Yorkshire Birding (58 Viewers)

[Phil Andrews]

The Sylvia was thought to be an aberrant Garden Warbler by some but never fully resolved or submitted and I think the Snipe was a Common which is why it was not submitted. I found the Snipe but did not put any news out because I couldn't ID it has a great and photo's seem to confirm this.

Phil

Thanks for the info Phil

 

[Zarapito]

Damp walk around Strid Wood today, so much water coming down the river. No dippers but did find a flock of 20 or so mandarins just below the Strid itself and a very nice flock of between 50 &100 brambling feeding in the leaf litter just north of the Cavendish Pavilion just as
you enter the Wood.

In December there were plenty of brambling with flocks of over 100 seen but I haven't heard mention of any since Christmas. Strid Wood is as close as I get to having a local patch so your report of their return was a pleasant surprise.

We had a good day there today with a dipper flying under Barden Bridge just as we arrived and another pair near the Cavendish later, two pairs of goosander, goldcrest, a number of nuthatch, a treecreeper, mistle thrush, buzzard, long tailed tit, a small mixed flock of chaffinch and brambling, probably 30/40 birds in total, and on the return leg 55 mandarins (a personal record). We also saw at least a dozen song thrushes mostly at the Barden end of the circuit. I would have thought that it was a bit early for the migrant thrushes to be starting to flock?

Graeme

 

[loiner]

Down at Eccup Reservoir this afternoon and I had 3 buzzards soaring above the plantation, they must be breeding in this area somewhere. Couldn't find any white wingers in the gull roost though.

Hi Keith,
I was there on Sunday evening for the WeBS count. As far as white-winged gulls go, there is usually a Med Gull somewhere in the roost, but with up to 25000 Black-headed/Common Gulls it's not an easy job to find it. There are never many large gulls of any species, indeed in the last 15 years there have only been two Glaucs and three Iceland Gulls found.
Of interest there was a drake Smew on Harewood Park Lake on the morning WeBS count there, presumably the same bird as on the January count.

 

[Keith Dickinson]

loiner do you do the webs count from the perimeter fence or do you have access to the reservoir bank?

 

[loiner]

loiner do you do the webs count from the perimeter fence or do you have access to the reservoir bank?

Hi Keith,
I'm fortunate to have a key from Yorkshire Water which allows me access inside the fence and to the western end of the reservoir (not that a lack of a key stops a stream of trespassers).

 

[Keith Dickinson]

I know about the trespassers, there were 3 down the western end on Sunday afternoon with a lurcher type dog. They walked down from the dam wall on the northern side and then must have gone through the fence somewhere down the western end as they disappeared behind bushes and never reappeared. I've often wondered about doing that myself but as I generally come to the reservoir down Goodrick Lane or across the golf course I'd have to walk halfway round the res in order to hop over the wall.

 

[Keith Dickinson]

Just come up Twitter and Facebook, Cetti's warbler at Fairburn Ings, nr Lin Dyke hide.

 

[pcurpb]

Seen and heard this morning; no sign later (to 15.00).

 

[WACCOE]

Seen and heard this morning; no sign later (to 15.00).

Hope it sticks around.

 

[pcurpb]

Must be a good chance I'd've thought.

 

[Lawts]

Anyone know where this Siberian Chiffchaff is at Swilly? Where do you park and where's the bird?

Thanks.

 

[Keith Dickinson]

On the swilly website it mentions the railway embankment, so that would be just after you drive thru the railway arch and park on the left, I think.

 

[loiner]

Anyone know where this Siberian Chiffchaff is at Swilly? Where do you park and where's the bird?

Thanks.

Another option is to park (carefully, as Yorkshire Water tankers visit through the week at least) on the approach track to Lemonroyd Sewage Works (on the bend just past the farm), then walk down the road and under the railway bridge. Turn right just after the bridge along a narrow muddy path (with a horse paddock on your left and the railway line to the right). The bird (birds?) is often in the bushes within 100 yards of the road (up to the start of the Marina), but I've seen it as often in the plantation between the Sewage Works and the railway line (i.e. on the right just before the railway bridge).
You could always call in at the hide and ask for the latest news there.

 

[northernloon]

Sounds like the dogger's car park to me, where the Xbills weren't last year

 

[Chris-Leeds]

Opposite the car park (which is closed at the moment) and adjacent to the horse paddock is where I saw the two chiffys on saturday. The views I had meant I didn't know which of the two was the sibe but one was fluffier than the other.

 

[zing]

Ldv

one from today.

10+Snipe, 25+Redshank. 50+curlew, 70 Whoopers,Gadwal,Shelduck,Tufted,Pochard,Teal,Wigeon,Little grebe,Great crested,Kingfisher,4 separate Song Thrush,Bullfinch.Skylark

plus lots more. :t:

 

[Lawts]

Thanks for the Swilly info. Aiming to have a look this week.

 

[Keith Dickinson]

Dawn Chorus Meet thread here http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=277661

 

[pcurpb]

A Cetti's warbler was calling again near Lin Dike Hide at Fairburn this morning. What might have been a second bird was then singing over the railway line on the pool there (Adam Hutt). This bird also showed erratically.

 

[philflam]

Flamborough website

A new web site has been launched today by Flamborough Ornithological group. Fbo.org.uk

Phil