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Grimley and Holt (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter Brian Stretch
- Start date
Sunday morning 3c cold but dry cloudy clearing , Holt good numbers of lapwings and also teal but little else to raise the heart beat . Camp lane 2 female goldeneye still present along with plenty of pochard the later huddled in under shrubs east bank. Female mandarin flying up river and a very green and yellow/buff chiffchaff along wagon wheel lane new for the year.
Quick recap Sunday morning beautiful day although cold wind , at holt heard my first singing chaffinch of the year, everything else little change .Camp lane pits the oyster-catcher has been joined by a second, could only see 1 goldeneye , and pochard numbers were down although on reaching wagon wheel pit there was at least a dozen there along with 70 wigeon and my first hare of the year.
Tuesday evening ,i would like to thank Mike Bourne for delaying my walk with a our birder chat as 3 minutes after he'd left 5;30pm BARN OWL quartering east shoreline/fields for about 5 mins until 2 crows started harassing it and it flew off south. Tawny owl seen hunting in dutch barn at the back of village 3/4 hour later.
Tuesday evening ,i would like to thank Mike Bourne for delaying my walk with a our birder chat as 3 minutes after he'd left 5;30pm BARN OWL quartering east shoreline/fields for about 5 mins until 2 crows started harassing it and it flew off south. Tawny owl seen hunting in dutch barn at the back of village 3/4 hour later.
Sunday morning,having seen yellowhammers from the house across in a field hedge i was eager to see if any were passing through Grimley and although i looked in all the likely areas no luck. They were in a banked hedge with small ditch ,not many of these at Grimley although the new pools between the road and Grimley village with the hedge planted along the path will be similar in a couple of years.
I digress back to what I saw, camp lane pits not much change didn't see any goldeneye but after hearing jays mobbing, and suspecting a buzzard in the dead oak half along wood ,west side , it was far better,1 peregrine falcon fantastic bird . I did take picture but found it was to large to upload. 50+ linnets were near south end and goldfinches and reed buntings on southern causeway.Not much up the river but on reaching the swamp /wagon wheel lane 2 water rail.
Quick stop at holt/sling pool kingfisher flying away as i arrived new for the year as were a pair of feeding pintail .62 species seen, 4 new for the year.
I digress back to what I saw, camp lane pits not much change didn't see any goldeneye but after hearing jays mobbing, and suspecting a buzzard in the dead oak half along wood ,west side , it was far better,1 peregrine falcon fantastic bird . I did take picture but found it was to large to upload. 50+ linnets were near south end and goldfinches and reed buntings on southern causeway.Not much up the river but on reaching the swamp /wagon wheel lane 2 water rail.
Quick stop at holt/sling pool kingfisher flying away as i arrived new for the year as were a pair of feeding pintail .62 species seen, 4 new for the year.
Rob Williams
Well-known member
Male still there this morning.
Sunday morning cloudy but thawing,Holt 80% frozen c10 snipe ,30+ teal. Church farm north pit ,dunlin new for the year and on reaching the main camp lane pit another 1 perhaps 2 dunlin. Common gull with black-headed gulls on east shore with a water rail in rushes . Goldeneye Male with females from north causeway ,Pochards shovelers and a big increase in teal southern causeway. Walking up river which astonishing low for the recent weather, 2 more confiding dunlin on shingle beach.
Wagon wheel good numbers wigeon tufted and shoveller but nothing out of the ordinary . 4 redpoll in alders.
Wagon wheel good numbers wigeon tufted and shoveller but nothing out of the ordinary . 4 redpoll in alders.
Sunday morning cloudy but thawing,Holt 80% frozen c10 snipe ,30+ teal. Church farm north pit ,dunlin new for the year and on reaching the main camp lane pit another 1 perhaps 2 dunlin. Common gull with black-headed gulls on east shore with a water rail in rushes . Goldeneye Male with females from north causeway ,Pochards shovelers and a big increase in teal southern causeway. Walking up river which astonishing low for the recent weather, 2 more confiding dunlin on shingle beach.
Wagon wheel good numbers wigeon tufted and shoveller but nothing out of the ordinary . 4 redpoll in alders.
Wagon wheel good numbers wigeon tufted and shoveller but nothing out of the ordinary . 4 redpoll in alders.
Sunday morning misty drizzle camp lane pits held a midland first as well as a Grimley first in the form of a 3rd winter great black-backed gull which was at first washing in the main pit before drying itself on the fence . If the photo comes out apologies they will all look this bad.Several snipe where foraging in the same area .
Sling pool held more snipe along with a distant green sandpiper
Sling pool held more snipe along with a distant green sandpiper
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Tuesday evening,calm good evening for owls although I didn’t see or hear any .Camp lane pits held a new bird for the year a redshank and 2 dunlin on the hippo pool. Another presumed wader was calling but I couldn’t see anything. The goldeneye drake and three ducks were on main pit close to the causeway and if the light had been better I’d have taken another dodgy photo. River flash at the end of wagon wheel lane may hold something interesting over the next few days.
Thursday evening a quick look around the north end of camp lane pits , 3 redshank ,2 little ringed plover [probably the owner of the call from Tuesday] and the 4 long staying goldeneye ,the male throwing his head back and displaying to the females . Then it was on to the main reason for my visit another look at the river flash, wagon wheel end .
The dog was none to impressed with the forced march down there but he'd have plenty of time to loiter and sniff on the way back. On reaching it approx. 350 black headed ,100 LBB gulls, there may have been rarities but I was loosing the light . On the flash far shore a shelduck new for the year as was a curlew,the first I've seen for 5 years at Grimley. A male goosander was swimming amongst numerous mallard ,teal and canada geese. Hopefully the area wont dry out before Sunday and i can have a really good look, although the river has already dropped about a metre since Tuesday night.
On a slightly different theme ,if your offered a 4 foot galvanised metal footpath gate it belongs to the footpath between the road and Grimley village.
The dog was none to impressed with the forced march down there but he'd have plenty of time to loiter and sniff on the way back. On reaching it approx. 350 black headed ,100 LBB gulls, there may have been rarities but I was loosing the light . On the flash far shore a shelduck new for the year as was a curlew,the first I've seen for 5 years at Grimley. A male goosander was swimming amongst numerous mallard ,teal and canada geese. Hopefully the area wont dry out before Sunday and i can have a really good look, although the river has already dropped about a metre since Tuesday night.
On a slightly different theme ,if your offered a 4 foot galvanised metal footpath gate it belongs to the footpath between the road and Grimley village.
Sunday afternoon, a snowscape, cold biting wind I think most birds were in hiding as reduced numbers in all locations. Sling pool, snipe and at least 10 meadow pipit ,which were being watched by a kestrel. wagon wheel pits all but deserted ,wagon wheel lane good numbers of redwing and fieldfare in field on right .Wagon wheel river flash redshank, dunlin, common gull. River risen to 1 metre below bank top. Camp lane pits ducks well hidden around banks ,single redshank and 4 goldeneye 1 male .4 chiffchaff feeding on ground southern end with meadow pipits , goldfinches and 50+ linnits.
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Thursday evening,overcast and gloomy best describes the light, trying out some new bins thumbs up very good. Not much happening at Camp lane ,3 redshank ,3 oystercatchers,a lrp and sparrowhawk through. Did not see any goldeneye but they may have been at the southern end. Pair of goosander on the river and the river flash held plenty of birds but it was to dark to Id any of them . The latter drying out fast.
Sunday morning sunny NW wind, camp lane pits 3 redshank and my first sand martin of the year. Some of the cormorants are now in breeding plumage and judging by the bend in the barb wire fence heavier than they look. Chiffchaff singing along the river and at wagon wheel pit, where 2 more redshank were feeding . First brimstone butterfly was also seen here.
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Tuesday evening ,a quick visit to sling pool revealed nothing unusual although water levels remain very high so onto camp lane where there were 4 of each redshank and sand Martin . At 6:40 pm southern end a very ginger coloured barn owl was quartering the bank, seemed very early as was still full light . I’d seen one the day before at 7:40pm on a walk from home. 2 shelduck circled the north end for about 5minutes before flying off NEast.
On returning to the car there were 2 munjak feeding in the adjacent field.
On returning to the car there were 2 munjak feeding in the adjacent field.
Friday morning ,cold overcast,sling pool 2 shelduck, 2 redshank,1 LRP and about 20 wigeon remain although wigeon numbers are down in all areas. On returning later in the day shelduck still present. Camp lane 2 shelduck,4 redshank,a kingfisher , first here and later 1 up the river, and about 100 sand martins south end . The female goldeneye still. On to the river ,a pair of great crested grebes displaying and a peregrine flew high south. Wagon wheel not much happening here , 2 redshank, but on leaving a curlew landed briefly . 7 redpolls where in alders around the fishing pools ,1 very red breasted individual and 11 skylark took to the air as a sparrow hawk passed through, the 3rd I'd seen in the day. Fieldfare and redwing still about but getting more scarce. 67 species seen .
Tuesday evening, water levels very high in all locations camp lane pits quiet with reduced duck numbers and only redshanks and lapwing ,the latter appear to be sitting , on the wader front. However on crossing onto church farm pools 2 swallows and a wheatear new for the year. (Not in the cattle area).
Sunday morning,calm overcast,5:50 Holt,I was getting out of the car and thinking I’d arrived to early when 2 mallard followed by awoodcock flew over, my first for the area.Up the lane towards the church 1/2 dozen blackcap new in and singing. Past the church 2 green sandpiper sparrow hawk over. On returning a distant bird that looked like a tern turned out to be my second first for the area adultkittiwake flying north. A singing willow warbler another first for the year.
Camp lane pits tried to take a photo of ayellow wagtail to follow 80m+ and while doing so another first common sandpiper hippo pool. Wigeon and pochard still and unbelievably my first little egret of the year ,which was later on the river flash wagon wheel. Down by the river good numbers of redwing and field fare and 2 kingfishers displaying.
The river flash was quiet with only a few gulls and 4 redshank ,egret,but 3 motorised hang gliders were in the area. Wagon wheel deserted but on returning across the fields a large flock of 80+ lib it’s nice to see. 75 species seen a lifetime best,6 new for the year.
Camp lane pits tried to take a photo of ayellow wagtail to follow 80m+ and while doing so another first common sandpiper hippo pool. Wigeon and pochard still and unbelievably my first little egret of the year ,which was later on the river flash wagon wheel. Down by the river good numbers of redwing and field fare and 2 kingfishers displaying.
The river flash was quiet with only a few gulls and 4 redshank ,egret,but 3 motorised hang gliders were in the area. Wagon wheel deserted but on returning across the fields a large flock of 80+ lib it’s nice to see. 75 species seen a lifetime best,6 new for the year.
