The Young Ones

July being quiet is beyond cliche - but you if you don't look etc. Last weekend was my monthly visit to Kelk, and, yes, it was rather uneventful. A few highlights to keep the enthusiasm ticking, the main interest seemed to be catching sight of juvenile birds. Otherwise I spent my time chasing, literally, butterflies, trying to take pictures of critters that wouldn't stay still. I have a lot to learn!

Top billing was a juvenile Cuckoo, my first locally for a long time. Also two juvenile Kingfishers, two families of Kestrel and Tufted Duck, one brood each of Grey and Red-legged Partridge. Also, a Hobby, some wader passage and a few notable passerine flocks.

Saturday 25th July

Morning: Kelk Lake - a ghost town apart from a pair of Mute Swans, 2 Mallard, 1 Little grebe, 1 Common Buzzard over the wood was the only one seen all weekend, 9 Coot (2 broods = 5 young), 1 Kingfisher, and 3+ Reed Warblers heard. 6 Mistle Thrush were in the grass field by the turkey farm.

Onward to Harpham via Lingholmes - 1 Hobby over the wood briefly, 1 female Sparrowhawk and a Bullfinch. At Harpham 3 Kestrels around New Road including a female encouraging a young bird to try hovering. Also 1 Lapwing, 300+ Common Gulls and a few Black-headed Gulls including at least two juveniles, plus 2 Mallard. Really, that was the most bird-free morning out I've had in a long time!

Afternoon: somewhat better. At Gembling 2 Kestrel, 8 Lapwing, 95 Feral Pigeon, a Great Spotted Woodpecker, and a Sedge Warbler. Encouraginly there is still some trace of wet patches adjacent to the drain so perhaps some small floods will form through autumn and winter.

Brigham Quarry - 2 mallard, 3 young Pochard but no sign of the adults, a female Tufted Duck with 5 young ducklings, 6 adults plus 4 broods of Little Grebe totalling 13 (5+3+3+2) or 19 birds, is very pleasing indeed. Also 17 Coot (3 broods, 7 young), 400+ Common Gull with a small number of Black-headed Gulls nearby, and an exceptional count of 390+ Swift between Cruckley and Carr Farms (largest count for me this decade).

On the return through Great Kelk two flocks of House Sparrows totalling 70+ birds and a Great Spotted Woodpecker heard in a garden. Around Gransmoor Lane were 2 Mallard, 3 Kestrel (probably 2 juveniles and a female) together near Barf Hill, and an adult Great Black-backed Gull, an odd sight in summer. 13 Canada Goose were noted flying over toward Kelk Lake.

I took another quick look at Kelk Lake but the only addition was a flyover Grey Heron (heading east). No sign of the canadas.

Sunday 26th July

Morning: a moderately eventful stroll along Kelk Beck - 2 Greylags and 3 Canada Goose together on the beck was most unusual and will prove it with a picture later, 8 Grey Partrige (6 chicks), 1 young Coot, 370 Lapwing on a freshly cut pea field is a good count for July, 1 Snipe off the beckside, 130 Wood Pigeon in one flock, 2 Skylark, 1 Meadow Pipit, 3 Yellow Wagtail, also on the pea field 250+ Rook, 110+ Jackdaw and 80+ Starling. Elsewhere 96 Linnet in two flocks.

However the highlight was the juvenile Cuckoo that showed well on the ground, perched, and in flight. A long time since I managed to pin one of these down - fairly unfamiliar to many birdwatchers. It was supported by the sight of three Kingfishers one straight after the other south along the beck - wow! - looked like two juveniles and an adult but the view was typically brief.

Further along around Cattleholmes were 2 Mallard, 1 female Tufted Duck with one young, 6 Coot (3 young), 1 Green Sandpiper, 2 Golden Plover, and 2 Reed Bunting. A Water Vole crossed the beck. On the way back in Little Kelk - 8 Tree Sparrow and 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker.

Not a lot of time for birding in the afternoon, plus rain stopped play. Anyway, 8 Hares were in the grass field off Green Lane, a Grey Heron off Gransmoor Drain and two lots of Red-legged Partridge totalled 19 including 13 young - there are some grain feeding stations nearby so these birds may have been introduced. A Sedge Warbler singing along the drain near Barf Hill.

And that was that. No additions to the year list this time.

Oh wait, butterflies... most numerous by a long way were 'Whites', loads everywhere, the majority were probably Large Whites but some Green-veined and I think a few Small Whites. Meadow Browns were widespread some hedgerows held lots, e.g. 20+ along half of Green Lane.

Also several each of Ringlet, Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock, Painted Lady, plus 2 Red Admiral, 2 Specklked Wood, 1 Small Skipper, 1 Comma. That's three year ticks and a total of 14 species.

A dragonfly was whizzing up and down Lingholmes and there were two at Brigham Quarry - I'm not sure what they were but presumably Southern and/or Migrant Hawker.