Female Red-crested Pochard on the pool at Wheldrake was a good start and my 118th sp in the York area so far this year. Definite bonus species and not expected at all! Only other records I can find in the York Area in the last 14 years are of 2 at Castle Howard in 2009 and 2 a Bank Island in 2004 so not regular at all!
A Merlin and plenty of sum plum Black-tailed Godwits were the other highlights here, just wish one of the Blackwits would fly up to Hes East!
Onto Skipwith where I saw my first ever Adder! Stonking! 5 Grass Snake and a Common Lizard made for nice reptile selection!
North Duffield was quiet until Chris picked up a distant Red Kite, second time we've both been in the hide and second time we've had a Red Kite here!
Although the report of 2 Black Kite in the log book from last week seems a bit suspect...
Finishing off at Hes East where we've got 2 new tern rafts and a Sand Martin bank and a new path that leads upto an awesome 360 panorama of the York area!
You can see right up to Helmsley and the White Horse in the North, Drax Power station at Selby in the South, the Wolds to the East and across the city to the west!
A 'continental' looking alba/yarelli wagtail was on the main lake along with the Green Sand and 2 Redshank, a new pair of Oystercatcher on site meant for a lot of disputes between them a noisy pipping.
Still no Sand Martins! Where are they all? Answers on a postcard
The 2 Black Kite are nothing to do with me ;-) Black-wit is on my Hes East list!!!
ReplyDeleteCan I sit in the hide with you and chris next time you come down please!
I'm sure you've heard by now, but just in case. Seems as though bad weather in Iberia is blocking quite a lot of migrants, especially Sand Martins
ReplyDelete