Yorkshire Hol's

Spent the week up in sunny Yorkshire staying in a converted barn near Pickering in a village called Allerston. The cottage had great views over the surrounding countryside and as a bonus had some great local wildlife. Every night we saw up to 3 Hare's, one even came up to the window and looked in at me watching telly! On top of that we had 3 species of Wagtail visit Grey, Yellow and Pied with the latter two being a daily sight, the garden also had some Little Owls which had nested in the roof of the old farm house, the young had fledged and spread them selves around the garden and could be seen and heard every night.
The lane by the cottage also held alot of interesting bird life Yellow Hammer, Red Legged Partridge and to top it all off singing Quail, we didn't get to see them but often heard them in the near by Barley fields.

Yellow Wagtail

Red Legged Partridge

Little Owl

Yellow Wagtail

Yellow Hammer

Wykeham Wood were only 15min down the road so we often popped along to try and see the Honey Buzzard and Turtle Dove. We never saw the Honey Buzzard but did to get to watch a Turtle Dove feeding by the nursery area for around 5 minutes plus a fly over example latter in the week. Other birds seen there were Crossbill, Red Legged Partridge, Chaffinch, Wood Pigeon and Pheasant, also plenty of Hare's again in the fields.

Juv Crossbill at Wykeham Wood

Spent a pleasant morning at Bempton Cliffs to get the sea birds missing from our year list the birds to saw were Fulmar, Kittiwake, Gannet, Razorbill, Guillemot, Puffin, Rock Dove, Meadow Pipit, Sky Lark, White Throat, Reed Bunting, Starling, Tree Sparrow, Kestrel and Sedge Warbler.

Meadow Pipit at Bempton Cliffs

Rock Dove at Bempton Cliffs

Razorbill at Bempton cliffs

Gannet at Bempton cliffs

Kittiwake at Bempton Cliffs

Gullimot at Bempton Cliffs

Gannet at Bempton Cliffs

Sedge Warbler Bempton Cliffs

We also visited Filey Brigg just down the coast on another day, a nice place to for a quick walk, saw Puffin, Razorbill and Guillemot all bobbing around and feeding around the cliffs plus nesting Kittiwakes. Plenty of Meadow Pipit on the cliff tops with Gannets flying past on their way to and from Bempton.

The all mighty class 37! 37264 looking great in large logo blue on the North York Moors Railway

Class 24 D5061 working a short rake of coaches on the North York Moors Railway

On our final day in Yorkshire we visited Whitby and for a chance of seeing some moorland birds we came back via the Roman Road that runs nearby towards Thornton le Dale. We managed to find a great little spot by a ford which got us Whinchat, Pied Wagtail, Whitethroat and Reed Bunting plus unusually we also saw a family of Redstarts. Also seen while driving across the moor were Curlew Red Grouse and Lapwing. We though didn't see any raptors or corvids looks like the game keepers have got rid of the lot which is a shame and means the place has lost a bit of its soul.

Female Whinchat on the North York Moors

Various Wanderings

Have not posted anything for a while so I thought it was catch up time.
Have not been doing that much birding over the past few weekends although I still have tried to get out and about.
On the 28th May I popped along again to try and see the elusive Turtle Doves that show on and off at Aqualate Mere but I have still to see them but there is always next time as they say, was a rather windy and dull day so I would rather be huddled down than calling from some tree top. I did hear a Cuckoo though, birds that were seen were White Throat, Willow Warbler with young near the hide, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Reed Warbler various ducks and I think what was a young Pheasant.

Great Spotted Woodpecker Aqualate Mere

Juv Pied Wagtail Aqualate Mere

Moorhen Family

Young Pheasant

The following day was spent trying some where new, settled on Copmere on the map it looked like a promising place a public foot path and road running round a large pool with smaller pools and fields surrounding it.
Well I can safely say don't bother trying here, its not worth the petrol.
The only things worth pointing the camera or binoculars at were a few Damselflies and a old water mill.

Old water mill at Copmere

Common Blue Damselfly

The weekend of the 04/05 Jun were a cultured weekend going around Natural Trust properties, have to try and get our monies worth out of the membership.
Did manage a quite divert on the Saturday on the way to Cannons Ashby to DRIFT to get a shot of my name sake aka a gronk in the form of 08913 in a unique Malcolm Logistics colours.
At the property I did see this really nice wasp, well nice to me not the spiders it was hunting.

Class 08 shunter aka gronk number 08913 at DRIFT, Daventry

Ruby Tailed Wasp

The following day was spent at Dunham Massey, a really nice place and well worth a visit if just for the park land. With plenty of Fallow Deer and bird life there . We managed to see a family of Nuthatch feeding on the ground which was a first, a couple of Tree Creeper plus others, made me want my bigger lens.

Fallow Deer Dunham Massey

Doxy Marsh

Spent a few hours at Doxy Marsh this afternoon, went there mainly for a walk around, but still found some nice birds along the way.

House Martin Doxy Marsh

On getting to the main body of the reserve there were plenty of House Martins flying around and a few collecting mud from a small pool (the one with a willow heron in). Grabbed a few shots before moving on.
The scrape was totally dried out with just a few Canada Geese a sinle Lapwing to be seen.
Walking along the river a couple of Sedge Warbler showed nicely, and more House Martin plus Swift and Swallow were flying around grabbing the insects.

From the hide there were a good few waders to see a single Dunlin, 2 Little Ringed Plover and at least 5 Ringed Plover, also there were Lesser Black Backed Gull, Black Headed Gull, 2 Common Terns and Great Crested Grebe.

Liitle Ringed Plover Doxy Marsh

Dunlin and Little Ringed Plover Doxy Marsh

A bonus was seeing a pair of class 379's 023 and 024 on test, these units are to be used between Liverpool St and Stanstead Airport.

New class 379 EMU's on test numbers 023 and 024.

Bouncing Bog Walk

Lesley and me were booked on yesterdays Bouncing Bog walk organised by English Nature at Chartley Moss in the afternoon so it meant we couldn't do a full mornings birding but we still popped out to Aqualate Mere to see what we could find.
Plenty of warblers there calling Willow, Black Cap, Reed and White Throat but only managing to see the latter two. Saw a single Great Spotted Woodpecker plus what I think was a juvenile male Reed Bunting.
On the lake were plenty of Cormorants, Mute Swan, Gadwall, Pochard and Coots, with a couple of distant Hobbies Flying around and a pair of Buzzards.
Didn't manage to see the Turtle Dove although someone in the hide had heard one earlier.

Hobbie at Aqualate Mere

Male Reed Bunting

The afternoon was spent at Chartley Moss, the main aim was to hopefully see some Dragonflies and the main target being White Faced Darters which are one of the sites specialities.
Was a very interesting walk and even allowed me meet up with a old work mate for a bit of a chat.
Was good to see so many Sun Dew's I do love carnivorous plants I find them fascinating.
We did manage to see a few of the target species but the wind was not helping.

Sun Dew

White Faced Darter, Chartley Moss

Great Orme and Conwy

Decided to head out to Wales for the day as the forcast didn't look that bad that way plus there has been some good stuff of late seen in that neck of the woods.

First port of call was the Great Orme, yesterday there had been reports of Ring Ouzel and Dotterol up here but none were around today. Plenty of Wheatear and Meadow Pipit plus Razor Bill and Guillemots out at sea. Plenty of cute looking lambs around (just don't mention mint source) plus Spotted Orchids around the car park near the church.

Was then off to Conwy for a gentle walk and fingers crossed for the summer plumaged Spotted Redshank. The Spotted Redshank was not around even after the tide had brought the waders on to the reserve.
Plenty of warblers around Willow, Reed and Sedge plus Blackcap.
On the wader front there was a lone Greenshank, Little Ringed Plover, Lapwing, Oystercatcher and Curlew.

Sedge Warbler

Canada Geese

On a none bird related front and what was the high light of the day was seeing a Stoat running back and forth along the break water rocks with food from a stash, just couldn't focus quick enough or keep up with her we watched her do the run three times before leaving her to it.

Nightingale

This afternoon I found out about a Nightingale just down the A50 at Ambaston in Derbyshire.
This being a lifer and a nice day it was a no brainer so off a popped.

Getting to the spot there was no sign of any other birders or the bird oh dear!
But I decided to wait after 20min I was starting to wonder if I was i the right spot, it looked right and the were signes that quite a few cars had parked up in the area so I continued to wait and was rewared with the sound of a Nightingale in full song and even giving brief views although it was on the other side of the hedge and I was having to do my bet and look through the tangle of branches.
It eventually flew across to a patch of Willow Trees across a patch of ground but stayed hidden again only giving brief views. But can't complain as I did get to see the bird and a lifer on top of that.

Also seen there were Black Cap, Whitethroat, Greenfinch, Chaffinch, Green Woodpecker, heard but not seen were Reed Warbler and Yellow Hammer.

Honest if you look hard enough there is a Nightingale in the shot above.

Attenborough

Yesterday afternoon was spent wandering around Attenborough, this reserve has really changed over the years, when I first started visiting this sight it was just a car park and a few foot paths, now its a top sight attracting many visitors both people and birds.

By the visitor centre in the reeds was a singing Reed Warbler although it never showed itself, plus a Red Crested Pochard and a single Egyptian Goose.
Being a week day visit you also get to see the tugs moving gravel around the sight, much nicer to look at than some lorry.

Tug at Attenborough

Red Crested Pochard at Attenborough

Down by the Tower hide there were plenty of birds around Chiffchaff, Whitethroat with one bird being very showy, Common Tern were flying around plus House Martin and Tufted Duck, Gadwall, Wigeon and more Red Crested Pochard and Mute Swan on the water, plus a Oystercatcher on the islands.
A bonus bird we did have was a Cetti's Warbler calling and giving brief views just below the tower hide, we found another latter further along the path leading to the river, this showed a little better than the last, plus finally we saw a Reed Warbler hiding in a patch of reeds.

Mute Swan checking on how it looks

Common Whitethroat

Marshes Hill

Spent about an hour and half up at Marshes Hill yesterday morning looking for the Wryneck, but there was no sign unfortunately but this was a new area to visit for me so it wasn't a total loss.
A nice little spot with plenty of Linnet around and Whitethroat and Willow Warbler. Plus the added bonus of a Cuckoo.

Willow Warbler at Marshes Hill Staffordshire

Lake Vyrnwy

Lesley and me popped over to Lake Vyrnwy for the day, its always a great place to be and its where we got engaged and with it being our wedding anniversary tomorrow we headed on across.
It's one of those places you have a almost 100% chance of seeing Wood Warbler, Red Start and Pied Flycatcher.

Starting off in the viewing hide near the visitor centre we soon saw Siskin, Blue Tit, Coal Tit, Nuthatch and Chaffinch.

Driving down to the bottom car park near the sculpture walk (we aren't lazy with Lesley being pregnant she can't do long walks these days) we started off down the river straight away we heard Red Start by the car park although we just couldn't see him. A pair of Dippers flew along the river and a couple of female Goosander were on the river and a Tree Creeper was on the tree ahead of use, this was easy birding at its best. Reaching the path that leads into the wood we were hearing Wood Warbler which we soon found and Pied Flycatchers were all around with two males in one tree. Up on the road we soon had a pair of Red Starts so that was the three target birds in the bag taking all of ten minutes.

Male Pied Flycatcher at Lake Vyrnwy checking out box 14 by the river.

It was then on to the Peregrine watch point there was no one from the RSPB to help us this year scanning around the far hill side we just couldn't find it this year. But as a bonus we had a pair of Common Sandpiper just in front of the hide, they breed here last year so they might be the same pair back again.

Common Sandpiper Lake Vyrnwy

Before we got back to the car I heard a familiar call and sure enough another Pied Flycatcher was seen, you trip up over them at this place.

Pied Flycatcher by the Peregrine hide at Lake Vyrnwy

As our luck was holding we went for a short drive on to the moors between the lake and Bala.
Up on the moors there were loads of Meadow Pipits plus we bagged Wheatear, Red Kite and Whinchat a great looking male just to top it all off right by the road side, but where was my camera in the boot!

Can't complain really a lovely day and three more birds for the year list.