Yorkshire Birding (2 Viewers)

[davidtucker]

Spent the morning with the "Oriole" Fleeting glimpses as it dived between trees, "camped on it" hoping for a photo, not a chance, longest view 1.5 secs.....Good to see Steve (Lawts) there, hope you got a view Steve?? Decided to go for the Dotterels, in Danby, North Yorks, not so much as a sniff, 100 miles for a photo of a Red Grouse, but tomorrow is another day....

 

[davidtucker]

I am planning to spend a week to 10 days on Scilly this October. The Middle 2 weeks tend to be most productive for rarities/megas. I will probably be camping, so the whole trip should cost around £120 inc ferry. Would anyone be interested in a trip?? if so send me a PM and I will explore costs further.....Dave

 

[James Thomas]

Sprun is like a different planet sometimes - report from yesteday.

"No migration watches due to thick fog all day which never lifted, the wind was a very fresh, cold north-easterly.

One of the worst days of the spring"

Anyone got an idea how this affects birds moving north? Would it push them inland, would they go up and over? If it's the former then Hornsea Mere and Tophill Low could be fairly attractive over the next few days.

 

[Lawts]

Spent the morning with the "Oriole" Fleeting glimpses as it dived between trees, "camped on it" hoping for a photo, not a chance, longest view 1.5 secs.....Good to see Steve (Lawts) there, hope you got a view Steve?? Decided to go for the Dotterels, in Danby, North Yorks, not so much as a sniff, 100 miles for a photo of a Red Grouse, but tomorrow is another day....

Dave it took three hours but I got him around 5:00pm. There was just me at one point before Mike and his wife/girlfriend Sarah arrived. I stayed put, and Mike/Sarah did a circuit of the wood. A Magpie flushed out the Oriole but fourtunately we all saw him from different points. Mike had seen him first thing this morning as well.

I heard the Jay like call a couple of times, and then he flew out and landed on a tree briefly. I managed to get a poor shot of him before he flew, (will post later). Very elusive.

The "crowd" when I arrived was about half a dozen, and gradually they left until it was just me. I was about to give up. Thank you Magpie! After Osprey and Nightingale this was the next Yorkshire bogey bird.

 

[davidtucker]

Fantastic!!!! Excellent result Steve.

 

[Mike Richardson]

I've had some cracking lifers over the last few weeks. King Eider, Woodchat Shrike and Red-footed Falcon. Today I added another one to my 'dirty twitcher list.'

Paid a couple of visits to the Golden Oriole site. On my first trip (in work time) I managed two short flight views. The bird sang briefly and made a number of loud, Jay like alarm calls.

I returned after work to find Steve (Lawts) manning the vantage point alone. The Oriole hadn't been seen or heard since early afternoon, but now the sun was starting to appear again.

In a nut shell I left Steve to walk the trail and got great flight views when the bird was flushed by a Magpie. Luckily Steve enjoyed views in my absence, before the bird took flight. Result.

Photo taken by Sarah.



Can you tell what it is yet?

EDIT: Steve got there before me!

 

[Keith Dickinson]

Reckon the oriole will stay till tomorrow?
I could be tempted to go after it.

 

[Lawts]

A couple of shots (well same shot) of the GO (if it's worked)

Clearly it didn't - too big I think - they are on birdguides at any rate!

 

[knocker7800]

Was tempted but had some bad experiences with flamborough. Dipped 4 times in last two months.

Had to settle for stonechats locally. Although got great views of another garden warbler yesterday.

 

[Hotspur]

Had a look at old fall today. No orioles in there but I managed to call a garden warbler on call. So I smiled a bit. That and a handsome White Wag male landing on the path. Obviously it flew when i went for the camera but thats sods law. Wood Sand at Swine Moor plus Greenshank but very hazy.

Whats going on at Thorne?? 3 Red-footed Falcons - i only noticed the reports today but looks like they have been about for 3 days. Mental.

 

[Mike Richardson]

Had a look at old fall today. No orioles in there but I managed to call a garden warbler on call.

From what I was told last night, the Oriole was flushed from Old Fall early yesterday morning. It was only seen by a single birder.

I had a quick wall around Whelky Wynds this evening but no sign of the Oriole. I did see an old couple walking a cat which amused me for a while.

 

[bitterntwisted]

Showed Marcus round my nightjar site in North Yorks last night after he went to John O'Gaunts (where sadly the Redstarts were not showing well for him).

No churring yet, although Marcus did have a distant possible silhouette, and only one LEO calling only briefly, but we were entertained by many roding woodcock, including several early and very clear close passes overhead and a chase between two of them.

Also drumming Snipe, always nice, and a Redstart in a new location at the site for me. Will try again for nightjar early next week - had the first on the 16th last year.

Graham

PS - Marcus, that was Redstart contact alarm call 5a, given by male only: "(a) ♂ gives an ascending 'hueee' (sometimes in isolation—see also 6d) followed by varying number of 'tic' or 'tk' sounds: e.g. 'hueee tk tk tk hueee tk'" It is 6d I'm more familiar with which doesn't have the 'tic' notes, and which is more often given by the female.
PPS - won't paste the vast literature on Woodcock roding but the chase we saw was most likely male chasing a female back to the nest site, rather than aggression between two males.

 

[bitterntwisted]

hi everyone, i've got a family camping trip planned for a week in harrogate in two weeks time and obviously i would like to get a bit of birdwatching done, can anybody recommend any good places within a twenty mile radius of harrogate. can you pm me instead of putting your thoughts on the forum, all help will be much appreciated.

thanks

Lots of good places around Harrogate - Nidd Gorge and Hay-a-Park virtually in town, Washburn Valley no distance which has loads to expore even away from the main Fewston and Swinsty reservoirs which attract all the visitors. Other sites I know less well like Brimham Rocks are not far at all. Bolton Abbey is a little further but is well worth extending your 20 mile limit to 30 for.

Bolton Abbey is your best bet for Marsh Tit, Wood Warbler, Pied Fly, Redstart, Common Sand, Grey Wag, Dipper, Kingfisher, Mandarin and possibly raptors nearby. Much better early before the crowds arrive though. Get there for the dawn chorus at silly o'clock and however much it hurts it's worth it.

The moors to the west of Harrogate don't seem great for Whinchat, Dunlin, Golden Plover compared to those further north and west, but you could still see all these plus the usual Grouse, Curlew and Snipe there. Have had Merlin and Hen Harrier in the area but they don't fair too well in North Yorkshire and you'd be lucky to see one. Buzzards are doing better and you can't miss the Red Kites in the Harewood area and now further afield.

Finally, Fairburn Ings RSPB is probably just over your distance limit but not much over half an hours drive from the south edge of town.

Other good sites for Redstart, Tree Pipit etc. nearer you, and some moderately sensitive stuff I could let you know about by PM or phone if you drop me a note.

Graham

 

[Keith Dickinson]

Thanks for the pm Graham, going now for the bonus bird ... btw your message box is full!


Just back and although I didn't get the bonus bird, I did get my very first flight views of LEO! It's worth the painful fingers for the views I've had (I suffer from Raynaud's syndrome and I'd forgotten my gloves). I'll be going back there properly equiped next time...LOL

 

[bitterntwisted]

Glad you got a LEO, Keith. How dark when it flew?

Missed Redpoll off that list last night, and have made some message space.

Graham

 

[Marcus Conway - ebirder]

I think we had 9-10 woodcock
Most I have ever had, and never witnessed that courting behaviour before.

 

[bitterntwisted]

Hi Graham

I'm living in (i think) SE35I, I've subbmitted a few roving records for what i've had, mainly whilst walking the dog, though i need to get some more recent ones online, so far i've found Gropper, Garden Warbler, Cuckoo, Little Owl (a few), White Stork!..

Hi Andy,

Sorry I missed this post - 35I is a little more built up than mine in the south, but might have a better range of species. I've also seen Little Owl there, but not White Stork! And I saw Lesser Spot last Febrary in the square. Shoudl have got Garden Warbler on mine, and hoped for Cuckoo as there was also one calling in 35E. 35I is taken but 35E is free (and has Dippers) if you want some local competition?

Graham

 

[bitterntwisted]

For my sins I am doing 8 BTO Atlas squares around Leeds, as well as my regular BBS tetrad and 5km of canal for the Waterways BBS and two other breeding bird surveys for private concerns. I had hoped to be well under way, but the poor weather in April means I've only just started. I have some time off work soon so should be able to catch up.
Is it just me or have Reed Bunting numbers dropped?

Sorry, Loiner, missed this one as well. So it's you that has nicked all the good local squares? That sounds like a lot of work but with 4 years to complete I guess it's not so bad. Have you done any yet? I have another square down south I had to wait to secure and I've now decided to wait until WInter to start - with the weather and the trees all in leaf and a lot of birds settled and singing less I think it's perhaps to late for the first survey now?

Have gto a taste for it and from now will make sure I have at least one square on the go through to 2011 - best snap up the remaining local ones I have an eye on before you and Keith have a full 10km square.

Are you a BTO member? I looked at the BBS surveys and may put myslef forward for that once I've had some more atlas experience - really like the idea of studying a really short walk really closely to get everything.

Graham

PS - Not noticed any change in Reed Bunting numbers myself.

 

[Hotspur]

Looks like there are 4 (four!!!) Red-footed Falcons at Throne Moor, 1 adult of each sex and 1 1st year of each sex. Mental.

 

[Hotspur]

Just got back from my BBS in Selby. Best bird was a Song Thrush. Not a single Warbler! Called in at a secret site in North Yorks where i had the most amazing views of Woodlark down to about 15 feet, feeding on the floor. Also Green Woodie, Great Spot, Tree Pipit, Cuckoo and a family of Stonechats inc 3 juvs. Mint.