Birding with Flowers

Friday, 7 October 2011

Birding in a Fissure

We were supposed to be birding on the edge of a cliff yesterday, but the winds were too strong, so we switched to a deep fissure a few miles away. The birds weren't brilliant & the fungi was almost non-existent (too dry), but we did have a few close encounters with a couple of species. Both groups encountered 10+ Red Admirals dividing their time by nectaring on a large clump of Ivy, & sunbathing nearby. Shortly after this in the pm the group had a very confiding Treecreeper which charmed them for several minutes. The equivalent in the am was a buck Roe Deer, which seemed pretty unconcerned by our attentions.

Both groups saw a Grey Seal bobbing in the sea, but only the am group enjoyed a decent glimpse of a Goldcrest - as you can see my camera didn't! A noisy Kestrel didn't allow its photograph to be taken, and some distant Gannets were way out of camera range, but the remainder of the sightings are summarised in the pictures below!

Treecreeper

ditto

Red Admiral Nectaring on Ivy

ditto

& Sunbathing

Speckled Wood

ditto

Roe Deer [buck]

Grey Seal

Fungi

ditto

Record shot of Goldcrest

Record Shot of Rock Pipit

Snails nestling in a crack in tree bark

Another Dead Guillemot

Wednesday, 5 October 2011

Diving in the Ruff

I was dreading the long drive to the furthest venue of this term. I'm usually pretty unimpressed with the wildlife seen there too, despite this being one of the most popular locations for West Yorkshire birders. The gale force winds didn't inspire confidence either.

We started by sharing cars to a reserve hidden behind a housing estate. We had good views of 6 Ruff here, plus a single Bar-tailed & a single Black-tailed Godwit, which were side-by-side, so were a great model for comparison purposes. At the other hide we saw a pair of Pintail, and a couple of Snipe and a female Sparrowhawk, which became 2 in the afternoon.

Then we went for a walk on the beach but the incoming tide meant we only saw a Great Crested Grebe, some Cormorants, and some huddling Oystercatchers & Turnstones. In the afternoon this scene was transformed, so we were able to add a single Sanderling, some Knot & Dunlin, and closer views of everything else. However, Doug spotted an unusual bird just off the beach, which turned out to be a Red-throated Diver, and another darker individual was soon spotted further out to sea. The first bird gave really good views, and was even seen to catch a fish. At least 3 Sandwich Terns were fishing in the bay, plus a few gulls, but no Skuas.

The morning group also had a walk on the cliff top, where a large flock of Linnets were added with smaller numbers of Meadow Pipits, and a single Rock Pipit. We didn't have time to explore very far and the wind threatened to blow us into the sea, so we didn't spend long there - despite this a Skylark was also heard flying over.

The afternoon was more or less a rerun of the morning, but the beach walk was far more successful, but this was all due to the state of the tide. Next time I have to visit this location I probably won't be quite so reluctant - although the very slow drivers in this area will never go away, I suppose!

Red-throated Diver

ditto

A Nice Selection of Ruff

Lovely markings on the back of a Ruff

Showing the thin white line on the back of a Ruff, plus tail markings

Sanderling

Oystercatcher

Sandwich Tern

Sparrowhawk

Rock Pipit

Dribbling Meadow Pipit

Linnets

Woolly Bear [caterpillar of Garden Tiger Moth] ??

Tuesday, 4 October 2011

Jacking in the Hobby

This morning we explored the south side of the reserve, but didn't see anything exceptional for a while. However, in one hide Liz was looking through her telescope when she spotted what she thought was a Snipe, but it was bobbing up & down! This immediately rang the required bells, and sure enough after checking carefully the diminutive bird in view I was able to confirm its short bill, bobbing action, & vivid yellow stripe all along its back added up to a Jack Snipe. Apparently, we were the first to see & confirm it's ID. later that morning others looked for it without success, but eventually other telescope users in the afternoon managed to confirm our sighting - phew! The only other wading bird of interest was a very short-staying Black-tailed Godwit, which landed briefly on a nearby marsh before flying off in a Westerly direction. The afternoon brought some fly-over Curlews in the same area.

At lunch time I encountered some former class members & they reported good views of both Kingfisher & Hobby at a different part of the reserve, so the afternoon group initially went in the opposite direction to the am session. The Kingfisher was present for a few minutes - really just until all the session managed to see it before it disappeared. We then had a long wait, and I was about to give up when the Hobby appeared along the tree line on our left. It then performed some fantastic aerial fly-overs on several occasions, when it was observed munching on dragonflies. It was so quick not everyone managed to pick out its orange trousers, but most people saw its white cheek contrasting sharply with its black moustachial stripe. It really put on a fantastic performance, so the group didn't mind giving way to the reserve warden who was showing the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust's Martin Batt & 3 clients from France round the reserve - hope they got to see it too! This was the best ever view of a Hobby seen by the Tues pm session!

The pm group made the long journey to try & see the Jack Snipe too. This was very difficult for some because of the high winds, a shaky shelf for telescopes, and a very cryptically coloured bird, but we remained until everyone confirmed they'd managed to observe it bobbing up & down like a little pnuematic toy. Although it was a lot cooler than recent days, the birds put on a great display & everyone went home satisfied!

Hobby

Kingfisher

Chiffchaff in the garden before setting off today

ditto

Monday, 3 October 2011

Svalbard Cruise

David Tasker from Tuesday mornings has been on a Svalbard cruise several times, and this has proved to be an excellent situation to take photographs of some species we don't see round here very often, if at all. As there are no pictures from today, I thought you may like to see them.

The Ivory Gull was taken near the kennels of some Huskies at Ny Aalesund, and most of the others were taken near Bear Island. The Polar Bear was taken near Magdelene Fjord. David has also seen Arctic Foxes in the same place, but didn't see them when he was on the cruise earlier this year.

Little Auk

Ivory Gull

Glaucous Gull

Barnacle Goose with Goslings

Fin Whale

Fulmar

Little Auks, Bridled Guillemot & Guillemot

Bruennich's Guillemot

Polar Bear

Sunday, 2 October 2011

Perfect Light

Rolled up at Friday's location not long after 8am - the warden was opening the reserve early for a week, as an erruption of Bearded Tits was expected. The Reedlings didn't show, but the light in one hide was perfect, and many of the waders were extremely close. Of course by the time the am session arrived the birds weren't as close & the light wasn't as perfect. The high tides had brought in a lot more water than was present the previous week, and there were more Black-tailed Godwits, Spotted Redshanks, Redshanks & Greenshanks to see, but the Ruff & Green Sandpiper failed to put in an appearance. A female Stonechat next to the Visitor Centre was a bonus in the morning, but was only glimpsed through a distant telescope in the afternoon. 4 Marsh Harriers came out of the reeds at exactly 11 am, but after that they were only seen intermittently. A couple of the hides still looked out onto acres of dried mud, so it is to be hoped that the high tides will have flooded more of the reserve in the next couple of days!

Spotted Redshank

ditto

Black-tailed Godwit

ditto

Black-tailed Godwit - in non-breeding plumage

Greenshank

Bog-Standard Redshank

ditto

Heron

Marsh Harrier

Drake Teal Coming out of Eclipse

Autumn Term Details

Bookings for the 10-week Autumn term have started. At the time of writing there are most vacancies on Tuesday mornings, Wednesday afternoons & Thursday afternoons with a single space on Wednesday mornings. If you are interested in another session, please ask. For at least 2 hours a week encounter the natural world as a completely new sensual experience. In the Autumn we’ll be hoping to encounter Short-eared Owls, Hen Harriers, and plenty of waders on the coast & at our estuarine venues. We will be visiting venues in East Yorkshire with a couple of ventures into North Lincolnshire and possibly one just in West Yorkshire So, if you are interested in learning more about your local wildlife in beautiful and secluded venues for £13 a week, please contact me for more details! We visit a different local hotspot each week and identify all the birds and as much other wildlife as we can. This also includes mammals, and fungi with butterflies, and dragonflies in the warmer months. The course runs twice daily Tuesday to Friday. Please note it is not appropriate to bring your dogs with you. If you are interested in more details of the course, or wish to be placed on a waiting list, please leave a comment next to one of my posts or email me on mflowers81@live.co.uk. If you use iCloud your email will need to be sent to michaeljflowers@yahoo.co.uk

Terms and Conditions

Birding with Flowers

Terms and Conditions

1.0 General

1.1. Birding with Flowers organises birdwatching and wildlife walks and events to enable participants to learn bird identification, to gain knowledge of habitats and wildlife in general to enhance their enjoyment and appreciation of the countryside. These terms and conditions must be agreed by anyone joining a 10-week birding course or a special one-off event.

1.2 Birding with Flowers reserves the right to revise these Terms and Conditions at any time by updating these pages. It is your responsibility to review and understand the Terms and Conditions. If you are booking a course or event you will be asked to return a signed slip stating that you agree to these legally binding Terms and Conditions. If you do not agree to the Terms and Conditions please do not ask to participate in Birding with Flowers courses or events.

1.3 The Birding with Flowers blog HYPERLINK "http://www.eybirdwatching.blogspot.com" www.eybirdwatching.blogspot.com, the weekly East Yorkshire Birdwatching Walks and one-off special events are managed and operated by Birding with Flowers. The Terms and Conditions set out below constitute the agreement between you (the client) and us (Birding with Flowers or BWF).

1.4 Whilst we make every effort to provide you with up to date details for courses and events, it is ultimately your responsibility to check whether they have been cancelled or rescheduled by checking emails or, where applicable, text messages the evening before a session. We take all reasonable steps to ensure the information on the blog, in the course itineraries and for one-off events is accurate at the time of publishing and continues to be accurate. Liability for any loss or damage arising from inaccuracies, omissions or interpretation of contents is limited to the cost of the session. If you believe any content to be inaccurate please contact us on 07946 625677, or email us at mflowers81@live.co.uk and we will take all reasonable steps to correct it as soon as possible.

2.0 Payments and Bookings

2.1 For the complete 10-week course we require full payment in advance. If payment is not made before the date specified in the course particulars, your place may be given to another client.

2.2 One-off short (2-3 hours) walks may be paid for on the day in cash, but preference will always be made to those who pay in advance.

2.3 Except for payments for short walks (see 2.2 above), payments made by BACS are preferred by us as this is a safe, quick and easy method of payment. You will require the Birding with Flowers account number and bank sorting code. You will need to include your surname and the day you attend as a reference. If you require our bank details this will be sent in two separate emails, please do not reply to those emails for security reasons.

2.4 If you do not want to make a BACS payment you may still pay by cheque. Payment by cheque requires your contact details written on the reverse. If you pay by cheque, you should be aware that your cheque will take a few days to arrive in the post, and your payment will not be recognised as completed until the cheque has cleared, which will take several more working days. Please take this into consideration when sending your cheque. For details on how to pay by cheque please email us at mflowers81@live.co.uk

2.5 No cash payments should be sent to us in the post.

2.6 You are required to ensure, when booking a course or event, that there are sufficient funds to cover the cost of the service. Payment will be taken in advance for the services offered and if payment fails, bookings will not be made until an alternative payment has been made. If there are any changes to your details that may affect your booking it is your responsibility to inform Birding with Flowers by contacting us on 07946 625677, or email us at mflowers81@live.co.uk

2.7 It is important that you print the email of the confirmation of your booking for your own reference.

3.0 Data Protection

3.1 Birding with Flowers takes your contact details as part of the booking process. Your details will not be shared with any third party or organisation. If you request another member’s email or phone number for whatever purpose, your message will be forwarded to that client, but any reply will remain between yourself and that client.

4.0 Intellectual Property

4.1 As a member of the Birding with Flowers course you may be sent detailed itineraries, birdsong calendars, species location spreadsheets, bird identification flowcharts and other original items. Any items marked with copyright should not be shared with any third party, including previous members of the course. Once a person has left the course they are no longer entitled to receive further publications.

5.0 Changes and Cancellation: by Birding with Flowers

5.1 Birding with Flowers begins planning courses and events many months in advance. On occasions we have to make changes to details both before and after bookings have been confirmed. With outdoor classes and events, local weather, transport or a host of other uncontrollable factors can mean a change in the itinerary. Although we always take all reasonable steps to avoid changes, we must reserve the right to do so.

5.2 If we have to make a minor alteration to your itinerary or travel arrangements before departure, we will, if practicable, advise you before departure but we are not obliged to do so or to pay you compensation.

5.3 In the event of poor weather conditions which we consider will seriously affect the quality of a class or one-off event, we reserve the right to postpone or cancel the class or one-off event. In this case you will usually be offered alternative dates for the same or similar event from our programme of events.

5.4 If we have to cancel an individual class, or one-off event, completely due to unforeseen circumstances such as illness of the course leader, extreme weather events or major travel disruption, where possible we will offer an alternative date. If we have no alternative dates to offer, you will receive a full refund of all monies paid for that class or event.

5.5 If a major change is made (e.g. cancellation of all or more than 2 classes of your course or a one-off event e.g. because of the illness of the course leader), we will inform you as soon as possible. In this circumstance we will offer you the choice of the following options:

a) accepting an alternative course, part-course or one-off event arranged by Birding with Flowers and beginning on an arranged day; or

b) transferring your payment to a future course or one-off event run by Birding with Flowers of a similar standard to that originally booked, if available. We will endeavour to offer you at least one alternative course or one-off event of equivalent or higher standard.

In the event of no alternatives being available, or if you are unable to attend a future course or one-off event, a refund for the cancelled proportion of the course or for the one-off event will be offered.

5.6 The decision as to whether a change is minor or major lies with Birding with Flowers, who will act fairly in all circumstances.

5.7 No liability beyond offering the above-mentioned options can be accepted where we are forced to make a change or cancel as a result of unusual and unforeseeable circumstances beyond our control, the consequences of which we could not have avoided even with all due care. No compensation will be payable and the above options will not be available if we cancel as a result of your failure to comply with any requirement of our Terms and Conditions entitling us to cancel (e.g. not paying on time) or if the change made is a minor one.

5.8 In the event that a course or event is cancelled by Birding with Flowers because of insufficient numbers signing up for it, a full refund of monies paid by you will be made. However, no further liability will be accepted by Birding with Flowers. Usually an alternative course will be arranged.

6.0 Changes and cancellation by the client

6.1 You may cancel your booking for a course or one-off event at any stage; however, a full refund will not be issued if cancellation is notified to Birding with Flowers less than 7 days before the course commences or the event is due to take place. In the event of serious illness or a major change in your personal circumstance notified by you, any refund of some or all of the course fee or event fee would be at the discretion of Birding with Flowers.

6.2. You may request a change to a booking by contacting us by email or telephone. If possible, a request to change the day/and or time of a course or an individual class will be permitted, providing there is a vacancy for the replacement day and/or time.

6.3 Please note that failure to attend a course, a single class or one-off event without first informing Birding with Flowers cannot be regarded as a cancellation. Unless otherwise agreed, clients who fail to attend a class or event without prior notice will not receive a refund for the course, missed class or one-off event.

7.0 What is Included on BWF Courses or One-Off events

7.1 See the course itineraries or details of one-off events for what you can expect to be provided by Birding with Flowers.

8.0 What is Not Included on BWF Courses, or One-Off Events

8.1 Birding with Flowers does not organise or pay for clients’ travel expenses to and from events, such as public transport or car hire. We do not pay for telephone calls, snacks or any items of a personal nature.

9.0 Insurance

9.1 Birding with Flowers has taken out full indemnity insurance for events held in the UK.

10.0 Special Requests

10.1 If you have any special requests, you should inform us of such requests at the time of booking. We will try our best to accommodate your requirements but we cannot guarantee that such requests will be met. Furthermore, we have no liability to you if such requests are not met.

10.2 Confirmation that a special request has been noted or the inclusion of the special request on your confirmation or any other documentation is not confirmation that the request will be met.

10.3 If you have any medical problem or disability which may affect your course or one-off event, (e.g. heart condition, asthma, epilepsy, mobility problems, mental condition etc.) please tell us when making your booking so that we can advise as to the suitability of the chosen arrangements. In any event, you must give us full details in writing at the time of booking. If we reasonably feel unable to properly accommodate your particular needs, we must reserve the right to decline your reservation or, if full details are not given at the time of booking, cancel when we become aware of these details.

11.0 Behaviour

11.1 When you book with us, you accept responsibility for any damage or loss caused by your negligence.

11.2 You are respectfully requested to switch off your mobile phone, or switch it to silent mode, for the duration of the birdwatching session. If you are expecting an urgent call during any particular session, please let the course leader know before the commencement of the class. Otherwise if your phone rings without arrangement during a session, do not be offended if you are asked to switch it off.

11.3 You are respectfully requested to wear muted colours for birdwatching sessions. Dark colours allow us to get a little closer to the birds and may prolong our observation of the wildlife. If you arrive wearing bright red, white, yellow or pink you must expect to be asked to cover up.

11.4 Birding with Flowers requests participants to observe the basics of fieldcraft. This means when we are approaching wildlife unnecessary noise should be kept to a minimum. If clients are talking loudly they may be asked to be quiet.

11.5 We expect all clients to have consideration for other people. The majority of Birding with Flowers clients are non-smokers. In order that they can enjoy their course or one-off event in comfort, we insist that smokers refrain from smoking or vaping in the proximity of all other group members, and while watching wildlife, at all times. Smoking indoors in any public space – e.g. bird hide – is illegal, while smoking in any confined space – e.g. at any other group gathering or in a vehicle – cannot be permitted. Additionally, Birding with Flowers implements a policy of eco-tourism and requests that smokers dispose of used cigarette ends, which contain non-biodegradable material, responsibly. In booking a course or one-off event you agree to accept these guidelines, and it is the right of our course leader to dismiss from a class, event or course any participant failing to respect them.

11.6 If, in the reasonable opinion of the course leader, you behave in such a way as to cause or be likely to cause danger, upset or distress to any third party (including the course leader) or damage to property or fauna (including the collecting of any specimen from the natural world, for example any plants or insects), we are entitled, without prior notice, to terminate your attendance on the course or one-off event of the person(s) concerned. In this situation, you will be required to leave the course or event immediately. We will have no further responsibility toward you including any return travel arrangements. No refunds will be made and we will not pay any expenses or costs incurred as a result of the termination.

11.7 If, in the reasonable opinion of the tour leader you are asked to modify your behaviour in any way, that modification, once agreed, must be adhered to. Any failure to modify your behaviour as previously agreed will result in the immediate expulsion of that person(s) from the course. We will have no further responsibility toward such person(s) including any return travel arrangements. No refunds will be made and we will not pay any expenses or costs incurred as a result of the termination.

11.8 The course leader reserves the right to bar any person that he/she considers is behaving in any manner detrimental to the smooth running of the course from attendance on any future courses or one-off events. In the first instance this will involve the lack of a renewal information for a future course or one-off event to the individual(s) concerned. Renewal emails/renewals will only automatically be sent to those whose behaviour has caused no problems to either the course leader or to other members attending the course or one-off event.

11.9 If any course member has a problem with the behaviour of any other course member this must be brought to the attention of the course leader, preferably in writing. The person(s) concerned will be questioned and the opinion of other course members sought. If the case appears weak the individual will be informed of his/her alleged behaviour, and warned that any future recurrence will result in immediate explusion. If the case against the individual appears strong then that person(s) will be required to leave the course or event immediately. We will have no further responsibility toward such person(s) including any return travel arrangements. No refunds will be made and we will not pay any expenses or costs incurred as a result of the termination.

12.0 The course leader’s decision on any dispute is final.