Nutty

A rather late start to 2016 for me, but a start no less.

Highlights included 4 Little Egrets remaining at Lowthorpe (since at least December), an adult Peregrine, 4 different Green Sandpipers, 3 hunting Barn Owls and a Short-eared Owl. Not much action in terms of songbirds, mostly due to the windy weather making it hard work.

The absolute star was my first ever Nuthatch for the area, present between Lowthorpe and Harpham on Monday 1st February. I have long thought this would be a likely addition. In April 2015 one visited a bird table at Harpham but it didn't cross my path. It is entirely possible it is the same bird - they are very sedentary - that's been hiding away all that time. Indeed a second bird within the space of a year seems somehow less likely to me.

The new year list reaches 66 at the kickoff.

January 30th - February 1st

Mute Swan - 6 Kelk Beck, 20 Wansford

Wigeon - 100

Gadwall - 1

Teal - 90

Mallard - 120

Pochard - 1

Tufted Duck - 10

Little Grebe - 4

Cormorant - 5

Little Egret - 4 at Lowthorpe

Heron - 10

Sparrowhawk - 1

Buzzard - 9

Kestrel - 4

Peregrine - adult, probably male

Lapwing - two flocks 43 + 280 is high for Jan

Woodcock - 1

Green Sandpiper - 2 Kelk, 2 Wansford

Great Black-backed Gull - 2

Stock Dove - 21

Barn Owl - 3 hunting in daytime

Little Owl - 1

Tawny Owl - 1

Short-eared Owl - 1

Kingfisher - 3

Grey Wagtail - 1

Fieldfare - 120

Redwing - 32

NUTHATCH - 1 at Lowthorpe

Long-tailed Tit - six parties noted

Linnet - 50+

One of the Little Egrets at Lowthorpe. It's less than 10 years since the first one appeared (Kelk Lake) and I'm almost expecting to see them now. Amazing.

Badger paw prints.

One of the daytime hunting Barn Owls, this one at Millingdale. I suspect they'd struggled to hunt during the windy weather but Sunday was quite calm, so 'make hay...' as they say.

Seven deer. The one on the right has an unusual neck pattern.

I've included several Grey Wagtail photos recently, but why the hell not they're fantastic birds.

Mild December

Crazy weather, as ever. Temperatures in double digits, even after dark. The stiff wind wasn't very helpful for finding birds but it was an interesting weekend no less.

As posted yesterday, there has been an influx of Little Egrets and the Great White Egret discovered on 1st November has found a friend.

The first egrets noted were two flying south along the beck, followed by two standing in a field at Harpham. Naturally, at the time, I assumed they were the same two. Then we located one in trees by Lowthorpe bridge, and another standing in oilseed further down the beck. I make that 4... or 6... or 2. No idea.

Later another was found on the drain near Barf Hill (over a mile from the beck) - almost certainly a different bird. Is that 5 now?

On Sunday almost the first birds seen were four Little Egrets and a Great White Egret flying south along the beck. The group split up and odd ones were noted occasionally later on. The GWE appeared again in the company of two Grey Herons and a second GWE - see photos in the link.

Finally, on Monday, another was seen at Wansford, which I'm considering is likely to be a different bird. Clearly they are mobile but I think 6 is a fairly safe total.

Other highlights as follows...

Saturday 19th - Monday 21st December

Gadwall - 6
Teal - 120+
Shoveler - 4
Mallard - 150+
Little Grebe - 4
Cormorant - 11
Little Egret - 6
Great White Egret - 2
Grey Heron - 13
Sparrowhawk - 4
Buzzard - 11
Kestrel - 5
Lapwing - 56
Snipe - 9
Redshank - 1
Green Sandpiper - 5 an exceptional count for Dec
Lesser Black-backed Gull - 8 an unseasonal record
Herring Gull - 70+
Great Black-backed Gull - 2

Woodpigeon - 6000+ heading to roost at dusk. This is the largest single flock of any species I've recorded locally. It was several hundred metres long. Incredible sight. Less so if for farmers, though.

Barn Owl - 3
Little Owl - 1
Short-eared Owl - 2
Kingfisher - 1
Great Spotted Woodpecker - 3
Meadow Pipit - 1 at Harpham is unseasonal
Grey Wagtail - 3
Fieldfare - 28
Redwing - 1
Mistle Thrush - 8
Jay - 2 at Lowthorpe
Linnet - 80

Two additions to the year list bringing the total to 107. Despite some really good sightings this is my lowest ever.

106 Shoveler
107 Redshank

Photos...

One of the Barn Owls. We watched this for about 10 minutes quartering a grass field at Lowthorpe. Occasionally it came very close but unfortunately always into direct sunlight.

Grey Wagtail. Always a favourite. Three in a winter weekend is very healthy. Perhaps a symptom of the mild weather.

Meadow Pipit in near darkness. Not at all an easy bird to find here in winter. Again, presumably weather related.

Mistle Thrush in a classic pose. For reasons unknown they have been very elusive in the last couple of years so it was pleasing to find eight over the weekend.

This Short-eared Owl was flushed by a low flying heron. It flew along the hedge line towards us before turning back briefly and then landing! This is almost the same spot where two were together in January. Could this be a returning bird or is it more likely just an attractive bit of habitat.

And that's a wrap, as they say. See you in 2016.

Eg(ret)nog

Strange times. In November a Great White Egret appeared in the area. Given the mild weather there was some hope that it might still be knocking around last weekend. Indeed it was. And it had been joined by another. Along with an influx of at least 6 Little Egret. I have never seen more than a single Little Egret at one time.

What is happening? Whatever it is, I like it.


Here's Great White number 1, seen flying along the beck on Sunday.

And here it is a couple of hours later having joined the second, and a Grey Heron for handy size comparison.

Now for some Little Egrets. Here's one enjoying a hedgerow.

Resting in a field of oil-seed.

And, a bit more like it, standing by some water.

Non-egret highlights to appear later...

Great and the good

Nothing I say is quite going to compare with the Great White Egret but let's do this anyway...

Saturday 31st October / Sunday 1st November

Pink-footed Goose - skein of 100+ south on 1st
Greylag Goose - 3
Canada Goose - 2
Teal - 75
Mallard - 35
Red-legged Partridge - 4 at Kelk
Pheasant - 1 white bird at Harpham (photo below)
Little Grebe - 2
Cormorant - 3
Grey Heron - 4
GREAT WHITE EGRET - 1 at Kelk Beck
Sparrowhawk - 1
Buzzard - 4
Kestrel - 1
Golden Plover - 28
Lapwing - 2
Snipe - 3
Green Sandpiper - 1 at Kelk Beck
Short-eared Owl - 1 at Kelk Beck
Kingfisher - 3
Great Spotted Woodpecker - 2
Skylark - 45+
Meadow Pipit - 2
Grey Wagtail - 3
Fieldfare - 4
Redwing - 12 (flock of 11 + 1)
Goldcrest - 6 away from normal areas suggests influx of migrants
Brambling - 1 at Harpham with finches
Goldfinch - 2 flocks 20+40
Siskin - 11 at Harpham
Yellowhammer - 2 flocks 8+10

First up, another picture of the egret. Just how good? Even the Cormorant looks impressed.

Buzzard keeping an eye on proceedings. Quite a pale bird.

Grey Wagtail perching in a tree, which they don't usually do.

All-white Pheasant at Harpham. Been a long time since I saw one of these.

Short-eared Owl... about to be harassed by a gang of crows.

Three additions to the year list

103 Brambling
104 Great White Egret
105 Siskin

Great Day

Wowsers!!!

Great White Egret at Kelk

The larger relative of Little Egret, these birds have become increasingly regular in Britain over the last couple of decades as their natural range spreads west across Europe. Just a few decades ago their range in Europe was around the Danube delta, but now there are significant numbers as close as Netherlands and France. In England a single pair bred in Somerset in 2012, surely the first of many.

In Yorkshire there has been a very slow increase with only a handful being recorded before the end of the 1990s, while in the last decade there have been around 5 per year. Most of the well known local reserves have been visited by this magnificent and elegant species, including Tophill Low and Hornsea Mere. Indeed two different birds have been seen at Tophill Low on and off through October, and presumably the Kelk bird is one of these, wandering.

Weekend write-up to follow. Egret aside it wasn't too exciting, perhaps in part due to the unseasonably warm weather.

September Rememberings

Just time to get this in before November arrives...

19th-20th and 26th September

Mute Swan - Pair with 6 young

Red-legged Partridge - 45+ at Harpham (released)

Pheasant - 290+ at Harpham

Little Grebe - 9

Cormorant - 12 including flock of 8 together.

Grey Heron - 19

Marsh Harrier - 2, possibly 3

Sparrowhawk - 4

Common Buzzard - 23+

Kestrel - 5

Hobby - 1 chasing martins at Little Kelk on 19th

Golden Plover - 19

Lapwing - modest flocks 36 + 80

Snipe - 1

Greenshank - 2 at Gembling

Green Sandpiper - 1

Great Black-backed Gull - 4

Stock Dove - 36 at Harpham

Kingfisher - 4

Skylark - flock of 80+ Kelk Beck

Swallow - only 7 left by 26th

Meadow Pipit - 19

Grey Wagtail - 1

Mistle Thrush - 16 (otherwise scarce recently)

Jay - 1 at Kelk on 26th

Linnet - largest flock 75 at Gransmoor

Bullfinch - pair with 2 juveniles at Harpham

No new species so the year list is stuck at 102.

Juvenile Buzzard sitting on freshly cut wheat straw. Plenty of them about in September.

Great Black-backed Gull. Their appearances in the area have been less frequent and predictable in recent years. Most are flying through so it's nice to see one on the deck.

Grey Wagtail doing what they love best, feeding from water vegetation.

That's my Christmas cards sorted.















Lots of these about in September. Mostly tame released birds.

Late late Cuckoo

Any date in September would be notable to see a Cuckoo in UK, 26th September is exceptional. This youngster flew into a window in Kelk and became the other kind of 'late'. Even that seems a very strange occurrence. Poor thing!

One wonders if it was a local bird that had been hanging around longer than normal, or from much further away and had got a bit lost finding Africa.

A round up of my September visit is on its way...