The dog ate my homework - June review

Well ok, not the dog, but my notes were swept away in the rain. Yes, that's my excuse for the delay and I'm sticking to it :o)

Friday 29th June

Very quiet around Harpham in the morning in poor weather; 2 Red-legged Partridge, 4 Buzzard, 2 Kestrel, 1 Hobby over New Road, 14 Lapwing, several Skylark, a few House Martins, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Goldcrest.

Afternoon around Kelk was better; 2 Mute Swan, 2 Red-legged and 2 Grey Partridges, 1 Cormorant, 1 Kestrel, 2 Oystercatcher, 48 Lapwing, 1 Black-headed Gull, 2 Lesser Black-backed and 21 Herring Gull, 2 Kingfisher together, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 Yellow Wagtail, 8 Pied Wagtail, 1 Reed Warbler, 180 Starling including many juveniles, 2 Bullfinch, 5 Yellowhammer.

Non-birdy sightings today; a Grass Snake, and only a few butterflies - 1 Peacock, 1 Red Admiral, 1 Small Skipper, 1 Speckled Wood and 1 'white', plus several 'blue' damselflys.

Saturday 30th June

Gembling/Foston/Kelk Beck: 1 Mute Swan, 1 Greylag, 1 female Gadwall with 8 ducklings, 5 Mallard, female Pochard, 6 Tufted Duck, 2 Red-legged Partridge, 3 Grey Partridge, 4 Little Grebe, 10 Grey Heron, 1 Sparrowhawk, 5 Buzzard, 3 Kestrel, 6 Coot, 38 Lapwing, 2 Black-headed Gull, 2 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 6 Stock Dove, 80 Woodpigeon, 40 Swift, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 3 Yellow Wagtail, 14 Sedge Warbler, 1 Reed Warbler, 11 Whitethroat, and 1 Corn Bunting.

The best record from the day was a Quail at Gembling briefly calling from a corn field.

In the evening a wander around Harpham didn't add too much but a surprise was 2 Oystercatchers at New Road - a new bird for that area. Also a single immature Common Gull was most unseasonal. The highlight, though, was a new record count of 164 Herring Gulls feeding on freshly cut grass and then seen flying east to the bay to roost. Big gulls are regular in summer but usually small numbers, indeed this is a record count for any time of year. Very strange!

Today's non-birdy stuff; 1 Squirrel, 1 'bat sp.', 21 Hares in one field, 1 Toad, and butterflies were nowhere to be seen except a measly 1 Peacock and 1 'white'.

Sunday 1st July

More searching around Kelk; 18 Greylags, 12 Mallard, 2 Tufted Duck, 3 Grey Partridge, 1 Sparrowhawk, 2 Buzzard, 1 Kestrel, 2 Oystercatcher with a juvenile, 1 Black-headed Gull, 5 Lesser Black-backed Gull, a flock of 60 Feral Pigeon, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 Yellow Wagtail, 2 Sedge Warbler, 8 Whitethroat, 2 Bullfinch and 1 Reed Bunting. Remarkably yet another Quail was noted, this one near the Burton Agnes road and calling quite frequently.

Pictures...

Lapwing dive bombing me presumably for walking too close its young, which I couldn't locate in the corn but I did see a few little ones elsewhere.

Common Whitethroat at Gembling - the first one I've had the luck and patience to get a snap of. This one has food in its beak so perhaps there was a nest with young nearby. 

Tufted Duck starting its moult into eclipse plumage. They will look very messy and drab now until October.

A not-too-bad picture of one of the local pairs of Oystercatchers. I think there have been three pairs locally this year and this is the first year recently when I've found a juvenile - result! 

Finally, a vivid sunset over Lowthorpe. For once the weather was actually rather nice on the Saturday and this sight made for a cracking way to end the day. 

And so here we are, almost time for me to make my July visit.

One addition to the yearlist during the visit, plus one from my brother earlier in the month.

100 Marsh Harrier

101 Quail