Saturday 11 March 2017

Dancing with Stars in their Eyes

On Tuesday we went to Potteric Carr.  One of the best birds was a Lesser Redpoll, which came extremely close out of a group of 4 birds.  Participants were rather put off by the vast amount of rats running around under the feeding station.  We didn't spend as long here as we usually do, but we did still have time to spot a Willow Tit and Reed Bunting as well as the run-of-the-mill expected birds.
Great Crested Grebes
Magpie
Willow Tit
The Kingfisher was under the old railway arch, but preferred to stay hidden in the thick undergrowth. The Black-headed Gulls had taken over the islands, but there were still Great Crested Grebes dancing in the distance and against the light.
Concealed Kingfisher
Great Crested Grebes
Ditto
Ditto
Ditto
On Wednesday we visited the wolds, and saw at least 3 Red Kites, many more Buzzards and a few Bramblings.
Red Kite (c) 2017 Aileen Urquhart
 Ditto
Buzzard
 Ditto
 Ditto
 Ditto
 Bramblings [left & right]
 Brambling
Male Brambling [N.Cave]
Female Brambling
 Male Brambling & Goldfinch
Goldcrest
Tree Sparrows
 Sunflower Heads
On Thursday we travelled all the way for the only time this year to North Duffield Carrs. It was nice to see one Pintail, and many more Whooper Swans, but they appeared to be the best part of a mile away.  In all we saw 46 species in the morning and 10 fewer in the afternoon.  
Pintail surrounded by Wigeon (c) 2017 Dick Watson
 Ditto
 Pintail - alone
On Friday we had out last planned visit of 2017 to Ness End Farm.  We didn't hear or see a Bittern this time, but we did hear many Cetti's Warblers, as well as catching a sight of one near Reedy Hide.  The Kingfisher spent even less time in our presence as it zipped over a reedbed in front of our hide.  In the afternoon one of the best sightings was a wisp of snipe which kept flying out of the marshy areas and whisked in front of us several times, before disappearing out of sight behind the reeds. 
 Long-tailed Tit (c) 2017 Jane Robinson
 Great Crested Grebe (c) 2017 Jane Robinson
 Ditto
 Ditto
 Cormorant (c) 2017 Jane Robinson
Redshank
Redshank (c) 2017 Jane Robinson
Redshank (c) 2017 Mike Woods
Reed Bunting
 Ditto
Drake Goldeneye (c) 2017 Mike Woods
Drake Goldeneye
 Ditto
 Female Goldeneye
 Ditto
Tufted Duck and Gadwall [right] (c) 2017 Mike Woods
 Ditto
Magpie
 Magpie
 Ditto
 Drake Teal
 Female Teal
 Cetti's Warbler
 Centi's Warbler (c) 2017 Mike Woods
 Ditto
 Ditto
 Ditto
Wisp of Snipe
 Detail of Wisp
 Ditto
 Ditto
 Wisp of Snipe
 Detail of Wisp
 Wisp of Snipe
 Ditto
 Ditto
 Ditto
 Snipe (c) 2017 Mike Woods
Bullfinch
Bullfinch (c) 2017 Mike Woods
 Record Shot of Avocet
Chowder Ness (c) 2017 Mike Woods
Lesser Black-Backed Gull (c) 2017 Jane Robinson

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