Yorkshire Birding (6 Viewers)

[Chris-Leeds]

Happy new year.
Considered Fairburn yesterday while cycling Swilly but my hands and feet were too cold and my empty stomach wouldn't have appreciated the extra effort. Not a lot to write home about just the usual wildfowl for the time of year.
I've seen a roe deer once at Fairburn at the screened off feeders near Pickup hide, it was early morning though. Saw a couple this morning near home. Year tally stands at 52 seen, a few heard and some not sure. Will have to wait until next weekend for any more because work interferes as usual.

 

[Pete Mella]

Early afternoon.

Millfield Lagoon;frozen over completely, no birds
Calder wetlands; The east lake has a small area near Swan and Cygnet lots of birds on there incl Ferruginous Duck. West Lake has a small unfrozen area in the middle, again plenty of birds incl Ring Necked.
Pugney's; didn't bother.

I think both lakes at Calder Wetlands will be frozen over tomorrow so I don't know where the birds will be displaced to, probably Pugneys main lake so take a scope.


Smew was apparently on the river.

Thanks for that - I won't waste time with Millfield Lagoon tomorrow, at least not until I've given Pugney's and Calder Wetlands a good going over. Maybe worth a trip to Angler's if Calder and Millfield are frozen and the ducks in question aren't loitering at Pugney's?

 

[Simmo1111]

Trickling on locally this morning - 6 more added to the yearlist in the shape of Canada goose, lesser redpoll (not an easy one near me...), dipper, nuthatch, mistle thrush and song thrush. Still no heron, pied wag or greenfinch, though!

I'm joining the Calder Wetlands duck bandwagon tomorrow - if anyone can PM me some details where to park for both Calder Wetlands and Millfield Lagoons it would be much appreciated. Also someone mentioned Jack Snipe in that area as well as the rare duck frenzy... any gen on these?

Email sent Pete .... Good luck mate !

 

[northernloon]

walking, the inadvisability of

Managed a long walk up the canal on Friday. Excellent views of a f Sparrowhawk in Gotts Wood and a pair of Goosander on the river from Bridge Road.

Took off my boots at home to discover my ankle red and swollen |8(|. Still, it was reason enough to watch footie all day. I even cheered Leeds for once but only because they beat Man U (teehee).

 

[bitterntwisted]

Early afternoon.

Millfield Lagoon;frozen over completely, no birds
Calder wetlands; The east lake has a small area near Swan and Cygnet lots of birds on there incl Ferruginous Duck. West Lake has a small unfrozen area in the middle, again plenty of birds incl Ring Necked.
Pugney's; didn't bother.

I think both lakes at Calder Wetlands will be frozen over tomorrow so I don't know where the birds will be displaced to, probably Pugneys main lake so take a scope.


Smew was apparently on the river.

Late afternoon, ditto, but I couldn't find the Smew on the river at sunset.

There will be less disturbance around Pugney's tomorrow so very likely the birds will head there, I'd have thought.

Graham

EDIT: The RND has reduced white around the bill base and a brownish tone to the rear flanks. This is because it is a first winter?

Also, there was a weird goose which flew in with some Canadas at sunset. It is neither a blue phase snow goose nor an emperor goose as it has a very small, all-black bill, but is otherwise reminiscent of one or the other. If anyone could advise it's parentage it would satisfy my curiosity.

 

[Disneynut1973]

Pam,
I used to do Fairburn by public transport in the 80's before I got my first car. I'd set off at about 8.00am and not get to Fairburn until 10.00am, so with at least a 15 minute walk from the bus stop to Lin Dyke it was a big chunk out of the day, although it kept me fit walking from Lin Dyke to the Cut and back again.
If you ever want to come out on one of the Tyke BF meets just post in the thread and we can always find space in a car I'm sure.

Thanks for that Keith.

I've decided to hold of on Fairburn Ings till the ice has gone - very sore after falling on it yesterday! Worth going though.

 

[Simmo1111]

Just doing my 2010 yearlist update and I am now on 72 ...

Having only been birding seriously for about 18 months or so I have just realised that I have just completed 50% of my lifelist in 3 days !!

How bad is that !!!! 3

 

[northernloon]

list envy

Nice one Dave :t: Think of it this way; you're gonna get an awful lot of lifers. That's something to look forward to.

I plan to get back into birding after a long absence so a lot of things will be kinda new to me.

 

[DOC REED]

Long Marston Bunting flock

Nothing compared to one at Buckton but today found my largest ever flock corn bunting;60-70 birds,with similar number yellowhammer.4 reed Buntings,30-40 chaffinch,12 Linnets and 2 Bullfinches too

 

[Chris-Leeds]

Late afternoon, ditto, but I couldn't find the Smew on the river at sunset.

There will be less disturbance around Pugney's tomorrow so very likely the birds will head there, I'd have thought.

Graham

EDIT: The RND has reduced white around the bill base and a brownish tone to the rear flanks. This is because it is a first winter?
Also, there was a weird goose which flew in with some Canadas at sunset. It is neither a blue phase snow goose nor an emperor goose as it has a very small, all-black bill, but is otherwise reminiscent of one or the other. If anyone could advise it's parentage it would satisfy my curiosity.

That's interesting Graham, there was a similar looking duck hanging around just below Lemonroyd Lock down by Swillington on Saturday afternoon. I thought it looked a little off but assumed it may have been a tufty, I should have looked harder despite the trees in the way.

 

[Articuno]

Thanks to some kind birders I finally got to see a long eared owl at Fairburn on Saturday! Through a very nice scope might I add! Also saw tree sparrows which was a nice surprise.

 

[bitterntwisted]

That's interesting Graham, there was a similar looking duck hanging around just below Lemonroyd Lock down by Swillington on Saturday afternoon. I thought it looked a little off but assumed it may have been a tufty, I should have looked harder despite the trees in the way.

It's still pretty distinctive, Chris. My comments were on imperfections by comparison with a classic, bright adult male RND, which has a neat, bold, distinctive line around the base of the bill and entirely pale gray flanks apart from the white area at the front... http://www.digital-images.net/Images/Ducks/RingNeckedDuck_8925.jpg

Graham

 

[bitterntwisted]

Thanks to Will for the link to a photo of my mystery hybrid goose taken at Bretton almost three years ago. Definitely the same bird... http://bluebirder.blogspot.com/2007/04/bretton-update.html

Graham

 

[Chris-Leeds]

Unfortunately my view wasn't great and I'm sure one of the regular birders there would have picked up on it if it was a RND. Would a tufted duck appear to have the dirty brown colouring toward the rear of the flanks while being white at the front? The bill did stand out as different from a tufted but I could very easily be wrong with that judgement.

 

[bitterntwisted]

Would a tufted duck appear to have the dirty brown colouring toward the rear of the flanks while being white at the front?

In moult, yes. IIRC a male bird still in first-winter plumage (now) or moulting to or from eclipse (in late summer) will show dusky flanks, as here... http://www.birdskorea.org/Images/images2008/11/Tufted-Duck_TE.jpg

(I don't have any books to hand so I can't check the moult strategy but I'm pretty sure that's right - someone else will surely correct the detail, but as the photo shows Tufted's can show that flank pattern)

Graham

 

[Joern Lehmhus]

Hi Graham,

The Bretton hybrid goose you linked is Emperor x Barnacle goose; for comparison see those 2 from Karlsruhe Zoo

http://www.flickr.com/photos/14195020@N08/3209688676/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/14195020@N08/3208841459/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/14195020@N08/3208841581/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/14195020@N08/3208847553/

These hybrids normally have a dark breast like barnacle goose (but could be dark grey instead of black, and borders to flanks not sharp), leg colour from paleolive-yellow to bright orange, often some dark undertail coverts like in emperor goose and tail mainly black as in barnacle goose but often with white bases of some feathers. White area on head and neck like in emperor goose but with some black feathers intermixed in most birds. Bill generally black.

 

[AlanCh]

Apologies if this is in the wrong thread, but I am in Yorkshire.

My garden has been very busy since the snows came - I've been feeding on the ground as well as in my many feeders, and have had a flock of up to around 20 blackbirds, all trying to maintain a territory of about 1 square yard. Plenty of chaffinches, many of whom seem to prefer ground feeding to the feeders, as do quite a few of the house sparrows. Two family parties of woodpigeons visit as well, and regular goldfinches on the feeders and on evening primrose seed heads - a good reason to leave the garden untidy until spring. Today I had a surprise visitor, probably attracted by the blackbird flock - a solitary fieldfare.

Here are few photos, taken through the windows so not brilliant quality.

 

[andy hood]

flamborough

water pipit on danes dyke beach late this afternoon, was right under the cliff and on the cliff sides, (probably the south landing bird ??) water rail still showing really well in the ravine , 1 woodcock flying over our garden 7am this morn,

 

[bitterntwisted]

Today I had a surprise visitor, probably attracted by the blackbird flock - a solitary fieldfare.

That's a beautiful pic of the Fieldfare, Alan. Leeds has been very good for them and Redwing this year. Whereabouts are you? I haven't ever had so many in the garden in Chapel Allerton before, up to thirty at a time on the Cotoneaster.

Graham

 

[AlanCh]

That's a beautiful pic of the Fieldfare, Alan. Leeds has been very good for them and Redwing this year. Whereabouts are you? I haven't ever had so many in the garden in Chapel Allerton before, up to thirty at a time on the Cotoneaster.

Graham

Thanks Graham.

I live in Moortown, just off Stonegate Road near the fire station on the Ring Road side, at the end of a cul-de-sac with a bit of woodland behind my garden. I've had Redwings here before, stripping berries, but never had a Fieldfare, so I'm very pleased - it held its own with the marauding Blackbird flock.