Yorkshire Birding (109 Viewers)

[zacatzooba]

Not been able to get there so far and I cant get to Blacktofts until Thursday - if the old Marshy hangs around that long - pigs might fly springs to mind..... Anyhow - if by some magic it is still there the RSPB website states it is open till 9pm or Dusk (so assume 9pm) - in reality is this the case - dont want to turn up at say 8pm and the place is locked up.

Has the bird been showing in the evening on a regular basis or is the tide affecting its whereabouts?

Also - read the earlier posts about the local idiots - is there any of these doughnuts hanging around the place/car park on an evening? Dont need that s**t, I can go to Fairburn for that!!!!

Cheers for any info.

John,

went saturday evening - warden appeared in Singleton hide about 8.55pm and coughed politely - 9pm shut every night.

no idiots when I visited.

Beware baby toads on the path - would be easy to leave a mass murderer!

 

[tophillbirder]

the Little Gulls; assuming theres a couple of hundred, are they generally dropping into the area where the yachts are beached?

Little Gulls have been a bit difficult so far. Good chance of the odd one throughout the day but the good numbers only seem to turn up near dusk. Kirkholme Pt often closes c5pm.

 

[Lawts]

Little Gulls have been a bit difficult so far. Good chance of the odd one throughout the day but the good numbers only seem to turn up near dusk. Kirkholme Pt often closes c5pm.

They used to show really well. I can remember getting several at very close range throughout the day at Kirkholme.

I'm guessing very early doors must give the best chance if they arriving at dusk.

 

[Hotspur]

They used to show really well. I can remember getting several at very close range throughout the day at Kirkholme.

I'm guessing very early doors must give the best chance if they arriving at dusk.

They don't roost on the mere steve. They all leave after dusk. They feed on the inverts emerging in the evening apparently.

 

[James Thomas]

Going back to yesterday's trip over to Blacktoft, I'm glad to see that the RSPB have money to waste. For some reason they've put a gate at the end of the dirt path to Ousefleet hide, if some one has trespassed so far into the reserve a gate there is NOT going to stop them accessing the hide. They've also put gate where the path to Ousefleet hide goes through the hedge line close to Marshland hide and across the main entrance to the reserve just by the feeding station. Again what was the point?

Theres a bit on the Blacktoft recent sightings page that may explain this. They have a Konik pony and foal that they want to put to use. Koniks are Polish and suited to Wetland habitat, they are being used to manage the habitat at Wicken Fen. Perhaps the additional gates/fences are just ensuring that following any release they won't be able to get out?

Thanks for the info on the LG's.

 

[Keith Dickinson]

Jim
That makes a hell of a lot more sense than the cars thing. When you look at the gate by Ousefleet any yob could uproot that in minutes...

 

[schiffornis]

Very nearly added Little Egret to my garden list today....

 

[Keith Dickinson]

Andy
Do you include fly-overs in your garden list or has the bird to land?

 

[schiffornis]

Andy
Do you include fly-overs in your garden list or has the bird to land?

Hi Keith, I count anything seen/heard from the house/garden, currently on 80 species!

 

[northernloon]

Always a tricky one Andy. It comes down to personal choice. Living in a first floor flat rather limits things but I have managed Willy Wobbler, Goldcrest and Grey Heron

 

[Lawts]

Always a tricky one Andy. It comes down to personal choice. Living in a first floor flat rather limits things but I have managed Willy Wobbler, Goldcrest and Grey Heron

When I lived in Tinshill/Cookridge with my Mum and Dad, (the grove Farms at the top of Tinshill Lane for anyone who knows where that is) my brother and I put a good garden list together from our bedroom window - for a Leeds suburb at any rate:-

I'll probably forget some crackers here that Dave will remind me of but:-

All three woodpeckers - added Lesser Spot. to my life list here.
Spotted Fly - annual on passage
Redstart
Whitethroat
Willow Tit - regular
Brambling
Willow/chaffs
Mute Swan
Lapwing
Pheasant
Bullfinch
Goldfinch
Greenfinch
Treecreeper
Jay
Tawny Owl
Linnet

Just outside the garden so not technically on the list:-

Waxwing
Lesser Redpoll
Reed Bunting
HOODED!! Crow
partridge sp.

 

[northernloon]

Was that the first record of a hoody in Leeds? Much more common these days :eek!:

 

[Keith Dickinson]

I know the Grove Farms Steve, used to work with a guy who lived in one of them...

My garden list has a few nice birds

Red kite - v regular and have had one fly through below roof height.
Waxwing - flock of 150+ being the best of them
Gt Spot Woodie - several times
Green Woodie - 1
Treecreeper - 1
Nuthatch - 1
Jay - regular, steals the acorns from our oak.
Blackcap - wintering bird
Goldcrest - probably still come but as I can't hear them anymore unrecorded
Redpoll - lessers before anyone says anything
Sparrowhawk - not quite as regular but has left behind kills in the garden
Fieldfare - flock of 30+
Redwing - handful with the above flock
Mistle thrush
Song thrush - first last year
House sparrow - first last year
plus the usual bird table regulars

 

[northernloon]

Here's a dilemma. Spuggies have certainly declined in recent times but was their population artificially inflated by human activity?

 

[Keith Dickinson]

I read somewhere that the peak of the spuggie population was at the start of the 20th century and the decline started after the horse was superceded by the car as the main transport option. The spillage from the horse's nosebag being a major source of food for them. Cannot for the life of me remember where I read that though.

 

[James Thomas]

This really deserves it's own thread no need to clutter up the main Yorks thread;

Usual species but prodest of..

Woodcock flying down the road in the middle of a storm
Waxwing, inevitably this winter, since planted a Rowan.
Great White Egret, still incredulous of this but still convinced.

 

[Hotspur]

Best garden birds for me have been Woodcock, Curlew, Lapwing, Oystercatcher, Yellowhammer, Reed Bunting, Stock Dove, Pheasant, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Whitethroat, Blackcap, Barn Owl, Tawny Owl, Tree Sparrow, Siskin, Kestrel, Skylark, GSW, Grey Wagtail. Thought I had heard Little Owl 2 nights ago as well but not sure as brief...

 

[eagle golden]

Best garden birds for me were, several buzzards, dozens of kestrels, hundreds of tawny and little owls,several perigrines, about a dozen merlins, and one honey buzzard,
4 short eared owls, breeding barn owls, blackbirds, thrushes, finches. doves pigeions,and several kingfishers,one tame barn owl, robins, I have a record chart for over forty years and in fairness I was a licenced Rehabilatator, and ran a bird rescue centre for over forty years. now trying to get my book finished. MC

 

[northernloon]

This really deserves it's own thread no need to clutter up the main Yorks thread;

Usual species but proudest of..

Woodcock flying down the road in the middle of a storm
Waxwing, inevitably this winter, since planted a Rowan.
Great White Egret, still incredulous of this but still convinced.

I forget the species of heron but wasn't there a odd 'un on someone's patio last year in East Anglia?

 

[Dint See It]

I forget the species of heron but wasn't there a odd 'un on someone's patio last year in East Anglia?

I think it was a Squacco Heron on someones patio at spurn, can't remember his name. I heard he was away on holiday at the time!!!