Yorkshire Birding (121 Viewers)

[Keith Dickinson]

20+ Waxwing mid morning in grounds St Johns, off new Briggate Leeds (churchyard locked). Passable views for ten minutes, before they flew west. Also checked Joseph Well car park, Woodhouse Sq, Park Sq and Mabgate with no luck (but have seen recent close photos from Park Sq). Struck me, not for first time, that much more likely to see Goldfinch nowadays than sparrows. 15+ in Woodhouse Sq, poss. as many in Mabgate, and 10+ in trees off Belgrave St.

I can remember back in the mid 80's, having snuck out of work for a smoke, I was sat in the churchyard here when a peregrine took a feral pigeon not much more than 20 feet away from me. Sadly some of the ever present winos in the churchyard spooked the bird before it could have a decent feast.

 

[DOC REED]

Redhouse and surrounds

Plenty of Golden Plover /lapwing today.Reservoir 4 Goosanders only birds of note.But owls still performing well at Redhouse(Barn) and Poppleton(SEO and Barn).Also 4 corn buntings at Poppleton, 2 Grey partridge also .

 

[andy hood]

Just had 85 pink foot geese over the house ( at Flamborough ) heading North west.Looks like s0ring well on way.

I had them in off the sea while at south landing :t:

 

[Hunsletlad]

There was an American Wigeon at Anglers Country Park today are they considered scarce ?

 

[gary1957]

Plenty of Golden Plover /lapwing today.Reservoir 4 Goosanders only birds of note.But owls still performing well at Redhouse(Barn) and Poppleton(SEO and Barn).Also 4 corn buntings at Poppleton, 2 Grey partridge also .

Hi. Where is Poppleton and when is the best time to catch the barn owls?-haven't seen one in ages!

 

[schiffornis]

Cirl Bunting Whitby?

http://www.whitbygazette.co.uk/news/environment/runswick_bay_rare_bird_sighting_1_4273816

 

[Chris-Leeds]

There was an American Wigeon at Anglers Country Park today are they considered scarce ?

It's actually been there for some time. It still takes up the "scarce square" on Birdguides. I saw it a month ago but I think it was there before Christmas though I may be wrong.

 

[Hunsletlad]

Thanks Chris

 

[DOC REED]

Hi. Where is Poppleton and when is the best time to catch the barn owls?-haven't seen one in ages!

Gary i'm at work, will try and pm you directions tonight

 

[metcow333]

Just a reminder that Barn owl is a schedule one breeding species, and we are coming in to the breeding season now. Egg collectors are active in the York area, and at least a couple of clutches of eggs were known to be taken last spring. With that in mind, it is probably not a good idea to be publicly sharing/asking for breeding sites of scarce and often targeted species on a public forum (not that I'm accusing garry1957 of anything at all personally), it is probably best entirely private if you know the people you are sharing info with, or only shared with county recorder.

 

[DOC REED]

Just a reminder that Barn owl is a schedule one breeding species, and we are coming in to the breeding season now. Egg collectors are active in the York area, and at least a couple of clutches of eggs were known to be taken last spring. With that in mind, it is probably not a good idea to be publicly sharing/asking for breeding sites of scarce and often targeted species on a public forum (not that I'm accusing garry1957 of anything at all personally), it is probably best entirely private if you know the people you are sharing info with, or only shared with county recorder.

Give it a rest!

 

[DOC REED]

Just a reminder that Barn owl is a schedule one breeding species, and we are coming in to the breeding season now. Egg collectors are active in the York area, and at least a couple of clutches of eggs were known to be taken last spring. With that in mind, it is probably not a good idea to be publicly sharing/asking for breeding sites of scarce and often targeted species on a public forum (not that I'm accusing garry1957 of anything at all personally), it is probably best entirely private if you know the people you are sharing info with, or only shared with county recorder.

I'm sorry Ollie but the above mentioned person on your mail should take offense.You constantly knock these postings , I just feel that you are too idealistic.The above person has been regular on here for years , and no bad word has been said against him.What gives you the right, to come into York area, and start sputing off like this?I feel so insulted(again!).Please ,wind your neck in and grow up a bit!I'm fed up of this.

Redhouse is MY local patch,you have been there,because I make reports of my sightings.I admire your ideology, but my reckoning,after being on the planet many more years than you, is that 'the more that know,the better'.99% of birders look after the environment and 'our' birds.We all know about the issues you keep raising,I think we are all aware.

Please Ollie, i hope you can accept my point of view.Gary;in light of this i will not be giving you directions to owls.

i'm sorry.Ollie, i hope this doesn't ruffle your feathers!

Paul

 

[gary1957]

I'm sorry Ollie but the above mentioned person on your mail should take offense.You constantly knock these postings , I just feel that you are too idealistic.The above person has been regular on here for years , and no bad word has been said against him.What gives you the right, to come into York area, and start sputing off like this?I feel so insulted(again!).Please ,wind your neck in and grow up a bit!I'm fed up of this.

Redhouse is MY local patch,you have been there,because I make reports of my sightings.I admire your ideology, but my reckoning,after being on the planet many more years than you, is that 'the more that know,the better'.99% of birders look after the environment and 'our' birds.We all know about the issues you keep raising,I think we are all aware.

Please Ollie, i hope you can accept my point of view.Gary;in light of this i will not be giving you directions to owls.

i'm sorry.Ollie, i hope this doesn't ruffle your feathers!

Paul

I seem to have opened a real can of worms here. I posted the request in all innocence as I have never been to Poppleton/Redhouse and it often appears on the forum with interesting sightings. I would never dream of endangering breeding birds but given the locality of barn owls is often posted on RSPB reserve sightings I did not think it would be a problem-just this week the Blacktoft page was extoling us "to catch the barn owls from the Xerox hide".(I was there last week and didn't see one from that hide or anywhere else!).Given the fact I have spent a fair amount of my time this week reporting a possible poisoned raptor to the RSPB, I found the reply to my original request quite offensive.

 

[Mark Newsome]

Cirl Bunting Whitby?
http://www.whitbygazette.co.uk/news/environment/runswick_bay_rare_bird_sighting_1_4273816

I think the quotes in these type of stories can be quite revealing.
"We’ve had everything you can imagine and I know them all....You name it, we’ve had it..."

Well, I could probably imagine a few species that haven't been seen in Runswick Bay. But the bloke obviously is very confident in his abilities, so maybe it was one. Stranger things have happened, perhaps worth someone checking.

 

[northernloon]

I think the quotes in these type of stories can be quite revealing.
"We’ve had everything you can imagine and I know them all....You name it, we’ve had it..."

Well, I could probably imagine a few species that haven't been seen in Runswick Bay. But the bloke obviously is very confident in his abilities, so maybe it was one. Stranger things have happened, perhaps worth someone checking.

Strangely enough that was the quote I picked up on. I'd be interested in hearing what he has to say about the rump colour.

As you say, stranger things have happened. Wasn't there a Rock Bunting at Bolton Abbey last year?

 

[northernloon]

There are no egg collectors, just thieves. And let's not forget these twonks have good field skills and can find their own nests to rob.

 

[James Thomas]

Still on the Runswick Bay bird, given the time of year, location etc, how about a Shorelark?

 

[melodious]

Just a reminder that Barn owl is a schedule one breeding species, and we are coming in to the breeding season now. Egg collectors are active in the York area, and at least a couple of clutches of eggs were known to be taken last spring. With that in mind, it is probably not a good idea to be publicly sharing/asking for breeding sites of scarce and often targeted species on a public forum (not that I'm accusing garry1957 of anything at all personally), it is probably best entirely private if you know the people you are sharing info with, or only shared with county recorder.

I completely agree with your sentiments. Loose talk does cost lives, ask any raptor worker in the Peak District and i'm pretty sure they would agree. Clearly wardened reserves are a different matter entirely. I don't think anyone should take offence about a reminder to put the birds welfare first, this is after all a public forum and not everyone who is going to view it will have thought the matter through before. i regularly get information about Schedule One species because of the work i do, often from people who know me well and they will frequently add something on the lines'make sure you keep this to yourself'. Why should i be offended by someone reminding me of the right thing to do even though we both know i would do it anyway?

 

[melodious]

Give it a rest!

Don't give it a rest, do keep banging on about it

 

[schiffornis]

Give it a rest!

Check out this haul of eggs... This is what these people do...

This is an interesting blog I follow. Would be interesting if there was a Yorks version of this so maybe people in the local area would be quieter with their shouting out about Annex 1/ Schedule 1 species during the breeding season. Would also be good to publish mugshots of the faces of those known eggers etc so that we can all keep an eye out for them.

EDIT: this evening there has been an update in the above case: see here. The egg-collector in question has recieved an asbo preventing him travelling to scotland for the next 10 years...