Unexpected Wigeon in the birding area

It's not always obvious what season you're in. Especially when you're staring at a Wigeon at the end of May. But that is indeed what just happened. Summer is definitely here, it's just a little shy.

Summary for 24-26 May

Mute Swan nest at Kelk Beck

Wigeon - male at Gembling on 24th. Most unseasonal.

Gadwall - 4

Tufted Duck - 2

Red-legged Partridge - 2

Grey Partridge - 19

Heron - 15+ at heronry

Marsh Harrier - 1 female

Sparrowhawk - 3

Buzzard - 6

Kestrel - 3

Hobby - 1 at Harpham on 26th

Oystercatcher - 5

Common Gull - 2 immatures

Herring Gull - 59+

Lesser Black-backed Gull - 9+

Cuckoo - 2 different males calling

Barn Owl - 1 food carrying to nest

Swift - 140+

Yellow Wagtail - 6

Sedge Warbler - 8+

Reed Warbler - 2

Garden Warbler - 2

Lesser Whitethroat - 3 males at new locations (9 in Apr)

Whitethroat - 20+

Corn Bunting - 2 males singing (in locations occupied last year)

A few butterflies:

Orange Tip - 7

Peacock - 2

Small Tortoiseshell - 3

White sp. - 11

A few photos:

1. Buzzard trying to look super important. 

2. Cuckoo, doing what they do best, cuckoo-ing while sitting on an exposed perch.

3. Mute Swan nest. I swear it wasn't there last month!

4. Helpful comparison of House Sparrow and Tree Sparrow.

5. Unexpected drake Wigeon. This one must be pretty lost, they're supposed to have left during April.

As a bonus the Wigeon was also a year tick. Nice!

092 Swift

093 Reed Warbler

094 Wigeon

095 Garden Warbler

096 Hobby

Late, Spring

An update for April - weekend of 26th & 27th.

Very much a transitional month. Lots of migrants had arrived but many more are still to come. The weather wasn't brilliant, grey skies mostly, but at least it stayed dry. Highlights were a Marsh Harrier, a Curlew (hard to find in recent years), 4 White Wagtails (only one recent record), 6 Wheatear (normally the odd one or two each year), 9 Lesser Whitethroat (possibly a record number) and 2 singing Corn Buntings.

Canada Goose - a pair with 4 goslings

Shelduck - 2

Gadwall - 10

Marsh Harrier - female along Kelk Beck on 27th.

Kestrel - 5

Oystercatcher - 3

Lapwing - 60+

Snipe - 1

Curlew - 1 over Harpham on 26th

Cuckoo - 1 calling in several locations (prob only 1 bird)

Sand Martin - 20+ mostly around Lowthorpe and Gransmoor Quarry

Swallow - 30+ widespread

House Martin - 10+ at Lowthorpe only

Yellow Wagtail - 4

White Wagtails - 4 at Harpham with 9 Pied Wagtails.

Wheatear - 2 together at Harpham and 4 together at Kelk

Sedge Warbler - 5 at Kelk Beck

Blackcap - 10+

Lesser Whitethroat - 9 males singing

Whitethroat - 11 singing

Chiffchaff - 20+

Willow Warbler - 14

Treecreeper - 1 at Harpham

Corn Bunting - 2 singing males at locations occupied last year

Some photos:

First up is one of the Corn Buntings in typical singing pose. One day I'll get a decent shot of one.

Orange Tip butterfly. Not at all easy to photo!

Oystercatcher. They've been present annually for over two decades now, though the success is pretty low and with little sign of numbers increasing (max 2 pairs in any one year). I guess Kelk must be at the limit of breeding habitat.

Ropey record shot of two of the White Wagtails. These photos aren't entirely convincing but enough was seen of the pale rumps to confirm as White rather than Pied. All four were females (the males are much easier to ID).

Yellow Wagtail hanging around with other wagtails. Always a special spring moment when I see my first one.

Additions to year list (in order of appearance):

078 Shelduck - first seen March but missed off previous update

079 Swallow

080 Cuckoo

081 Sand Martin

082 House Martin

083 Blackcap

084 Lesser Whitethroat

085 Curlew

086 Yellow Wagtail

087 Whitethroat

088 Willow Warbler

089 Wheatear

090 Sedge Warbler

091 Marsh Harrier