hoping to get down there later today and hoping it sticks.

[trappeddownsouth]

5 snow geese type with large greylag/canada flock.. east of A1 in adjacent field, north of wetherby services... first time ive seen these birds with the flock here this winter...

[timmyjones]

Originally Posted by trappeddownsouth

5 snow geese type with large greylag/canada flock.. east of A1 in adjacent field, north of wetherby services... first time ive seen these birds with the flock here this winter...

5 Snow Geese were reported from Nosterfield on 17/12/11, presumably the same birds.

[Chris-Leeds]

Black necked grebe at Swillington today, smew still there too.

[Keith Dickinson]

Originally Posted by Chris-Leeds

Black necked grebe at Swillington today, smew still there too.

Where was the BN grebe Chris?

[Chris-Leeds]

The BNG was on the sheltered side of the bigger spit on the main lake (between the two bridges). It was spending time with the wigeon there. The drake smew was harder to see as it was quite a way out. A peregrine that was hassling the geese flushed a couple of pink feet which joined the canada geese. With pintail and a couple of other species my list for the year is now 82.

[JonnyF]

Originally Posted by pete seaman

Any news of the G.G.Shrike reported from on RBA near Harrogate yesterday ?

I read this thread a lot but have never posted until I saw this,
Does anyone have any more info? A Great Grey Shrike is one of the most beautiful birds, according to me, would love to see one!

And sorry but I'm awful with acronyms, RBA? All I can think of is Rare Bird Alert. Or Red-Breasted Albatross!!!
Thanks,

[Keith Dickinson]

We probably overlooked the grebe yesterday trying for the smew. I'll admit to having my eye tuned for white birds yesterday, I ignored all the dark ones on the water. Silly me.

Originally Posted by Chris-Leeds

The BNG was on the sheltered side of the bigger spit on the main lake (between the two bridges). It was spending time with the wigeon there. The drake smew was harder to see as it was quite a way out. A peregrine that was hassling the geese flushed a couple of pink feet which joined the canada geese. With pintail and a couple of other species my list for the year is now 82.

[Keith Dickinson]

Hi JonnyF, glad you found the best bit of Bird Forum.
Can't help you with the shrike location but I'll admit to being interested myself in the whereabouts of the bird.

Originally Posted by JonnyF

I read this thread a lot but have never posted until I saw this,
Does anyone have any more info? A Great Grey Shrike is one of the most beautiful birds, according to me, would love to see one!

And sorry but I'm awful with acronyms, RBA? All I can think of is Rare Bird Alert. Or Red-Breasted Albatross!!!
Thanks,

[pete seaman]

Originally Posted by Keith Dickinson

Hi JonnyF, glad you found the best bit of Bird Forum.
Can't help you with the shrike location but I'll admit to being interested myself in the whereabouts of the bird.

This posting was refering to a report from about 2 weeks ago on Rare Bird Alert seen near Brimham Rocks.Hear a 2nd rumour about it yesterday but not convinced on the source of that info.

[Ross Ahmed]

Anyone know of any sites in Yorkshire which regularly hold wintering Chiffchaffs? Sewage works?

[pete seaman]

[quote=Ross Ahmed;2341916]Anyone know of any sites in Yorkshire which regularly hold wintering Chiffchaffs? Sewage works?[/
There was one reported calling at Nosterfield reserve a few days ago but not sure if it is a stayer.

[BirdFlower]

Originally Posted by Ross Ahmed

Anyone know of any sites in Yorkshire which regularly hold wintering Chiffchaffs? Sewage works?

One at Scarboro at moment, see Scarboro birders website

[Trystan]

Originally Posted by BirdFlower

One at Scarboro at moment, see Scarboro birders website

Also saw that one had been reported at fairburn but don't know if the source was reliable.

[timmyjones]

Another Yorkshire Caspian Gull on the blog http://timsbirding.blogspot.com/

[Keith Dickinson]

Originally Posted by Trystan

Also saw that one had been reported at fairburn but don't know if the source was reliable.

According to the Fairburn reports (latest is 2008) chiffchaff regularly overwinter on the reserve.

[knotsbirder]

Any advice on catching up with the RB Gull at Sands Lane GP. Where are the best places to look for it - have heard the fishing lakes but also something about the wier??

Thanks in advance, Sam

[James Thomas]

The weir is next to the pits so you can't miss it, RBG has previously been very attached to the island in the main pond but it's been seen at the weir and both ponds, good luck!

[knotsbirder]

Originally Posted by James Thomas

The weir is next to the pits so you can't miss it, RBG has previously been very attached to the island in the main pond but it's been seen at the weir and both ponds, good luck!

Thanks for that James,

So the best bet is to park at the Ship Inn, walk along the river and then back along the path by the side of the train line, along Sands Lane and back to the pub? Take it main pond is the larger of the two alongside the river?

Thanks again, Sam

[Lawts]

Originally Posted by knotsbirder

Thanks for that James,

So the best bet is to park at the Ship Inn, walk along the river and then back along the path by the side of the train line, along Sands Lane and back to the pub? Take it main pond is the larger of the two alongside the river?

Thanks again, Sam

Yes, you are more or less spot on with that Sam. The weir can be viewed from the main road as well if the walk across the field from the Ship Inn is too muddy. It never seems to hang around all day for the people chucking bread at the Malls. which is a shame.

If you also walk out of the Shipp Inn car park on to the road and turn left, you can view the main pit on your left. At the next left turn you can walk along that road and view the pit across to the Ship Inn - might be better depending on where the gulls have congregated and light conditions. At that point you'll also see the other pit that sits below the main one. All of that is only about 100 yards. It always used to disappear during the day, so early morning and pre-roost may be best. Not late evening as birds don't appear to roost there - it will disappear to another roost site. Good luck.

[ChrisJB]

Spent almost two hours from just after midday to 2 pm at Sands Lane yesterday with no sign.

Chris

[Keith Dickinson]

Originally Posted by ChrisJB

Spent almost two hours from just after midday to 2 pm at Sands Lane yesterday with no sign.

Chris

It has been said before that the bird is an early morning and mid afternoon visitor. Hardly ever about after 10 am or before 2pm. Nobody has managed to find where the bird is spending the middle of the day, or if they have located it they are keeping very quiet.