Oh is it September? I hadn't noticed. Honest. I took a long weekend visit 22-25th August, but it's been hectic ever since. Very quick summary here and I promise to dig out some photos soon.
Greylag Goose - 175 flying around over BarfHill/Gembling on 23rd.
Gadwall - 3 off Kelk Beck
Teal - total of 45 at several sites
Shoveler - 1 with Teal off Kelk Beck (year tick!)
Grey Partridge - four family parties totalling 27 noted
Marsh Harrier - female between Kelk-Gembling
Buzzard - probably a min of 10 birds seen
Hobby - 1 at Harpham on 23rd
Snipe - 1 at Cattleholmes on 23rd
Green Sandpiper - 8 birds (7 Gembling + 1 Cattleholmes)
Common Sandpiper - flock of 10 at dusk at Kelk Lake
Common/Black-headed Gulls - 2k+ gulls (mostly Common) to roost in evening of 22nd
Swift - ZERO!
Kingfisher - 1 at Kelk Lake
Yellow Wagtail - 3 noted
Sedge Warbler - 1 Kelk Beck
Lesser Whitethroat - 1 Lowthorpe
Common Whitethroat - 2 noted
Chiffchaff/Willow Warbler - still plenty about
The best bird of what was a slow-going visit was a juvenile Spotted Redshank at Gembling on 25th.
Yearlist up 3 with...
101 Shoveler
102 Common Sandpiper
103 Spotted Redshank
Quite how I'm going to get to 110 is anyone's guess. September & October had better produce something pretty spectacular!
Friday, 20 September 2013
Wednesday, 31 July 2013
June and July
A filler post. Been busy and without laptop at home. Excuses etc...
June
Had one afternoon visit, Sunday 2nd. Nothing much to report but a couple of new Lesser Whitethroats - bringing the spring total in the area to a healthy eight. There was still a Cuckoo calling around Kelk. A Little Owl (year tick) was also at Kelk and has been seen fairly regularly all summer by various people. Such activity is a reasonable indication of nearby breeding.
July
A visit over the weekend of 13-14th produced a few goodies including a surprise year tick of a Common Tern heading south along the beck. These are scarce in the area with only one other record since 2007.
Also seen were 3 Cormorant, a Marsh Harrier, a Hobby, a juvenile Oystercatcher with the local pair, 2 Green Sandpiper, 2 Barn Owls, a Kingfisher, several young Yellow Wagtails, and 3 or 4 different Corn Buntings in the same field (possibly 1-2 young birds).
Butterflies were more visible than previous months, the majority being Ringlet (200+), Meadow Brown (40+), Small Tortoiseshell (30+), whites (20+) and Small Skipper (15+). A single Large Skipper was the only other species seen.
Year list lands at 100. Will add some pictures later.
099 Little Owl
100 Common Tern
June
Had one afternoon visit, Sunday 2nd. Nothing much to report but a couple of new Lesser Whitethroats - bringing the spring total in the area to a healthy eight. There was still a Cuckoo calling around Kelk. A Little Owl (year tick) was also at Kelk and has been seen fairly regularly all summer by various people. Such activity is a reasonable indication of nearby breeding.
July
A visit over the weekend of 13-14th produced a few goodies including a surprise year tick of a Common Tern heading south along the beck. These are scarce in the area with only one other record since 2007.
Also seen were 3 Cormorant, a Marsh Harrier, a Hobby, a juvenile Oystercatcher with the local pair, 2 Green Sandpiper, 2 Barn Owls, a Kingfisher, several young Yellow Wagtails, and 3 or 4 different Corn Buntings in the same field (possibly 1-2 young birds).
Butterflies were more visible than previous months, the majority being Ringlet (200+), Meadow Brown (40+), Small Tortoiseshell (30+), whites (20+) and Small Skipper (15+). A single Large Skipper was the only other species seen.
Year list lands at 100. Will add some pictures later.
099 Little Owl
100 Common Tern
Tuesday, 28 May 2013
May
Review for t'other weekend... I nearly forgot (excuses excuses).
Saturday 18th May
Harpham-Lowthorpe: 2 Red-legged Partridge, 1 Grey Partridge, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Common Buzzard, 10 Lapwing (looks like a poor spring locally), 8 Lesser Black-backed and 35 Herring Gulls, 6 Stock Dove, 1 Cuckoo, 120+ Swift, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 20+ House Martin, 'not many' Swallows, 1 Meadow Pipit, 4 Sedge Warbler, 1 Garden Warbler, 3 Whitethroat, 4 Bullfinch, and 1 Corn Bunting.
Kelk: 3 Shelduck, 2 Grey Partridge, 2 Sparrowhawk, 2 Oystercatcher, 10 Lapwing, 1 Cuckoo, 1 Barn Owl, 1 Tawny Owl, 4 Yellow Wagtail (including the Blue-headed bird reported in the previous post), 2 Reed Warbler, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 3 Whitethroat.
Sunday 19th May
Gembling/Foston: 4 Mute Swan, 11 Greylags, 2 Gadwall, 2 Tufted Duck, 4 Little Grebe, 2 Heron, 1 Kestrel, 1 Sedge Warbler, 1 Reed Warbler, 2 Lesser Whitethroat, 5 Whitethroat.
Kelk Beck: 6 Gadwall, 2 Teal (unseasonal), 20+ Mallard, 6 Tufted Duck, 4 Grey Partridge, 3 Common Buzzard, 1 Hobby, 1 Cuckoo, 1 Meadow Pipit, 2 Yellow Wagtail, 10 Sedge Warbler, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 14 Whitethroat, 2 Corn Bunting singing.
Harpham, late afternoon: female Marsh Harrier, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Buzzard, 4 Lesser Black-backed and 90+ Herring Gull (following cultivation), 90+ Swift, 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, and 1 Goldcrest.
A very poor weekend for butterflies although the sunshine on Sunday did bring a few out: 1 Brimstone, 2 Orange Tip, 6 Peacock, 7 Small Tortoiseshell, 1 Speckled Wood, 18 'whites'.
For once I managed a few half-just-about-nearly-ok photos. First up the Marsh Harrier heading north from Kelk toward Harpham. Always a pleasure to see one of these beauties.
One of the Sedge Warblers along Kelk Beck. Numbers have been stable in recent years at 15-20 pairs across the area, but remain scarce away from the beck.
One of three Corn Buntings seen during the weekend. Remarkable considering there have been no more than two singers in any of the previous six years. A small upturn in fortunes?
Year tick! Red-legs have become much harder to find in recent years.
ASBO gulls loitering with intent. It's not every day you see them on poles around here.
Six additions to the year list brings us to a much healthier 98.
093 Swift
094 Garden Warbler
095 Red-legged Partridge
096 Reed Warbler
097 Hobby
098 Marsh Harrier
Saturday 18th May
Harpham-Lowthorpe: 2 Red-legged Partridge, 1 Grey Partridge, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Common Buzzard, 10 Lapwing (looks like a poor spring locally), 8 Lesser Black-backed and 35 Herring Gulls, 6 Stock Dove, 1 Cuckoo, 120+ Swift, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 20+ House Martin, 'not many' Swallows, 1 Meadow Pipit, 4 Sedge Warbler, 1 Garden Warbler, 3 Whitethroat, 4 Bullfinch, and 1 Corn Bunting.
Kelk: 3 Shelduck, 2 Grey Partridge, 2 Sparrowhawk, 2 Oystercatcher, 10 Lapwing, 1 Cuckoo, 1 Barn Owl, 1 Tawny Owl, 4 Yellow Wagtail (including the Blue-headed bird reported in the previous post), 2 Reed Warbler, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 3 Whitethroat.
Sunday 19th May
Gembling/Foston: 4 Mute Swan, 11 Greylags, 2 Gadwall, 2 Tufted Duck, 4 Little Grebe, 2 Heron, 1 Kestrel, 1 Sedge Warbler, 1 Reed Warbler, 2 Lesser Whitethroat, 5 Whitethroat.
Kelk Beck: 6 Gadwall, 2 Teal (unseasonal), 20+ Mallard, 6 Tufted Duck, 4 Grey Partridge, 3 Common Buzzard, 1 Hobby, 1 Cuckoo, 1 Meadow Pipit, 2 Yellow Wagtail, 10 Sedge Warbler, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 14 Whitethroat, 2 Corn Bunting singing.
Harpham, late afternoon: female Marsh Harrier, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Buzzard, 4 Lesser Black-backed and 90+ Herring Gull (following cultivation), 90+ Swift, 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, and 1 Goldcrest.
A very poor weekend for butterflies although the sunshine on Sunday did bring a few out: 1 Brimstone, 2 Orange Tip, 6 Peacock, 7 Small Tortoiseshell, 1 Speckled Wood, 18 'whites'.
For once I managed a few half-just-about-nearly-ok photos. First up the Marsh Harrier heading north from Kelk toward Harpham. Always a pleasure to see one of these beauties.
One of the Sedge Warblers along Kelk Beck. Numbers have been stable in recent years at 15-20 pairs across the area, but remain scarce away from the beck.
One of three Corn Buntings seen during the weekend. Remarkable considering there have been no more than two singers in any of the previous six years. A small upturn in fortunes?
Year tick! Red-legs have become much harder to find in recent years.
ASBO gulls loitering with intent. It's not every day you see them on poles around here.
Six additions to the year list brings us to a much healthier 98.
093 Swift
094 Garden Warbler
095 Red-legged Partridge
096 Reed Warbler
097 Hobby
098 Marsh Harrier
Monday, 20 May 2013
Kind of Blue
Very good weekend, just gone. More soon but here's pictures of the stand out bird - a male Blue-headed Wagtail. After the bumper last couple of springs for Yellow Wagtails the pasture in Little Kelk strikes again with one of the continental Blue-headed cousins. These replace the UK Yellow subspecies in France and north to southern Scandinavia.
In Yorkshire these 'flava' wagtails are passage migrants along the coast in small numbers especially in spring (harder to identify in autumn plumage!). Inland they're less common though well watched reserves like Tophill Low chalk up odd ones each year, indeed they have already had a couple this spring. Either way, I'm made up with this record - scarce AND totally gorgeous!
Identification: as Yellow Wagtail but slaty-blue head without any yellow except on the throat. Cheeks are slightly darker. Strong eye-stripe is distinctive. More discussion of identification here.
Pasture seems to be a favourite for wagtails on passage - breeding birds locally prefer corn fields.
Other birds this weekend included Marsh Harrier, Hobby, lots of Swifts, a Garden Warbler and a couple of Reed Warblers all new for the year list.
In Yorkshire these 'flava' wagtails are passage migrants along the coast in small numbers especially in spring (harder to identify in autumn plumage!). Inland they're less common though well watched reserves like Tophill Low chalk up odd ones each year, indeed they have already had a couple this spring. Either way, I'm made up with this record - scarce AND totally gorgeous!
Identification: as Yellow Wagtail but slaty-blue head without any yellow except on the throat. Cheeks are slightly darker. Strong eye-stripe is distinctive. More discussion of identification here.
Pasture seems to be a favourite for wagtails on passage - breeding birds locally prefer corn fields.
The cows/sheep appear to attract insects for food and the natural pool was abuzz with flies.
Other birds this weekend included Marsh Harrier, Hobby, lots of Swifts, a Garden Warbler and a couple of Reed Warblers all new for the year list.
Wednesday, 1 May 2013
Wind and a Willow
Let me get the now obligatory moan about weather out of the way - too feckin windy!
Right.
A rather splendid weekend when all said and done. Yet another April Red Kite (3rd in recent years) and a local mega in the form of a superbly out-of-the-blue WILLOW TIT. Plenty of spring migrants but few species in large numbers just yet. Wheatear and Corn Bunting were the best of the rest.
Saturday 27th April
Harpham/Lowthorpe: 2 Greylag, 3 Buzzard, 2 Kestrel, 2 Oystercatcher, 16 Lapwing, 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker, several Sand Martin, 20+ Swallow and 5+ House Martin. Other migrants included 3 Meadow Pipit, 3 Yellow Wagtail, 2 Blackcap, 6 Chiffchaff, and 5 Willow Warbler, but to be fair most birds weren't singing so there could easily have been lots more. Also seen were 1 Grey Wagtail, 1 Goldcrest, 1 Coal Tit, 1 Bullfinch, and 2 very late Siskin (pair) feeding in larches.
Bird of the day was undoubtedly the WILLOW TIT seen in a hedgerow near Lingholmes plantation. It moved quickly along the hedgerow in the direction of Kelk Lake. A fairly brief but definite identification (including call), the similar Marsh Tit would actually be less likely here. I had a small number of sightings in the 1990s but nothing since. The species has become regionally scarce with only a few sites in East Yorkshire supporting them and nationally they are in heavy decline: BTO & BBC
Kelk: 2 Shelduck, 1 Sparrowhawk, 2 Buzzard, 2 Kestrel, 18 Lapwing, 1 Cuckoo, 1 Tawny Owl, 8 Yellow Wagtails, 15+ Pied Wagtail, a Wheatear, 2 Blackcap, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Whitethroat, 4 Chiffchaff, 1 Willow Warbler, 20+ Linnet (a year tick!), and best of the afternoon a singing Corn Bunting near Gransmoor Quarry.
2 Mute Swan at Kelk Lake have built a nest but the only other water-bird was a single Coot. 500+ Common Gull flew east to roost at dusk, presumably all immature birds in no hurry to migrate while all the adults should have moved back to the breeding grounds in Scotland and northern Europe by now.
Sunday 28th April
Kelk Beck: 2 Mute Swan, 2 Greylag, 2 Gadwall, 1 late Teal, 18 Mallard, 2 Tufted Duck, 2 Grey Partridge, 1 Little Grebe, 3 Heron, 1 Sparrowhawk, 2 Buzzard, 1 Coot, 18 Lapwing, 1 Snipe, 1 Green Sandpiper, 1 Great Black-backed Gull (unseasonal), 20+ Sand Martin, 1 Meadow Pipit, 4 Yellow Wagtail, 1 Sedge Warbler, 4 Willow Warbler, 30+ Linnet, and 2 Reed Bunting.
Gembling/Foston/Millingdale: 2 Mute Swan, 22 Greylag, 4 Gadwall, 8 Mallard, 5 Tufted Duck, 4 Little Grebe, 1 Buzzard, 1 Kestrel, 8 Coot, 3 Yellow Wagtail, 1 Blackcap, 1 Whitethroat, and 4 Willow Warbler.
I'm doing this back-to-front but the best bird of the day was one of the first in the morning - a Red Kite flying west over Little Kelk. This establishes a pattern where 3 of the last 4 have been in April. I wonder if these are young Yorkshire raised birds roaming the countryside for possible territory.
The only butterflies seen all weekend were 1 'white' and 2 Peacock. Clearly not quite spring enough for them!
And now a few half-baked attempts at photos.
Starling singing from the rooftops in Little Kelk. They thrive in the gardens around the village.
Right.
A rather splendid weekend when all said and done. Yet another April Red Kite (3rd in recent years) and a local mega in the form of a superbly out-of-the-blue WILLOW TIT. Plenty of spring migrants but few species in large numbers just yet. Wheatear and Corn Bunting were the best of the rest.
Saturday 27th April
Harpham/Lowthorpe: 2 Greylag, 3 Buzzard, 2 Kestrel, 2 Oystercatcher, 16 Lapwing, 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker, several Sand Martin, 20+ Swallow and 5+ House Martin. Other migrants included 3 Meadow Pipit, 3 Yellow Wagtail, 2 Blackcap, 6 Chiffchaff, and 5 Willow Warbler, but to be fair most birds weren't singing so there could easily have been lots more. Also seen were 1 Grey Wagtail, 1 Goldcrest, 1 Coal Tit, 1 Bullfinch, and 2 very late Siskin (pair) feeding in larches.
Bird of the day was undoubtedly the WILLOW TIT seen in a hedgerow near Lingholmes plantation. It moved quickly along the hedgerow in the direction of Kelk Lake. A fairly brief but definite identification (including call), the similar Marsh Tit would actually be less likely here. I had a small number of sightings in the 1990s but nothing since. The species has become regionally scarce with only a few sites in East Yorkshire supporting them and nationally they are in heavy decline: BTO & BBC
Kelk: 2 Shelduck, 1 Sparrowhawk, 2 Buzzard, 2 Kestrel, 18 Lapwing, 1 Cuckoo, 1 Tawny Owl, 8 Yellow Wagtails, 15+ Pied Wagtail, a Wheatear, 2 Blackcap, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Whitethroat, 4 Chiffchaff, 1 Willow Warbler, 20+ Linnet (a year tick!), and best of the afternoon a singing Corn Bunting near Gransmoor Quarry.
2 Mute Swan at Kelk Lake have built a nest but the only other water-bird was a single Coot. 500+ Common Gull flew east to roost at dusk, presumably all immature birds in no hurry to migrate while all the adults should have moved back to the breeding grounds in Scotland and northern Europe by now.
Sunday 28th April
Kelk Beck: 2 Mute Swan, 2 Greylag, 2 Gadwall, 1 late Teal, 18 Mallard, 2 Tufted Duck, 2 Grey Partridge, 1 Little Grebe, 3 Heron, 1 Sparrowhawk, 2 Buzzard, 1 Coot, 18 Lapwing, 1 Snipe, 1 Green Sandpiper, 1 Great Black-backed Gull (unseasonal), 20+ Sand Martin, 1 Meadow Pipit, 4 Yellow Wagtail, 1 Sedge Warbler, 4 Willow Warbler, 30+ Linnet, and 2 Reed Bunting.
Gembling/Foston/Millingdale: 2 Mute Swan, 22 Greylag, 4 Gadwall, 8 Mallard, 5 Tufted Duck, 4 Little Grebe, 1 Buzzard, 1 Kestrel, 8 Coot, 3 Yellow Wagtail, 1 Blackcap, 1 Whitethroat, and 4 Willow Warbler.
I'm doing this back-to-front but the best bird of the day was one of the first in the morning - a Red Kite flying west over Little Kelk. This establishes a pattern where 3 of the last 4 have been in April. I wonder if these are young Yorkshire raised birds roaming the countryside for possible territory.
The only butterflies seen all weekend were 1 'white' and 2 Peacock. Clearly not quite spring enough for them!
And now a few half-baked attempts at photos.
Starling singing from the rooftops in Little Kelk. They thrive in the gardens around the village.
Roe Deer road kill at Harpham. Looked pretty fresh - bet that made a dent in someone's wing!
Female Yellow Wagtail. The males are so attention grabbing it's easy to overlook the delightfully lemony females, definitely worth a second look.
And let's not forget Pied Wagtails. A spring male of the British subspecies is a masterclass in the use of black - fashionistas take note.
Last but not least is an admittedly lousy record shot of one of the Siskins at Harpham on Saturday. A very late record for the area of what is a tricky bird to track down locally.
A whopping 18 additions to the yearlist:
075 Curlew
076 Cuckoo
077 Yellow Wagtail
078 Swallow
079 Willow Tit
080 Meadow Pipit
081 Willow Warbler
082 House Martin
083 Sand Martin
084 Blackcap
085 Shelduck
086 Wheatear
087 Corn Bunting
088 Linnet
089 Whitethroat
090 Lesser Whitethroat
091 Red Kite
092 Sedge Warbler
Now that's looking a bit more like it - bring it on!
Saturday, 20 April 2013
Rush
As predicted stuff has started arriving. Swallows and Sand Martins are back in force now. Brother reports first Cuckoo heard at Great Kelk yesterday (19th April) - that's pretty damn early!
Thursday, 11 April 2013
Boink!
It would appear spring is peeking out from behind the sofa. At. Blooming. Last.
Sand Martins and Swallows have been reported from many places across Yorkshire in the last couple of days and no doubt that will turn into a flood next week.
My brother encountered a late Woodcock (not sure I've had an April one in recent years) and a Curlew, near Millingdale earlier in the week. Looking forward to my next visit more so than for the last few months!
Sand Martins and Swallows have been reported from many places across Yorkshire in the last couple of days and no doubt that will turn into a flood next week.
My brother encountered a late Woodcock (not sure I've had an April one in recent years) and a Curlew, near Millingdale earlier in the week. Looking forward to my next visit more so than for the last few months!
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