Yorkshire Birding (63 Viewers)

[liverpool_bob]

no fun when being blown about too much to focus and eyes watering in wind

Out of the wind it was actually quite warm in the sun.... also when everything you see through your bins is blurred by tears and shaking about you can easy turn common birds in to rare ones :-O

Cheers,
Bob.

 

[Mike Richardson]

A new bird for my patch yesterday, kingfisher. A fleeting glimpse but saw where it was perched so hopefully it's a favourite branch.

Having the first week in April off I'm planning a trip to the coast for some migrants. The particular day will probably be weather dependent and I'm looking at starting off at Flamborough - Dyke Wood and the surrounding fields. Any suggestions as to where I go on from there, is Sewerby Park worth a visit?

I wouldn't really suggest Sewerby Park, unless you want to add common woodland birds to your day list (GS Woodpecker, Treecreeper etc are all common there). The park is also very busy with dog walkers and children. Having said that I have also seen Woodcock and Tawny Owl around the golf area.

Depending on what species you are after, RSPB reserve at Bempton might be worth a visit, also South Landing (Flamborough), Filey Brigg and Country Park (15 mins up the coast), or Barmston Beach (10 minutes down the coast).

If the migrants arn't showing, Tophill Low is only about 35 mins away, as is Hornsea Mere. Hope this helps.

 

[Marcus Conway - ebirder]

Impressed

I went out at lunch time today too, and worked the attached lake. I am pretty sure I have seen a smew there before but only from distance, so could have been a rugby ball.

I did get three snipe, and well over 1000 (thousand) winter thrushes mostly fieldfares. I also saw four roe deer which was a nice surprise although they startled me initially. Usual red kites knocking around and a curlew whistling. On the drive back to the office there was 15 goldies clearly recently disturbed.

I worked the area agin and can only say I was very impressed with the colection on the water in the 20 minutes I could manage. 6 Goosander 3m and 3f, 3 pochard and 3 tufteds. Also the obligatory red kite.

Given the time I was there this is very promising.

 

[Hotspur]

Well, what a day. Went out to uni with no plans to go birding but here is what i saw (in Voous order)

1. Little Grebe (Spurn/ North Cave)
2. Great Crested Grebe (NC)
3. Great Cormorant (Wheldrake Ings)
4. Grey Heron (Wheldrake Ings)
5. Little Egret (Stone Creek)
6. Mute Swan (Sp/NC/WI)
7. Greylag (NC)
8. Shelduck (Sp/SC/NC/WI)
9. Mallard (Sp/SC/NC/WI)
10. Gadwall (NC)
11. Pintail (WI)
12. Shoveller (NC/WI)
13. Wigeon (WI)
14. Teal (NC/WI)
15. Pochard (NC)
16. Tufted Duck (NC/WI)
17. Buzzard (Kilnsea)
18. Sparrowhawk (NC)
19. Kestrel (K)
20. Pheasant (NC/WI)
21. Moorhen (Sp/NC)
22. Coot (Sp/NC/WI)
23. Oystercatcher (SC/NC)
24. Avocet (NC)
25. Ringed Plover (NC)
26. Grey Plover (SC)
27. Golden Plover (NC)
28. Lapwing (Everywhere!)
29. Dunlin (SC)
30. Redshank (Sp./SC/NC)
31. Bar-tailed Godwit (SC)
32. Curlew (Everywhere)
33. Snipe (NC)
34. Black-headed Gull (NC/WI)
35. Common Gull (Everywhere)
36. Herring Gull (Sp/WI)
37. Great Black-backed Gull (WI)
38. Glaucous Gull (WI)
39. Iceland Gull (WI)
40. Rock Dove (NC)
41. Stock Dove (NC)
42. Woodpigeon (everywhere)
43. Collared Dove (NC/Langtoft)
44. Skylark (NC)
45. Pied Wagtail (NC)
46. Wren (WI/NC)
47. Dunnock (NC/L)
48. Robin (NC/L)
49. Song Thrush (NC)
50. Mistle Thrush (NC)
51. Blackbird (NC/WI/L)
52. Great Tit (L/WI/NC)
53. Blue Tit (L/NC)
54. Long-tailed Tit (L)
55. Carrion Crow (Everywhere)
56. Rook (Everywhere)
57. Jackdaw (Everywhere)
58. Magpie (Everywhere)
59. Starling (Everywhere)
60. House Sparrow (NC/L)
61. Tree Sparrow (NC)
62. Chaffinch (NC)
63. Greenfinch (NC)
64. Goldfinch (NC)
65. Reed Bunting (SC/NC)
66. Corn Bunting (SC)

Was ace. Also first self found Iceland Gull.

 

[Keith Dickinson]

Nice list there James, but no. 40 rock dove?
Surely feral pigeon rather than rock dove.
I would have thought with all the mongrel birds we have in Yorkshire there were no pure bred rock doves present. That's what I always list them as for the BTO BBS surveys that I do.

 

[Hotspur]

Smart arse

 

[Keith Dickinson]

Mind you I totally envy you numbers 38 and 39. I've dipped those swines so many times at Eccup and Fairburn

 

[schiffornis]

Hi James, a great list there! There has been some good birds at wheldrake, Little Gull, Kittiwake and Fulmur!!! I've started my new consultancy job now so (personal) birding time is back to weekends! Have you made it back to look at the other Am Wigeon?

Re: Storky

Unfortunatley i couldn't be bothered to look for the Stork in the wind so haven't seen that one, though my friend who is the recorder for Teeside said that birding world were not looking too favourably on it since it has hung around but reading through the various bits'n'bobs on the internet it does seem that many overwinter in Europe instead of heading off to Africa etc... so who knows...!

Cheers

ANDY

 

[Hotspur]

Havent seen the other wigeon yet- have a problem though one is on bubwith ings and the other NDC. How do i know which one to see? . The stork is wild you hear me. WILD. There may have been little gull in the gull roost today and kittiwake but definitely no fulmar. Roost was about 10,000 birds mainly common and bh gulls. Usually the white wings are a pain to pick up but i walked into the hide it took about 10 seconds to pick out the first iceland. Glauc hung out on its own underneath the cormorant nests before roosting. Little Egret exploded out of a ditch while i was walking along the bank by stone creek. Flock of 20 corn bunts (dont spoonerise that!)in a farm down by stone creek. Only stopped cos i thought they maybe linnets, whilst i was driving (still need linnet for the year).

 

[Hotspur]

Forgot to say-apparently a female Am. Wigeon was at Wheldrake Ings in dec but never put out. I did see a female wigeon about then with very white axilliaries and the id crossed my mind but i poo-poo'd it.

 

[schiffornis]

Havent seen the other wigeon yet- have a problem though one is on bubwith ings and the other NDC. How do i know which one to see? . The stork is wild you hear me. WILD. There may have been little gull in the gull roost today and kittiwake but definitely no fulmar.

Certainly a hotbed of activity down there! I think the Fulmar was reported yesterday on birdguides yesterday evening (c5pm?)

 

[Hotspur]

I saw that- probably blown crosscountry with the kittiwakes in the gales. Want a leach's petrel!!!

 

[Marcus Conway - ebirder]

Well, what a day. Went out to uni with no plans to go birding but here is what i saw (in Voous order) Was ace. Also first self found Iceland Gull.

Awesome mate, superb day list.

Can you tell me a bit more about the white wings at Wheldrake. Do I need waders to get to the appropriate hide. I haven't been to whledarke since the whiskered tern in the mid 90's so I imagine its a different place now what with the flower chumps et al.

 

[LDVbirder]

Forgot to say-apparently a female Am. Wigeon was at Wheldrake Ings in dec but never put out. I did see a female wigeon about then with very white axilliaries and the id crossed my mind but i poo-poo'd it.

Hi James

first post on here but been following various threads to do with Lower Derwent valley. I'm just interested to know where this info regarding a female bird in dec came from. Its just that its not one anyone who birds in the valley regularly knows about and obviously i'm keen to either trace the record, or dismiss the 'never put out' comments

cheers

 

[Hotspur]

Hi James

first post on here but been following various threads to do with Lower Derwent valley. I'm just interested to know where this info regarding a female bird in dec came from. Its just that its not one anyone who birds in the valley regularly knows about and obviously i'm keen to either trace the record, or dismiss the 'never put out' comments

cheers

Was talking to a gentleman from thorganby who mentioned it as we were talking about the 2 males at bubwith. Apparently it was about when the male was first at wheldrake. The kind of bird that could readily go through unnoticed. Unfortunately i fear this is the birder that doesnt submit records due to previous (that im unaware of) although i could be mistaken. He stated the bird as fact and i had no reason to doubt him as appeared a competent birder (far more so than myself).

ps. Welcome to bf

 

[Hotspur]

Had an interesting plover with the golden plover flock at north cave today. My notes read obvious super, not capped looking. A grey and white bird. Plain grey wing coverts with vermiculation on the primaries. Looked leggy-not longer legs than the GP but slighter in build. Long winged. Dark legs. Dark bill. Grey throat ends higher than GP's with white breast and belly. Indistinguishable in flight from GP.

 

[Ingsbirder]

Was talking to a gentleman from thorganby who mentioned it as we were talking about the 2 males at bubwith. Apparently it was about when the male was first at wheldrake. The kind of bird that could readily go through unnoticed. Unfortunately i fear this is the birder that doesnt submit records due to previous (that im unaware of) although i could be mistaken. He stated the bird as fact and i had no reason to doubt him as appeared a competent birder (far more so than myself).

The guy you mention claims lots of stuff, but never subs records or tells anyone at the time, it's always 'after the event' or when he bumps into folk at 'twitches'. Whether any of it is 'gen' is unknown, but given that he never offers any of his records up for verification, either immediately or afterwards, then this supposed female American Wigeon is about as useful as anything else he reports. Best forget about it, everyone esle does with respect to anything that he claims )

 

[Keith Dickinson]

Had an interesting plover with the golden plover flock at north cave today. My notes read obvious super, not capped looking. A grey and white bird. Plain grey wing coverts with vermiculation on the primaries. Looked leggy-not longer legs than the GP but slighter in build. Long winged. Dark legs. Dark bill. Grey throat ends higher than GP's with white breast and belly. Indistinguishable in flight from GP.

Possible American GP, James? Here's the sheet from Concise BWP.

Field characters
24–25 cm; wing-span 65–72 cm. Slighter than Golden Plover, with particularly narrower neck and longer legs and wings; tips of last extend well beyond tertials and tail, forming noticeably long and narrow end to form; flight silhouette also exhibits relatively longer, narrow wings and slimmer body. Breeding plumage basically black, relieved by white band round crown, extending down neck-sides to broaden and end by shoulder, and rather sparse golden spangles on back and wings (except quills); in summer, much the darkest of the 3 golden plovers. Juvenile and winter adult recall young Grey Plover in colour, often showing no visible gold at distance but differing in cleaner supercilium, smaller spangles on rather dark back and wings, and clouded, softly barred (not lined) underparts below chest, as well as size and build. Underwing dusky on axillaries and coverts (usually noticeably white on Golden Plover); narrow wing-bar greyish (again duller than Golden Plover’s less long but whiter mark). In flight, lighter and on ground, daintier than Golden Plover.

Unmistakable only in breeding plumage; identification in other plumages needs close attention to detail. Beware confusing small, greyer examples of Golden Plover and occasional apparent hybrids of that species and this (or Pacific Golden Plover). Commonest flight calls a clear, vibrato ‘kuee-eep’, recalling Lapwing to some ears, a fluted ‘puu’ and a short ‘kweep’; none suggests Spotted Redshank, as does commonest note of Pacific Golden Plover.

 

[DenisG]

The guy you mention claims lots of stuff, but never subs records or tells anyone at the time, it's always 'after the event' or when he bumps into folk at 'twitches'. Whether any of it is 'gen' is unknown, but given that he never offers any of his records up for verification, either immediately or afterwards, then this supposed female American Wigeon is about as useful as anything else he reports. Best forget about it, everyone esle does with respect to anything that he claims )

Well, there 'ya go, nowt sa queer as folks as we say. Quite a harsh and clique'ish post imho. Maybe he just doesn't want, or have the time, to submit records and surely this is his right?, whatever the reason. I feel that this does not deserve the disrespect you obviously regard him with.

I am new'ish to birding but I would never dream of 'posting reports'. I conceed I would be only too willing to post a pic for id if I had one and let it run from there but many 'watchers' just don't want to get that deeply involved for various reasons.

Personally, I get frustrated by forum (any forum) members who can only exist on a nickname without any clues or blog/web sites for reference, but hey, I live with it

Denis.

 

[Marcus Conway - ebirder]

Awesome mate, superb day list.

Can you tell me a bit more about the white wings at Wheldrake. Do I need waders to get to the appropriate hide. I haven't been to whledarke since the whiskered tern in the mid 90's so I imagine its a different place now what with the flower chumps et al.

Any chance of a bit of guidance J?