Friday 29 April 2022

Spring Term, Week 1

On Monday I tried out Sammy’s Point.  Just after leaving the car there were at least 6 Fieldfare and a Ring Ouzel, 2 Yellow Wagtails and perhaps 3 Wheatears.  2 Whimbrel were on the remaining mudflats not yet covered by a high tide.  More than 50 Brent Geese flew over and landed on the river.
Ring Ouzel
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Wheatear
Fieldfare
Reed Bunting
On Tuesday the Spring Term commenced with a visit to a Bluebell Wood.  There were singing examples of all the common woodland birds species.  One highlight was a Marsh Tit, which started feeding unconcernedly just near our vantage point.  
Marsh Tit
Treecreeper
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Hares
Hare
Green-veined White
Bluebell
Bluebells
Greater Stitchwort
Speckled Wood
Toad
Wednesday began with the first trip to Thixendale in 3 years.  Apparently, the Tawny Owl chicks had recently hatched, so we avoided all the nest boxes.  We walked down the steep road and soon located a singing male Redstart.  We went on to hear another 3 with a female also seen after lunch.  A Yellowhammer was also seen in the area, as were a pair of Red-legged Partridges.  The walk along the wolds way was fairly uneventful, but we did see a flock of nearly 100 Fieldfare.  We were surprised to see so many this far inland.  We could hear a willow Warbler singing at the top of the escarpment, and occasional Swallows were seen in the same area.  We approached a gate and first heard and then saw 2 male Redstarts.  In the morning a Treecreeper was located, whilst in the afternoon our first ever Ring Ouzel was in the same area.  The return journey was less eventful.
Redstart
Redstart
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Record Shot of Ring Ouzel
Ring Ouzel
Yellowhammer
Fieldfare
Female Pied Wagtail
Hares
Some of the Wednesday crowd went on to Allerthorpe Common, where they encountered Blackcap and Yellowhammers.
Blackcap (c) 2022 Tony Robinson
Yellowhammer (c) 2022 Tony Robinson
Meanwhile, back in Nafferton there was a confiding Barn Owl and a Wren.
Wren (c) 2022 Tony Robinson
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Barn Owl (c) Tony Tobinson
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A visit to Flamborough Head is always worthwhile at this time of year.  The Albatross was seen, but not photographed. 
Puffin (c) 2022 John Peck
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Gannets (c) 2022 John Peck
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Thursday morning was as grey as the rest of the week with a cool northerly wind.  This managed to keep many of the songbirds subdued.  However, one of the first birds we heard was a Grasshopper Warbler - the first one on a Thursday for more than half a decade.  Luckily, everyone managed to gain a glimpse  of this notoriously skulking species. A much louder Cettis’s Warbler was nearby and actually landed in the open and sang for a few seconds.  The Bearded Tit was seen before the others arrived. Around 3 Water Rails were at the base and opposite a dead tree, but we didn’t manage to see any of them.  We heard and saw a couple of Sedge Warblers, but any Reed Warblers remained concealed.  A Bittern was heard booming several times, whilst another flew in to the same reedbed, and much later flew out again.  A male Linnet sang beautifully from a rose briar.  
Grasshopper Warbler
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Cetti's Warbler
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Bearded Tit
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Bittern
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Sedge Warbler
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Male Linnet
Reed Bunting

When we reached the flooded field there were at least 4 Spoonbills, plus Shoveler, Gadwall, Teal and many Mute Swans.  We walked as far as we could, but the path to Trent Falls was still badly flooded - too deep for us to walk though it.  

Spoonbills
Swift
Pete's Water Rail
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Barnacle Geese
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Jackdaw
Jackdaw with Cranefly
In the afternoon we finished by taking the path which headed south.  We were listening for a booming Bittern when three distant birds were spotted heading east along the Humber.  They were 3 Common Cranes.  An excellent end to a rewarding day.  Unfortunately, the record shots of the three Cranes was accidentally deleted from my memory card.  I  don't really want to have to pay $80 to have them rescued.  
Lackey Moth Caterpillars
Friday was a lot brighter, especially after lunch when we went near the railway line at Welton.  For early birds there was a Lesser Whitethroat singing near the cars.  There was an "bog-standard" Whitethroat in the last scrub allowed before the housing estate finally takes over.  Down the first turnoff lane we found a couple of Yellowhammers, and at least 2 Whitethroats, which spent the whole time we were there chasing each other round and round the trees, bushes and any other vegetation. By the afternoon the relationship dispute had been resolved.  On the way back a Linnet allowed everyone to enjoy its plumage. 
Concealed morning Whitethroat
Whitethroat in the afternoon (c) 2022 Mike Woods
Whitethroat Taking Off
Whitethroat with Nesting Material (c) 2022 Mike Woods
Surrounded by Flies (c) 2022 Mike Woods
Whitethroat
Yellowhammer (c) 2022 Mike Woods
The walk to the riverbank resulted in Cetti’s Warblers, Blackcaps and a Chiffchaff.  We then found a Willow Warbler with an identity crises.  It interspersed its normal liquid descending cascade song with some “Chiff-chaff” phrases.  To compound matters its legs appeared to be dark, when it should have been flesh-coloured!  A Kingfisher flew past when everyone else was distracted by a very close Cetti’s Warbler.  In the afternoon everyone saw the Kingfisher in the same place when it travelled in the opposite direction,
Cetti's Warbler in the morning
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There was a Cetti's Warbler in the same location after lunch.  A truly confiding individual.
Cetti's Warbler (c) 2022 Mike Woods
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Willow Warbler
Chiffchaff
Chiffchaff (c) 2022 Mike Woods
We also encountered Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler and Reed Bunting.  On the return journey near the Fishing Club entrance we enjoyed prolonged views of another Cetti’s Warbler.  This was probably the best one we’ve ever seen.   It was still present in the afternoon, but it preferred the shade to the brilliant sunshine, which ensured its plumage appeared to be a completely different hue!  
Blackcap (c) 2022 Mike Woods
Reed Bunting (c) 2022 Mike Woods
Dunnock
Female Linnet
Female Linnet (c) 2022 Mike Woods
Stock Doves
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Speckled Wood (c) 2022 Mike Woods
Female Blue-tailed Damselfly
Dryad's Saddle
Last week at Flamborough 2 Friday morning stalwarts found a pair of late-staying Bramblings.
Male Brambling (c) 2022 Dave Hill
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Female Brambling (c) 2022 Dave Hill