The first sesion of the new term started with a surprisingly thin turn out at Alkborough Flats. An overcast day with a cold easterly wind was forecast, but the clouds had already begun to break before our arrival. Many summer visitors hadn’t yet arrived, so we were greeted with singing Cetti’s Warblers everywhere, although of course they were much harder to see, but we did see on eventually. We also heard singing Sedge Warblers and a single Reed Warbler, but didn’t gain good views of these either. We heard the booming of a Bittern a few times, but it was always distant. The squeals of Water Rails were much closer to us. At times we heard the pinging of Bearded Tits before catching glimpses of them as they flew above the reeds for a short time before diving back into cover.
On Thursday we went to Allerthorpe Wood. We didn’t hear a Cuckoo here either. From the car park we could hear a Chiffchaff and a Blackcap. We entered the wood from which it was possible to hear more Chiffchaffs, a Robin, a Wren and a Great Spotted Woodpecker. A Song Thrush landed near us in a tree shaded with ivy.
We walked out of the wood and along a hedgerow. Initially, we were serenaded by a colourless male Linnet. In a field we could spot the small movement of what appeared to be tiny birds, because of the distance involved. Several,of these were yellow. Elaine spotted a handful of Yellowhammers, but further back was a “daintier” more vivid yellow Yellow Wagtail. There were a few Chaffinches scattered around too.
The woodland was fairly quiet, but we did see a pair of Red Kites and a Buzzard. In the afternoon a single Red Kite came much closer.
After the class there was a Swallow flying over the riding school. My first Orange Tip flew across the road whilst I was eating my sandwiches. We saw another during the afternoon session.
On Friday patchy rain throughout the day was forecast, so Allerthorpe was abandoned in favour of the perennially chock-full North Cave Wetlands. I was expecting it to be cloudy and drizzly, but I was unprepared for the strong winds. Dryham Lane was awash with Sand Martins and seasoned with the odd House Martin and Swallow. As soon as I stepped out of the car I heard the rattle of a Lesser Whitethroat, which was the first for 2023. Needless to say, I didn’t see it.
Swallow (c) 2023 Dave Hill
We could hear the “klute” of Avocets as we set off along the lane, and occasionally Oystercatchers flew over making their loud peeping calls. We saw a Little Grebe on Carp Lake, but we didn’t locate its larger cousin until right near the end when we saw one under Turret Hide. In the afternoon we heard a singing Goldcrest in some lichen-covered Elm saplings, which eventually showed well enough to be a “lifer” for one of the new members.
Archive Photo of Goldcrest in the same location
We tried looking for the Little and Tawny Owls, but unfortunately drew a blank for both species. We were able to see a single Pochard from the steps leading to Crosslands Hide. At the farm there had been a massive influx of Tree Sparrows since our last visit, and John managed to glimpse a Red-legged Partridge before it made its getaway on foot. We reached the Black-headed Gull colony, where it was possible to differentiate one Mediterranean Gull among the seething mass of the main species.
Mediterranean Gull
One of the highlights came when a Long-tailed Tit flew out of a bramble patch right next to Joan. It became clear that a pair were putting the finishing touches to their nest. We were able to see the remaining bird busy sewing in some material. I had to try and use manual focus to capture the action. It was continuing to complete the nest after lunch.
Long-tailed Tit
A Skylark sang away despite the appalling wind, but it wasn’t possible to spot it in the lowering cloud until after lunch when a tiny figure could be seen against the grey cloud.
Avocet
Jeny spotted a couple of Avocets busy feeding near Turret Hide, but there wasn’t a lot of variety there. There were more Avocets in front of South Hide, plus dozens of Feral Pigeons and a lone Redshank.
Jackdaw
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