[Chris-Leeds]

Saw the Lesser pecker at Fairburn Ings this morning, didn't see the smew or BNG. Not the greatest conditions to be out with the leaden skies and cold. Also got siskin, kingfisher, plenty of goldeneye and 20+ RL partridge. Saw nothing but a couple of magpies from pickup hide, if it wasn't for the birds everything would seem grey.

[davidtucker]

John, the going rate is £15.00p a photo,

[Marcus Conway - ebirder]

Any details re the lesser pecker gratefully received!

[James Thomas]

Originally Posted by jimmy2faces

Any details re the lesser pecker gratefully received!

Friday it was apparently around the concrete bridge on Cut Lane for most of the day. I saw it Saturday morning just after the gate. It is also visiting some gardens around there so obviously hanging around there. Good luck!

[Marcus Conway - ebirder]

Mike, please tell me yo were at Dalby forest today???

[skink1978]

Originally Posted by jimmy2faces

Mike, please tell me yo were at Dalby forest today???

I bloody wish! Already thinking of a plan, but christmas is my busy time at work. I bloody hate these short days. B******!!!!!!

Well done with the photo BTW

[Lawts]

Originally Posted by liverpool_bob

Given what folk are saying elsewhere about the decline of Willow Tit it sounds like Potteric is a very good spot for them. http://www.potteric-carr.org.uk/


Cheers,
Bob.

Fairburn still remains a good spot for them. Five minutes viewing the feeders around the main reception will secure a sighting. Although I also thought I heard Marsh when I was there.....but anyhow defo Willows always present.

[zacatzooba]

cheers for that James - sounds v interesting.

rob

[birdieboy123]

Originally Posted by skink1978

I bloody wish! Already thinking of a plan, but christmas is my busy time at work. I bloody hate these short days. B******!!!!!!

Well done with the photo BTW

Have you read this thread Mike?
http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=103302

[Hotspur]

At fairburn i tend to see more Willow Tits around the Kids screen near where the LEOs were. Wheldrake Ings is normally a good spot for Willow Tits as well.

[Hotspur]

I would imagine the feeding station at Dalby is probably chocka with Brambling now Mike.

[Marcus Conway - ebirder]

Originally Posted by jtw521

Friday it was apparently around the concrete bridge on Cut Lane for most of the day. I saw it Saturday morning just after the gate. It is also visiting some gardens around there so obviously hanging around there. Good luck!

Thanks for the info after a three hour search and turning up practically every woodland bird myslef and another birder (wha could have been Brian Blessed!) clocked the lesser pecker in the willows from the stone bridge. Showed well, before moving back and out of sight. Plenty of 'tree shots' but none of the little fella.

Also Willow tit, green and greater pecker, bullfinch, treecreeper, goldcrest, bullfinch and a chiffchaff (not sibe, but did check).

[Marcus Conway - ebirder]

Originally Posted by Hotspur

Thats a lovely picture Marcus. Seeing as everone else is doing it on their respective threads, what are your Yorkshire Birding highlights of the year. For me there have been so many but the Great Shear has gotta be my best. Followed by the whooping and hollering and may i just say it was a tender hug Marcus gave after the high five

And my resolution is;

'Whenever I have searched for way too long, to persist for another 30 minutes!'

I would have missed a couple of birds in the latter half had I not stayed way too long. The latest being lesser pecker this AM - oh go on then one last circuit...

... not to mention Honey Buzzards...

... sorry guys.

[birdieboy123]

Just on the Honey Buzzards, I have spoken to Geoff since and he said the birds were not seen from the watchpoint that day but down in the valley below, so even if we had stayed longer there was no guarantee we'd have seen them

[chris3871]

At North Cave for a shrt while this afternoon. Saw green woodpecker, pintail and a mixed finch flock with siskin and lesser redpoll. Pintail and Redpoll were 105 and 106 on the NC list.

[skink1978]

I was very bad today and left work a little early, (OK, left work very early) to go on a Brambling hunt. My excuse to myself (and staff) was there was a load of Christmas trees to collect in the general area of Dalby so I would be absolutely stupid not to go myself and get out of the office.

My first port of call was the Dalby feeding station where a huge flock of Chaffinch kept me busy for half an hour. As much as I tried I couldn't find my target. I would have to try much harder.

The woman at the visitor centre couldn't understand why I wanted to know where Flax Dale was but she finally gave me directions (once she was confident I wasn't planning an illegal New Year rave). Once in the area I walked until I stumbled across a Beech wood amongst the conifers.

GSW, Jay, various tits, Goldcrest, Tree Creeper and several large flocks of Siskin kept me alert, as did a party of Crossbill. The light was very poor and many of the birds were just black shapes high up in the trees.

Just as I was about to give up hope, an enormous flock of orange birds took off from the woodland floor, quite far from the path I was on. Obviously these were my Brambling but I wanted confirmation. Walking through the wood I eventually found a fragment group of birds and was able to get one in my scope. Result!

I will have to get up extra early for work tomorrow but it was well worth it. Need a new Bogey Bird now.

[chris3871]

Great Northern Diver still present at Tophill. First diver I've seen that wasn't a red-throated. Two smew on Borrow Pits too.

[davidtucker]

Hi all
updated the "meet forum" for the 27th of December

[skink1978]

Added Little Owl to my 'seen while working ' list today. Grumpy little bugger turned it's back on me when I slowed down for a better look. Now I know where it lives I should see it every week. Plenty of Fieldfare about today and the female Mandarin is still on Burton Fleming pond.

[bitterntwisted]

Large, noisy flock of Pink-Feet just went over in the dark - nice addition to the garden list!

[davidtucker]

Just noticed, Hotspur's (aka James) Skink (aka Mike) and my "life list" are all very close to each other

[Hotspur]

My life includes the stuff ive seen abroad - if 274 is your UK your thrashing me! Some jammy so and so has had a Lap on the Knavesmire whilst i was out thrashing Wheldrake this evening in the fog. To misty to pick up anything of interest in the gull roost but i finally flushed a couple of Jack Snipe. Also a treecreeper that was looking a lot like a woodpecker in its behaviour that for a nanosecond i thought id got a bogey bird sorted. But nope... Another trip to fairburn soon is required i believe, possibly new yearish. Other stuff at Wheldrake (which was mainly frozen and has been for sometime apparently were a few Pintail, Goldies, Lapwing, Dunlin, The usual gulls, Fieldfare and Redwing (no mistle thrush though!)

[peterpiper]

Got the Lesser Pecker at Fairburn this am, had only been there 5 mins when he first showed, also saw a Greater, heard a Green, didn't see him but not bothered, Treecreper there as well.
Felt sorry for a bloke from Hull, he was half way along the M62 when he realised he hadn't put his bins in the car, tried to get him on the lesser pecker with mine but the little b***** wouldn't stay still long enough.
Little Owl still in same place.
pete

[Lawts]

Originally Posted by peterpiper

Got the Lesser Pecker at Fairburn this am, had only been there 5 mins when he first showed, also saw a Greater, heard a Green, didn't see him but not bothered, Treecreper there as well.
Felt sorry for a bloke from Hull, he was half way along the M62 when he realised he hadn't put his bins in the car, tried to get him on the lesser pecker with mine but the little b***** wouldn't stay still long enough.
Little Owl still in same place.
pete

Pete, where's the LO frequenting again? How good would it be for photography? Thanks.

[peterpiper]

Lawts,
It's favourite place seems to be on one of the fence posts in the grass paddock behind the visitor centre, usually top-left hand side, (if you stand square on to the gate) it stays still for long periods, but don't think it will be near enough for photo's, now prove me wrong!!! Kieth will be able to give you a better opinion, he's seen it there,
good luck,
pete