Sunday, 30 March 2025

After Easter

2025 Wheatear

Channel' Wagtail

The winter term has drawn towards its protacted close.  The length of daylight has imperceptibly increased over the last few weeks, and the changing of the clocks has helped it appear more spring-like, and the weather today seems as an improvement.  The Spring/Summer term will be starting the week after Easter.  We will search out the most colourful local birds.

Bullfinch

Marsh Harrier
Booking for the 10-week Spring term has started. At the time of writing there aren’t enough recruits for Friday afternoons to take place, but if 8 people come forward it can take place.  There are most vacancies on Thursday afternoons, with a couple of vacancies on Tuesday mornings, Wednesday afternoons, and Thursday mornings.  If you are interested in a session, please ask.  For at least 2 hours a week encounter the natural world as a completely new sensual experience. You'll be amazed what you'll find just by listening, and not only by looking! In the Spring we'll be paying special attention to birdsong
Sedge Warbler
 Reed Warbler
If you want help sorting out your Sedge Warblers from your Reed Warblers, and pointing out the differences between singing Blackcaps and Garden Warblers then this is the place to be. We are going to locations where you will hopefully see, and not just hear Cuckoos.  
Cuckoo
We are also planning to visit sites with Turtle Doves, Redstarts and other special summer visitors. 
Turtle Dove
 Redstart
We will walk in Bluebell woods and along hedgerows to listen to and identify the songbirds.  We will examine the scrubland along lakes to watch birds, which prefer wet habitats.  We will also visit a sandy beach for birds of the seashore, and of course we will visit East Yorkshire’s rocky cliffs for a unique wildlife experience on mainland England.  The nearby Humber estuary is also an important habitat, which is attractive to many species of bird.
Bearded Tits
Puffin
So, if you are interested in learning more about your local wildlife in beautiful and secluded venues for £12 a week, then this is the course for you!  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. The course runs twice daily Tuesday to Friday. If you are interested in more details of the course, or wish to be placed on a waiting list, please contact me - details at the top of the blog.
Green-Veined White on Bluebells
 Broad-Bodied Chaser
 Bee Orchid
 Puffins

Friday, 28 March 2025

Winter Ends, Spring Begins

 Garganey

On Tuesday we travelled into the west, but didn’t quite reach the Grey Havens.  There was a bit more from the screen then previous visits with a Heron trying to consume a large amphibian, and an acrobatic Marsh Harrier.  We heard a laughing Green Woodpecker, and saw a swiftly undulating Great Spotted Woodpecker. There was no Kingfisher at the next screen, but water levels were high & murky.

Heron

Heron & Amphibian

Heron & Amphibian
Marsh Harrier
Ditto
We heard a Bittern booming at times, and a pair of Skylarks serenaded us.  A solitary Whooper Swan was on the far lake, whilst nearer at hand was a Cattle Egret on a Highland Cow, with a Great Egret a little further away.  Unfortunately, there was no sign of any Spoonbills. There was only a small scattering of Ducks, which included Goldeneye, Tufted Duck, Pochard & Teal.  One of the highlights was a distant pair of Black-necked Grebes.  It was just possible to spot their yellow head plumes in the tricky light conditions.  As we neared the end of the journey we enjoyed a long anticipated view of one of the many Green Woodpeckers at this reserve.  Overall we saw 99 species this term, just 6 short of the Autumn tally.
Record Shot of distant Whooper Swan
Cattle Egret
Cattle Egret & Magpie
Record Shot of distant Black-necked Grebes

On Wednesday we discovered that someone had stocked the supermarket shelves for the first time this year since we’ve been visiting.  The Tree Sparrows were easy to spot in the car park.  We saw Guillemots and Razorbills as soon as we reached the cliffs, and after a little searching some Puffins were added to the tally.  Gannets and Kittiwakes were flying past with some ensconced on their proposed nests.  Our whole walk was accompanied by Skylarks.  We carried on to the furthest northerly viewpoint.  A long sojourn here eventually added a Peregrine Falcon, which was heralded by everything abandoning the cliffs for further out at sea.  After a longer wait a Shag was seen flying over the sea, and only a couple of minutes later another example flew past us.  The morning group encountered 98 this term, but the lowly afternoon group scored 101!

Tree Sparrow
Ditto
Bottle-Nosed Dolphins
Ditto
Guillemots
Guillemot
Guillemot (c) 2025 Peter Moizer
Razorbills
Ditto
Razorbills (c) 2025 Peter Moizer
Gannet
Gannets (c) 2025 Peter Moizer
Ditto
Puffin
Puffins
Herring Gull
Herring Gull (c) 2025 Peter Moizer
Jackdaws
Peregrine
Ditto
Shag
Linnet
Weasel
Wren
Ditto
On Thursday the cold morning started with Fieldfare just outside the car park.  We went to the hide which had sleeping Garganey.  However, in the afternoon they were busy feeding, and as they were travelling in a circuit we just waited for them to come right outside our window.  They seemed to be a little bigger than Teal.  They are only duck species, which is a summer visitor, so spring is almost here.
Fieldfare
Graganey - Morning View
Garganey - afternoon view
Ditto
Female Garganey [rear]
Teal
Some participants had their first views of Avocets in 2025.  The only other waders present were Black-tailed Godwits.  Some flew west first, and a few plain individuals were feeding directly in front of the hide.  Later, some more colourful individuals were feeding much further away.
Avocet
Black-tailed Godwits
Black-tailed Godwit
Ditto
Ditto
Ditto
Black-tailed Godwit in Breeding Plumage [left]
Little Egret
Ditto
Ditto
Marsh Harrier
Ditto
Snipe
Frog
Coltsfoot
Violets
Small Tortoiseshell
The term ended with a final visit to the southern Wolds.  It was a colder windier morning, but luckily the rain held off.  There were Greenfinches in the usual places, but the Yellowhammer was more of a surprise.
Record Shot of distant Yellowhammer 

Greenfinch
The pair of Grey Wagtails were still hanging round the dam, with the male even collecting nesting material.  Because there were hundreds of  trees cut down there was a concentration of birds in the few trees remaining.  The Redwings, a Song Thrush and a pair of Blackcaps were devouring Ivy berries.
Grey Wagtail with Nesting Material
Male Grey Wagtail
Female Grey Wagtail 
Red Kite
Buzzard
Ditto
Redwings
Song Thrush
Female Blackcap
Marsh Tit
Chiffchaff 
When we reconvene in almost a month’s time, the winter visitors will probably have all gone, but the spring migrants should have almost all arrived..