Crouching Hares, Hidden Turtles

The omens for today’s session were excellent with both the North Dalton & the Sigglesethorne/Withernwick contingents seeing Red Kites on their journey to the reserve.   Those who arrived earlier had also identified a Yellowhammer near the car park.  However, it was very windy and the small passerines weren’t sitting on the top of bushes as is their want at this time of year.  Near the car park we did hear or see Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Chaffinch, Wren, Willow Warbler and Collared Dove.  Soon we could hear a distant Skylark and then the chuffing train sound of a red-legged Partridge.  Also early on we heard a Blackcap, but this was incredibly elusive in the strong winds.  Stock Doves were heard ‘singing’ and there were plenty of Woodpigeons & Collared Doves, but there was not a whisper of the purring of Turtle Doves, which were almost guaranteed at this site.

Long-tailed Tit [fledgling]

 Yellowhammer

As we approached the farm that keeps horses we heard and saw a concealed Willow Tit.  I've seen Marsh Tits in this area a few times, but this was the first time I've encountered Willow Tits at this location.  This was later confirmed at lunch time when surveyor for the BTO mentioned that he’d clearly seen a Willow Tit, fairly close to where we picked it up. We also had our best views of a Blackcap near here, and we could see plenty of House Martins hunting insects in the lee of the tall Sycamores in the distance.  We had a great view of a Willow Warbler in the said Sycamores, but it was much easier to observe when it landed on some wires, and continued to sing.  We eventually encountered a Swallow past the Sycamores, where Goldfinches & Yellowhammers came down on to the path to feed.

The area which may have had railways sidings in the past had been cleared over the winter, so the Common & Lesser Whitethroats were absent for the first time.  We didn’t actually see and hear a  Whitethroat until we arrived at the YWT reserve – normally we would have expected to have encountered at least 5, but probably nearer 10 by this point.  Linnets began to fly over at regular intervals, and we flushed a pair of Red-legged Partridge and could hear a bullfinch as we approached the YWT reserve.  We entered the old quarry, but one of the only new birds to be seen was a male Pied Wagtail.  Here, we enjoyed our best view of a Yellowhammer and another good sighting of a Willow Warbler. There were a few House Martins, Swallows and a single Swift hunting for insects against the steep escarpment.

Thistle

 Wild Strawberry

There is no doubt that the spirits of everyone were lifted on the return journey by the recently fledged Long-tailed Tit family – there seemed to be at least 10 individuals.  The rain set in at this point I we didn’t see a lot of note until we had a brief view of a Buzzard, and then we observed a male Kestrel hunting near the old railway bridge, and then Margaret spotted a last-minute Song Thrush.  Despite the sightings the morning session was the worst spring outing for this particular stretch of hedgerow.  This was undoubtedly partially due to the force of the northerly winds, and probably also to tardiness of many migrants which even now have failed to arrive on their breeding grounds.

 Long-tailed Tit [fledgling]

At 1pm a Red Kite passed right over the car park being mobbed by a crow, perhaps the afternoon was going to be better?  In the afternoon I did a complete about-turn by setting off at 180 degrees to the morning journey.  This paid off immediately with a singing Blackcap, although it was pretty elusive, and not everyone managed good views of this bird.  A Wren in the same area was a little more forthcoming.  The Marsh Tit, Treecreeper, Peregrine and Yellowhammer we’ve seen in this area before were absent this time.  A little further on we heard the distant laugh of a Green Woodpecker, but it was on private land, so we couldn’t find it.  The Red-legged Partridges weren’t in their normal area, but had been replaced by many Woodpigeons and a single Song Thrush.  In the same field we witnessed some strange behaviour by a couple of crouching Hares, and then we searched the field there were many other Hares scattered around, as well as the obligatory Woodpigeons.  It was just after this that we saw a Whitethroat without a tail.  He continued to sing and display like any male Whitethroat, but I don’t know what his chances will be without a tail! 

Red Kite [right] Being Mobbed by a Crow

 2 Brown Hares [1 crouched]

One section was very windswept and the Yellowhammers normally seen in this area had all gone to ground, but when we reached shelter again the sightings increased in number.  We came across another new family of Long-tailed Tits, again of at least 10 in number.  We came across 3 Blackbird eggs and 2 Song Thrush eggs which had been predated, probably by Crows or Magpies.  We went under 2 bridges & just after passing under the second one we heard our first Lesser Whitethroat.  It soon stopped singing and started scolding us.  Unfortunately, it was typically skulking in behaviour, but while we were waiting for it to reappear, a male Bullfinch arrived, and stayed long enough for everyone to get a decent view of it. 

Blackbird Eggs [Predated]

 Song Thrush Eggs [Predated]

Whitethroat (tail-less)

Cowslip

Linnet

Linnet

On the way back we saw a pair of Red-legged Partridges just above one of the bridges, but they scuttled away into a field.  Then we got great views of an extremely bright male Yellowhammer, 2 further Lesser Whitethroats were heard singing, but these were even harder to see.  We passed a birder who had come to see the Turtle Doves which used to be in this area, and we can only hope he was more successful than we were.  On the evidence of today it would seem that Turtle Doves have completely died out in this area, but I fervently hope that it was just the terrible winds that caused them to keep their heads down.   One of the final birds seen was a very confiding Willow Warbler which was singing and feeding on insects only a matter of feet away from this afternoon’s participants.

Willow Warbler

 ditto

After the class finished I went to the supposed best Bluebell spectacle in the area.  Although the Bluebells were great I discovered that these were just beyond their peak.  I need to go earlier next year!

Bluebells

 ditto

Heron Brood Grows Daily

When the local Heron chicks first hatched it was thought that there were only 2.  However, only a few days later at least 3 chicks could be discerned in the nest.  Several days later and with a remote camera in place there were obviously 4 chicks in the nest.  As far as it is know there have never been breeding Herons in this particular area, and Herons are known to usually breed in colonies called Heronries.  This could just be the beginning - maybe next year there will be several Herons attempting to nest.

All pics (c) 2012 Chris Cox

Count the Beaks on this pic from today - 4

 The original view on 3rd of May - only 2 shapes can definitely be made out

 Then there were 3 on 12th of May

 In another of today's pics you can count 4 beaks

 Another picture from today

 Again from Today

 A Reminder of what an Adult Looks Like

Open Day Plus One

Kingfisher - Bird of the Day (Old Photograph)

All other photos were taken today

Yesterday was unusual in being a working day, but what was even more unusual was that Sunday was a working day too.  Of course, there are many people who would argue that what I do can’t really be called working!  Yesterday was the occasion of the first official opening of Hull’s first nature reserve, and today I was involved in a Birdwatching Walk for Beginners round the Noddle Hill Nature Reserve. 

As I walked from one car park to the other I heard a grating squawk on the playing fields, and there were my first juvenile Starlings of the year.  The only other birds in this area were some grazing Greylag Geese.  Most of the rest of the participants were waiting in the Anglers Car Park where we were serenaded by a Chaffinch.  From here it was also possible to hear a Reed Warbler singing from the lake and someone spotted a Greenfinch wheezing from some bare twigs.  At least 12 people had booked, but plenty of children also attended.  Steve from the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust made a short introduction and we began.  I tried to spot the birds at the front of the group, while Steve concentrated on keeping those at the back of the group informed of what we were seeing. 

Starlings

 Chaffinch

 Orange-Tip

 Willow Warbler (can't see its pink legs)

We squeezed into Red Admiral Alley where we immediately heard a Chiffchaff, soon followed by a Blackcap and a Robin.  We didn’t see a Red Admiral, but we did observe an Orange-tip nectaring on a dandelion, swiftly followed by a pair of fighting Speckled Wood butterflies.  Towards the end of the alley we were treated to the wonderful cascading song of a Willow Warbler, as it sang from of all things, a Willow tree.  This provided a welcome contrast to the previous bird, which had been the monotonous ‘song’ of a Collared Dove.  As we were about to emerge from the alley a few Swifts and House Martins flew about, but by the time we were back in the open they had all moved on.  

Carrion Crow

 Reverend Reed Bunting

We struck out into more open country and this is where we encountered the biggest problem of the day: the very strong winds.  Despite the wind we spotted more Greenfinches on the wires, a few Linnets, and a single Skylark flew over the crowd of cattle.  Shortly afterwards a Magpie quickly flew away when it saw us coming.  It was about this moment that we flushed a pair of Red-legged Partridge.  We traversed the full length of the site towards Foredyke Drain & on the way saw plenty of Linnets flying around, and several Whitethroats performing their ‘puppet on a string song flight’ before diving into thick bramble cover again.   Carrions Crows perched on the hawthorn bushes & a few were feeding in the flooded meadow, which in the late afternoon, evening and night is transformed into the hunting ground of the Short-eared Owl.  When the drain was in sight I could hear the simple repetitive song of a male Reed Bunting, so we were able to inch our way towards it until everyone in the group had seen it.  Once everyone had taken a look I crept a bit nearer to take a picture.

We followed Foredyke Drain towards the pumping station.  On the way we had some great views of singing Skylarks and I spotted some owl pellets on the ground in the middle of nowhere which can only have come from Short-eared Owls.  We reached the junction with Holderness Drain, but the strong winds meant that there were much fewer birds around than our previous visit: http://www.eybirdwatching.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/new-reserve-gets-nod-of-approval.html

Everyone was able to catch up & we had a breather from the walk and the wind.  Unfortunately, even the Tree Sparrows didn’t appear to be hanging around their nest holes.  Steve and I were just having a short chat when I heard the tell-tale high-pitched squeak of a Kingfisher.  I was in time to let everyone know it was flying past & everyone swung round to gaze towards the drain.  Luckily, most people saw the bird, but the force of 15 faces swinging round to look at it, meant that the Kingfisher quickly let its DNA fall into the water before lifting into the air and flying over the lock.

Linnet

 Chiffchaff (black legs)

 Bottoms Up! (Greylag Goslings)

On the return journey we saw a Kestrel being mobbed by a crow, and the front section of the crowd had a brief glimpse of a Sedge Warbler, but it went to ground in a bramble bush and refused to come out.   On the way back a Linnet actually posed near enough to snatch a photograph.  As we walked round the lake I heard the mournful piping of a Bullfinch, which then flew over our heads & straight above the island without perching in the open for everyone to have a good look.  However, a Chiffchaff was more obliging as it sang much lower down than normal. Then we were back in the car park.  Despite the strong winds, I’m sure everyone learned something, and I hope they will return on a less windy day.

On the way back across the playing field to my car I saw a final new bird of the day: a Pied Wagtail.  This took the final tally of birds to exactly 40, which is quite respectable considering the lousy wind!

"The Voice of the Turtle is Heard in the Land" Almost for the Final Time?

It's not everyday I quote The Song of Solomon in the title of a Blogpost, and I promise not to make a habit of it.  Of course Turtles don't sing, and the Bible was referring to the soporific purring sound of the Turtle Dove - reminiscent of lazy summer days - not something we've come across much so far this year!  You may have seen some news items in recent days about the plight of this gentle and beautiful member of the pigeon family.  One report said the species may be extinct in the UK within 5 years.  The bird has declined by 91% in recent years, and it is becoming harder to find in East Yorkshire, but it is still hanging on here, and if their food preferences are determined it may not be too late to save them.  It would be tragic if they went the same way as America's Passenger Pigeon, which was once a widespread pest, but is now extinct - in that case from over-hunting.

Turtle Dove

I  don’t normally work on Saturdays, but today was a special birdwatching open day walk around a site in Holderness.  The approach road can be quite profitable, so I kept my eyes open.  The first thing I spotted were a couple of Hares, which slipped away into a tall crop.  I was a bit luckier with a pair of Skylarks, which were either fighting or courting – it’s not always easy to spot the difference.  I stuck my lens out the window at the Skylarks, and could hear the distant call of a Yellow Wagtail, but I couldn’t see it this year.

Skylark

 I arrived early so I did a reccy of the site to see what was about.  What was immediately apparent was that there was a lack of birds calling. Normally there are both Common & Lesser Whitethroat singing  in the compound next to the car park, but a lot of scrub had been cleared, so all these birds were absent.  More worryingly there were no Meadow Pipits parachuting into the grass near the car park and there were very few birds singing as we walked down to the first lake.  One of the first birds we saw was a male Kestrel, which settled on the top of a tree.  A few minutes later a tatty female Kestrel drifted over, which was completely ignored by the male.

Bullfinch [male]

 Kestrel [male]

 Chiffchaff

 Willow Warbler

 Then we took the path between the 2 lakes up to the top of a hill.  This was very secluded from the winds, and here we saw Swifts, House Martins, a Curlew, some Long-tailed Tits, a Chiffchaff, a Blackcap (including a red-headed female), and a pair of courting Whitethroats.  Near the end of the gravel path the best bird was a singing & displaying Sedge Warbler.  However, the next path resulted in a Willow Warbler and 3 baby Herons on a nest.  Herons haven't nested at this location before, so this may be the beginning of a Heronry.  There were 4 adult Herons present, so perhaps next year there will be at least 2 nests!  There had been a male Bullfinch first thing in the morning, but it had vanished before the group arrived.  A Great Crested Grebe, a pair of Tufted Ducks and a family of Coots were on the lake, and some red-finned fish were spotted as well as some much smaller fish.  The best bird greeted us when we u-turned.  A Turtle Dove was purring from a hawthorn bush & then this bird displayed, flying high over the site & fanning its tail.

Longhorn Micromoth Adela reaumurella

 Small Fish

 Rudd?

 3 Adult Herons near a nest with 3 Young

 Adult Heron (c) 2012 Chris Cox

 3 Young Herons in the nest (c) 2012 Chris Cox

 3 Herons - a few days older (c) 2012 Chris Cox

 Whitethroat

 Baby Coot

A walk around the old railway line resulted in a 2 Herons in flight – one was somersaulting in a way I’ve never seen before.  A Buzzard also drifted over the site, but there were fewer warblers along here, apart from a showy Whitethroat.  There were also no Linnets in an area where they are normally very numerous.  Again, the best bird was a Turtle Dove, which everyone was able to observe as it perched on the telegraph lines.  Only four people turned out for this event at this cracking site, but hopefully they enjoyed their outing, and may take their interest further in future. 

Baby Herons from a couple of days ago (c) 2012 Chris Cox

Ridiculous Handle-bar Moustache

Today despite the (yet again) rather unpromising forecast we travelled to the woodland with the best understorey in East Yorkshire, and therefore with the highest density of woodland species.  As we booted up outside the reserve we were regaled by a Garden Warbler, and this turned out to be the bird of the day.  We later went on to have great views of 2 different individuals during both sessions.

Although the woodland is surrounded by farmland, I can’t remember when I last saw a Grey Partridge at this site, but today a solitary male was seen in a ploughed sandy field, not far away from a pair of Red-legged Partridge.  Later, as we neared the parking area another Red-legged rocketed out of the wood and across a field.  I was hoping for a Woodcock performing this feat, but we had to put up with a Partridge instead.

Other birds seen included Blackcaps (females too), Chiffchaff, Marsh Tits, Great Spotted Woodpeckers, and we heard the ringing laugh of a Green Woodpecker.

The am group went on a detour to see the putative Red-legged Partridge egg.

In the afternoon some of the Longhorn Micromoths with the 'ridiculous handle-bar moustaches' were flying in the shaded sunshine between showers.  Also in the afternoon a discussion was held as to whether the Garden Warbler was nice enough to be kissed.  Jim said they did have a nice, gentle look, but he wouldn't kiss one!

Plants seen apart from the glorious Bluebells included Greater Stitchwort, Climbing Cordyalis, Bugle, Wild Strawberry, Water Avens and even a few Primroses were still hanging on....

Longhorn Micromoth Adela reaumrella

 Bluebell

 "Whitebell"

 Bugle

 Climbing Cordyalis

 Garden Warbler - "Kind Enough to Kiss"

 Marsh Tit

 "Corn Dolly" Hoof Fungus

 Bluebells

 ditto