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Young Birder (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter The Barn Owl
- Start date
birding maniac
Michael M
Rspb saltholme-
Wood sand, common tern, garganey, brilliant ad ruff, knot, blackwit, yellow wagtail and lack of sand martins notable. Two crane reputed when we were there and two peregrines but I saw neither sadly.
Wood sand, common tern, garganey, brilliant ad ruff, knot, blackwit, yellow wagtail and lack of sand martins notable. Two crane reputed when we were there and two peregrines but I saw neither sadly.
Nature__lover
Well-known member
I have been at saltholme all day!!
I saw the two cranes,a buzzard, and two peregrines! (we where the people to tell the staff that we had seen them!)
and I saw 2 avocets , a little ringed plover and the stunning male ruff.
I wonder if we saw eachother haha :t:
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Nature__lover
Well-known member
69 Common crane (lifer)
70 Avocet (lifer)
71 Common buzzard (lifer)
72 Peregrine (lifer)
73 Little ringed plover (lifer)
74 Ruff (lifer)
pics of the stunning Male Ruff in summer plumage on my flickr.... http://tinyurl.com/6kja7u8
70 Avocet (lifer)
71 Common buzzard (lifer)
72 Peregrine (lifer)
73 Little ringed plover (lifer)
74 Ruff (lifer)
pics of the stunning Male Ruff in summer plumage on my flickr.... http://tinyurl.com/6kja7u8
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birdermoose
birder
Up too 131 now
128 Arctic Tern
129 Egyptian Goose
130 Common Tern
131 Reed Warbler
128 Arctic Tern
129 Egyptian Goose
130 Common Tern
131 Reed Warbler
Joseph N
Lothian Young Birder
179 - Curlew Sandpiper (x1 Loch of Strathbeg)
180 - Little Stint (x1 Loch of Strathbeg, self found)
181 - Manx Shearwater (x4 north off Rattray)
Fantastic day out birding today. I started the day at the Ythan Estuary, where I saw the drake King Eider for the second time this spring, with reasonably good views of the bird swimming at the mouth of the estuary. It was otherwise quiet here. Heading up to the Loch of Strathbeg, it was absolutely fantastic to get great views of two Avocets from the visitor centre, a rarity in the North-East of Scotland and Scotland in general - this was my first ever Scottish record of Avocet. We then went round to Tower Pool Hide, where success was had on the passage wader front. I managed to connect with a gorgeous summer plumaged Curlew Sandpiper that had been seen earlier on the day, but even better in some ways was self-finding a Little Stint here. A sea-watch off the nearby Rattray Head produced yet another year-tick in the form of 4 Manx Shearwaters. Other locations were visited during the day, but these were the highlights of the day.
An immensely pleasurable day, next time I get out I will likely be doing a weekend's birding in Speyside - with Capercallie, Ptarmigan, Slav Grebe, Ring Ouzel, Black-throated Divers and others all being targets.
Joseph
180 - Little Stint (x1 Loch of Strathbeg, self found)
181 - Manx Shearwater (x4 north off Rattray)
Fantastic day out birding today. I started the day at the Ythan Estuary, where I saw the drake King Eider for the second time this spring, with reasonably good views of the bird swimming at the mouth of the estuary. It was otherwise quiet here. Heading up to the Loch of Strathbeg, it was absolutely fantastic to get great views of two Avocets from the visitor centre, a rarity in the North-East of Scotland and Scotland in general - this was my first ever Scottish record of Avocet. We then went round to Tower Pool Hide, where success was had on the passage wader front. I managed to connect with a gorgeous summer plumaged Curlew Sandpiper that had been seen earlier on the day, but even better in some ways was self-finding a Little Stint here. A sea-watch off the nearby Rattray Head produced yet another year-tick in the form of 4 Manx Shearwaters. Other locations were visited during the day, but these were the highlights of the day.
An immensely pleasurable day, next time I get out I will likely be doing a weekend's birding in Speyside - with Capercallie, Ptarmigan, Slav Grebe, Ring Ouzel, Black-throated Divers and others all being targets.
Joseph
FoghornKinghorn
Durham Recorder
206 - Spoonbill - Druridge Pools, Northumberland
207 - Puffin - Coquet Island, Northumberland
208 - Arctic Tern - Coquet Island, Northumberland
209 - Roseate Tern - Coquet Island, Northumberland
Also done a blog post on the day out as I usually do, you can view my blog by clicking on "Foghorn's Birding Adventures" below. Also added a new banner to my blog with some highlights of Spring 2011.
Cheers,
207 - Puffin - Coquet Island, Northumberland
208 - Arctic Tern - Coquet Island, Northumberland
209 - Roseate Tern - Coquet Island, Northumberland
Also done a blog post on the day out as I usually do, you can view my blog by clicking on "Foghorn's Birding Adventures" below. Also added a new banner to my blog with some highlights of Spring 2011.
Cheers,
birding maniac
Michael M
208- Temminck's Stint, rainton meadows dwt.
2 birds showing brilliantly
2 birds showing brilliantly
midlands birder
Well-known member
143, Night Heron, Earlswood lakes
MB
MB
simmojunior
Well-known member
I don't have an exam for just under three weeks so do have some time to go birding this week (by public transport). However, a complete lack of interesting birds, and I don't just mean a lack of rarities, means I have no idea where to go. The thought of spending £40 and six hours travelling on a day trip to Titchwell or the New Forest and seeing no year ticks does not sound appealing. Any ideas where to go?
Joseph N
Lothian Young Birder
Would personally go to Norfolk - if anywhere, this is the most likely county to provide good birding of course, so your plan about going on a day trip to Titchwell seems pretty decent. It depends how far you are willing to go. You'd likely have a good time if you came up to Scotland and took a trip to Speyside for the breeding specialities like I will be at the end of this week, but that's probably way off your radar!! Of course there's always Suffolk and Norfolk for the rare breeders there (e.g Golden Oriole, Crane, Stone Curlew etc.) .
Joseph
simmojunior
Well-known member
Its not possible to get to the rare breeders in Norfolk such as Crane or Golden Oriole by public transport (only two trains stop at Lakenheath a day and at annoying times). I'd love to come to Scotland but a day trip to Cairngorm is not going to happen! There just does not seem to be anything at Titchwell to make the effort and justify the expense. Cley is too far to do by public transport really. I think I will probably stay more local but I'll see. I think Thursday will be the day that i'll go out.
louisfh
Well-known member
Rainham Tip! Get in on some of that mid-summer gulling action :-O
I'd go for Norfolk personally, although it sounds like a bit of a bugger to get to. I wouldn't have even thought of Titchwell as being doable in a day from london by public transport. If something good's about you could always try Portland, it's a place I've always wanted to go at least.
Unfortunately I've got a load of AS exams this week :-C followed by a short reprieve and then a couple more. Hopefully I'll get some birding done in that brief window of opportunity. I might even get down to somewhere as exciting as my own patch, which hasn't seen me for a while now other than when I'm cycling through before and after exams!
simmojunior
Well-known member
Portland is not possible. You can only get as far as Weymouth. I may go to Rainham.
Titchwell is possible in a day as you can get there in just under three hours using bus and train from Kings Lynn. In looking for places to go it is amazing quite how many places you can get to. Problem is I have to come and work the next day so a Minsmere trip that returns at 21.55 to Liverpool Street is not practical.
There are many reserves accessible by public transport including Minsmere, Titchwell, Rye Harbour, Lodmoor ( a long and expensive trip, only practical in the summer) , Cley (just, in the summer when you have time), Holkham, Oare, the New Forest, and the south essex thames estuary sites. Unfortunately there does not seem to be anything at any of them to make the trip worthwhile, considering the £40+ cost and the likely tiredness making work the next day impossible.
Titchwell is possible in a day as you can get there in just under three hours using bus and train from Kings Lynn. In looking for places to go it is amazing quite how many places you can get to. Problem is I have to come and work the next day so a Minsmere trip that returns at 21.55 to Liverpool Street is not practical.
There are many reserves accessible by public transport including Minsmere, Titchwell, Rye Harbour, Lodmoor ( a long and expensive trip, only practical in the summer) , Cley (just, in the summer when you have time), Holkham, Oare, the New Forest, and the south essex thames estuary sites. Unfortunately there does not seem to be anything at any of them to make the trip worthwhile, considering the £40+ cost and the likely tiredness making work the next day impossible.
louisfh
Well-known member
On Google maps Weymouth to Portland looks so tiny though! Although I suppose the fact that I can also see Calais on the same screen should've told me something about the scale :-O
Rainham should be nice though if there isn't anything to tempt you elsewhere, there's always something on site and it's quite a bit closer! I quite like the feel of the place too. With Eurostar steaming past, massive pylons beside factories on one side and that banging noise always coming from across the river...
P.S. Good luck with your exams. My sister went to Durham (doing Geography) and really enjoyed it!
Nature__lover
Well-known member
75 mistle thrush
simmojunior
Well-known member
Still not sure where to go. Minsmere has been ruled out due to a six minute changeover time in Ipswich Station, which, if I miss, means a two hour wait and a four mile walk as there will be no bus at the other end. I've essentially narrowed it down to either a full day at Cley (6.45 train out, 21.35 train gets back) or a day at Rainham, where I probably will not see anything.
Joseph N
Lothian Young Birder
My Speyside trip has also been postponed due to unfavourable conditions - what with the sunshine and showers and blustery westerly winds as of late. When the next period of fine weather comes along, even if its only for a few days, I will go to the area. That's the beauty of living in Aberdeenshire, Speyside is within easy access at any time :t: .
One alternative is that I go out birding locally this weekend. However, another is an offer from my Dad to spend a day birding on the Fife and Perth & Kinross coast (would not be for the first time this year if I went) and twitch the Ring-necked Duck and Ross's Goose that have been at Vane Farm RSPB. The genuineness of the latter species is likely in doubt so I probably won't tick it for the year, but I will see what other people have to say on the matter. So basically, whatever happens, I'll be getting out birding this weekend.
Joseph
One alternative is that I go out birding locally this weekend. However, another is an offer from my Dad to spend a day birding on the Fife and Perth & Kinross coast (would not be for the first time this year if I went) and twitch the Ring-necked Duck and Ross's Goose that have been at Vane Farm RSPB. The genuineness of the latter species is likely in doubt so I probably won't tick it for the year, but I will see what other people have to say on the matter. So basically, whatever happens, I'll be getting out birding this weekend.
Joseph
