Birding with Flowers: October 2022

Monday, 24 October 2022

One in a Million Garden Visitor

ditto

On the first really warm morning of the year we took our breakfasts to the garden to sit with a view of the Minster. As always in summer I looked up to the towers of the church to see if the Peregrines were circling but didn’t see any, so concentrated on my porridge. I then glanced down to my right and saw a young Peregrine perched on the plinth that supports the sunshade on the ground less than a foot away looking at me calmly and fixedly, entirely unafraid.

Its yellow feet were overlapping, its large black eyes unblinking, its head preternaturally still, the lids at the upper and lower rim clearly visible. It still had the scalloped pattern on its shoulder feathers, but was developing the moustache that marks a mature bird and its posture was upright. This was the beginning of an unusual morning.

There is something extraordinary about seeing birds close to and for most of us it is small ones on the garden feeder, or of course pigeons, and the largest that most people see are probably gulls angling for food at the seaside. In this country apart from Kestrels, birds of prey are usually glimpsed, moving, and at some distance, so seeing one very near has a visceral effect. There is no question that this is a dangerous animal, the curved pointed beak, the bright yellow feet, the black talons, and it is really quite big, just under half a metre in this case. The eyes are large, perfectly round and black and the bird is swift to respond to focus on any movement within a very wide radius, but in this case it neither flinched nor shifted in response to what we were doing.

After a while it explored the garden in a series of wing assisted jumps and scuttles and we hoped that it might manage to get airborne but it just shifted to another corner of the garden, then another until it discovered the barbecue. It had experimented with perching on the rim of a garden urn, and various corners of the garden but the barbecue has a domed top with a handle on it which seemed ideal as a perch because it allowed the bird to wrap its talons round it and grip, making it more secure. However there was some polythene over the handle, so the first time the bird slipped ignominiously off it on to the ground while I was watching. It scuttled off.

The peregrine scuttle reminded me of Margaret Thatcher who inclined her body forward and took small steps a bit like a penguin, and it seems a Peregrine. It moved quite quickly in this way and one can imagine that thus inclined, it is in the right posture to open its wings and take flight when on the ground. It did use its wings with jumps to get up to the urn when its wingspan underlined the confined space of the garden, but it got to the barbecue by walking along a ledge behind it. Later it managed to get rid of the polythene to grip the handle firmly and then its eyelids came up and it went to sleep.

It sounds peculiar and at one level it’s ridiculous, but there is a distinct sense of being honoured by being so close to such a feral creature, but after the surprise had worn off, a sense of concern intruded. We spent a good deal of time investigating how we could return the bird to its parents and its place on the tower. I telephoned the Professional Falconers Association and left a message describing the situation, and about an hour later they called back to advise us not to try and catch the bird unless it seemed distressed. Apparently young Peregrines that are restored after a trauma tend not to have ‘good outcomes’ as they put it, and I found that there is a literature on sibicide among the species.

Penny then ‘phoned the vet who suggested we call the Bradbury bird and wildlife rescue (ed. apparently, no longer operational) who said they would come to try to take the the bird back to the nest on the tower of the Minster. They arrived, borrowed a towel to enfold the bird, using a tea towel to hood it and took it back up the long spiral staircase in the tower. They then took the close-up photograph where you can see the pinnacles of the Minster reflected in the bird’s right eye. (ed. - To see this you may have to click on the first image above)

Friday, 21 October 2022

A Week (Almost) at Spurn

Fieldfare

Before we get to Spurn I drove through Stone Creek on Sunday afternoon. There wasn't much to see, but there was a flock of Fieldfare with a sprinkling of Redwings and a Pied Wagtail. I also checked out Alkborough Flats on Monday. There had been a high tide since my last visit, which had filled in the bare area infront of the hide with muddy water. However, the waders haven't yet returned. Despite the very strong winds, I was rewarded with a glimpse of a male Bearded Tit, which shinned up a reed. It was the only sighting of note.

Fieldfare

Redwing & Pied Wagtail

Bearded Tit

ditto

On a beautiful sunny and calm Tuesday morning we met at the Blue Bell car park. As I waited for the class to arrive, three separate flocks of Whooper Swans headed south. Of course, no further winter swans were seen once the others had arrived. Some colourful singing Starlings sported under the eaves accompanied by some less charming House Sparrows.

Whooper Swans

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House Sparrow

Starling

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We went to Kilnsea Wetlands because a Cattle Egret had been reported. There wasn’t much water, but despite this there were still plenty of birds to see. A Black Swan flew in with 3 Mute Swans. It was a revelation for many to see the large white patches on the wings. These white patches are largely invisible on the birds we had previously seen floating on the water. Scanning the birds we noticed a drake Pintail. Other birds seen included: Black-tailed Godwits, 3 Avocets, Dunlin, Shoveler, Wigeon, Teal plus a flock of Brent Geese headed over towards Beacon Ponds. Meantime on the mud a series of Passerines sported in front of the hide. They included: Reed Buntings, Pied Wagtails, Goldfinches, Linnets, Chaffinches and Meadow Pipits.

Mute & Black Swans

ditto

Linnet

Pied Wagtail

Drake Pintail

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Female Pintail

A walk to Beacon Ponds resulted in Little Egrets, better views of Brent Geese, a Redshank and various other wildfowl. Margaret spotted a Wren on the netted wall, whilst Bridget drew everyone’s attention to a Stonechat on the reeds.

Little Egrets

Wren

ditto

Brent Geese

We then went on to Sammy’s Point, which was almost balmy in the October sunshine. Here, we saw a more pristine Stonechat and several waders including a Grey Plover, but also Curlew, Dunlin, Redshanks and possibly Golden Plover, but we could only see silhouettes. When we first arrived a flock of over 10 Long-tailed Tits flew over our head, but my camera would only focus on one.

Long-tailed Tit

Male Stonechat

Grey Plover

Wednesday showed the same location utterly transformed by strong easterly winds. As soon as I arrived the radio crackled with the news of an owl over the sea. Unfortunately, I couldn’t catch sight of it. The early birds had to put up with a Kestrel instead. Once everyone arrived we walked to watch some ringing. We saw a Redwing, a Song Thrush and then a Robin being released. While we were waiting at the ringing two Grey Wagtails flew south, and then a small flock of Bramblings, whilst several Redwing were continually being scattered across the sky. The walk along the canal produced a few waders on the mud. These included Redshank, Curlew and Dunlin. Plus, there were a great number of Shelduck all congregated in the same area. We walked towards the breach, but only added Reed Buntings.

Redwing

Song Thrush

Robin

Redshank

Retracing our steps for a while we eventually reached Canal Scrape. The hide was packed to the gunnels because a Jack Snipe was bobbing up and down. It was extraordinarily difficult to discern among the short vegetation. However, everyone finally managed to see it before we gave up in despair. At least one observer wryly remarked that if it hadn’t been constantly in motion then they would never have spotted it. We were almost satiated by the perpetual motion when a Fieldfare landed in front of us. Originally, it faced us, but quickly turned and spent a few minutes displaying its smart back to us. It was probably our best and most prolonged view of this species ever.

Jack Snipe

ditto

Fieldfare

Magpie

Linnet

Moorhen

Mute Swans

Stonechat

ditto

In the afternoon as we waited for someone stuck in traffic some yapping Herring Gulls led Sue to discover the gulls mobbing a Short-eared Owl above our heads. Unfortunately, the Jack Snipe wouldn’t reappear after lunch, but there had been a massive influx of Goldcrests and a smaller ‘fall’ of Robins since the morning. We saw another SEO near the Warren, and Adam kindly allowed the pm session to watch the ringing of a Redwing, Song Thrush, Robin & Goldcrest. The waders were slightly closer which this time included 2 Greenshanks and a Grey Plover.

Greenshank

Grey Plover

Redwing

Short-eared Owl

ditto

Goldcrest with a tiny insect

ditto

The Tadcaster contingent obviously went on to Kilnsea Wetlands, where they photographed two species of wader.

Spider sp.

Thursday was supposed to be a complete washout, but the bad weather meant that a lot of birds were forced down into the Spurn area. I went to have a look in the afternoon. It was drizzling a little, but nothing like the torrent forecast the previous evening. I parked in front of the gate from which I could see the estuary mud, and the bushes clustered around the entrance to the reserve. There were quite a few Brambling, Redwing and Fieldfare, but the most unexpected bird was a Black Redstart on the unimog and gate…

Bramblings

Brambling

Black Redstart on Unimog

Black Redstart

ditto

On Friday I hadn’t been at the Blue Bell long when a Woodcock flew in from the sea and headed across the car park before disappearing into the bushes. We could see plenty of Fieldfare and Redwings flying past in a disorientated manner. We walked along the grass path towards Canal Scrape and were rather surprised to be confronted by a Water Rail, which quickly turned its upright tail and marched in the opposite direction.

Fieldfare

From Canal Scrape we could see plenty of winter thrushes arriving, but there was very little on the ground. When we left we walked on the path in between the Visitor Centre and the pill box. A supposed Goldcrest suddenly revealed itself as a Firecrest. This was a “lifer” for some and probably one of the most prolonged views any of the classes have ever had. We never heard it call the whole time we watched it, but it hardly stopped moving for a whole second.

Firecrest

ditto

We eventually reached the Spurn gate, and here we enjoyed some really good views of at least 4 Bramblings. When they weren’t perched on top of bushes or on the telegraph lines, they were feeding on some seeds on plants on the riverside. They were still there after the lunch. We walked to the Warren and watched Paul ringing a Song Thrush, a Robin, a Chiffchaff and 2 Blackbirds - a young female and a young male. The tide was well out and a mist had descended, but we could still see a few waders.

Brambling

Bramblings

ditto

Robin

Blackbird

Chiffchaff

We walked back along the Canal. It was a bit quieter here, but we did see more Goldcrests, Redwings, Fieldfare, a Yellow Browed Warbler and a Lesser Whitethroat. In the afternoon the best bird in this area was a silvery-winged Ring Ouzel. On the estuarine mud, we could discern Curlew, Redshank, Dunlin, a Grey Plover and a flock of Shelduck. Elizabeth spotted a couple of dark lumps near some Unmentionables - a pair of what looked like almost moribund Brent Geese. One eventually rose to its feet and started to munch some green slime. Hopefully, they didn’t have bird flu. They had departed by 2pm, so perhaps they were OK after all.

Lesser Whitethroat

ditto

Robin

Record Shot of Ring Ouzel

ditto

Elizabeth's Brent Goose

On the walk back towards the car park a very grey bird flew past us and landed briefly in a bush on the other side of the road. It was a male Blackcap. When we returned to the car park a birder Kindly informed us that there was a Black Redstart in the caravan park.

Black Redstart

Away from the coast, there were also some nice sightings in the Tadcaster area.

Autumn Course Details

Bookings for the 10-week Autumn term have started. At the time of writing there are most vacancies on Tuesday & Friday mornings with a couple of spaces on most other sessions. 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. You'll be amazed what you'll find just by listening, and not only by looking! In the Autumn we'll be paying special attention to finding and identifying birds on migration. Autumn visitors we are hoping to track down include: Redstarts, Flycatchers, Warblers, Rough-legged Buzzards, Hen Harriers, Short-eared Owls & various wading birds. We will be visiting venues in East Yorkshire with a couple of ventures into North Lincolnshire and West Yorkshire. So, if you are interested in learning more about your local wildlife in beautiful and secluded venues for less than £12 a week, 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

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.