Happy New Year

It's been a long time since a blogpost, but I've been busy trying to contract diabetes over the past 6 weeks, so had nothing to post about.

Today was the first class of 2013. We started at a large local park. The first surprise arrived in the initial 5 minutes when I heard a Jay. On investigation it appeared that a pair had been present since November, and had even been since recently nest-building, but we don't see to for ourselves. One class member was quick enough to spot a scruffy urban fox, but the rest of us weren't so lucky. There were Long-tailed & Blue Tits near the car park. We then had a long walk punctuated only by Starlings & House Sparrows. For beginners the differences between Common & Black-headed were pointed, and later juvenile and adult Herring Gulls were added to the mix.

All pics (c) 2013 Chris Cox

Goosander (Drake)

 Goosander (female)

 Ditto

 Ditto

 Pochard (drake)

 Tufted Duck (female)

On the water Mallard including many 'mongrels' were differentiated, and in the afternoon we discovered 2 apparent Pintail hybrids. More straightforwardly the lake had Tufted Ducks, Pochard, Greylag & Canada Geese, an immature Cormorant and in the afternoon a very brief glimpse was obtained of a Great Crested Grebe. However, the true stars of the water were approximately 30 Goosanders spread throughout the park. Occasionally, these gave very good views, but the light wasn't brilliant for taking photographs. 



The Kingfisher, Heron and Little Grebe didn't survive the previous 3 winters, and don't appear to have returned, and there wasn't even any sign of last years parakeets.



On the return journey the morning highlight was provided by a pair of Goldcrests, whilst in the afternoon we couldn't relocate them, but we did find a pair of Siskins instead. Here's hoping for better light next time.



In the morning every participant wished everyone else a Happy New Year, but in the afternoon as far as I could tell no one bothered.  Is that another difference between mornings and afternoons?

Signs of Summer Still Lingering

On Friday everyone shared cars from the Humber Bridge to the same N. Lincs estuarine location we visited on Tuesday. We looked for the Grey Wagtail first but we were disappointed. Instead there were what may have been Otter tracks. When we reached the hide we flushed a Kingfisher, but it perched just a little further on allowing everyone great views. However, before I could snatch a photo a careless dog-walker with her 2 unruly dogs ensured it was frightened off to an area where none of us could see it.

Kestrel [male]

 ditto

 ditto

From the hide there were at least 60 Avocets (amazingly late for this far north), and over 200 Black-tailed Godwits. There was one adult male Ruff with white head feathers and some black feathers on its crown. Meanwhile 2 females or juveniles were on the flooded field opposite the hide. There were fewer than 20 Dunlin, and a possible Snipe, and Caroline pointed out a pair of Shoveler. A few Golden Plover flew through from time to time, but didn't settle on the mud. An immature and an adult Heron were useful for comparison purposes, and a few Curlew stalked on the mud near the Black-tailed Godwits to illustrate just how much larger they are!

The walk round the gravel path resulted in a pair of Bearded Tits, which were later joined by another pair. There were also a few Redwings a little further on. We didn't see much from the east hide apart from Curlews and young Moorhens, although a juvenile Ruff dropped in for the pm crowd. On the way back there were 2 Kestrels hunting and 3 Lesser Redpolls flew near the female, whilst the male settled down and perched in an Elder bush quite close to the group, and stayed there for several minutes. In fact in the end we carried on & left the relaxed Kestrel to preen in peace. It also allowed the pm group to approach fairly close. Some of the group glimpsed a flying Bearded Tit on the way back.  

Avocet

 Avocet

 Avocet (underside)

 Black-tailed Godwit

 Otter Footprints?

 Otter Footprints?

At least one member of the pm group viewed Kingfishers as mythical birds like a Roc or a Phoenix, but yesterday she did gain a glimpse of it flying away from the hide area where it was seen in the morning.  

Twirling Moustachios

As we crossed the Humber Bridge the fog was so thick, I'm sure most people wondered if we were going to see anything.

One of the first birds we could discern was a very confiding Grey Wagtail, which was catching insects alongside the tiny creek leading to the hide.  Throughout the whole walk the air was punctuated by the croaks of flying Snipe.  Suddenly all the dabbling Teal took to the air and a long winged raptor could just be made out through the mist.  The wings looked too thin & narrow for a Marsh Harrier, so a Hen Harrier was the most probable answer.  There were plenty of Reed Buntings and Tree Sparrows in the bushes, whilst on the mud there were over a thousand Golden Plovers, plus Shelduck, a few Ruff, Curlew, Redshank, Black-tailed Godwit, Dunlin, Herons, a single Spotted Redshank, and a Little Egret.

When we took the walk along the gravel path to the other hide it wasn't long before we heard some pinging and a pair of Bearded Tits showed very well, and these were lifers for about half the group.  On the return journey we came across 2 pairs together, and eventually Maggie was able to get a picture of a pair side-by-side.  Unfortunately, although they could be heard in the distance in the afternoon they refused to reappear.  The light was a lot better in the afternoon, and even though the Grey Wagtail was relocated the loss of the Bearded Tit was a large hole, which couldn't be filled.

Bearded Tits [male left] (c) 2012 Maggie Bruce

 Grey Wagtail

 Golden Plovers

 How Blots are Smuggled into the Landscape

Ringing at Filey

Today we were at Filey, which coincided with the Filey Brigg Ornithological Group's annual ringing week in the Country Park.  Before the session started I checked it was OK for us to watch, and Pete Dunn said we would be welcome to observe. 

Jay

 Filey's Temporary Ringing Station

 Pete Dunn explaining something to the am session, plus 2 extraneous members of the public!

Continental Jay

 When we arrived Coal Tits were already being processed.  Shortly afterwards 2 greenfinches were caught, so the wing feathers and tail feathers were spread to show how a bird may be sexed and aged.

Greenfinch

 Greenfinch

 Weighing a Greenfinch

After the ringing the morning session shared cars to Filey Dams.  Some of the ringers where here too, to repair the Barn Owl Box.  To do that they had to catch the 2 Barn owls in residence, and these were also shown to the morning group.  one was noticeably darker than the other, so was probably the female.

Checking the Barn Owl Box - through the mist

 The probable male Barn Owl

 The probable female Barn Owl

 The probable female Barn Owl

Because of the disturbance on the reserve most of the birds had been flushed, but we did see the Avocet, some Wigeon and an immature Heron.  There was no sign of the Black-tailed Godwit. 

Immature Heron

The afternoon session saw BlueTits, a Tree Sparrow, and a Goldcrest being ringed.  

 Blue Tit - taking a peck

 Tree Sparrow

 Goldcrest

 Goldcrest - checking its fat reserves

 The Tally at 2pm

After the ringing we went down to the beach were we saw Oystercatchers, Turnstones, a Redshank, a few Cormorants and an immature Gannet continually diving into Filey Bay, and usually returning to the surface with a mouthful of food.  Meanwhile a Herring Gull wrestled with a crab which was still alive, and which was seen to give the gull a nasty nip.  

Herring Gull - eating a crab

 Juvenile Gannet - getting ready to dive 1

 Juvenile Gannet - getting ready to dive 2

 Juvenile Gannet - getting ready to dive 3

 Gannet - after the dive

Avian Mexican Wave

Yesterday was the Autumnal meet of the Yorkshire Birdforum Group at Spurn.  When the Hull contingent arrived at about 7.45 most of the West & North Yorkshire delegates were already in place Seawatching on the 'cliff' at Kilnsea.  They were spotting Gannets, Red-throated Divers and a few Manx Shearwaters, plus hundreds of Little Gulls.  It was obvious that there were going to be very few land-based birds.  Highlights of these at this site were a female Merlin flying past the Blue Bell, a Heron which came in to land on Borrow Pits, and a few birds migrating South.

High tide was at 10.13, so an hour before then we headed down the point towards Chalk Bank Hide.  Some selfish fisherman had abandoned their cars in the wrong positions, unnecessarily blocking the parking area.  The Hull birders (& guest) were just about able to park here, but the others had to find spaces near Wire Dimp and walk back.  They spent an inordinate time looking at a Kestrel perched on the Heligoland trap in the hope it would transmute into a Merlin.

It was rather slow from the hide - the land had changed, and at first the bird were behind a bank.  It was a fairly low high tide, so the waders weren't driven really close to us.  However, some mean, large gulls took off at one point from the middle of the flock of Knot, so they took off and treated us to some amazing balletic displays of Avian Mexican Waves.

A Pulsating Flock of Knot

 Now the Wave Begins

 The Wave Breaks & Separates

 How Many Birds in this Picture?

 More Colour Changes

 Transformation from Dark to Light

 Grey Plover

 Oystercatchers

 Ditto

We went on to the Point, were there were just a few migrants in the bushes.  Goldcrests were calling from some of the wild privets, Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps were scoffing the Elderberries, and a Redwing was briefly glimpsed.  At the green beacon we saw another Merlin and more than 300 Pink-footed Geese flew south in 3 separate phalanxes.  

The final venue was Sammy's Point were the highlights were a Rabbit, which I was able to transform into a Golden Plover, and a Stock Dove a mile away among a Woodpigeon flock. 

Pink-footed Geese

 Gannets Entering the Humber