Monday 27 March 2023

Book now for the Post-Easter Term

 'Channel' Wagtail

The winter term has drawn towards its protracted close.  The length of daylight has imperceptibly increased over the last few weeks, so the weather should be improving fairly soon!  The Spring-Summer term will be starting the week after Easter.

Marsh Harrier
Booking for the 10-week Spring term has started. At the time of writing there are a couple of vacancies on Friday afternoons, followed by Friday mornings and Tuesday mornings.  If you are interested in another session, please ask, there may just be one vacancy.  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
So, if you are interested in learning more about your local wildlife in beautiful and secluded venues for less than £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 24 March 2023

Spring Term Follows Swiftly

Red Kite

On Monday I checked out a reserve in the Howden area.

Great Crested Grebe
Male Marsh Harrier
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On Tuesday and Wednesday we went to Blacktoft Sands.  Every group started at the new hide, with everyone suitably impressed by its solidity and effectiveness.  From here there were Wigeon, Tufted Ducks, Shoveler, Little Grebes and Snipe around the fringes.

Snipe
Wigeon
Beauty & the Beast
Female Marsh Harrier
White-fronted Geese
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Ear Fungus
Tuesday afternoon included a quick visit to Hornsea Mere.
Canada Goose
Black-headed Gull
Herring Gull
Jackdaw

At Marshland last week’s Goosander had gone, and the Heron’s were further away.  Again, there were Snipe here, plus Teal, more Wigeon, and this time some Pochard.  On Wednesday am Anthony spotted some unusual waders hunkered down at the back of the most insignificant island.  They turned out to be Spotted Redshank still in their drab winter plumage.

Spotted Redshank (c) 2023 Symon Fraser
Spotted Redshank
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Snipe
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Snipe (c) 2023 Symon Fraser
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Female Marsh Harrier
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Female Marsh Harrier (c) 2023 Tony Robinson
Male Marsh Harrier
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Both groups hiked over to Ousefleet hide. A yellowish Chiffchaff was  seen by all groups   The best bird on Wednesday was a Spoonbill, but there were also Shelduck, and on Tuesday Black-tailed Godwits and Dunlin.

Chiffchaff
Chiffchaff (c) 2023 Symon Fraser
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Avocets
Dunlin/Ruff
Spoonbill (c) 2023 Symon Fraser
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Spoonbill (c) 2023 Tony Robinson
Spoonbill
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Magpies

At Townend the birds were better on Tuesday, including a pair of Goldeneye at the back.  These were missing on Wednesday am, but after lunch a female Goldeneye was directly in front of the hide.  There was little of any consequence on either day in First Hide.  

Female Goldeneye

Shelduck (c) 2023 Tony Robinson

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We then walked all the way to Singleton, which was crammed to the rafters on Wednesday.  The White-fronted Geese were easy to see on Tuesday, but at first could only be identified by size on Wednesday, as their heads were tucked in as they slept.  After a long wait one did eventually lift up its head.  After lunch the White-fronted Geese were all holding their heads high, but they soon flew off in a southerly direction.  

White-fronted Geese
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Pink-footed Geese & Greylag 

However, a rude early bird heard two booming Bitterns, and at least one of these was probably from here.

Tree Sparrow
Two Wednesday regulars popped over to Bempton at the weekend.
Puffin (c) 2023 Symon Fraser
On Thursday we went to an relatively bird-free Potteric Carr.  However, we did see a flying Bittern after lunch, possibly 20 Sand Martins, and a confiding Chiffchaff - all from Hawthorn Bank hide.  The only photos taken were of this Chiffchaff and a Bullfinch back near the visitor centre.
Chiffchaff
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Male Bullfinch
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Konik Pony
On Friday we made our final visit of the year to the southern Yorkshire Wolds.  We had a flyby Green Woodpecker before we left the cars behind.  Kites and Buzzards were also seen from this vantage point.  We hadn’t been walking for long when some Siskins were spotted among the recently-emerged catkins of the poplar trees.
Siskin
Mistle Thrush
Small Tortoiseshell
A Mistle Thrush was seen in the gardens, and it proceeded to fly from there and headed towards the deserted railway line.  The weir area was deserted the first time we passed.  Nearby a Small Tortoiseshell sunned itself on some Celandines.  A confiding Goldcrest was seen a few feet higher than the weir.  In the afternoon this was replaced with a Marsh Tit.  Apart from a Pied Wagtail on a washing line we didn’t see a great deal above this point - a colourful Red Kite proved to be an exception.  
Goldcrest
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Orange Crest!
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Marsh Tit
Pheasant 
Pied Wagtail
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Red Kite
We retraced out steps to the weir where we saw a pair of Grey Wagtails, which delighted their attentive audience.  We then tried another footpath, where the best birds were some Yellowhammers and a small flock of Linnets. 
Male Grey Wagtail
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Female Grey Wagtail
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Yellowhammer
Former Friday am Interloper's Treecreeper
We had almost returned to the cars when we observed a very smart and confiding male Kestrel.
Male Kestrel
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