Blustery Bonby......

A visit to a windy local patch this morning,saw me walking down to the river and back seeing a few niceties on the walk there and back.The best of the sightings went to a Juvenile Whinchat again,feeding along the same fence line as on Friday and giving equally good views,a lovely little bird.Nearby,Little Egrets were again present today and watched fishing in the pools again as on Friday,with an increase from 2 birds to 4 today.Also,a brief visit from a flock of 85 Pink's to the same pasture fields for a drink and brush up,was a nice surprise,as they are usually only observed passing overhead.A nice mixed flock of Buntings along the hedgerows included an impressive 47 Yellowhammer and 20 Reed Bunting,which gave superb views,2 species i always take time to watch,little crackers!.At the river,the best sighting went to 2 Kingfisher watched chasing each other along the river,another nice surprise,as i have had few and far between sightings of the species locally this year,very nice.A nice few hours around the patch.

Barton Pits......

Comma.

Dark-lipped Banded Snail.

Green-shield Bugs.

Grey-dagger larva.

A morning free today,saw D.W. and myself heading for Barton Pits for a chan ge of scenery.We started off looking for the drake Ferruginous Duck on Western Approach Pit and sure enough he was sat in his favourite strip of reeds,preening.With the views into the rising sun,we decided to leave him and investigate the rest of the pits and Far-Ings.On arrival at Ness Lake,the best bird was our first Goldeneye of the autumn/winter period.This nice first winter drake gave great scope views,with his gleaming golden-yellow eye and subtle acquirement of bottle green feathering starting to appear on the ear coverts.Also around the pit,was a smart juv/1st winter male Sparrowhawk watched preening in the hedge opposite Ness hide,a couple of Reed Warbler and a Chiffchaff.Chowder Ness revealed 2 Juv. Grey Plover,which had me panicking for a few minutes,as the first bird was sat down amongst Goldies and was difficult to get a clear view in the blustery westerly wind.Nearby,Dave had glimpsed a raptor flushing a flock of resting Lapwings and it was quickly relocated flying over the nearby quarry,a Common Buzzard.It soon settled on the edge of the quarry in an Ash tree and we carried on our walk leaving him or her to rest.Overhead we had a few nice sightings which included several Siskin and a nice flock of 95 Pink's passing west up river.We eventually returned to western approach pit to look for the drake 'Fudge' Duck and this time he gave cracking close views in excellent light,what a nice bird!.On our walk around the pits we had encountered several nice insects which included 5 Green-shield Bug,Comma,Speckled Wood,Red Admiral,at least 25 Common Darter and a couple of Migrant Hawker and a stunning Grey Dagger larva.An enjoyable few hours out this morning.

The Local Patch.......

As Trace was at work this morning,i spent a rainy 4 hours on the patch this morning,using the car as a hide to shelter from the showers.The best bird was a cracking Juv. Whinchat watched flycatching from the barbed wire fence on the way down to the river.When i first watched this little beauty,it was in a pretty bedraggled state,but as the sun came out,he or she looked in mint condition after its feathers dried out.The only other notable bird was a single Little Egret watched fishing in the many ponds in the pasture fields,always great to see this cracking heron,a beauty!.Other birds recorded included at least 9 Common Buzzard in the area,35 Meadow Pipit,6 Grey Partridge and a single Chiffie.A decent few hours,despite the rain.

Green and Red........

Male Common Lizard.

Male Common Lizard.

With the continuation of good birds being seen on the east coast,Graham and myself headed for the Spurn area.The main reason to visit today,was to see if we could connect with the Greenish Warbler found the previous day by Ian Smith,across from his garden at Riverside Hotel at Kilnsea.So after parking at the 'Crown' we had a brief look for the Red-breasted Flycatcher,seen also from the previous day,but did not see it but could hear it calling from the adjacent trees.As it was fairly cool and dark still,we walked round to the riverside.After about 40 minutes of looking,there it was in an adjacent garden,what a cracking little bird!.It then proceeded to show pretty poorly at the back of the garden,disappearing behind a greenhouse on several occasions,so we went back to the Crown car park to search for the R.b.Fly.After a while and hearing it calling again,we managed pretty good views of this little cracker,my 3rd of the autumn.It tended to stay in the canopy,a little unusual for this species,but eventually showed pretty well with some patience.Also around the Crown car park were a couple of Spotted Flycatcher,watched sallying for insects and we were briefly shown a trapped and ringed Tree Pipit.After a bite to eat,we walked the Triangle,Canal and Beacon Lane,seeing a few migrants which included 3 Redstart,Garden Warbler,Wheatear,Whimbrel,Grey Wagtail and 2 Redwing(My first of the autumn period).On the humber we also saw a single Dark-bellied and 4 Juv. Pale-bellied Brent,as the Redwings,my first of the autumn period.After getting some lunch and more views of the R.b.Fly we walked back to the Riverside hotel and this time got some cracking scope views of the Greenish,as it sallied for flies,a little beauty and my 8th sighting of the species overall and my 5th in the Spurn area.Non bird sightings today,consisted of 2 male Common Lizard and a couple of Roesel's-bush Cricket along Beacon Lane,a couple of Common Darter,Migrant Hawker,Red Admiral and a nice Hummingbird Hawkmoth.A good day,but hard work at times.

Pectoral poser.......

Another early start to go and see the Pectoral Sandpiper that has been residing at Toft-newton Reservoir this morning,proved very fruitfull.On arrival it was freezing,literally,with frost on the grass and a bank of fog over the res,but slowly it began to lift and i searched for the nearctic waif.After about 20 minutes looking and seeing 2 Dunlin,a mixed flock of Yellow and Pied Wagtails and a south bound flock of 83 Pink-footed Geese,i eventually found the little beauty.At first,i took my time getting near to the bird,but it soon became apparent how tame this bird was,with me eventually getting within 6 inches of it,truly incredible!.To be able to watch and photograph this cracking wader at such close range was a real privilage and the following 4 hours flew by,excuse the pun.With some great shots,even with my limited equipment,a great mornings birding and photography was enjoyed.

An amazing day!..........Saturday 22nd Sept.

Red-breasted Flycatcher,first individual.

Red-breasted Flycatcher,second individual.

Yellow-browed Warbler.

Female Redstart.

Female Brambling.

Great-spotted Woodpecker.

Spurn Lighthouse.

Sunrise over the sea.

 After the previous days rain and the forecast looking good,i headed for Spurn bright and early,arriving just after 6.00 am,with looking at the sea first and then the bushes later,being my plan.After an hour or so staring at the sea and only seeing 1 Bonxie and a cracking 1st winter Med. Gull flying north close inshore,we got news that a Yellow-browed Warbler had just been trapped and the ringers were going to show it at the Obs,so we all made our way there.The next hour or so was amazing to say the least,with us seeing 1 Yellow-browed Warbler in the hand,a Great-spotted Woodpecker,female Brambling and a superb female Redstart,but better was to come.As we were talking,one of the lads spotted a Red-breasted Flycatcher which was quickly trapped and then shown to us,this was fantastic alone,when news came over the radio that  another had just been caught,2 in 20 minutes and in the hand was amazing to say the least.A big thanks must go to the Obs members for showing us these birds,brilliant!.After all this mayhem,we settled down to some birding next to the warren enjoying views of one of the R.b.Fly's,which showed brilliantly,1 Yellow-browed Warbler,Juvvie Stonechat,Redstart,7 Whooper Swan passing over south and masses of Mipits.Again the radio provided us with more targets to see as a Corncrake had been flushed at the point and a Juvenile Red-backed Shrike had also been found,15 minutes later we were there searching and after a bit of a run around,we managed some nice views of the Shrike as at caught several insects,which included a large Bumblebee.The Corncrake wasn't seen again sadly.Other nice birds in the point area included a Juv. Whinchat and 2 Lesser Whitethroat.Back down the peninsula again and after near gridlock at one of the passing places we searched all the areas between the Bluebell cafe,Beacon Lane and Kilnsea cliff adding Common Buzzard,a couple of nice Pied Flycatcher,another couple of Yellow-browed Warbler,1 Short-eared Owl watched dozing in the sun in his or her roost site and a very flighty Barred Warbler which we saw several times as it was flushed by unwary birdwatchers,dog walkers and the like.So all in all a fantastic day was enjoyed today,with some great banter,birds and weather to boot and a big thanks to Daz and his mates for the lift to and from the point.

Fudge And Messingham bits,Sunday 16th September.

Male Migrant Hawker.

Birch Shieldbug.

Juvenile Common Frog.

Teneral female Common Darter.

Tree-damsel Bug.

Juvenile Common Lizard.

After seeing GPC's excellent pics of the returning drake Ferruginous Duck at Barton,i made this my first port of call today.He was found feeding on the same pit he spent the majority of his stay last year and was watched at fairly close range,with a small,mixed flock of Tufties and Pochard.I know ducks arn't every ones cup of tea,because of the problem of escapees,but i particularly like them and this species is a cracker.I watched him for at least an hour getting some nice views through the scope and hopefully he will stay until he acquires his full adult male plumage,as at the moment the bird is still in eclipse.The only other highlight here,was my first Pink's of the Autumn,as 13 birds 'Wink winked' there way west up river to their wintering grounds on the upper estuary.After my visit to the 'Old patch',i made my way over to Messingham to try and get some decent images of Migrant Hawker and i wasn't disappointed.Bird highlights today were provided by two Juvvie Hobbies watched hawking dragonflies over the heathy area and main lake,giving some nice views.I always think of this being a bit of a dilemma,as one of my fave birds is eating my beloved dragons,but they are superb with their aerial prowess,fantastic stuff to watch!.The afore mentioned prey of the Hobbies, also were in abundance today around the reserve,with 6 species being observed and included Brown,Southern and Migrant Hawkers,Common and Ruddy Darter and a couple of Common-blue Damselfly still managing to hang on.Also,as is usual at this time of year,the Heteroptera were showing well,with several Birch and Green Shieldbugs being seen and a single Gorse Shieldbug,the Gorse being a personal favourite.A few butterflies were seen also and included the stunning Red Admiral,Small White,Speckled Wood and my favourite Comma.Reptiles and amphibians also featured today with several Common Frogs around the reserve and a hand full of Common Lizards,which included 3 very small young ones.A great day out locally,with some nice weather again.

The Upper Derwent Valley,Sunday 9th September.

Derwent Reservoir.

Howden Reservoir.

Packhorse Bridge.

One of the locals.

The pathway leading to Slippery Stones and Packhorse Bridge.

With the prospect of a great days weather,Trace and myself headed out for this stunning area of Derbyshire,not really a birding trip,more of a day out to show Trace this gorgeous area of the Peak District.I was bound to come across some of the specialities found in this beautiful area and birds seen included the ubiquitous Red Grouse,with their comical 'Go back,Go Back,Go back' call of the males,5 Common Buzzard,at least 3 Grey Wagtail,several flocks of Siskin and the cream of the crop,a family party of 5 Raven,which put on a great aerobatic display as they chased and played over the hillside were we stood.Commoner species observed around the Fairholmes visitor centre included Nuthatch,some of the afore mentioned Siskin flocks,Coal Tits and a multitude of Chaffinches taking advantage of all the visitors crumbs.A few insects were seen on our walk including Peacock Butterfly,Speckled Wood and the best a single male Common Hawker watched zooming around a moorland stream.A fantastic day,in beautiful surroundings,with some sweltering weather.

Misty start....But then glorious day.

A misty Saxby Top.

Male Common Darter.

Male Ruddy Darter.

Hoverfly sp. Myathropa florea.

With the forecast looking good Dave and myself headed out,but there was one problem,it was thick fog in my part of the world.So we made the decision to go onto the nearby Wolds at Saxby Top and wait for the fog to clear and hopefully get some nice landscapes.After what seemed an eternity,it began to slowly clear and i took several shots and after some persuasion we decided to go over to Alkborough,with the promise of breakfast.A quick stop at the superb Paddock's cafe and a lovely Bacon and Egg sarnie demolished and refreshing cup of tea it was time to get some birding done.We walked the majority of the reserve today and avian highlights were provided by a 3 Green Sandpiper,14 Ruff,10 Little Egret,2 Ruddy Shelduck,a lovely juvenile Hobby watched hawking dragonflies over the hillside and best of all a cracking juv.Peregrine which put on a fine performance as it perched on a dead tree,allowing us superb views through the scope and then proceeded to hunt the reserve,ditching a poor unsuspecting Lapwing and several Teal into one of the creeks as they attempted to evade this aerial predator,fantastic to watch!.Insects also featured heavily today,with large numbers of Dragonflies,mainly consisting of  Common Darter,but smaller numbers of Ruddy Darter,Southern,Brown and Migrant Hawkers were also seen.Butterflies also put on a decent showing with species seen including Peacock,Small Tort,Comma,Red Admiral,Common Blue,Brown Argus,Large and Green-veined White.Also from the Lepidopteran world were a few Silver Y. moths,what a poor showing they have had this year.We also managed to record several Hoverfly species,which included superb views and photographic oppertunities of the stunning Myathropa florea.So another enjoyable day was had at this excellent site,with some lovely weather to boot.

Fantastic Filey and Arctic stunner.........

Filey Brigg.

Common Starfish.

Grey Seal yawning.

Juvenile Dunlin.

Arctic Warbler,by Andy Hood esq.

With the prospect of a full day out with fellow birder Chris Atkin,we had decided to visit Filey and headed for the stunning North Yorkshire coast bright and early.After getting the equipment together and traversing the vertical path at the Brigg end,being more reminiscent of a couple of mountain goats rather than birders,we settled down to scan the sea.Birds seen over the sea included a couple of south bound Bonxie,6 Manx Shearwater which included a group of 3 north,a handfull of Arctic Skua,south and 2 Red-throated Diver,north.Commoner species observed,came in the form of hundreds of Gannets and smaller numbers of Guillemot,Razorbill,Common Scoter,Kittiwake,Arctic Tern,Fulmar and a few flocks of migrating Teal.On the Brigg itself,several wader species were observed included 8 Knot,4 Sanderling,Curlew,several Dunlin and the highlights 3 Purple Sandpiper,which consisted of 1 adult bird and 2 juv's which gave great views.Other species observed on and near to the Brigg included a single 2nd calendar year male Eider,which after spending his time crunching on crabs,settled down to sleep and a few Rock Pipits.Over Carr Naze a single Juv. Peregrine soared about on the thermals while a mixed flock of Goldfinch and Linnets swirled about.What was also apparent as we walked back to the car was the immigration of Butterflies flying in off the sea.This included at least 30 Peacock,10 Large White and a few Small Torts,with some of the Peacock's gliding in from high up,thermalling in from the continent,amazing to see!.Other wildlife observed here included 6 Grey and 1 Common Seal loafing on the Brigg,1 of the 'Greys' being particularly confiding and 5 Common Porpoise.In the rockpools we managed to find several interesting animals and seaweeds which included Common Starfish,Beadlet Anemone,Rock and Common Goby's,Kelp,Serrated Wrack,Irish Moss and the stunningly pink,Coral Weed.After our visit to the Brigg,we travelled the short journey to Filey Dams,this was abruptly cut short after a message was seen on Facebook of a Greenish Warbler at nearby Flamborough,so we decided to go and take a look.En-route there were rumours that this bird may be an Arctic Warbler a new bird for us both!we then spent a long 20 minutes behind every bloody 'Sunday' driver in the universe and eventually arrived at Old Fall hedge,we quickly parked and dashed down to the plantation as quick as we could.On arrival a small group of birders including BBRC member Martin Garner were watching the bird,a few minutes lapsed and then i got stunning scope views of this beauty!!.Dark lores,long 'Super',pale pinkish legs and mottled ear coverts confirmed this as an Arctic,further cracking images by Andy Hood and Martin confirmed the I.d.,YEEESSS,at last i had manged to see this,my most wanted of Phyllosc's.After the initial panic we settled down to enjoy more superb views of this cracking bird.Well done to the Flamborough lads for getting the news out so quick.What an amazing end to the day,with a most unexpected highlight,but that is birding and the wonders of bird migration also a  big thanks to Chris for driving.