Today in a nutshell
Dipped Terek Sandpiper at Hauxley
Saw my first Roseate Terns at Couqet
Year ticked Stonechat!, Sandwich Tern, Puffin and Sanderling takes me to 198
Good laugh with Jack Ashton-Booth, Chris Gomersall and Jono Leadley getting stuck on A1 for 10mins and getting excited over Sand Martin!
Now I have an exam tomorrow, best get working!
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Thrush Nightingale the Barcelona Fan
Gotta be one of my favourite blogs at the moment
http://fair-isle.blogspot.com/
Tommy has a way of writing down his observations thats pretty unique I think, anyone thats met him will back me up on his unique-ness!
Keep up the great work Tommy!
http://fair-isle.blogspot.com/
Tommy has a way of writing down his observations thats pretty unique I think, anyone thats met him will back me up on his unique-ness!
Keep up the great work Tommy!
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Last Week
So this last week...
Started with a top secret trip down south to a secret site to see a life tick, something that the grandkids won't be able to see!
Wednesday saw Me, Oliver Metcalf and Chris Gomersall heading to Flamborough head in late morning hoping to catch up with the Bee-eater but mainly to see if we could find anything good, all was going well until I got a text alerting us of a Calandra Lark that had been seen this morning at Gibraltar Point. A quick look at the map and we we're off, taking Chris out of his beloved Yorkshire! We continued to Gib even after further negative news to see if it was still about. Arrived at Gib about half 1 and we headed towards Greenshank creek to start looking.
It was a bit dissapointing to see only about 6 other birders on site trying to look for this Mega Lark, only 2 previous mainland records, 2008 a fly over at Spurn and 1961 a one day bird at Portland Bill. We spread out and covered as much ground as we could but after several hours of searching with only Skylarks, Meadow Pipits, a couple of flyover Cuckoo's and an Avocet also news that the Warden had seen it the night before as a 'possible' we decided that it had cleared off this morning, oh well worth a try.
We decided to head further south along the Lincs coast at an attempt to see some birds! Frampton Marsh RSPB was our next stop. Pulling into the reserve and scanning over the lagoons you could see straight away how good this reserve was! Last visited it back in Feb '10 where we saw Lap +Snow Bunts, Twite, White Fronts etc but this was even better. Scanning the pools showed 5+ Temminck's Stints (lifer!) male Red-necked Phalarope, drake Garganey, plenty of Blackwits, Redshank, Avocets, Brent Geese and Yellow Wagtails. Oli picked up a different wagtail but lost it to view and thought it could have been a Water.....
We walked round to the 360 hide to see what was showing from here, we counted 7 Temminck's Stint!, 1 Little, a male Channel type wagtail and several flava type females. Best of all however was a bird that I managed to pick out and instantly thought Water Pipit... it then dissapeared behind some vegetation but soon re-appeared and confirmed itself as a near Summer Plumage Water Pipit! Brilliant finally one of my biggest bogeys!
We hung around here for a white enjoying cracking views of the Temminck's Stints and dodgey female flavas. As we we're leaving we noticed news of the White-tailed Eagle at Ruckland again, sat in a field!
Seen as it was on the way home we called in at Ruckland for the 2nd time this year and started to scan for the Eagle. No sign of it though and it had presumably gone to roost already.
Still a brilliant day, saw some quality birds, 2 lifers and the year list moved onto 189.
I've now managed to find my camera charger so you won't have to suffer woeful video grabs much longer, just woeful digiscoped pics now!
Started with a top secret trip down south to a secret site to see a life tick, something that the grandkids won't be able to see!
Wednesday saw Me, Oliver Metcalf and Chris Gomersall heading to Flamborough head in late morning hoping to catch up with the Bee-eater but mainly to see if we could find anything good, all was going well until I got a text alerting us of a Calandra Lark that had been seen this morning at Gibraltar Point. A quick look at the map and we we're off, taking Chris out of his beloved Yorkshire! We continued to Gib even after further negative news to see if it was still about. Arrived at Gib about half 1 and we headed towards Greenshank creek to start looking.
It was a bit dissapointing to see only about 6 other birders on site trying to look for this Mega Lark, only 2 previous mainland records, 2008 a fly over at Spurn and 1961 a one day bird at Portland Bill. We spread out and covered as much ground as we could but after several hours of searching with only Skylarks, Meadow Pipits, a couple of flyover Cuckoo's and an Avocet also news that the Warden had seen it the night before as a 'possible' we decided that it had cleared off this morning, oh well worth a try.
We decided to head further south along the Lincs coast at an attempt to see some birds! Frampton Marsh RSPB was our next stop. Pulling into the reserve and scanning over the lagoons you could see straight away how good this reserve was! Last visited it back in Feb '10 where we saw Lap +Snow Bunts, Twite, White Fronts etc but this was even better. Scanning the pools showed 5+ Temminck's Stints (lifer!) male Red-necked Phalarope, drake Garganey, plenty of Blackwits, Redshank, Avocets, Brent Geese and Yellow Wagtails. Oli picked up a different wagtail but lost it to view and thought it could have been a Water.....
We walked round to the 360 hide to see what was showing from here, we counted 7 Temminck's Stint!, 1 Little, a male Channel type wagtail and several flava type females. Best of all however was a bird that I managed to pick out and instantly thought Water Pipit... it then dissapeared behind some vegetation but soon re-appeared and confirmed itself as a near Summer Plumage Water Pipit! Brilliant finally one of my biggest bogeys!
We hung around here for a white enjoying cracking views of the Temminck's Stints and dodgey female flavas. As we we're leaving we noticed news of the White-tailed Eagle at Ruckland again, sat in a field!
Seen as it was on the way home we called in at Ruckland for the 2nd time this year and started to scan for the Eagle. No sign of it though and it had presumably gone to roost already.
Still a brilliant day, saw some quality birds, 2 lifers and the year list moved onto 189.
I've now managed to find my camera charger so you won't have to suffer woeful video grabs much longer, just woeful digiscoped pics now!
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Today
Got half way to Flamborough, went to Gib Point dipped Calandra Lark, went to Frampton Marsh saw 8 Temminck's, 1 Water Pipit, male Red-necked Phal, Garganey, Little Stint and Channel Wag. Came back via Ruckland and dipped White-tailed Eagle again.
Tomorrow morning, Bolton Abbey nice and early more tomorrow.
Tomorrow morning, Bolton Abbey nice and early more tomorrow.
Sunday, May 08, 2011
Escape
| 13:22 08/05/11 | Garganey | Hants | Titchfield Haven NNR | 12:00 | ||||||
 | drake from Spurgin Hide at mid-day; also escaped Cinnamon Teal there So why isn't the Garganey an escape? | |||||||||
Wednesday, May 04, 2011
Water Vole
Went out this morning, highlights being a Grey Partridge finally! Lesser Whitethroat mobbing a Little Owl, Buzzard stooping on a Grey Heron and a pair of Lesser Redpoll.
That was until I spotted this!
Sat in the open for a good 10mins munching on grass! My first sighting of a Water Vole, Mega!
Was out checking out what species I could find for my all day bird watch this Saturday, more on that later but I managed 70 sp in 4 hours with many easy species missing, watch out Upton lads!
Also one of the Wood Sand from last week
That was until I spotted this!
Sat in the open for a good 10mins munching on grass! My first sighting of a Water Vole, Mega!
Was out checking out what species I could find for my all day bird watch this Saturday, more on that later but I managed 70 sp in 4 hours with many easy species missing, watch out Upton lads!
Also one of the Wood Sand from last week
Sneak Preview
Cracking morning out today, highlight being a little furry mammal!
Video to follow later, watch this space!
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