Silent

Heck, February already. Time for a brief summary from January and a few photos.

Friday 21st January

Taking a day off work paid off - Friday was by far the best birding weather. Or at least the morning was. A skein of 91 Pink-footed Geese flew north over Harpham but otherwise is was fairly predictable. It was comforting to get Treecreeper on the to the yearlist so early - I had to wait until November a couple of years ago!

Bleak weather has clearly pushed many birds out of the countryside - the woods in particular were at times silent, even the hedgerows hid little. Surviving Barn Owls were out an about in the afternoon, one each in Kelk and Gembling. At least 1500 Corvids moved to the roost at 5pm.

Saturday 22nd January

Around Kelk Beck a Water Rail was welcome, though almost familiar after a good year for them. Once again it was very quiet but 123 Mallard were around Cattleholmes and a 'herd' of 11 Mute Swan were feeding on an oilseed field - not at all a typical sight here. Two Green Sandpiper and another Barn Owl were the best of the rest. Afternoon was lacklustre - 18 Yellowhammer was a welcome sized flock of this declining species.

Sunday 23rd January

Another crack and Lowthorpe and Harpham revealed little new and the afternoon around Gembling wasn't much better. A quick look at Kelk Lake revealed single Goldeneye, Pochard, Tufted Duck and 4 Coot - all last minute year ticks!

For reasons I can't explain I have a track record of getting a good bird right at the bell. And so it was - the Little Egret in a drain near Kelk Beck just as I was heading back to base at dusk, almost literally the last bird seen of any species.


A pair of Grey Partridge looking splendid in the frosty morning sunshine.

Bullfinches are splendid little birds. This female was one of four eating Ash keys.

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Fine as the females are, it's the male that stands out.

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Apparently this skein had already flown right along the line of houses in Kelk before they went over my head at Harpham. Always a superb sight.

Erm, some mushies. Dunno what they are, they just looked pretty.

Totals from the three days across the area:

Mute Swan - 15

Greylag Goose - 33

Pink-footed Goose - 91

Mallard - 132

Teal - 51

Tufted Duck - 1

Pochard - 1

Goldeneye - 1

Little Egret - 1

Grey Partridge - 13

Little Grebe - 3

Water Rail - 1

Coot - 4

Common Buzzard - 5

Sparrowhawk - 2

Kestrel - 4

Grey Heron - 4

Lapwing - 44

Woodcock - 4

Green Sandpiper - 2

Great Black-backed Gull - 4

Herring Gull - 17

Stock Dove - 8

Collared Dove - 22

(flock at Harpham - others not counted)

Barn Owl - 3

Kingfisher - 1

Great Spotted Woodpecker - 3

Skylark - 2

Mistle Thrush - 4

Blackbird - many less than usual

Fieldfare - 119

Redwing - 16

Wren/Dunnock/Robin - very few!

Goldcrest - 2

Long-tailed Tit - 19+

Coal Tit - 2

Blue & Great Tit - widespread

Treecreeper - 1

Magpie - 4

"Corvids" - 1500+ at roost

House Sparrow - 80+

Tree Sparrow - 3

Yellowhammer - 38

Reed Bunting - 1

Yearlist = 63