Twelvety

So here's a rewind for January twenty twelve. Given the short days I figured I'd treat myself to a long weekend. Of course Sod's Law states all the action would be on Saturday and Monday would be hopeless. The truth wasn't far away but it was nice anyway. As per my last post the highlights were a Hooded Crow and a Bean Goose, with not a great deal else to get excited about.

Saturday 28th January

Harpham - Lowthorpe - Little Kelk : 20 Greylags, 8 Grey Partridge, 1 Heron, 3 Buzzard, 1 Kestrel, 300+ Woodpigeon, 4 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 Redwing, 1 Goldcrest, 1 Coat Tit, small flock of Siskin heard at Harpham and the Hooded Crow flying over as we were trying to locate them. Pretty much the last bird of the day was the Bean Goose heading over with a few Greylags just before dusk - picked up on call before flying overhead.

Sunday 29th January

Kelk - Kelk Beck : 4 Mute Swan, 7 Greylags, 2 Wigeon, 9 Teal, 14 Mallard, 4 Grey Partridge, 4 Heron, 1 Sparrowhawk, 3 Buzzard, 1 Kestrel, 6 Coot, 1 Snipe, 1 Kingfisher, 1 Meadow Pipit, 1 Grey Wagtail, 2 Redwing, 46 Yellowhammer (a very large local count!), 9 Reed Bunting.

Gembling - Foston : 2 Mute Swan, 17 Greylags, 1 Wigeon, 23 Teal, 54 Mallard, 2 Red-legged Partridge, 1 Cormorant, 1 Buzzard, 1 Kestrel, 1 Kingfisher, 43 Fieldfare. A herd of 27 Mute Swans (see pic below) were in a field toward Wansford.

Kelk Lake : 3 Pochard, 25 Tufted Duck, 1 Little Grebe, 6 Coot,

Monday 30th January

Little Kelk - Gransmoor - Harpham : 21 Greylags, 1 Gadwall, 8 Mallard, 2 Grey Partridge, 1 Cormorant, 12 Moorhen together near Kelk Beck, 35 Lapwing, 1 Woodcock flushed by a shooting party, 160+ Feral Pigeons, 1500+ Woodpigeon toward Burton Agnes, 20+ Collared Dove, 5 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 9 Fieldfare, 2 Goldcrest, 1 Coal Tit, 45+ Goldfinch, 1 male Bullfinch, 22+ Siskin at Harpham (same flock as Saturday).

A few photos, starting with a Wren, a species I've somehow managed not to get on film before.

Herd of swans at Wansford - Mutes not Whoopers!

Part of the local corvid pre-roost flock that must have been spooked by the farmer - suddenly the sky was filled with hundreds as they retreated to the safety of the trees.

A caterpillar. In January. A bit of a surprise. Not sure what the appeal of the mole hill was.

My January visit racked up 69 species for the new year list, a marginally better result than the previous two years which suffered snowy conditions.

Hug a Hoodie

2012 has got off to good start - with a new bird for the area!

A single HOODED CROW flew south-west over Harpham on Saturday. These are fairly scarce in Yorkshire with around 10 per year, mostly along the well watched coastal strip.

Following the Bean Goose flock in November last year, another one was seen on Saturday making a local flight with a small party of Greylags over Kelk.

Having said that it was actually a quiet weekend for birds the best of the rest being a Woodcock, a Grey Wagtail, 2 Kingfisher, and a flock of Siskin.

More later plus a few reassuringly rough pictures.