Yorkshire Birding (72 Viewers)

[James Thomas]

The GND pic is a cracker Martin.

Edit: Any of you need a boot bargain, I bought some of these for about £130 and still think they are my favouritist boots ever (summer wear)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Meindl-Alic...N4/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1294004039&sr=8-12

 

[Keith Dickinson]

Jim got any recommendations for winter wear? My Brashers are coming to the end of their life.

 

[DOC REED]

Had a cracking day out on North Yorks coast today.
first stop was Filey (sea was a bit rough!) highlights were purple sandpiper, common scoter and good numbers of common waders.
Then on to Scarborough-med gulls 9as ever) showing well at Holbeck, great northern diver and iceland gull in the harbour then Scalby to see the wigeon flock.
Full account and pics on the blog.

Martin...so jealous..awesome pics!!!!

 

[knocker7800]

Kicked off my yearlist with 55 birds around fairburn and i also dipped the RBG at mirfield. Highlights of the day were the water rail at pickup and a ruddy duck at "the moat". Green woody at lin dyke was nice. Good to bump into the "wessies" at Mirfield armed with the advanced ID guides checking every common gull that flew in. Not enought light to go and find the Waxies.

Mark.

 

[knocker7800]

Guys, wheres the best place to have any chance of seeing a Lesser Pecker? South yorkshire may be too far but i'm willing to try anywhere a bit closer to York.

Cheers Mark.

 

[louisfh]

Took a trip to Lin Dyke on New Year's Eve where we didn't see the Owls but did see a Green Woodpecker, flock of several Siskin and a couple of Goosander fly over.

Spent the whole week in Horsforth trying to find some local waxwings and it was only from the car on the drive home that I saw 6 on the Kirkstall Road by the Vue Cinema/Viva Cuba. Finally!

 

[BirdFlower]

Guys, wheres the best place to have any chance of seeing a Lesser Pecker? South yorkshire may be too far but i'm willing to try anywhere a bit closer to York.

Cheers Mark.

PM sent

 

[schiffornis]

Guys, wheres the best place to have any chance of seeing a Lesser Pecker? South yorkshire may be too far but i'm willing to try anywhere a bit closer to York.

Cheers Mark.

Nidd Gorge at Knaresborough is good Mark

 

[metcow333]

Hi guys

had a short stroll around hes east campus today in between waxwing stops in fulford (max count 75). disturbingly, there are 5 dead bh gulls all within a few metres of the outflow pipe that is keeping the pool unfrozen. None showed any signs of physical harm, except one which had its head chewed off, presumably by a fox, after death. I was last there on the 19th, so it must have happened in last 2 weeks, and there arents all that many gulls there at any one time, c 15-20.

Basically does anyone have any advice, i know it might be the cold, but there all so close, and by a water outlet pipe, the only open drinking water, which raises suspicion.
Should i contact someone, the uni, environment agency, defra???

cheers ollie

ps mark, i dont have any sights, but if you fancy teaming up on a l.s. woody hunt, pm me

 

[Lawts]

Quick visit to Cross Gates this afty. Managed to miss 500 Waxwings:-O

Then on to Swilly. Connected with one Iceland Gull. The flock of Common Redpoll are difficult and are beyond the Carolina Bridge - no joy. Also no joy with the White-fronts that had walked out of sight.

A good range of duck at St. Aidan's.

It was just a flying visit.

 

[Lawts]

Hi guys

had a short stroll around hes east campus today in between waxwing stops in fulford (max count 75). disturbingly, there are 5 dead bh gulls all within a few metres of the outflow pipe that is keeping the pool unfrozen. None showed any signs of physical harm, except one which had its head chewed off, presumably by a fox, after death. I was last there on the 19th, so it must have happened in last 2 weeks, and there arents all that many gulls there at any one time, c 15-20.

Basically does anyone have any advice, i know it might be the cold, but there all so close, and by a water outlet pipe, the only open drinking water, which raises suspicion.
Should i contact someone, the uni, environment agency, defra???

cheers ollie

ps mark, i dont have any sights, but if you fancy teaming up on a l.s. woody hunt, pm me

Ollie, you might have some joy with whatever the modern day equivalent of MAFF is. I used to work for the Ministry years ago, and one of the agricultural officers was responsible for such events - especially if it was on farming land.

 

[Chris-Leeds]

Quick visit to Cross Gates this afty. Managed to miss 500 Waxwings:-O

Then on to Swilly. Connected with one Iceland Gull. The flock of Common Redpoll are difficult and are beyond the Carolina Bridge - no joy. Also no joy with the White-fronts that had walked out of sight.

A good range of duck at St. Aidan's.

It was just a flying visit.

:eek!: I knew I should have worked on the bike before today.
Waxwings in Croggy? What with the great grey shrike at Fairburn too. :C

 

[vwxyzen]

Quick visit to Cross Gates this afty. Managed to miss 500 Waxwings:-O

Then on to Swilly. Connected with one Iceland Gull. The flock of Common Redpoll are difficult and are beyond the Carolina Bridge - no joy. Also no joy with the White-fronts that had walked out of sight.

A good range of duck at St. Aidan's.

It was just a flying visit.

The Redpoll flock is very approachable if you are lucky enough to be in the right place. They seem to move between Lowther lake and Methley bridge but get spooked by the trains on the nearby line.

Dave.

 

[awhitehead2011]

Barn Owls

If you want to see Barn Owls (4+) they are almost guaranteed at the moment at North Duffield Carrs. Great news after the harsh weather :t:

 

[zacatzooba]

30plus waxwings in Bramhope this aftie - second lot in the past few days.
Btw - whilst driving through the Dales (A65) at night over the past 10 days have seen multiple barn owls hunting - hopefully they are hanging in there.

 

[Ingsbirder]

Guys, wheres the best place to have any chance of seeing a Lesser Pecker? South yorkshire may be too far but i'm willing to try anywhere a bit closer to York.

Cheers Mark.

Mark

Askham Bog used to be 'the' site but not so 'easy' there since YWT did some 'habitat management'. Other sites around York include Skipwith Common, Wheldrake/Thorganby area, Newburgh Priory or up around Castle Howard - though always difficult.

Don't spend too much time looking now as it's a needle in a haystack job, but learn the song and get out in a few weeks time when they're a lot easier.....

Good luck!

 

[liverpool_bob]

Hi everybody, I've been reading the posts on here for a few months now. I have a question for anybody in the Beverley area, I'd like to know if there are any woodpeckers present within about a three mile walking distance of the town centre at the moment?

Are you familiar with their call? Easily the best way to locate them.

 

[knocker7800]

Thought i'd try the coast yesterday via Wykeham. Tons of snow on the hills made the trip interesting. Only managed 30 mins in the cold and wind but still managed to spot a large accipter hunting crows. On to scarborough harbour for the close views of GN Diver, rock Pipit and the Iceland Gull (lifer!). Holbeck Car Park has 5-6 adult Med Gulls. Last stop of the day was Carr Naze with a cracking Grey Plover near the pond and then a interesting raptor turned up. Looked like the smallest peregrine i've ever seen. There was a Kestrel also for comparison, pretty much the same size. Difficult to scope as the wind was quite gusty and freezing. But definately had a white throat patch and moustaches, sickle wings and a short tail, if it was summer i'd have thought it was a Hobby. Lots of dead birds on the top of the brigg, Predated or Weather?
Mark.

 

[Keith Dickinson]

I would imagine that the weather is the cause of the deaths Mark, probably continental birds that fled the conditions in Europe and arrived too weak to cope with the weather here.

 

[James Thomas]

Looked like the smallest peregrine i've ever seen. There was a Kestrel also for comparison, pretty much the same size. Difficult to scope as the wind was quite gusty and freezing. But definately had a white throat patch and moustaches, sickle wings and a short tail, if it was summer i'd have thought it was a Hobby. Lots of dead birds on the top of the brigg, Predated or Weather?
Mark.

Merlin?