Yes Friday looking a bit more promising now to dump something for Saturday. Yesterday Friday was showing as light southerlies.
Fingers crossed at any rate.
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Yorkshire Birding (15 Viewers)
- Thread starter Hotspur
- Start date
Yes Friday looking a bit more promising now to dump something for Saturday. Yesterday Friday was showing as light southerlies.
Fingers crossed at any rate.
Eccup Reservoir
Why is Eccup so poor for birds? From when I started in '82 I can only recall a Great Northern, which I got back in '82/83, a Red-throated, a Temminck's Stint and a Grey Phal. It used to get white-winged gulls but they've dried up now. Generally not great for such an expanse of water. It rarely even gets the rarer grebes.
I may have missed the odd bird but pretty poor fair when you match it against the other inland reservoirs. Take Grafham Water - x 2 Grey Phal's and a Sab's just at the moment.
For me it lacks mud, but then so do reservoirs like Farmoor, that still get much better records.
It's hard, and in places impossible to work, but some people do work it.
It doesn't really have islands or resting posts to attract terns like some do.
It ought to be a better local patch than it is.
Thoughts?
Why is Eccup so poor for birds? From when I started in '82 I can only recall a Great Northern, which I got back in '82/83, a Red-throated, a Temminck's Stint and a Grey Phal. It used to get white-winged gulls but they've dried up now. Generally not great for such an expanse of water. It rarely even gets the rarer grebes.
I may have missed the odd bird but pretty poor fair when you match it against the other inland reservoirs. Take Grafham Water - x 2 Grey Phal's and a Sab's just at the moment.
For me it lacks mud, but then so do reservoirs like Farmoor, that still get much better records.
It's hard, and in places impossible to work, but some people do work it.
It doesn't really have islands or resting posts to attract terns like some do.
It ought to be a better local patch than it is.
Thoughts?
pcurpb
The Inevitable Mippit
You want northerlies for sea watching, Liam. As you can see from surrounding posts SE winds tomorrow & Friday are predicted: the hope is this will blow in migrant passerines heading S from N Europe. So on your place I'd be checking the headland & old fall for warblers & flycatchers etc. Good luck.
schiffornis
AWBirder
I guess this is because last weekend looking on the long-range forecast for the coming weekend it had thurs, fri, sat and sun as easterlies, however by monday this forecast had been revised to more-or-less what it is now.
Still worth a look I think!
Hotspur
James Spencer
Im not sure it will be that good for migrants - I imagine a sprinking. Bet seawatching will be decent with loads of stuff re-orientating during the lull in westerlies.
northernloon
swimming in a virtual sea
There is probably a thread for this kinda stuff. Why is a Great Northern Diver calling in the Everglades? (CSI Miami)
Chris-Leeds
Well-known member
They use that call in lots of films too where they just wouldn't be. Dark spooky jungle scenes for example.
northernloon
swimming in a virtual sea
a corker on Birdguides tonight. ? Tern sp. Bardsey (that's Wales not W Yorks) but still...
Hotspur
James Spencer
yeah but I guess thats Caspian or Royal as it says large tern sp offshore
northernloon
swimming in a virtual sea
didn't see that bit
James Thomas
Well-known member
Nipped down to Fairburn this evening, Black Tern doing the rounds on new flash until it was spooked by a peregrine, came back but departed fairly soon after, probably to roost so it might still be there tomorrow. Also Blackwit and Green Sandpiper, water levels getting very low.
DOC REED
Well-known member
Slow off the draw as usual, and don't subscribe to pagers, so is there really azure tit in bucks and a sooty tern in Durham???
ps bucks with small 'b' as its 'down south'!!
Hotspur
James Spencer
sort of and there was. Azure looks to be an escaped Yellow-breasted Tit with the Sooty Tern seen briefly on three different reservoirs before disappearing with another or the same later seen on Northern Ireland and another off Suffolk.
liverpool_bob
scarce migrant to yorkshire
50+ Pink-feet SE toward Hornsea this afternoon. Nice and early.
[edit: first big arrival Martin Mere also today - c500]
[edit: first big arrival Martin Mere also today - c500]
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BirdFlower
Always more to learn
Saw a flock of similar size heading East from Paull at 1.30pm
Articuno
Fan of Columbidae and Laridae
Hi has anyone spotted any unusual birds of prey in the Guiseley area lately? Yesterday I was on my way back from the chippy in the car with my partner and as we were driving along I spotted something way off in the distance. My immediate thought was "common buzzard" but then as we went out of view from it, I thought "Ah it's probably a kite I saw, there's rarely buzzards around here". Either way it was miles off and I didn't expect to see it again.
About two minutes later it came into view and this time was right over us, thankfully then we were stopped at a junction, I could very clearly see that it was neither a kite nor a common buzzard but about the right size.
At this point of realisation I started freaking out and asked my partner to take a thorough look at it so we could identify it later.. but we're still not certain.
- It looked all brown, from the lighting I couldn't see whether or not it had any markings underneath which was a shame..
- Its head protruded more than your common buzzard would.
- It had long, slim looking wings which were somewhat angular at the tops so they pointed downwards, but also quite straight.
- The tail was long and thin, never fanned.
- In the time I saw it, there were no glides, it mostly flapped and was direct.
Here's a good indicator of the shape overall:
http://i.imgur.com/i5hFc.jpg
The tail in particular fits perfectly in all the images I've seen of Honey Buzzards, mostly because of it's length and shape. The wings fit in some pictures I've seen, not others.
Have there been other sightings of Honey Buzzards here or near here? I can't think of anything else it could possibly be.
About two minutes later it came into view and this time was right over us, thankfully then we were stopped at a junction, I could very clearly see that it was neither a kite nor a common buzzard but about the right size.
At this point of realisation I started freaking out and asked my partner to take a thorough look at it so we could identify it later.. but we're still not certain.
- It looked all brown, from the lighting I couldn't see whether or not it had any markings underneath which was a shame..
- Its head protruded more than your common buzzard would.
- It had long, slim looking wings which were somewhat angular at the tops so they pointed downwards, but also quite straight.
- The tail was long and thin, never fanned.
- In the time I saw it, there were no glides, it mostly flapped and was direct.
Here's a good indicator of the shape overall:
http://i.imgur.com/i5hFc.jpg
The tail in particular fits perfectly in all the images I've seen of Honey Buzzards, mostly because of it's length and shape. The wings fit in some pictures I've seen, not others.
Have there been other sightings of Honey Buzzards here or near here? I can't think of anything else it could possibly be.
pete seaman
Well-known member
Any chance it was a Marsh Harrier as we have had two sightings of Marsh Harriers at the top end of the Washburn valley which is not far away in harrier miles
Articuno
Fan of Columbidae and Laridae
Never seen a Harrier of any type! Had no idea they were around here! Thanks for advising, I will look into it as I'm unfamiliar with their shapes. It was rather large though, are Harriers that big..?
EDIT: Thankyou VERY much, it looked exactly like this http://www.portlandbirdobs.org.uk/bp_marsh_harrier_33_050409_525.jpg
I did find it weird how I couldn't see any markings or colour underneath it, I am SUPER happy, my first Harrier and on the way back from the local chippy!!!
EDIT: Thankyou VERY much, it looked exactly like this http://www.portlandbirdobs.org.uk/bp_marsh_harrier_33_050409_525.jpg
I did find it weird how I couldn't see any markings or colour underneath it, I am SUPER happy, my first Harrier and on the way back from the local chippy!!!
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James Thomas
Well-known member
Was booked to go on the boat tomorrow but it's been cancelled, hey-ho! Will have to think of something else now.
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