Saturday 11 May 2019

Week 3: Nice Weather for Ducks

On Tuesday we enjoyed our first visit of the year to MSQ.  We hadn't been going too long before we heard a distant Cuckoo.  We were to hear it again, but this time it remained hidden from us, and towards the end of the session it had gone silent.  
Sedge Warbler
There was no Garden Warbler in the car park, but we did come across several later.  It was a warbler filled morning with Blackcap, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Reed Warbler and Cetti's Warbler being the most prominent. We found an Egyptian Goose brooding eggs on an island, but there was no sign of the Red-Crested Pochard.
Egyptian Goose
As usual the Duck Hide was the best place to look down on a Reed Warbler.  
Reed Warbler
Oystercatcher were seen and there were plenty of Tufted Ducks, and a few Pochard.  There were very few waders, and surprisingly no Lapwings or Avocets.  The duck situation was better with both Shelduck and Shoveler, plus Tufted Duck and a few Pochard.  Great Crested Grebes were seen, but no sign of Little Grebes or Kingfisher.  We came to a crossroads which had two Garden Warblers duetting, and one of whom showed very well.  We turned at the crossroads and then Rose spotted a Hobby just over the level of the conifers.  It flew across the gap in the trees a few times, and its "orange trousers" could just be glimpsed in the awkward light.  
Garden Warbler
 ditto
 Hobby
 Ditto
Bridget found a Newt in a very still and shrinking pond
 Newt
 ditto
Overall, the Tuesday group encountered 41 species with several of them being new for the year. 
Meadow Saxifrage
In the afternoon I tried Patrington Haven.  A male Kestrel was on the wires above the approach road. 
Kestrel

The drain was swarming with Sand Martins and House Martins and the occasional Swallow, but these were almost impossible to photograph.   An obliging Sedge Warbler posed nice in good light.
Sedge Warbler
 ditto

 Ditto
 Swallow
 Sand Martins
 ditto 
 ditto
On the return journey a Cuckoo and a pair of Yellow Wagtails were the highlights. 
Cuckoo 
 ditto
Yellow Wagtail

 ditto
 ditto
 ditto
The weather forecast for Wednesday was pretty dreadful, so we switched to Tophill Low.  Although the weather was dire for most of the day, we saw an amazing selection of species.  This included Wednesday's best-ever Garganey, and the first for many years.  Some people saw two drakes at the same time.  One of them made its strange call of what sounded like a finger running along a comb.  It was a "lifer" for many participants.  On the same Marsh was a Bar-tailed Godwit in non-breeding plumage, a Dunlin in near fine breeding plumage,  a pair of Pintail, a few Common Terns and after lunch an immature Little Gull.  
Drake Garganey 
 ditto
 ditto
 Ditto
Garganey Phonescoped (c) 2019 Symon Fraser
 Garganey in the Rain Phonescoped (c) 2019 Symon Fraser
Bar-tailed Godwit - note no wing-bar
 Bar-tailed Godwit
 ditto
Bar-tailed Godwit (c) 2019 Aileen Urquhart
Bar-tailed Godwit Phonescoped (c) 2019 Symon Fraser
Bar-tailed Godwit (c) 2019 Tony Robinson
ditto

 Dunlin
Dunlin (c) 2019 Tony Robinson
 ditto
 Little Ringed Plover
 ditto
 Little Ringed Plovers
LRPs (c) 2019 Aileen Urquhart
Little Ringed Plover Phonescoped (c) 2019 Symon Fraser
Pintail (c) 2019 Tony Robinson
 ditto
 ditto
 ditto
Female Pintail (c) 2019 Tony Robinson
 ditto
Common Tern (c) 2019 Tony Robinson
ditto
 Common Tern (c) 2019 Aileen Urquhart
Record Shot of Little Gull (c) 2019 Tony Robinson
 Record shot of Little Gull [below] (c) 2019 Tony Robinson
Lapwing (c) 2019 Tony Robinson
ditto
 
 Black-headed Gulls (c) 2019 Aileen Urquhart
Hirundines
 Record Shot of House Martin
Swallow (c) 2019 Lynn Hall
 Sand Martins (c) 2019 Aileen Urquhart

 Mute Swan surrounded by Cormorants
 Chaffinch
Overall both groups saw well over 40 species despite heavy rain on and off all day. 
Common Sandpiper
ditto 
Bluebells at Bracken (c) 2019 Aileen Urquhart
 Ditto

Thursday's forecast was better than Wednesday's, but it was still too bad to go to the planned Swinemoor, but we were able to go to Ness End Farm.  There were lots of low-flying hirundines and some Swifts.  One of the morning highlights was our best ever view of a Common Sandpiper.  Unfortunately, this had gone after lunch, but a female Bearded Tit was adequate compensation.
Common Sandpiper
 ditto
 House Martin
 Record shot of Sand Martin
ditto 
 Swallow
 ditto
 Tufted Duck
The weather was better on Thursday at Ness End/Far Ings, just drizzle at times, but no heavy rain. Unfortunately, the Black Terns which had inundated the site the previous evening had all disappeared. That morning we encountered 38 species, including our best ever view of a Common Sandpiper. Plus Bearded Tit, Cetti’s Warbler, Marsh Harrier, Swifts, Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat, Blackcap, Bullfinch, Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Great Crested Grebe, Little Grebe, Tufted Duck, Cormorants etc 
Chiffchaff
 Bearded Tit
 ditto

 ditto
 ditto
 Canada Goose Gosling
 Kestrel carrying prey
 ditto
 Roe Deer
 ditto
 ditto
Borage 
Cornflower 
On Friday the forecast was for a largely fine day, but this didn't really transpire.  Little did I realise that the Grey Partridge at 8.45 on the approach road would be the highlight of a very long day.  I didn't finally leave the site until 6.15 pm!  In the drizzle the morning session encountered 25 species, but in the drier afternoon 41 species were heard &/or seen.  However, it wasn't a day for lots of close-up bird species.
Grey Partridge
 Pied Wagtail
 Little Grebe "in Flight" (c) 2019 Jane Robinson
 Storksbill (c) 2019 Jane Robinson
 ditto
And to conclude a couple of photos from North Cave Wetlands.
Record shot of Whimbrel [right] (c) 2019 Hugh Wood
 Bullfinch (c) 2019 Hugh Wood
 Bullfinches in a Garden (c) 2019 Hugh Wood



No comments: