Showing posts with label Raptors. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Raptors. Show all posts

Friday 28 January 2022

Crisp winter days and some cracking good New Year's birds.

 A new year, fresh challenges and many promises to self - most of which I hope to achieve whilst realising that such is my want, many I wont! However and most importantly, I'm happy enough - still doing my usual thing (strolling around birding and taking pictures mainly!), and fit and healthy enough, although at 62, whilst I don't feel particularly old, becoming more and more aware that in the eyes of all the young bucks I am that grumpy old git walking around aimlessly with a pair of binoculars around his neck. It's a bit like the pandemic turning into an endemic - I must learn to live with it!

So last year I somehow manged to amass 207 bird species; very good for me, and nearly all in Yorkshire & North Lincs. Several 'twitches' in that lot of course and I fully intend to twitch again this year. So far I've managed to fail to see a Dusky Warbler at Wheldrake Ings, Bittern at North Cave Wetlands and Baikal Teal at Hornsea Mere, but success 2nd time around with the Great Grey Shrike at Wistow Clough and Richard's Pipit on Filey Brigg. I found a Water Pipit in the Lower Derwent Valley and whilst at Hornsea Mere got both Slavonian & Black Necked Grebe, a Long Tailed Duck and 4 Scaup.

Of that healthy bunch my stand out bird so far this January has been the Great Grey Shrike. I couldn't have picked a better day for my second attempt to track down this most impressive bird, cold yes, but one of those bright and sunny winter days without a breath of wind. I watched it for a good hour or so as it flew around hedges and perched up on favoured treetops. 

Great Grey Shrike, Wistow Clough
Great Grey Shrike, Wistow Clough, nr Cawood. 17/01/2022

Even with a telescope, the problem with spotting birds at Hornsea Mere is its sheer size. It's the largest freshwater lake in Yorkshire and invariably most of the good stuff will be on the opposite side! The 4 Scaup came closest but the Long Tailed Duck was just a dot but at least I managed a record shot. No chance with the Black Necked and Slavonian Grebe but at least I saw them both.

Long Tailed Duck, Hornsea Mere
Long Tailed Duck, Hornsea Mere. 10/01/2022


Scaup, Hornsea Mere
Scaup, Hornsea Mere. 10/01/2022

I knew about all of the above birds so it was just a case of going to find them but the thrill of finding your own good bird is something else, so I was a happy bunny indeed to find a Water Pipit on floodwater adjacent to the Pocklington Canal. 

Water Pipit, Pocklington Canal
Water Pipit, Pocklington Canal, 03/01/2022

Filey Brigg
Filey Brigg, 19/01/2022
Scarce as they are, especially around the York area, I suspect that more Water Pipits are missed than seen given the amount of favourable habitat throughout the Lower Derwent Valley. Richard's Pipits are even scarcer and although a photograph was never on the cards I was pleased to catch a brief glimpse of the elusive one that has been present at Filey for the past few weeks. No luck with Grey Phalarope though - been 2 reported from here recently, but 13 Purple Sandpiper was a first for the year and it was good to see a few other shorebirds in great light.




Oystercatcher, Filey Brigg
Oystercatcher, Filey Brigg, 19/01/2022

Shag, Filey Brigg
Shag, prattling about on the sea, Filey Brigg, 19/01/2022

Sanderling, Filey Brigg
Sanderling, Filey Brigg, 19/01/2022


Out and about elsewhere so far this January, I've got around some of my familiar haunts around the Lower Derwent ValleyNorth Cave Wetlands and York, plus a couple of visits to the hills of North Yorkshire. 

A walk from Cockmoor Hall to the Wykeham raptor viewpoint was undertaken in the hope of seeing a Goshawk. It was another crisp sunny day, perfect I thought for raptors, and having seen nothing of note on the walk I was still hopeful .. certainly looked promising.

Raptor viewpoint, Wykeham
Approaching the Raptor viewpoint, Wykeham, 14/01/2022

Cheeky Robin, Wykeham
Robin, Filey Wykeham, 14/01/2022

Not a sausage, not even a Buzzard! I gave it an hour, photographed a cheeky Robin that was after scraps from my lunch, then gave up and not for the first time I left Wykeham 'hawkless'. Lovely walk though and I was happily compensated by some great views of 3 Crossbills 'gipp gipping' away in the top of a fir tree and coming down to drink from a thawed out pond in a timber yard.



Crossbill, Wykeham
Crossbill, Wykeham, 14/01/2022

Crossbill, Wykeham
Crossbill, Wykeham, 14/01/2022

The sun was shining again when I decided to do a 5 mile circular walk in the Howardian Hills around Terrington and the Wiganthorpe estate. I've been transferring all of my old bird records from notebooks onto a database recently, and bearing in mind we're talking records from nearly half a century ago (now I really do feel old!), it's triggered many a memory. Back in the 80s Terrington Pond was a regular 'pop in' when out birding in these beautiful hills that I still explore today, but to my utter astonishment I realised that I hadn't gazed upon this particular spot for decades! So it was nostalgia that prompted this walk as it passed right by the place. Stupidly forgot to take a picture but it was looking good - mainly frozen over but 33 Teal hugging the thawed out margins were nice to see, as where 2 Marsh Tits by the side of Rose Cottage Farm. I broke out the packed lunch at the top a hill near Swinsy Carr with great views of Slingsby Heights and Thurtle Wood to the east, and disturbed 2 Buzzards that flapped around quite close giving me some great pics of our most common raptor.

Looking east from Wiganthorpe towards Slingsby Heights, 13/01/2022

Common Buzzard, Wiganthorpe, 13/01/2022

A further trip up to the Howardian Hills, this time around Scackleton, Grimston and Yearsley Moors later on this month was marred by a group of rowdy pheasant shooters around Oulston Reservoir, but Brambling, Goldcrest, Redpoll and Nuthatch were welcome additions to the year list. Lots of Fieldfares about (including a flock of about 320 in one field alone), 2 Marsh Tits and a single Willow Tit taking bird seed from one of the entrances to Yearsley Moor the other highlights.

Willow Tit, Yearsley Moor, 26/01/2022

Elsewhere, both North Cave Wetlands and Wheldrake Ings have been superb this month for massed flocks of thousands of ducks, geese and other over-wintering birds such as Golden Plover of which I approximated about 850 on one my visits to Wheldrake. 

Golden Plover, Wheldrake Ings, 07/01/2022

Wintering ducks, mainly Wigeon & Teal, Wheldrake Ings, 07/01/2022

Lapwings, North Cave Wetlands, 11/01/2022

As far as smaller birds are concerned I've had some impressive counts of Fieldfares in various fields round and about including appx 440 nr Terrington on the 13th and have been thoroughly entertained by a regular flock of anywhere between 50 & 100 Siskins at Askham Bog whilst out recruiting for YWT

Siskin, Askham Bog, 26/01/2022

Siskin, Askham Bog, 26/01/2022

Fieldfare, Wheldrake Ings, 07/01/2022

It hasn't been a particularly harsh winter so far this year but there have been some impressively frosty mornings around my way and as I've alluded to above, a fair few bright and sunny days to gladden the heart and I can sense the first stirrings of spring. Hazel Catkins have begun to appear and I had my first snatch of  Chaffinch song on the 23rd January at my campsite at Fangfoss. Yesterday at Askham Bog one of several Coal Tits was singing too and presented nicely for the camera. I don't think I've fully appreciated the subtleties of this tiny tit's colouring before - look at that gorgeous sandy orange on its flanks!

Coal Tit, Askham Bog, 26/01/2022

Today during a walk around Strensall Common that yielded no real surprises I saw this Great Spotted Woodpecker busily pecking away at a dead silver birch and it reminded of 2 I heard 'drumming' in the grounds of Sledmere House last week. Both in the same general vicinity and I was struck by the different timbre of each - that's how I knew there were two, probably my earliest record of this early sign of spring.

Great Spotted Woodpecker, 27/01/2022

I'm still finding that my smartphone is more than adequate for landscapes (as long as I don't zoom in too much) and though not ready to give up on my shorter lens SLR set up just yet , I remain very impressed with my S10e's picture quality - and so lightweight! Here's a few from my January ramblings - 

Sunset over North Cave Wetlands, 11/01/2022

Spittal Beck, Nr Fangfoss, 18/01/2022


Pocklington Canal at Storwood, 03/01/2022

Yearsley Moor, 26/01/2022

Oulston Reservoir, 26/01/2022

Sunday 22 April 2018

Roadtrip to Spain March / April 2018 part 1

I entered my first bird record in the book on March 12th (a coastal Peregrine nr Santander first thing in the morning as I shook myself into action after a night on the backseat of a hire car) and the last, a male Blackcap hitching a lift courtesy of Brittany Ferries, on April 3rd. Sandwiched in between a 23 day roadtrip right around Spain with my trusty old mate Mark P.

Spanish roadrip March/April 2018, sites
As you can see, lots of sites covered in those 23 days with good birds at most of them and lots of stunning scenery in between. On reflection it was a bit of a whistle stop tour, not without drama, and as ever many of the places visited could have done with more of an explore. This post covers the downward journey and the following sites

1. Marismas de Joyel / Santona Bay
2. Laguna de Pitillas
3. Huesca
4. Banyoles
5. Emporda
6. Ebro Delta
7. Alberfura
8. Petrolla Steppes
9. Apujarra Valley
10. Fuente de Piedre





So this is where it all started for me, waking up on the backseat of a Peugeot Partner (never again!) on the Northern coast of Spain at the Marismas de Joyel / Santona Bay area.

Nothing startling recorded on the birding front but nice to feel a bit of warm sun on my head after months of grim UK weather!


Having prearranged to meet up with Mark on the 16th March somewhere nr Girona, the next 4 days was just me, a hire car and a tent (how I miss having a campervan!) so it was a relatively slow drive through the Basque, Navarra & Arragon regions and then into Catalonia. Have to say the weather wasn't great and totally spoilt a photo opp of circa 35 Hawfinches on the outskirts of Irutzun but interesting all the same to note that this heavy finch's irruption this winter has extended this far.

Laguna de Pitillas
Having visited the Bardenas Real natural park before I opted to drop in to one of Navarra's few wetland areas instead, the Laguna de Pitillas and with a welcome break in the weather I was instantly rewarded with a great haul of good birds including displaying Marsh Harriers, overhead Griffon Vultures, Garganey, Bearded & Penduline Tit, dozens of passage Ruff and my first Barn Swallows😃😃




Displaying Marsh Harriers, Pitillas, 13/03/18

Displaying Marsh Harriers, Pitillas, 13/03/18


Common Redshank, Pitillas, 13/03/18
 Around Huesca and in the shadow of the Pyrenees I had an unbelievably cold night in my tent (ended up with all my clothes on plus a coat in a sleeping bag!) but was rewarded the next day with a major raptor passage in the skies above with 300+ Black Kites, 3 Red Kites, 5 Common Buzzard, 3 Short Toed Eagles and 1 Osprey, plus 30 + White Storks and 3 Golden Eagles all within 2 hours of watching the skies.
Migrating Black Kites, nr Huesca, 14/03/18

Passing Osprey, nr Huesca, 14/03/18
Griffon Vulture, nr Huesca, 14/03/18

Common Buzzard & Griffon, nr Huesca, 14/03/18

Pair of Golden Eagles, nr Huesca, 14/03/18

Pair of Golden Eagles, nr Huesca, 14/03/18
Although probably resident birds there were 3 Golden Eagles present in total, no doubt used to periodic mass passages of smaller raptors and looking after their own patch! This one came right over my head.
 Golden Eagle, nr Huesca, 14/03/18
Common Buzzard, nr Huesca, 14/03/18


Raptor watchpoint, nr Huesca


The plains and steppe land around Pamplona and Zaragoza are one of my favourite bits of Spain but its only once you get off the motorways and on to minor roads that these landscapes can be fully appreciated .. you can stop, get out of the car and take photographs for a start!

La Garbada de Monegros
I spotted these strange looking sandstone outcrops from the car and later found out that its called La Gabarda de Monegros. Looked like the kind of place they used to film spaghetti westerns and if I'd had time would have explored further but on the day it was lunch stop and photo opp. Got my one and only Merlin of trip here though, zoomed right over the car and flushed about 300 House Sparrows!

Random landscape, local cemetary & farm buildings, nr La Garbada
Volca de Santa Margarida, Garrotxa (creative commons)
The day before my rendevouz with Mark I spent a day and a night within the Garrotxa Volcanic Zone natural park, 40 or so dormant volcanoes that are now covered with forest. Here's one of them (not my pic obviously!) and although I did walk around some of the forest trails, there was very little birdlife. Interesting all the same though - more info here. 







Bullfinch, Banyoles, 15/03/18
Much more to see down in  the foothills however. I'd booked into a small hotel in Banyoles and a late afternoon stroll around the outskirts of town produced several new species for the trip including Bullfinch, Siskin and a probable Eurasian Treecreeper.
Siskin, Banyoles, 15/03/18


Even better was another Hawfinch experience. Ambling around the lake on the edge of town on a beautifully sunny evening I heard that familiar 'tic tic' and it wasn't long before I'd located at least 4 of these 'heavy finches'. Typically elusive I spent a full hour stalking them and trying to get just one cracking shot -  it was kind of fun but ultimately frustrating and had to be satisfied with a couple of record shots as the sun began to dip.
Hawfinch, Banyoles, 15/03/18

Hawfinches, Banyoles, 15/03/18

L'estany de Banyoles
Next day I met up with mate Mark at Girona airport and we headed off up to Emporda, a major wetland site on the Northeast tip of Spain. Another of my favourite Spanish haunts, the sight of that massive cylindrical bird hide never fails to thrill me! It rained later and then the sun came out again creating an altogether different vista ..the semi wild white horses they have there only added the dreamy, almost unreal light!

White horses and rainbow, El Cortalets, Emporda. 16/03/18

Redshank, Emporda, 16/03/18
Before the rains came a few explores around the reserve produced plenty of good birds - Water Pipits in abundance, not the number of wader species we expected but Spotted & Common Redshank, Greenshank, Little Stint, Dunlin, Ruff, Black Tailed Godwit, Little Ringed Plover, Green Sandpiper, Avocet and Snipe all present.

Water Pipit, Emporda, 16/03/18

The next morning brought several new birds - our first Reed Warbler, Purple Heron and House Martin plus Audouins Gull, 4 Black Throated Divers on the Med and a group of 30 or so Alpine Swifts north over the reserve.
Alpine Swift heading north, Emporda, 17/03/18
Next stop, the Ebro Delta and one of the high spots of the whole trip, not least because of the joy of going back somewhere that has been improved! Conservationists in Spain have been instrumental in the creation of  'green filters'  to clean up agricultural run off from adjacent rice fields which has led to extensive new reedbeds, saltmarsh and new wetland areas - Ille de Mar on the north side of the delta and L'Embut to the south. Spent most of the 2 days on Ebro on the northern and less visited side but gave both of these new sites a good going over.

'Green Filters' on the Ebro - more info

Wood Sandpiper, Ebro, 19/03/18
Once again, not masses of waders but as usual Ebro produced the goods with Bonellis Eagle, Wood Sandpiper, Bar Tailed Godwit, Jack Snipe (which I nearly trod upon!) and Grasshopper Warbler amongst a host of new birds added for the trip.








Bluethroat, Ebro, 18/03/18

Barn Swallow, Ebro, 18/03/18
 One of these days I'll get a gripper pic of a Red Rumped Swallow but not on this occassion!
Red Rumped Swallow, Ebro, 18/03/18


Penduline Tit, Ebro, 18/03/18
 A lifer for Mark that Penduline Tit and with a mobile hide to call upon he got a better view!





Bar Tailed Godwit, Greenshank & Redshank, Ebro, 18/03/18
 
Whiskered Tern, Ebro, 18/03/18
Purple Heron, Ebro, 18/03/18

As good as it gets usually as far as me and photographing Purple Heron's is concerned but the next day I managed to stalk this same bird and get some reasonably close shots that came out ok.


















Purple Heron, Ebro, 19/03/18

Purple Heron, Ebro, 19/03/18
 The tower hide at Ille de Buda on the north side provides an excellent vantage point for views over the whole of the Ebro Delta as well as fly by birds like these Greater Flamingoes, just 3 of the hundreds present on the reserve.

Greater Flamingoes, Ebro, 18/03/18


Juv Bonellis Eagle, Ebro, 19/03/18
The Bonellis Eagle was a bit of a surprise in a predominently wet and flat landscape and we surmised it to be a youngster seeking out a territory. It certainly made an impression and was harried away by a local Common Buzzard.

Juv Bonellis Eagle and Common Buzzard, Ebro, 19/03/18
A few Ebro seascape / landscapes and odds n sods before we move on then.....
Flamingoes and fishing activity at dusk, Ebro, 17/03/18

Living on the job! Fishing Ebro-style
Yellow Legged Gull, Ebro, 18/03/18
Just a Yellow Legged Gull but a useful test for the lens. Taken from the tower hide on the other side of the river

Mediterranean Gull, Ebro, 19/03/18

A section of the northern part of the Ebro, from the tower hide

Don't be fooled by the warmth that seems radiate out of these couple of landscapes as we neared Albacete and the Petrolla Steppes.
En route to Petrolla

En route to Petrolla
Ruff, Petrolla, 20/03/18
The weather up there was brutal with a strong and biting northerly wind, so cold it was hardly worth getting out of the van. A ringtail Hen Harrier over the lagoon at Petrolla kept us interested for a while and then we were convinced we had a rare wader in amongst 10 or so Ruff that were braving the elements but it turned out to be just a much smaller female Ruff or a Reeve to be precise! We've only been birding for 40 years but you can maybe see why we got so excited.



Ruff at Petrolla with a confusingly small female, 20/03/18
The unseasonably cold weather and persistent northerly winds stayed with us as we headed further south and west. Through the Sierra Alcaraz we experienced tricky driving conditions with heavy snow preventing any thought of an overnight and a further explore. Little Bustard was a lucky spot from the van nr Albacete and other 'en route' birds included a Montagues Harrier nr Jaen and small numbers of Black Kite, Marsh Harriers and Pallid Swifts, all giving a sense of light passage.

Woodchat Shrike with bug, Orgiva, 22/03/18
Into the Sierra Nevada and the mountains were full of snow. We had no time to go up high and look for alpine species but did enjoy the relative warmth in nearby Alpujarra Valley and stayed at a campsite at Orgiva. Warbler of of the day was without a doubt Blackcap with 50+ around the campsite with Woodchat Shrike, Siskin and Lesser Short Toed Lark amongst other notables





From Orgiva it was south and west into Andalusia and the well known reserve of Fuente de Piedre. Most famous for its huge population of Flamingoes this is the largest inland wetland area in Andalusia. I lost count after 800 Flamingoes, many many pink blobs stretching way into the distance, but apart from a passing Golden Eagle and nice summer plumage Whiskered Tern, nothing we hadn't had before, some nice early evening landscapes though.
Whiskered Tern, Fuente de Piedre, 22/03/18
Fuente de Piedre

Fuente de Piedre
Bad weather with rain and strong winds descended upon us once again the next day and the day after that, all very unseasonal and frustrating but hey we'd travelled almost to the southern tip of Spain just 5 days after departing from Emporda in the far north east, so it was 'job done' in a way. Southern Spain is one of the best places to be at this time of year if you're into bird migration, raptor passage can be outstanding sometimes and, as the storms began to ease off, we found ourselves in the right place, right time for a bit of major passage - that will kick off part 2 of the trip, but here's a taster, 1 of many passing Booted Eagles moving north over Jimenez de la Frontera.

Booted Eagle, migrating north, Jimenez de la Frontera, 24/03/18