rose coloured specs
Browney Valley around Malton:
An old haunt of mine, still loads of birds.
Common Buzzard was the first bird i saw - not even annual when i was a regular here.
But there are some obvious declines, eg Redpolls & Moorhen, and no sign at all of any Pied Fly or Tree Pipits.
5 singing male Redstarts (1 flycatching over the Browney on the first bend downstream of Waters Meet) 2singing Cuckoo, 2Garden Warbler - both on the dwt reserve- but no Gropper here, 1Lesser Whitethroat singing on the railway line,
male Green Woodpecker + another yaffling, 7+Siskin, a Woodcock walked over a woodland track, 2Nuthatch, 7+Treecreeper, 1male Lesser Redpoll,
Kingfisher at nest, 5Dipper inc a fledged juv & male feeding his mate & nest building, 5Grey Wagtail - 2pr taking food to the nest, a couple of Herons went up & down the valley, but only 2Moorhen seen (mink?).
3Bullfinch, 2Willow Tit, 2 cock Reed Buntings singing in the Swg Wks Phragmite bed, & downstream a Little Owl in a traditional Oak.
No sign of any Swifts in the Valley, although all 3 hirundines were present in small numbers.
Checked former regular nest sites of Goosander, Tawny Owl & Kingfisher all gone courtesy of mother nature.
Had hoped for Spotted Flycatcher today but it was cool & breezy & may have missed them.....
Rainton, Pool2:
Called in for 10mins on way home; view from from the 'freezer' was quite productive for a change !:-
2Whimbrel roosting, 3Common Sandpiper, 1Swift & Cuckoo watched singing in the rain.
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