Yorkshire Birding (1 Viewer)

[Keith Dickinson]

Just back from another good look at the diver, it looks better 400m closer than the last look i got!

Re House Sparrows, plenty of them in Spofforth at the minute, plus a good Starling roost.

Re: 1sts, how about the Flamborough Taiga Flycatcher?

Cheers

ANDY

OOps. My reference book is older than this record so I didn't have it. Sorry. Need a new reference book I think.

so that was 2003 for the taiga flycatcher 1st for UK, 3rd for the WP

 

[schiffornis]

OOps. My reference book is older than this record so I didn't have it. Sorry. Need a new reference book I think.

so that was 2003 for the taiga flycatcher 1st for UK, 3rd for the WP

That sounds about right i think, i havn't got my file to had at the minute for when i saw it. Also, was thinking about the Black Lark, didn't the observation of that at Spurn get promoted to the 1st british record retrospectivley after the welsh bird proved it may well have been an accurate yorkshire record and that they could get here after all!!!???

 

[Keith Dickinson]

That sounds about right i think, i havn't got my file to had at the minute for when i saw it. Also, was thinking about the Black Lark, didn't the observation of that at Spurn get promoted to the 1st british record retrospectivley after the welsh bird proved it may well have been an accurate yorkshire record and that they could get here after all!!!???

Checked it out on the BTO site and yes, the record for spurn is now the first

so
Black lark, Spurn, 1984

Anybody want an out of date reference book? LOL

 

[rozinante]

Anybody want an out of date reference book? LOL

You might do better to just pencil them in till the rush is over.

 

[Mike Richardson]

James Imagine if you were sat wrong side of the penines looking into a landfill site, hearing of all the beauts in Gods County. I might get creative too

May go across to Flamborough if anyones interested this Saturday/Sunday??

Any more thoughts on your plans for the weekend Marcus? Still good birds about in Flamborough, including Corn Buntings in Thornwick Bay area. Or has recent events tempted you to look for Californian Condors at Rodley?

Whats everyone else up to this weekend?

 

[Marcus Conway - ebirder]

Any more thoughts on your plans for the weekend Marcus? Still good birds about in Flamborough, including Corn Buntings in Thornwick Bay area. Or has recent events tempted you to look for Californian Condors at Rodley?

Whats everyone else up to this weekend?

Seems I may have committed to a full days drinking on the saturday so can't commit to Sunday currently.

Interestingly I saw a peacock butterfly on the farm today.

 

[pauljones]

Saturday Diver

Hi folks,

I'm thinking of going to Farnham tomorrow. Birdguides is saying "Treves factory closed this weekend", does that mean access will be restricted?

Great to see this forum, I've been trying to find my way around Yorkshire birding spots for the last 18 months so I hope I can tap into the obvious knowledge in this forum to find my way around (I've taken to driving to Leighton Moss in LANCASHIRE for my fix!!!!!)

Cheers,
Paul

 

[Hotspur]

Hi folks,

I'm thinking of going to Farnham tomorrow. Birdguides is saying "Treves factory closed this weekend", does that mean access will be restricted?

Great to see this forum, I've been trying to find my way around Yorkshire birding spots for the last 18 months so I hope I can tap into the obvious knowledge in this forum to find my way around (I've taken to driving to Leighton Moss in LANCASHIRE for my fix!!!!!)

Cheers,
Paul

Nice to have you on board,
I believe the access via the factory wont be available over the weekend but you should still be able to access via Harrogate Naturalists site (which i believe is 10 quid for parking)

 

[bitterntwisted]

Still good birds about in Flamborough, including Corn Buntings in Thornwick Bay area.

I think the finder of those Corn Buntings should be congratulated. Well done, me!

Some tips for those going to Flamborough:

DO:
1) Get in place to watch the SEOs (lighthouse car park) by mid-afternoon. The birds did not show after 4PM, but were spectacular beforehand
2) Hang around until 5:20PM, when the Barn Owl showed
3) Check field just south of Thornwick Bay for >60 buntings inc. 3+ Corn. They get up on wires and bushes near the unmetalled road. (also Stonechat)
4) Wear wellies to walk between the SEO field and the outer head, on which Twite can be found.

DO NOT:
1) Take a 'quick' detour to see a single Waxwing thereby losing half the day looking for it when it had clearly gone.
2) Take a local's 'advice' that a 'short' walk from Ringbrough to Grimston could produce both Snow and Lapland Buntings. a) There aren't any b) you will have lost the other half of the day. c) the 'guaranteed' consolation prize of waders and sea-birds is a figment of your imagination.
3) Fail to check the leg-colour of slightly brown-backed, deep-calling, light-headed Pinkfeet when 4 of them break off and fly back south straight past you. They are still Pinkfeet but you will have a nagging doubt forever.
4) Waste the whole day wading through stubble fields and leaving no time to sea-watch - 5 scoter, 20 gannet and 500 guillemot at one of Britain's best seawatching spots is pathetic, even in February.

If someone promises me a Lapland Bunting I might even do it again on Sunday. If not hope all have as good a day as I had in the end yesterday. Glorious weather and those owls are just superb!

Graham

 

[Hotspur]

Graham, i promise you a lapland bunting.

How hollow is that!

 

[pauljones]

Nice to have you on board,
I believe the access via the factory wont be available over the weekend but you should still be able to access via Harrogate Naturalists site (which i believe is 10 quid for parking)

Lovely, I was planning to follow the directions and pay the tenner so I should be fine. Appreciate the gen.

Cheers,
Paul

 

[bitterntwisted]

I've taken to driving to Leighton Moss in LANCASHIRE for my fix!!!!!

Traitor! You've got cracking birding right on your lovely Yorkshire doorstep - saw a beautiful adult male Hen Harrier very near you today, in fact! And was planning possibly Heber's Ghyll or the Washburn Valley tomorrow. And they eat their babies in Lancs, you know.

 

[peterpiper]

binoculars

Evening all
spent two days looking for female smew at fairburn no success, same with water rail, smews now on village bay(?), water rail on cut (supposedly)
incidently, I met two Swillingtonites who'd seen a peacock butterfly in their garden, in January!!!

tomorrow going to take my really expensive 'scope on safari to a patch that I've just ben told about, at deepest Kellington, anybody heard owt about it??
thinking of buying some nikon sporter binoculars, has anybody got a pair that I could compare my old russians against, as being tight fisted I don't want to be spending all that money on something that won't be any improvement.

Kieth, have 'em all out save time later.
bfn
pete

 

[Marcus Conway - ebirder]

I think the finder of those Corn Buntings should be congratulated. Well done, me!

Some tips for those going to Flamborough:

DO:
1) Get in place to watch the SEOs (lighthouse car park) by mid-afternoon. The birds did not show after 4PM, but were spectacular beforehand
2) Hang around until 5:20PM, when the Barn Owl showed
3) Check field just south of Thornwick Bay for >60 buntings inc. 3+ Corn. They get up on wires and bushes near the unmetalled road. (also Stonechat)
4) Wear wellies to walk between the SEO field and the outer head, on which Twite can be found.

DO NOT:
1) Take a 'quick' detour to see a single Waxwing thereby losing half the day looking for it when it had clearly gone.
2) Take a local's 'advice' that a 'short' walk from Ringbrough to Grimston could produce both Snow and Lapland Buntings. a) There aren't any b) you will have lost the other half of the day. c) the 'guaranteed' consolation prize of waders and sea-birds is a figment of your imagination.
3) Fail to check the leg-colour of slightly brown-backed, deep-calling, light-headed Pinkfeet when 4 of them break off and fly back south straight past you. They are still Pinkfeet but you will have a nagging doubt forever.
4) Waste the whole day wading through stubble fields and leaving no time to sea-watch - 5 scoter, 20 gannet and 500 guillemot at one of Britain's best seawatching spots is pathetic, even in February.

If someone promises me a Lapland Bunting I might even do it again on Sunday. If not hope all have as good a day as I had in the end yesterday. Glorious weather and those owls are just superb!

Graham

Grimston snobs...

 

[pauljones]

Traitor! You've got cracking birding right on your lovely Yorkshire doorstep - saw a beautiful adult male Hen Harrier very near you today, in fact! And was planning possibly Heber's Ghyll or the Washburn Valley tomorrow. And they eat their babies in Lancs, you know.

I've got to admit that I'm originally from Lancs :egghead:. But having spent the last 15 years in Kent it is a relief to be back north.

I like Heber's but the Washburn? I wandered round Fewston or it might have been Swinty and saw almost nothing on my one trip and didn't get the sense I was missing anything!

I've got to admit I'd not realised Yorkshire was so damn big, I had an image of popping to Spurn for a mornings birding when we first moved but I reckon that's about a 3 hour drive away.

Paul

 

[bitterntwisted]

I like Heber's but the Washburn? I wandered round Fewston or it might have been Swinty and saw almost nothing on my one trip and didn't get the sense I was missing anything!

Good breeding birds in the general area - will PM.

 

[Lawts]

I've got to admit that I'm originally from Lancs :egghead:. But having spent the last 15 years in Kent it is a relief to be back north.

I like Heber's but the Washburn? I wandered round Fewston or it might have been Swinty and saw almost nothing on my one trip and didn't get the sense I was missing anything!

I've got to admit I'd not realised Yorkshire was so damn big, I had an image of popping to Spurn for a mornings birding when we first moved but I reckon that's about a 3 hour drive away.

Paul

Paul, the best has yet to come for you on your doorstep. The first week of May, get yourself to Bolton Abbey at dawn on a still sunny day and enjoy. There are warblers, flycatchers, redstart, dipper, wagtails, woodpeckers, Little Owl, Mandarin. Forget Pacific Diver, and American Robin. There's no finer birding. Then finish at Ilkley. Anything you missed will offer a second chance at Heber's Ghyll, and once on the top, there's a regular spot for Tree Pipit, and of course Red Grouse.

The Washburn reservoirs can be disappointing though.

 

[schiffornis]

Evening all
spent two days looking for female smew at fairburn no success, same with water rail, smews now on village bay(?), water rail on cut (supposedly)
incidently, I met two Swillingtonites who'd seen a peacock butterfly in their garden, in January!!!

pete

Hi Pete

I had male smew last weekend at Fairburn, think it is still there, it was off the platform where all of the kiddies feed the ducks, though it was ranging quite far either side of that point!

Cheers

ANDY

 

[bitterntwisted]

Evening all
spent two days looking for female smew at fairburn no success, same with water rail, smews now on village bay(?), water rail on cut (supposedly)
incidently, I met two Swillingtonites who'd seen a peacock butterfly in their garden, in January!!!

tomorrow going to take my really expensive 'scope on safari to a patch that I've just ben told about, at deepest Kellington, anybody heard owt about it??
thinking of buying some nikon sporter binoculars, has anybody got a pair that I could compare my old russians against, as being tight fisted I don't want to be spending all that money on something that won't be any improvement.

Kieth, have 'em all out save time later.
bfn
pete

Pete,

nun was on village bay last saturday, but flighty. don't know Kellington - does the river flood down there? bins - i say it too often, but go see Johnny Mac at In Focus in Denby Dale.

Graham

 

[bitterntwisted]

Taiga Bean Goose at Fairburn?

15:22 02/02/07 Taiga Bean Goose W Yorks Fairburn Ings RSPB
probable at Lin Dyke area of reserve with Canada Geese and 3 Pink-footed Geese

Thoughts? Follows a report of four a couple fo weeks ago (which were not relocated despite my very best efforts!) Was the last report genuine? Is this? Am I going down there at dawn to look at a slightly odd Greylag?