Big Accipters and rare Orchids,North York's....08.06.2013.

A good forecast saw Chris and myself heading out bright and early for North Yorkshire today in the search of large birds of prey and rare orchids.After a fairly uneventful drive,apart from having to brake for a female Roe Deer in the middle of the road at Watton we eventually arrived at the first site we were visiting today,the stunning Troutsdale valley.We were a tad early in the day to see any Honey Buzzards really,but we were hopefull.After getting our kit together to the chorus of Wood Pigeons in the nearby Wykeham forest,we made our way to our vantage point after an unsuccessful look for Dippers on the nearby River Derwent.Before long we were watching our first Goshawk,a male,which gave away his presence by scattering Wood pigs in all directions as he flew through his forest home,a nice start.This same male was seen again 3 more times,giving some great views.One other Gos was seen,a distant female at the other end of the valley,which was watched getting some unwanted attention from a Carrion Crow,but she looked well capable of turning the tables on the Crow.Other raptors seen included a single Common Buzzard and a hunting male Kestrel.A second look for Dippers on the river,again drew a blank,but a nice Grey Wagtail was watched feeding along the bankside.This bird was really dull and looked like a fairly newly fledged juv,but could have just been a poorly marked female.After our search for raptors we made our way back to the car and travelled the fairly short distance over to site number 2 for the day.After being given some privileged information from our friend Allan,our main target was eventually found alongside its commoner Early-purple Orchid congeners...the stunning Burnt-tip Orchid.We spent some time here photographing this beautiful flower,one of which i had wanted to see for some time.Also here was a single Dingy Skipper,our first of the year.After getting our fill of photos of this stunning Orchid,it was off to Orchid site number two for the day.A bit of a walk was involved to this site,but it was well worth it,with at least 100 Fly Orchids on show.We had visited slightly later last year,but it was still an impressive sight.Other flora here included at least 50 Common Twayblade,Common Rockrose,Wild Thyme and the stunning Quaking grass.Lepidoptera were well represented by decent numbers of Small Heath and bird wise a couple of Common Buzzard mewed overhead and several Siskin were seen also.As we retraced  our footsteps a couple more Dingy Skipper were seen alongside a disused quarry.The final site for the day was the excellent Pexton ponds and at last my first odonata of the year.Rough estimated numbers included at least 400 Azure and 50 Large-red Damselfly and 10 Four-spot Chaser.Incredibly these are my first records for the year,it just goes to show how dire the spring weather has been for insects.Also on the insect front,i managed to find a 'New' hoverfly for myself in the form of a female Anasimyia contracta which was watched nectaring on hawthorn blossom,a stunning little fly.Also here,was a lovely showing of more wildflowers and these included our fifth species of Orchid for the day in the form of several examples of Narrow-leaved Marsh Orchid,another new species for us both and a profusion of the carnivorous Common Butterwort were seen also.After our visit to this fantastic site we wandered slowly back to the car,seeing a couple more goodies on the way which included another Grey Wag and a stunning male Broad-bodied Chaser which was watched flying around a small farmyard pond,a nice bonus.So what a fantastic day in this beautiful part of the country and another successful visit to this part of the country under the belt.

Burnt-tip Orchid.

Dingy Skipper.

Fly Orchid.

Common Twayblade.

Quaking Grass.

Chrysolina polita.

Anasimyia contracta.

Common Butterwort.

Narrow-leaved Marsh Orchid.

Male Large-red Damselfy.

Male Broad-bodied Chaser.

Levisham and the Hole of Horcum.....26.05.2013.

Today was planned to be a family day out,with Trace,Kirst,Kev and the dogs and saw us taking part in a walk which Kirst and Kev had completed the previous year,encompassing Levisham and the Hole of Horcum in North Yorkshire.We all arrived in beautiful wall to wall sunshine and a pleasantly warm 20 degrees.This area was unknown to me,but the amount of birds,wildflowers and insects seen on the walk,will certainly see me visiting again,not to mention the stunning scenery.Bird highlights were provided by at least 2 singing male Redstart,1 of which was observed singing in his tree top home,a pair of Dipper seen at their nest site,a singing male Tree Pipit,which was a nice surprise,at least 6 singing male Garden Warbler and a Spotted Flycatcher.Insect highlights were provided by several Dor Beetles seen along one of the woodland paths and 2 new species for me,a stunning Carabus nitens,the most colour full Ground beetle i have seen and an equally colour full Blue Bug a new species of Shieldbug for myself.Other insects seen included several Green-veined White's,Orange Tip,Peacock and Small Tortoiseshell.Also a couple of day-flying moth species were seen and these included at least 10 Northern Eggar and a couple of Common Heath.One of the features of the early part of the walk was the profusion of wildflowers which was really nice to see and included Early-purple Orchid,Ramsons,Greater Celandine,Dogs Mercury,Greater Stichwort and Wood Sorrel,the Orchids were in excellent numbers and the air was filled with the pungent smell of the Ramsons,very nice!.All in all this was a fantastic area,even though parts of the path are a tad testing for my old bones,i certainly will be visiting again.

Early-purple Orchid.

Dor Beetle.

Wood Anemone.

Ground Beetle - Carabus nitens.

Blue Bug.

One of the nosy local lambs.

Another good day......25.05.2013.

With a full day to ourselves,Chris and myself made the decision to make the journey over to the Spurn area today,after favourable weather overnight and the possibility there maybe a movement on the sea,as on the previous day.So after arriving in freezing conditions and a blowy north-north east wind we sheltered behind the seawatching hut at the Warren and began to look on the sea.If you didn't know what time of year it was,you would think this was a seawatch in October,as we logged a singles of Bonxie and Manx Shearwater,4 Red-throated Diver,39 Common Scoter,40 plus Gannet and a hand full of Kittiwakes and Fulmars all moving north,a pretty impressive sight for the end of May.We also managed to see a few Sandwich Terns passing north and south,our first of the year.As the sea passage quietened down,we returned to the car and had a look at the build up of roosting waders near to the warren gate.This was a very impressive sight,with hundreds of summer plumaged Grey Plover,Bar-tailed Godwits,Knot,Dunlin and Ringed Plover.After this wader fest,we drove the short distance to the car park at the Bluebell and then spent the next 3 or 4 hours covering all the area between Beacon Lane,Kilnsea Wetlands and Sammy's Point seeing some pretty good birds.The highlights included 3 Red-backed Shrike(2 females at Sammy's and a male at the wetlands) and my first spring Common Rosefinch at Sammy's.The Shrikes were pretty mobile to say the least,but we managed some cracking views eventually and the Rosefinch showed very nicely as it sat in a hedge at Sammy's.Another female Red-backed Shrike was seen along the roadside near to the Bluebell later on and showed very well,albeit briefly.Other sightings seen while we covered these areas included a single Ring Ouzel at Sammy's,male Cuckoo,female Marsh Harrier and 3 Common Sand.Other interesting sightings during the day included a single Garden Warbler and 2 Spotted Flycatcher from the Canal scrape hide and the spectacular sight of a female Kestrel catching a Common Lizard at Beacon Ponds.A superb day,with some good banter with our mates Binnsy and Will,thanks to Chris for driving and a big thanks to John for the lift back from Sammy's.

Dark-bellied Brent Geese,at the Warren Gate.

Roosting waders at the Warren Gate.

Female Red-backed Shrike,Sammy's Point.

Female Red-backed Shrike,Sammy's Point.

Female/immature Common Rosefinch,Sammy's Point.

Female Kestrel,Beacon Ponds.

Female Kestrel,with Common Lizard,Beacon Ponds.

 

The Big Dip.....Sunday 19th May 2013.

After hearing late on Saturday night that a cracking male Collared Flycatcher had been found at Sammy's Point at Easington,i made the daft and hope full decision to go and try and see it.After an uncomfortable nights sleep in the car,i was up at first light with the local lads looking for this stunning bird.Unfortunately it soon became apparent that it had done a midnight flit...buggar!.Some nice recompense was had while looking for the Flycatcher,a fine adult female Red-backed Shrike which showed brilliantly down to about 20 feet.She was a pretty old female with a grey crown and nape,nice rusty mantle  and partial mask...which later confused some visitors into thinking the bird was a male.As more people arrived with minimal field craft,the bird soon became wary and stayed its distance.Also seen while searching the area was a smart female Ring Ouzel,which i flushed from a ditch and it was seen on a couple more occasions later on.Other birds in the area included at least 20 Whimbrel,a couple of Wheatear and a hunting Barn Owl and on the mammal front a lovely Fox.After meeting up with Simon,Karen and John we spent the rest of the morning up to early afternoon wandering about the area trying to turn up something else,but sadly nothing else on the rarity front materialised.We did manage some really nice views of Spotted Flycatcher and Cuckoo,with a Cuckoo seen eating a Drinker Moth caterpillar.Other wildlife sightings observed through the day included 3 Roe Deer,a Weasel and a few butterflies in the form of Speckled Wood and Green-veined White.A good day despite the early disappointment.

Adult female Red-backed Shrike,Sammy's Point,Easington.

Adult female Red-backed Shrike,Sammy's Point,Easington.

Female Roe Deer in the 'Triangle',Kilnsea.

MSQ....A cracking day out..12.05.2013.

An early start today,arriving on site at 05.15,certainly paid dividends with some great sightings through the day.I started proceedings in usual fashion by looking at Grebe lake and today...bingo!,not one,but two Otters.I watched them at moderate range,managing a few record shots,but what a great sight to watch.Both animals looked pretty much the same size,but continually fished in close proximity to each other,so i would say they were most probably a female and a well grown cub.One of the animals was incredibly pale for an Otter,being almost sandy brown in colour,certainly an individual i hadn't seen before.After this excellent start i continued my walk,enjoying some nice birdsong which included Reed,Garden and Sedge Warbler along with a distant Cuckoo,which i saw later.After the cloudy start the weather began to break at last with some sunny periods and pleasantly warm sun,a complete contrast to first thing,with me putting on my full winter birding gear.As i reached the heathy area i was very pleased to hear the welcome sound of the 'Pssst tick' call of a Spotted Flycatcher and after Dave arrived we enjoyed some nice views of the bird as it sallied after its flying prey.This was a new bird for Dave and a very welcome first of the year for me.As we explored the heathy area,i began to find some nice insects,which included a Bronze Shieldbug a fairly scarce species here and also nearby,my first Green Shieldbug of the year.We managed several hoverfly species,the best of which was several Leucozona leucorum and Dasysyrphus albostriatus.Find of the day was seen next,when i managed to find a cracking little moth on an Oak trunk,at first i was thinking it was a 'Micro',but after consulting one of my 'Insect' expert contacts,it was id'd as Least-black Arches,a new species for me.After seeing this cracking little moth,we eventually arrived at the main lake.After much scanning we eventually managed to find the Drake Garganey watched feeding around the bottom islands and later gained better views from the wader hide.These are a lovely striking duck and our only summer migrant species,spending the winter in Africa.Also over and around the lake were at least 200 Swift and 30 House Martin,with smaller numbers of Swallow and Sand Martin,providing a stunning spectacle to watch as they zoomed about after flying insect prey.Other sightings observed around the reserve today included my first ever sighting of a Stoat swimming,as i watched 2 animals chasing each other,one shot down the side of a ditch and swam across to the other side,a great piece of behaviour to see.A few wild flowers are beginning to spring into life and included some nice examples of Dog Violet,Greater Stichwort,Meadow Saxifrage and still large amounts of the stunning Marsh Marigold.The day ended with the expected rain arriving,but it was a cracking day out locally at this gem of a reserve.

Record shot of the 2 Otters.

Bronze Shieldbug.

Speckled Wood.

Least-black Arches.

Dasysyrphus albostriatus.

Leucozona leucorum.

Helophilus pendulus.

Female Shelduck.

Wonderfull Whisby.....04.05.2013.

With a full day to ourselves,Dave,Chris and myself headed for the excellent and huge Whisby NR on the outskirts of Lincoln,to see if we could see the stunning Nightingales and what other niceties we could find.We started by exploring Grebe and Coot lakes and enjoyed superb views of our 'First' Nightingales,Common Terns and Garden Warblers of the year and a brief,distant,flyby Hobby.The Nightingales gave unbelievable views and likewise,a personal favourite,the Garden Warblers gave equally good views,with at least 15 being seen by the end of the day.Warblers were a big feature of the day with 9 species being seen in total and they seemed to be everywhere,in one stretch of Blackthorn hedge i saw 7 species,pretty amazing stuff.The many lakes were distinctly lacking in wildfowl with only a hand full of Tufted Duck,Teal and Mallard being seen and this was also noted with regards to Hirundines,it really is a strange spring this year.The man made islands that have been created for breeding waders and wildfowl contained a couple of Black-headed Gull colonies,with 2 Oystercatchers sitting tight on eggs and a single Little-ringed Plover fed around the waters edge.After enjoying the Nightingales etc. the visitor centre was opening at 10,so at 1 minute past ten we were in and ordering our full english!.After a superb brekkie and a nice cuppa we carried on exploring this large reserve,getting a good soaking as well before the weather finally broke into some sunshine at last.As the weather broke we started to see our first butterflies of the day and this included my first Holly Blue,Orange Tips and Speckled Woods of the year.In fact numbers weren't too bad with us seeing 4 Speckled Wood,6 Orange Tip,10 Green-veined White,7 Peacock and singles of Brimstone and Holly Blue.I still could not find a single Large-red Damselfly,despite searching high and low for them.The only mammal sighting of note was a single Weasel watched crossing one of the many tracks around the reserve.A good day despite the cocked up weather forecast....one day they will get it right!.

Singing male Nightingale.

Singing male Nightingale.

Singing male Garden Warbler.

Blue Tit.

Roosting Orange Tip.

Sunny Bonby......30.04.2013.

A lovely afternoon after finishing work today,saw me heading for the 'Local Patch' at Bonby and walking down to the Ancholme and back.On arrival it was apparent that the winter water levels on the fields was rapidly disappearing,but there were still a few pools visible.Duck numbers had subsided as expected for the time of year,but there were still a few Teal,1 pair of Shoveler and at least 15 Gadwall.Several pairs of Shelduck were also present and no doubt we will have some broods at some point in the near future.There were also several pairs of Lapwing and a displaying pair of Redshank which was nice to see.As i got half down to the river i saw 1 female Wheatear,then 2 and by the time i reached the river i had seen 8 birds in total,which included 5 smart males.The best bird of the visit was seen in the same area as the Wheatears...a cracking male Whinchat.It seems ages since i have seen a spring male,so it was a nice surprise to see one sallying for flies from the fence posts.The only raptors i managed today were 3 of the local Common Buzzards and a nice male Kestrel hunting along the river bank.In each of the fields there has been herds of bullocks put down for grazing and this has attracted a good sized flock of at least 40 Yellow Wagtail,which included at least 1 Blue-headed type bird feeding around the cows hooves as they disturbed flying insects from the grass.Other passerines seen included 4 singing male Sedge Warbler and 4 male Whitethroat.A few insects were also observed and included 4 Small Tortoiseshell and at least 10 Peacock.An enjoyable few hours around the local area.

Female Wheatear.

Female Wheatear.

One of the nosy locals.