Saturday 6 October 2018

Another Week of Two Halves

On Tuesday it was too windy for the planned location so we switched to North Cave Wetlands in the hope of locating the confiding Hobby.  We had a long wait until Bridget spotted something clinging on to a large Ash tree.
Hobby
 Bearded Tit
 Ditto
 Black Swan
 Black-tailed Godwit
 Ditto
 Green Woodpecker
 Kestrel
 Ditto
 Hobby
 Ditto
Ditto
 Comma
 Common Blue
 Female Common Blue
On Wednesday we returned to North Cave Wetlands, but we weren't lucky enough to find the Hobby this time.  Instead , we had some close encounters with Bearded Tits along Dryham Lane.  There were at least 4 individuals.  There were plenty of Little Grebes from the hide.
Bearded Tit
 Bearded Tit (c) 2018 Maggie Bruce
 Bearded Tits (c) 2018 Maggie Bruce
Little Grebes (c) 2018 Maggie Bruce
 Dabchicks (c) 2018 Maggie Bruce
Little Grebes (c) 2018 Aileen Urquhart
 Blue Tit (c) 2018 Aileen Urquhart
 Reed Bunting (c) 2018 Aileen Urquhart
 Mute Swan (c) 2018 Aileen Urquhart
Shoveler (c) 2018 Maggie Bruce
In the afternoon the bearded Tits remained impossible to locate, but a Grey Wagtail was nice compensation.  A Kingfisher was heard calling distantly, and Sally managed to locate it.
 Grey Wagtail 
 Ditto
 Record Shot of Sally's Kingfisher
 Possible Harvest Mouse
On Thursday and Friday the classes  did a circular walk around Paull Holme Strays.  On Thursday we saw our first winter thrushes of the season, but they were difficult to photograph.  There were large charms of Goldfinches flying around the various seed-bearing plants.
Curlew
 Record Shot of Fieldfare
 Goldfinches
 ditto
 ditto
 ditto
 Ringed Plover among the Dunlin
 Sloes
Curlew (c) 2018 Jane Robinson
 Ditto
Curlew (c) 2018 Mike Woods
 Ditto

 Goldfinches (c) 2018 Jane Robinson
 Goldfinches
 Ditto
Ditto
Goldfinches (c) 2018 Jane Robinson
 Ditto
Goldfinches (c) 2018 Mike Woods

 Little Egret (c) 2018 Jane Robinson
 Turnstone (c) 2018 Jane Robinson
Record Shot of Turnstone (c) 2018 Mike Woods
Record shot of Redshank (c) 2018 Mike Woods
 Record shot of Meadow Pipit

 Wigeon (c) 2018 Mike Woods
Wigeon (c) 2018 Jane Robinson
 As we neared the car park we saw rather a strange sight: 3 Great Spotted Woodpeckers flying around a couple of poles, and then feeding on the abundant Hawthorn Berries.  
Female Great Spotted Woodpecker 
 Ditto
 Male Great Spotted Woodpecker
Male Great Spotted Woodpecker (c) 2018 Jane Robinson
Male Great Spotted Woodpecker
 Ditto
 Ditto
There was no sign of any of these Woodpeckers in the afternoon, but we did see a few Chiffchaffs and a male Blackcap in the same general area. 


On Wednesday 2 Friday am members tried to photograph or even see a Bittern for about the 8th time since January.  They must have learned something from Robert the Bruce's spider.  For the first time their persistence paid off.  She went to Ness End where 5 had been seen, and 4 where spotted in the air at the same time last week.  
Bittern (c) 2018 Jane Robinson
 ditto
 ditto
 ditto
 ditto
 ditto
 looking the worst in the wind
Meanwhile at home a young Sparrowhawk seemed attracted by its reflection in a window, and spent one evening pacing up and down the lawn!  Sorry, these were all taken on a gloomy evening through double-glazing!
Sparrowhawk
 ditto
 ditto
 ditto
 ditto

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