Steve's Birding And Wildlife Blog.

Tophill Blow.......

2012-01-22T19:55:00.003Z

A really crap photo of a Cattle Egret.

As the title suggests,today was slightly windy to say the least,but a great day was enjoyed visiting Yorkshire Waters flagship reserve at Tophill Low.I had made the journey over to primarily see the Cattle Egret,which thankfully was still in the Yorkshire water compound adjacent to the main car park and gave superb views as it fed on earth worms.This bird has been present on and off for a few weeks now between the reserve and nearby Hempholme and this was a welcome new species addition to my Yorkshire list.After enjoying this,my 3rd Cattle Egret,i began to explore the rest of this superb reserve,firstly looking at Watton nature reserve,which is situated adjacent to the river Hull and the reserve.Here highlights were provided by 2 'Redhead' Smew which gave nice views and 3 Black-tailed Godwit.Masses of wildfowl were present here and superb views of the commoner species were gained,the male Teal and Mallards heads positively glowing with colour in the strong sunlight.Also here was my favourite wader species,Curlew,with 19 birds present feeding on the adjacent short turf,cracking!.Later a flock of 31 birds flew over D-res,no doubt containing some of the previous birds.After walking up to Hempholme lock and seeing 3 distant Little Egret,i finished the day with several of the locals in D-res hide for the gull roost.Unfortunately no 'Rare' gulls came into roost,but masses of Wigeon and Common Gulls were present,with smaller numbers of Herring,Great black-back and Black-headed Gulls,making for a great spectacle.I also managed to see my largest flock of Goldeneye so far this year with 41 birds present and they gave cracking views as they displayed to their prospective partners,with that distinct head flicking display and short croaking call,brilliant!.So another enjoyable day out in the home county,can't wait until the Humber bridge toll drops,so i can get over more often.

Scarborough Area......

2012-01-15T16:00:00.002Z

Sunrise at Scarborough.

Another shot of this lovely scene.

Turnstone,Scarborough Harbour.

Sundown,Troutsdale valley.

With the prospect of several good birds on offer in this superb area of the North riding of Yorkshire,Chris and myself made our way to Scarborough.After the usual stop off for our early morning hot chocolate at the tea pot cafe beside the Harbour,we made our way around to the east pier rocks as it was high tide,to see if the Purple Sands were present.And today's numbers were a certain surprise,with a huge count of 64 birds being the largest count of this species at Scarborough since 14th February 1985!.The birds gave their usual great views as they roosted,superb stuff and a good start.We were then joined by Clare,Dave and Mark and they started to settle down and photograph these super birds as Chris and myself made our way around the rest of the harbour.Birds seen from in and around the harbour included a single Red-throated Diver,6 Shag,2 distant adult Med Gulls flying around Holbeck car park,Great-crested Grebe and a single female Goldeneye.With some dodgy reports of the previous days Iceland Gull and the bird not showing,we made our way around to Marine drive to look for the resident Pergs and reported Black Redstart.First to be seen was the cracking male of the Perg pair,with him putting on a fine display,with much calling involved today,but we couldn't see his mate,what a species these are!.After much searching,we eventually found the Black Redstart and amazingly there was 2,with the birds chasing each other and showing very nicely.They were either females or 1st winter males,but my bet was on 2 1st winter males,as that would possibly explain the reason for the birds chasing each other?.Also in the same area and loosely associating with the Black-red's,was a superb male Stonechat,which also gave great views as it sallied for insects,always nice to see.A couple of Common Porpoise and a single rock climbing Red Fox were also seen in this area.After enjoying all these good birds, we travelled the short journey around to Seamer Road and quickly found the 10 Waxwing,which were occasionally flying down to briefly feed on an ornamental Rowan outside B&Q.These are the first birds we had encountered up to now this winter and are always a treat to see,a very nice end to our visit to Scarborough.Next on the agenda was a visit to my most favourite place in the country,Troutsdale.The target here was of course the raptors and today we only gained brief views of Goshawk,with at least 1 male and 1 female being seen,but this also included 1 bird calling in the forest nearby,excellent.A bonus here was a pair of Mandarin,watched on the small Ox-bow at Hilla Green adjacent to the Derwent and were associating with a small flock of Mallard.These birds are ultra jumpy and nothing like the tame birds seen in wildfowl collections,as wild as they get in this country.Other notable sightings in the area as we made our way to and from our watch point and what we observed from our watch point,included at least 25 Common Crossbill,which included a couple of singing males,40 Siskin,a couple of Marsh Tit,5 Common Buzzard and 3 Sparv.Another great day in this beautiful part of the world,with some great company.

Norfolk.......

2012-01-08T16:02:00.000Z

Wigeon,Buckenham Marshes RSPB.

Sunrise at Buckenham Marshes RSPB.

Sheepie,Wrighty and assembled bird spotters at Titchwell.

Approaching weather front at Titchwell.

An organised trip to Norfolk today with Chris,Alan and Dave to see the wintering adult Lesser white-fronted Goose and Western Sandpiper,resulted in a cracking days birding.We started proceedings at a freezing Buckenham Marshes with us eventually finding the Lesser white-fronted Goose albeit at long range feeding with the wintering flock of 'Taiga' Bean's and White-fronted Geese,unfortunately for us ,the bird was feeding in a shallow ditch and allowed only glimpses of it 's head at first,before it decided to show itself properly.This is probably the returning bird from last winter and constitutes the first sighting of this very rare goose species for all of us.We also enjoyed some excellent views of the 'Taiga' Bean's,which showed very nicely.Also at this superb site and apart from the afore-mentioned species,were masses of waders and wildfowl,which included a couple of thousand Wigeon,30 Barnacle Geese,43 Ruff,2 male Cetti's Warbler and a juv. male Peregrine which was causing havoc amongst the feeding ducks and waders which swirled around the reserve every time he was spotted,an amazing sight.After this great start,we made the long journey back to the North Norfolk coast and to Cley and after getting robbed blind for five quid for our reserve permit,we made our way around to view the Western Sand.Thankfully,within five minutes,i was watching my first Western Sandpiper after squeezing into the packed hide.It showed very well at times,mainly feeding on it's own,but loosely associating on occasion with a small flock of Dunlin.It was strikingly small compared to the Dunlin,but looked like a miniature version of one and could easily be picked out with it's frenetic,jerkey feeding action,what a bird!.This is the first sighting of this incredibly rare wader for myself and around the tenth for Britain.Also seen at this amazing reserve,sightings consisted of an adult male Peregrine,causing mayhem as the bird earlier at Buckenham and showing very well on the ground,30 plus Ruff,at least 3 Marsh Harrier and a distant flock of Snow Bunting along the shingle ridge.A brief stop off en-route to Titchwell,saw us locating the Dark-bellied Brent flock at Wells and picking out the wintering Black Brant,which gave decent views from the roadside.We finalised our day at the superb Titchwell,with us eventually seeing the 1st winter Arctic Redpoll after some confusion amongst visitors as to which bird it was,but thankfully it flew in and i managed to get everyone onto this distinctive bird.There were at least 2 Mealies with this small flock also.Other birds observed here included a 1st winter Drake Scaup on one of the freshwater pools,3 Marsh Harrier at dusk,2 drake Pintail,1 Spotted Redshank and 2 more calling Cetti's Warbler.Very little of note was seen on the sea,but a large mixed flock of waders and gulls feeding along the tide edge on the incoming tide,provided a great spectacle and great views of the birds involved which included Bar-tailed Godwit,Grey Plover,Sanderling,hundreds of Oystercatcher,Herring,Common and Black-headed Gulls.Mammal sightings today comprised of a couple of cracking Chinese-water Deer at Buckenham and a roadside Muntjac near Kings Lynne.A great day out and thanks again to Chris for driving.

2011.....A Review Of My Year In The Natural World.

2011-12-30T20:48:00.002Z

Donna Nook,November.

Tetney,November.

Worlaby Carrs,October.

Pyramidal Orchid,Barton,June.

Male Azure Damselfly,Messingham Sand Quarries LWTR,June.

Male Red-eyed Damselfly,Messingham Sand Quarries LWTR,May.

Ovi-positing female Hairy Dragonfly,Messingham Sand Quarries LWTR,May.

Female Scarce Chaser,Woodwalton Fen NNR,May.

Well 2011 was a great year in some respects,particularly on the birding front,but was a poor one for my beloved insects,particularly Dragons and Butterflies,this is a rough account of what i observed.

January.

Birding began in earnest in January with myself,along with the Grimsby lads,making the journey to Norfolk on the 16th for the juv. male Northern Harrier,our first NEW bird of the year.And thankfully after the long journey he didn't disappoint showing particularly well when he roosted at Titchwell along with 3 Hen Harrier and 12 Marsh.Other goodies during the day included a fine Drake American Wigeon at Cley,20 Shorelark(11 at Cley and 9 at Titchwell),Black Brant at Wells,2 Red-necked Grebe and 2 Redhead Smew at Titchwell and a juv. Rough-legged Buzzard at Burnham Overy,my 2nd of 5 through the year.Local highlights through Jan,had included the wintering juv. Rough-legged Buzzard at South Ferriby,Hooded Crow at Donna Nook and 9 fine Bewick's Swan at New Holland.Another trip out of the county on the 29th with,again the Grimsby lads,added juvenile Great-northern Diver at Scarborough and at least 4 Goshawk and Great-grey Shrike along with 25 Crossbill at Wykeham Forest/Troutsdale ending a good month and start to the new birding year.

February.

Another potentially new species was seen at Whitton on the 6th,a 1st winter Greenland White-fronted Goose amongst the 'Pink' flock,providing me with my first sighting of this distinctive race and a 'mooted' future split.The patch also provided a nice surprise today in the form of a flock of 23 Waxwing,gorging themselves on Guelder Rose berries at the railway crossing.An excellent day out on 27th saw Chris and myself seeing a long list of good birds,which included the 1st winter Greenland Whitefront,this time at South Ferriby,a pair of Long-tailed Duck and male Arctic Redpoll at Barton along with 2 Otter and my first male Adder of the year later at Laughton.

March.

Another visit to Laughton on the 12th saw me recording at least 6 male and 1 female Adder and a visit with Chris to Donna,next day saw us re-aquainting ourselves with the Hooded Crow again at Quad 3.On the 19th a big movement of Whooper Swans moving north,saw at least 78 birds passing through the Ancholme valley,with one flock of 55 birds being impressive and 8 'Taiga' Bean Geese on the local patch at Worlaby,providing me with my first sighting of this race in Lincolnshire.Another good day out next day saw me adding a cracking male Black Redstart and Firecrest to my yearlist at Barton,with both birds showing very well.The 27th saw a trip only just over the border to South Yorkshire and Hatfield Moor with Chris and Dave,were we where treated to superb views of 9 Black-necked and the superb male Red-necked Grebe,with firsts for the year including Sand Martin and Little-ringed Plover.The day ended with me dashing to Worlaby to add a cracking Great-grey Shrike to my local patch list.A repeat visit next day saw me seeing the Great-grey again and adding a long awaited Red Kite to the patch list.A visit to Messingham on the last day of the month,saw me enjoying another encounter with that superb aquatic mustelid on Grebe lake,with me also seeing my first Swallow and House Martins of the year and quite a few insects which included Peacock and Small Tortoiseshell butterflies.

April.

On the 2nd,the bizarre experience of twitching a rare bird in someones living room!saw Graham,Neil and myself heading to Chipping Norton in Oxfordshire to pay homage to the wintering 1st winter Oriental-turtle Dove and it put on a great show,right infront of the patio window.This garden was a sanctuary for birds with us also seeing 14 Brambling and very tame pair of Bullfinch.
A visit to Chambers farm Wood on the 17th saw me enjoying an array of birds and wildlife which included my first Garden Warbler,Cuckoo,Grasshopper Warbler and Turtle Doves of the year,the latter,sadly,1 of only 2 birds seen throughout the whole summer!.Also seen on this day were 3 Grass Snake,14 Common Lizard,3 each of Muntjac and Brambling and my first Orange Tip butterflies of the year.The 23rd was the first BIG insect day of the year,with high temperatures,and an early emergence of Odonata took place and provided me with my earliest records ever of Hairy Dragonfly(3),Common-blue Damselfly(64),Azure Damselfly(11),Blue-tailed Damselfly(5) and Four-spot Chaser(1).Also seen were 2 Large-red Damselfly.Typically,with all this insect action,2 1st summer Hobby were watched taking advantage of the abundance of flying prey.On the 24th a family day out was diverted to see and hear 3 superb singing male Nightingale at their Lincolnshire stronghold at Whisby Pits at Lincoln.A very busy 3 days at the end of the month saw some crackers being seen,with me adding to my yearlist a gorgeous Collared Pratincole at South Killingholme,Tawny Pipit and 7 Dotterel at Tetney and the majestic,wintering White-tailed Eagle at Ruckland.The Tawny Pipit and W.T.E. being important additions to my 'Linc's' list also.

May.

On the 1st,the largest count of Hairy Dragonfly i have heard of recorded in the county,saw at least 50 being counted at Messingham Sand Quarries,an amazing number.A return visit next day,saw me enjoying a lovely Drake Garganey and 3 Wood Sands on the reserve and my first Swift and Brown Argus of the year.With the kind offer of a trip to Woodwalton Fen in Cambridgshire on the 7th,Colin and myself enjoyed seeing and photographing one of,if not,THE UK's most striking dragonfly species,Scarce Chaser.We managed to find a total of 18 insects and they were all the striking,orange abdomened tenerals,superb!!.Also here,highlights were provided by 3 Chinese-water Deer and 3 singing male Nightingale.A visit to nearby Holme Fen on the journey home saw us recording a new moth species for ourselves in the form of 2 Peacock Moth.Some good dragon counts on the 9th and 21st at MSQ saw me recording my highest counts for Four-spot Chaser(48,7th) and Azure Damselfly(1020,21st) for the reserve,being pretty exceptional.The month ended with some nice views of a pair of Common Crane at West Butterwick beside the Trent,with a singing male Quail and Hobby also recorded.

June.

A trip to one of my favourite sites,Crowle Moor on the 4th saw me seeing and recording some good numbers of insects,with the highlights being provided by 97 Large Heath,55 Four-spot Chaser and 201 Large-red Damselfly.On the 11th, a visit along with Dave and Teresa to Troutsdale in North Yorkshire,saw us enjoying the amazing spectacle of 2 displaying male Honey Buzzards,with 2 females being seen also,superb stuff.Also here were at least 2 male Goshawk,19 Crossbill,3 Spotted Flycatcher and 4 Grey Wagtail.On the 20th June,a few nice sightings at MSQ included singles of Crossbill,Siskin and Hobby,with my only Broad-bodied Chaser of the year being seen,a female.On the 25th,a visit to the patch,saw me seeing the 2 summering 'Special' birds,the 2nd calendar year female Osprey and 2nd calendar year Common Crane.They were both to be enjoyed on several more occasions through the summer months.Another trip over the border into Yorkshire on the 26th to the superb upland habitat at Fen Bog,saw the highlights including 35 Small pearl-bordered Fritillary,1 Dark-green Fritillary,30 Keeled Skimmer,3 Golden-ringed Dragonfly and the biggest surprise of the day,a cracking male Nightjar flushed from a bracken covered hillside while walking over the moor!.

July.

The month began with an out of county trip to the huge Rockingham forest complex in Cambridgeshire/Northants,with the highlights being 15 Silver-washed Fritillary,12 White-letter Hairstreak and my first Violet Helleborines.Bird wise,this superb area saw us enjoying a cracking Honey Buzzard in the air with 2 Common Buzzard,single Crossbill and several Nuthatch and Marsh Tit.A visit later to the nearby Fairmyn Wood/Lady Wood area,saw us enjoying at least 5 magnificent Purple Emperor,which included an egg-laying female.On the 9th/10th a couple of visits to the patch at Bonby Carrs,saw me enjoying more superb views of the summering Osprey and Common Crane and me finding 2 cracking caterpillars in the form of Sallow Kitten and Puss Moth.The latter,one i had wanted to see since i became interested in wildlife as a child.The 12th had me dashing from work to Alkborough,to get brief views of my first Marsh Sandpiper,another quality find by Neil Drinkall.Fortunately the bird began to settle into a pattern,residing at Blacktoft Sands RSPB,so a visit there on the 16th,got me superb,prolonged views of this cracking adult.Other birds enjoyed at this flagship reserve included 2 Wood Sandpiper,2 Spoonbill,17 Little Egret and 7 Green Sandpiper.The next day,while taking part in my monthly WEBS count at New Holland,a nice find in the form of another Honey Buzzard,flew south west inland there.Finally,another visit to the patch at Bonby,saw me finding a fairly good insect for the area,a male Roesel's-bush Cricket.It was of the migratory 'Macropterous' form and is the first record i have personally heard of in the area.

August.

A visit to Alkborough on the 7th to lead a Butterfly and Dragonfly walk,resulted in very few highlights insect wise,due to the weather,but a few birds were logged in the form of 3 Spoonbill,3 Ruddy Shelduck and 6 juvenile Beardies.Local patch watching on the 9th and 14th provided some nice sightings,with the continued presence of both the Osprey and Common Crane,with a juv.Peregrine on both dates and a Whinchat and Spot Fly on the 14th.On the evening of the 12th,a visit to my sisters,coincided with a visit to see the massive numbers of Little Gulls at Hornsea Mere,with me seeing at least 900 birds!,this included at least 700 on view at one time,an amazing sight to see.Another trip out of the county,this time to Filey Brigg on the 28th,saw Chris and myself seeing nothing out of the ordinary,but enjoying superb views of Arctic Skua,Manx and Sooty Shearwater,Bonxie,Whimbrel and Wheatear,an enjoyable day just watching common birds.

September.

The 3rd saw more local birding to start off the month,with me visiting Bonby Carrs,South Ferriby and Alkborough Flats and enjoying some nice sightings of the 2nd calendar yr. Common Crane at Bonby,followed by 3 Hobby at South Ferriby and finishing the day at Alkborough with 9 Spoonbill and 17 Little Egret.The Spoonbills being the largest flock i have observed,a great sight.Another visit to Alkborough again on the 11th saw me adding a nice juv. Pectoral Sandpiper to the yearlist.The 17th and 18th saw me adding 2 quality birds to my Lincolnshire list,the first on the 17th was a first record for the county and came in the form of a 'Surinamensis' Black Tern at Covenham Res,this is the american form of Black Tern and was found by GPC.The bird showed superbly to the expectant crowd and proved very popular over the coming days.Also here were an adult and juvenile Red-necked Grebe,which showed possible characters of the american race.The 18th saw me at last, adding Sabine's Gull to my Lincolnshire list,with me visiting the juvenile bird at Leadenham Tip.It gave superb views,actually flying past me at one point,before returning to its favoured pool,an absolute cracker!.A bonus find after enjoying the gull,was a Clouded Yellow along a roadside verge.A trip down the coast on the 24th,saw very little of note apart from 2 juv. Little Stint,5 juv.Curlew Sandpiper and my first Lapland Bunting of the autumn,all at Rimac,with a return visit to Covenham on the way home,enjoying more superb views of the American Black Tern and another couple of juv. Little Stint.Local patching on the 26th saw my second juv. Whinchat of the autumn being logged and 16 Common Buzzard and 5 Marsh Harrier ending another superb months birding.

October.

On the 6th,more long distance twitching along with Graham and Neil,saw us heading to Boyton Marshes in Suffolk for the superb adult Sandhill Crane.The bird showed admirably and we managed some great views of it feeding and in flight also,a beauty!.This was obviously my first sighting of this migratory american species.Other birds seen during the day included a single Hobby,4 Wheatear and a 2nd winter Med. Gull.An all day effort down the Linc's coast on the 14th,had us seeing a few nice bits which included a late Pied Flycatcher at Rimac and a Yellow-browed Warbler and an 'In off' juv. Rough-legged Buzzard at Seaview Farm.Other niceities through the day came in the form of 2 Short-eared Owl,Peregrine,2 Merlin and male Stonechat.The 15th had me dashing to Barton to see only my second Ferruginous Duck and like the last one a male,albiet this one being a 1st winter,another class find by Graham.Local patching again between 18th-22nd saw us all enjoying another Rough-leg at Worlaby,my fourth for the patch and a lovely surprise addition to the patch list in the form of 6 Crossbill on the 18th.The month ended on a high,when Neil found another quality bird,a Lesser Yellowlegs,firstly at Bagmoor,but then it re-located to an accessible site,Alkborough Flats,were it was enjoyed by many and made for a nice end to the month.

November.

The month started with a bang on the 5th,no pun intended,with Dave and myself heading to Spurn to see our first Isabelline Wheatear,the bird put on a great show to the gathered crowd,an absolute cracker.Next day,bird of the year for the patch,came in the form of a Lapland Bunting seen twice in flight and was a long awaited addition for myself after me already seeing Snow Bunting.Also seen on the 6th were a whopping 15 Short-eared Owl,the largest count i have recorded at Worlaby,superb stuff!!.On the 12th an all day visit to the coast with Chris saw us seeing the previous days 'Desert' Lesser Whitethroat,found by Graham and Neil and what a superb little bird it was too.This turned out to be a very productive day with us also seeing 3 'Tundra' Bean Geese and 50 Eurasian White-fronted Geese at Pyes's Hall along with Black Brant,9 Lapland Bunting,2 Peregrine,3 Merlin,2 Hen Harrier and 9 Whooper Swan at Donna Nook,what a day!.A visit to the Tetney area again with Chris on the 12th,was also a great day out with us seeing an ultra tame Great-grey Shrike,3 Bewick's and 5 Whooper Swan,2 Short-eared Owl and 2 Merlin.A return visit to Donna Nook on the 23rd saw me logging my latest Northern Wheatear,with a juv. along the beach near Pye's.Other goodies recorded included 4 White-fronted Geese south,Peregrine,Merlin and 15 Lapland Bunting.On the journey home,i popped in at Covenham and found a further 2 'Tundra' Bean Geese and 7 White-fronted Geese on an adjacent cereal field and a superb 1st winter male Snow Bunting watched feeding along the reservoir wall.More geese on the 26th and 27th included me seeing 26 more 'Tundra' Bean's on the wold top above Worlaby and 20 White-fronted Geese at Winterton(26th) and 2 'Tundra' Beans and 17 White-fronted Geese at Messingham(27th).The latter date saw me seeing a single Mealy Redpoll with a flock of Lesser's at Messingham.

December.

No real highlights were observed until mid-way through the month on the 17th,with a trip firstly to Donna Nook seeing again the Black Brant from back in November and a few other bits which included 4 Pale-bellied Brent,6 Lap. Bunt. and a Kingfisher.Later we went to look for the reported juv. Rough-legged Buzzard at Withern,but only managed brief views of it perched on a roadside hedge before it disappeared onto a distant hawthorn.A bit of local birding on the 26th looking for the elusive Great-white Egret,saw me again missing this bird,but i managed to see an unseasonal Green Sandpiper,3 Goosander and superb views of a flyby Bittern.Next day saw Chris and myself heading for the Yorkshire coast,with us getting nice views of the 1st winter male Desert Wheatear at Bempton,with a bonus Short-eared Owl thrown in for good measure and later a visit to Scarborough paid divedends with us seeing Great-northern Diver,6 Med. Gulls,34 Purple Sandpiper and the resident pair of Peregrines.Another day out on the 30th with Chris and fellow Grimbarians,Tony and Ian,got us a nice list of birds despite the poor weather conditions,these included superb views of the RLB at Withern,Red-necked Grebe and 2 drake Goosander at Covenham and finally 4 'Tundra' Bean Geese,10 Whooper and 2 Bewick's Swan,2 Short-eared Owl and a Barn Owl at Thoresby Bridge.The year ended on the 31st with a day out with Dave and with us finally catching up with Great-white Egret and also seeing a very interesting Great-grey Shrike at Wroot,that was showing some characters of the 'Homiyeri' race.To end the day 3 'Tundra' Beans above Worlaby village on the wold top and 3 Short-eared Owls on the patch ended a great years birding and wildlife watching.

Wet And Windy,But Good Birds........

2011-12-29T18:36:00.002Z

A free day again today,so i joined the Grimbarians,Chris,Tony and Ian for a foray around the north east part of the county,taking in some of the goodies on offer.We started proceedings at a very windy and incredibly cold Withern to look for the beautiful Scandi Buteo and after much scanning and a false alarm Chris found this stunning vole scoffer hunting over the rough fields to the west of the village.We managed some great views of this lovely bird as we were constantly battered by the strong north westerly,as it quartered the sorrounding fields looking for its vole breakfast.On my last visit i had only gained brief views of this Rough-leg,but today i was nicely recompensed.Other sightings logged here included a couple of Little Egret and at least 4 Common Buzzard.Our next stop was Covenham Res and we made our way to shelter from the wind behind the strategically placed Yacht club buildings,this made for a good choice as the heavens opened for a good hour with some of the heaviest rain i have seen for a while.Enjoying our respite from the weather,we managed to find the previous days Red-necked Grebe after some help from Covenham regular Keith Robinson.It was watched at distance feeding around the water tower and became the 6th bird i have managed to see this year.Other birds observed here were a couple of dapper drake Goosander,looking like big,white exocet missiles in flight and as equally as streamlined on the water,very nice!.The final destination was the nearby Thoresby bridge,which was the most productive site of the day.The main highlights here consisted of the resident 4 'Tundra' Bean Geese,which were watched leisurely grazing on the sugar beet in the field along with 10 Whooper and 2 Bewick's Swan.The Bean's becoming my 35th,36th,37th and 38th birds of the autumn/winter period,amazing!.The Whooper Swans consisted of 8 adult birds and 2 juveniles and the Bewick's,both adults.A nice surprise here came in the form of 2 Short-eared Owl watched hunting along the drain bank side and a single Barn Owl was also seen hunting an adjacent set-aside strip.So all in all,a very successful day,considering the weather conditions and a big thanks to Catkin for driving.

Desert Beauty and Scarborough Bits.......

2011-12-27T18:34:00.000Z

As both of us were on our Christmas hols,Chris picked me up today and we headed into gods own country to see if we could manage to see the still present Desert Wheatear at Bempton and mop up on some goodies at Scarborough also.As we arrived at a drizzly Bempton,talk about de-ja vu,we made our way around to the Staple Neuk viewpoint and began searching for the Wheatear,when i eventually got onto him feeding as on my previous visit around the deserted Gannet nests.Eventually we managed some nice views of the bird as he was finding plenty of insect food amongst the nooks and crannies of the cliff,a great relief to see.This bird was first seen in the 3rd week of November and looks like it may winter.Also here was a single Short-eared Owl hunting a set-aside strip,giving decent views as another band of low cloud passed over.After enjoying this Desert cracker we made our way over to Scarborough.Holbeck car park was the next stop,were the expected Med Gulls put on a great show after being enticed down with some Dairy lea sandwiches and cheesy wotsits.There were 3 adults and 3 1st winter birds,the 1st winters being particularly appealing and included 1 bird which had a silver BTO type ring on its left leg,who knows where it has originated,no doubt eastern Europe.Off the car park i managed to pick out the Great-northern Diver feeding out in South Bay and hoped for better views later.After eventually finding a parking place along Marine drive,we were treated to some nice views of the resident pair of Peregrines as they rested on their cliff top home,what majestic birds this species are,casually surveying the marine kingdom.Around the harbour and south bay was were most of the action was and i quickly spotted the Great-northern Diver again for the second time today,about half way across the bay,giving fairly good views,with that super smooth diving action,just slipping below the surface of the water,along with 9 Common Scoter,3 Red-throated Diver,7 Great-crested Grebe,half a dozen Shag and several Guillemot dotted about over the calm sea.In the harbour only a single Great-crested Grebe and Guillemot showed today,although a couple of Red-throated Diver gave really nice views through the scope nearby.As the tide began to come in,the Purple Sands began to gather at the east pier to roost and gave great views as they jostled for position to get out of the way of any incoming waves.It was really nice to get such good views of this super little wader with 21 birds gathered on 1 rock together and a decent total of 34 being seen overall.An excellent day apart from the dodgy weather early on.

MSQ Bits,26.12.11.

2011-12-27T17:56:00.000Z

A hopeful visit today to MSQ to look for the reported Great-white Egret,drew a big blank,but a few other birds were seen and partially made up for the dip.Best bird honours went to a Bittern which did a superb flypast from right to left in front of the Duck hide giving excellent views of this cracking heron,before it crashed into the windswept reeds on the other side of the lake from which we were viewing.This is my first Bittern sighting here for a couple of years and my first since one at Far-Ings a few weeks ago.Also in the vicinity of the Bittern was a single drake Goosander which was watched loafing and feeding,giving nice views of this whopper of a duck.It was great to watch it using the 'Snorkelling' behaviour they use to great effect,catching several fish.Earlier i had seen a pair fly in over the lake and do a quick circuit,before heading off in the direction of Twigmoor.The last noteworthy sighting went to a single Green Sandpiper watched feeding in the dried up area down from the car park at the far end of Grebe lake.It initially gave itself away with that distinct 'Peet,weet weet' call and then settled back down to feed again.This species is becoming a more and more common sight in winter due to the milder conditions we are now experiencing at this time of year and many are deciding not to make the long journey to tropical Africa.Today there was also a nice mix of wildfowl feeding on the main lake,with Teal,Wigeon and Gadwall featuring,the Gadwall in good numbers with 86 birds present and Wigeon with 16.Passerines were thin on the ground,with only 2 Siskin seen and a couple of female Bullfinch put on a fine show outside the Duck hide window,superb!.A good few hours in some bright sun for a change.

Happy Christmas.

2011-12-23T20:36:00.001Z

I would just like to say a very merry christmas and a happy and prosperous new year to all my readers,followers and fellow bloggers and great wildlife watching for 2012.

Dreary Donna and Beautiful Buteo......

2011-12-18T19:40:00.001Z

Pye's Hall.

Sleeping Grey Seal pup.

An all day trip out with Dave today,saw us managing a few nice bits and bobs to brighten the wintery gloom.Our first port of call was a very cold and cloudy Donna Nook,were the most notable sighting went to a showy Black Brant along with its Dark-bellied relatives,feeding at fairly close range on the area of saltmarsh just west of Stonebridge car park.This particular bird is well marked with a very distinct collar which almost reaches at the hindneck and a striking white flank patch,a nice bird.Other sightings here consisted of 6 flyover Lapland and a single Snow Bunting.Mammal sightings obviously included the huge numbers of Grey Seals,with quite a good number of pups still present and a single Weasel seen in the dunes.After visiting Donna we made the short journey over to Withern and managed to connect with the Rlb,albeit briefly as i saw it perched on a nearby roadside hedgerow.This is my fourth bird for the year and the 3rd in the autumn/winter period.The only other sighting of note was a Red Kite seen just south of Louth Tip.Not a bad day despite the gloomy conditions.

Rainy Day......

2011-12-14T09:43:00.001Z

I made the daft decision to visit Bempton on Sunday for the stunning male Desert Wheatear and spent the whole time i watched this cracking bird getting a proper soaking.Thankfully my newly aquired Sprayway jacket and Craghoppers trousers stood up admirably against the rainy blast.The Wheatear was watched as i he fed in relative shelter around the deserted Gannet colony at the Staple Newk viewpoint and was finding plenty of insect food to eat around the nests and little hollows in the cliff.This is the birds 3rd week in residence after an inexperienced member of the public had stumbled across this desert waif,nice find!.This is my 5th sighting of this lovely species of Wheatear,with 3,all males in Yorkshire and 2 females in Lincolnshire.After my visit to the Bempton,i made a brief stop off at Hornsea Mere and managed to find the 1st winter male Long-tailed Duck that had been reported along with a distant Red-breasted Merg,but after another band of rain came in off the sea i called it a day.The only other sightings of note had been provided by at least 10 Harbour Porpoise off Bempton while watching the Whitearse.Some nice birds today,but dire weather conditions,so much for the forecast.

Whooper's......

2011-12-04T16:56:00.001Z

A trip out this morning with Trace to do a bit of shopping,saw us enjoying the great sight of 15 Whooper Swans flying south over Tesco at Scunthorpe.This species is,as i have mentioned before in my top 5 fave birds,a very nice diversion away from the shopping.

MSQ And Worlaby Carrs......

2011-11-27T19:33:00.001Z

A change of scenery today to get away from the blustery westerly and also to check out SW's geese at MSQ,saw me heading for one of my favourite reserves in the county.What a gorgeous sunny day it was today and i began my walk on the reserve with a decent flock of 18 Lesser Redpoll and a handfull of Siskin watched feeding in waterside Birch and Alders,with at least one bird looking a good candidate for a Mealy,but it flew off before i could get a really good look at it.After watching the 'Polls' i walked around to the main lake seeing the Lag flock and it's arctic visiting cousins landing on the grass fields at the back of the reserve,so i quickly made my way around the back of the reserve to see 2 'Tundra' Bean Geese and at least 11 European White-front's,feeding in amongst them and managed some good views after some perserverance,a superb spell at the moment for geese.Some fairly good numbers of Wigeon,Gadwall and Teal were watched on the main lake,dabbling around the waters edge and a cloud of Peewit flew over after being flushed by an invisible raptor.After enjoying my visit to the reserve i made my way to the local patch and amazingly got parked straight away.No real surprises were seen,but the usual star birds featured and included superb views of the Short-eared Owls,with 12 being seen today,1 adult female Hen Harrier which gave good views as it hunted around one of the decoy ponds and a nice 2nd calendar year Male Marsh Harrier gave superb views as it passed by on its journey to roost on the Humber.The only other sighting of note was a large skein of Pink feet heading toward the Humber from the Wolds just before dusk.An enjoyable day in some lovely winter sunshine.

North Linc's.......

2011-11-26T19:49:00.003Z

Sun going down at Far-Ings NNR.

Another oppertunity to get out for a full day today as Trace was at work,saw some pretty good sightings and one piece of amazing behaviour.I started off at Worlaby Top for the 'Tundra' Beans first thing,with the 21 birds being present on the same harvested sugar beet field as yesterday,but being a little further away today,but in better light,you can't win.Amazingly while watching the flock another 5 birds flew in from the east and proceeded to briefly touch down,before getting up again and doing a couple of circuits,before heading west.How many more of this usually rare species are going to turn up?.As the weather deteriorated i decided to go and look for geese on the upper humber and hopefully bump into the Beans i had just seen at Worlaby and as i neared Mere crossroads at Winterton/Winteringham it was apparent there was a good sized flock of geese here and i was hopefull.After much scanning i couldn't find any Bean's,but my searching had revealed at least 20 European White-front's in amongst the hordes of Pink's.It was nice to watch them at leisure,with several juv birds in amongst the flock,giving superb views of their subtle i.d. features a real joy to watch.After watching these beauties,the weather had improved and i stopped off at Read's Island/South Ferriby to see what was present,the next piece of behaviour was amazing!.I was scanning the water to the west when i saw a Peregrine chasing a Wood Pigeon,with the Wood Pig twisting and turning all over the place to try and evade the Perg,but the Peregrine eventually caught up and smacked into the Wood Pigeon,scattering feathers everywhere.The Wood Pigeon then fell into the Humber and was watched swimming about on the water,the Peregrine did a couple of flybys but eventually left the pigeon to it's fate.About twenty minutes later the same Peregrine appeared over the island and scattered birds in all directions,swooping down and seconds later coming up with a Teal it had managed to catch.What happened next was unbelievable,a female Marsh Harrier had spotted the Perg catch it's prey and decided it wanted it for it's lunch and began to chase the Peregrine,the Perg obviously wasn't going to give it up and she headed off.I could actually see the bird panting with effort as she got closer and suddenly lost her grip, with amazingly,the Female Teal flying down to the water and swimming away!!.This was one of the most amazing pieces of behaviour and action i have seen from this species and i fealt sorry for the poor Perg after all that effort and no meal.Other sightings here included 3 Marsh Harrier in total,masses of Golden Plover and Lapwing and a couple of Brown Hare on the fields.A brief visit to the patch after meeting up with Dave,revealed very few birds,with the best being 2 Barn Owl flushed from their roost site by a shooting party and 2 juv. Marsh Harrier over the pasture field.With all this shooting,we made our way to Barton Pits and managed to find a Chiffie on Far-Ings with the day ending with a pair of Peregrines over the Pursuit Pit as the sun went down.A superb day,with some hard work put in,but it was well worth it.

Full Of Bean's.....

2011-11-25T19:20:00.000Z

Thankfully for all my visiting bloggers,not the sort that affect your stomach,but the visitors from the russian Tundra.The birds were found yesterday by visiting birder Tom Lowe feeding on a oil seed rape field above Bonby village.Today the birds were first seen in flight over the same fields,but re-located to a harvested Sugar beet field showing fairly well,but could have been closer.There were 22 birds present today,with at least 1 of these being a Pink-foot.It wasn't the greatest place to view,with an undulating field and a gale force North Westerly blowing with blustery showers to boot.The birds then flew towards Barton,but i couldn't find them again,but will have another look tomorrow.This is the largest flock of this species i have personally observed and this winter period is turning out to be a special one for it and visiting grey geese as a whole.A great chance again to study this species,if only better views were gained,but no doubt i will bump into some more soon.

Donna Nook and Covenham Res........

2011-11-24T10:18:00.002Z

Stunning Sunrise.

Juvenile Northern Wheatear.

A free day to myself today,so i decided to try my efforts down the coast starting at Donna Nook and then later visiting Covenham Res.On arrival at Stonebridge bright and early,the sunrise was amazing,so i decided to spend 20 or so minutes taking some shots of the beautifully coloured sky as the sun rose.After my little photo session,i got down to business walking all the way up to Grainthorpe Haven and back.The main highlights consisted of a very tame and late juvenile Northern Wheatear,which was watched feeding along the beach between Stonebridge and Pyes's Hall,this being my latest personal record and a decent sized flock of 15 Lapland Bunting were watched flying over the large stubble field at Pye's.Other sightings included the stunning male Hen Harrier from a couple of weekends ago,Merlin,Peregrine,Common Buzzard,4 White-fronted Geese which flew south,2 Pale-bellied Brent Geese,12 Little Egret and a single Greenshank which was watched feeding in Somercotes Haven.A few Brown Hare were observed also on the adjacent farmland and a group of 5 Roe Deer were feeding on a field at Grainthorpe.After my visit to Donna i decided to give Covenham a try,walking the whole circuit of the res,with some fairly good results.The best birds were actually seen on adjacent farmland and were a flock of 7 White-fronted and 2 'Tundra' Bean Geese,they were watched loafing and grazing on a winter wheat field,this late autumn period is proving to be an excellent one for these two species.Other goodies seen around the reservoir were a single 1st winter male Snow Bunting which gave stunning views as it fed on the top of the reservoir wall,a little beauty! and a single Chiffchaff in the plantation near the car park.A decent day out today in the freezing cold.

Tetney Lanius etc......

2011-11-20T19:37:00.002Z

Chris looking for a White-billed Diver.

Misty morning at Tetney Lock.

Another shot of this atmospheric scene.

An all dayer to Tetney with Chris to look for the reported Great-grey Shrike,saw us hanging about in the gloom until the sun finally broke through a hour and half later.It was certainly worth the wait,as the shrike performed superbly and i gained the best views of a Great-grey i have had in 25 years birding!.It was mainly spending it's time in the canal side bushes,adjacent to the lock and spent it's time catching wasps,while being mobbed by several bird species including Blue Tit and Greenfinch,which could in turn have easily become it's next meal,what a cracking bird.After watching this superb scandinavian visitor we headed in the direction of the Humber mouth and sea,seeing a mixed flock of all 3 species of swan on an adjoining field,which consisted of 3 adult Bewick's,5 Whooper and 4 Mute's,a very nice sight,particularly the Bewick's which are pretty scarce visitors to the county.Other sightings on the walk out to the sea included 2 Merlin and a single Greenshank,with several Little Egret scolding us with there corvid like calls as we passed by.On arrival at the beach,highlights included 3 flyover Snow Bunting and 25 Twite which showed very well as they fed on the Salicornia growing there and on the sea a raft of 90 Common Scoter,a couple of Red-throated Diver and 10 Great-crested Grebe.The return walk provided more sightings which included 2 sparring Short-eared Owl and it made a nice change to see these birds without a crowd present.Another great day out,with a bit of perseverance,which paid divedends in the end.

Afternoon wander......

2011-11-19T18:56:00.000Z

A few hours to spare this aft,saw Dave and myself visiting the Patch at Worlaby,with the best bird being a single Eurasian White-fronted Goose watched flying over the fields down towards the river.This is my second record of the species for the patch.Also seen in the unusually mild conditions this afternoon were the expected Short-eared Owls,with 15 being recorded for the second time this month.The birds never showed at close range,keeping well clear of the expectant crowd and only show closely when all the visitors have gone.Also seen today were 4 Marsh Harrier(Adult male,2 juv's and adult female),50 Goldfinch,70 Fieldfare and 5 Common Buzzard.A nice few hours.

Lesser Throat and Goose Bonanza........

2011-11-12T21:15:00.001Z

Grey Seal Pup.

A day out today down the Lincolnshire coast,saw Chris and myself heading for a dull and damp Donna Nook.On arrival at 07.00 and in the dark,the car park was already packed with cars,this seal watching is going barmy!.We first headed in the direction of Pye's Hall looking for Graham and Neil's interesting Lesser Whitethroat.The bird was found pretty much straight away in the area it had been observed the day before and gave superb close views,with the sandy uppers,gingery wing panel,peachy wash to the underparts and white malar stripe being distinctive.In flight it also had distinct pale sides to the tail feathers.It spent most of its time flitting from bush to bush,but always looking to feed and forage on the ground an interesting habit for a Lesser Whitethroat.After enjoying some great views of the bird it went to ground and we decided to carry on our journey to Pye's.As we were almost at Pye's a flock of White-fronted Geese flew overhead giving their more higher pitched calls and landed on a stubble field at the back of Pye's.We got into position and spent a good hour or so studying the mixed flock of European White-front's and Pink's,eventually digging out 3 'Tundra' Bean's which eventually showed pretty well as the sun came out.This flock contained at least 284 Pink-footed Geese and 44 White-front and it was great to be able to study them at relatively close range,superb stuff!.Also here were 2 Greenshank,1 Merlin and a couple of Lapland Bunting,with a stunning male Hen Harrier hunting the flood bank.On the return journey back to Stonebridge we managed to find the Black Brant in amongst it's Dark-bellied cousins along with 3 Pale-bellied birds and they all gave excellent views,it was turning out to be a special day geese wise.Other birds seen on the return journey included a flock of 4 Lap's,2 adult Peregrine and a single Snow Bunting.After a lovely Cheeseburger and a drink we walked all the way down to quad 3 dodging the female Seals with their newborn pups and managed to find another 6 White-fronted Geese along with 9 Whooper Swans resting on a Beet field there.Also here were another couple of Lap's,a posing Water Rail,2 Merlin and a couple of Common Darter,my latest personal record.A return visit to Pye's as the sun went down,revealed a single Ringtail Hen Harrier and 6 Common Scoter and a female Red-breasted Merg over the sea.A superb day,with some great views of the Geese and Lesser throat.

Lap surprise.......

2011-11-06T18:52:00.001Z

A visit this afternoon to the local patch at Worlaby from 12.30 until dusk provided me with one of the best days of the year on the patch so far.The main highlight came in the form of a real surprise,a Lapland Bunting seen on two occasions,unfortunately only in flight,but a great record all the same.This is,i believe,the second record for the patch and is a long way from the coastal wintering grounds.Also seen this afternoon,were a whopping 15 Short-eared Owl,giving superb views as usual,3 Marsh Harrier,juv.female Hen Harrier,Barn Owl,8 Common Buzzard and 160 Fieldfare.The Harriers showed superbly,with the Hen Harrier putting on a great performance in the rough pasture field before roosting and one of the Marsh,a 3rd year male put on a great show also.The only mammal sighting today was a lovely Fox sat along the Soak drain.A very productive 4 hours,with the Lapland Bunting providing me with my 144th species here.

Isabelline Wheatear.....

2011-11-05T20:49:00.003Z

A trip over to Spurn today with Dave for this eastern mega,resulted in us getting superb views of it after a bit of patience waiting for it to settle down to feed in a section of beach down towards the point after a period of flying about.It was watched mainly feeding on flys and sandhoppers it was catching on the beach in amongst the flotsam and seaweed.The bird was much more distinct than i had imagined the species to be,with a totally different jizz about it,with a more upright posture.This is the first sighting of the species for myself and the 2nd for the Spurn area.Other birds seen while watching the Whitearse were a single Lapland Bunting south,2 Twite and a Greenshank.After making our way back towards the car we decided to go and have a cuppa in the 'Bluebell' and after warming up we added further goodies in the form of a Hooded Crow and 2 Snow Bunting in the Beacon Lane area,hundreds of Redwing falling out of the sky as they made landfall and a several decent birds over the sea which included a single Little Auk,Velvet Scoter,2 Little Gulls,a good handfull of Red-throated Diver and several land bound flocks of Starling arriving in over the sea.A good day despite the weather and lack of sleep,but it was certainly worth it to add another great bird to my personal collection of sightings and also was an eduacational one.

Hen Harrier and North Linc's goodies.

2011-10-31T19:09:00.000Z

Sunset over the Outdoor Pursuit Pit,Barton.

A trip over to look for the reported Pallid Harrier in the heart of the Lincolnshire Wolds at Ruckland,materialised into what we had expected,a Hen Harrier!,we managed to get some excellent views of the bird as it hunted several strips of game cover,putting beyond doubt even any remote chance of this bird being a Pallid.No doubt the 2 bird theory will raise it's head,but it seems bizarre that no other observers have come across a Pallid,only the 2 observers claiming it.Other birds here included a Peregrine and a handfull of Common Buzzard.Putting thoughts of our escapades in the Wolds behind us,i met up with Dave and firstly made a quick visit to the patch to look for the reported Rough-leg,which also turned out to be a load of bull,with the bird being the pale adult Common Buzzard which has been around for at least a couple of years in the area.So after another set of stringing we went over to Barton and managed to connect with a REAL bird at last,the male Ferruginous Duck,which was eventually seen on his favourite pit,giving superb views.Nearby we also managed to see the juv.female Scaup on the Pursuit pit,1 Bittern at Far-Ings,giving us a great flypast and 5 Goldeneye.As we were returning to the car Neil rang to say he had just found a Lesser Yellowlegs at Alkborough,so we shot over and managed some nice views of it before it got too dark,as it fed in a flooded field just before the main hide.This my 3rd in Lincolnshire after birds at Gib Point and Killingholme Haven.So this latter sighting coupled with the impressive spectacle of thousands of Golden Plover and Starlings swirling around the reserve after some unwanted attention from a Peregrine,made for a fitting end to a long day in the field.

Alkborough Flats.....

2011-10-29T20:39:00.002+01:00

Hawthorn Shieldbug.

Seven-spot Ladybird's.

Tree Wasp.

A visit to this superb site today to lead a walk to see waders and wildfowl didn't reveal too many surprises,with the best sightings being 2 Whooper Swan which did a brief flyby over the reserve,my first of the winter period.Other sightings included 2 Greenshank,5 Ruff,Grey Wagtail and at least 10 Marsh Harrier which gave superb views as they hunted over the reserve and sorrounding area.We also got some great views of the commoner species which included a single streak of blue as a gorgeous Kingfisher flew past,it was later seen perched along one of the dykes briefly.The 2nd calendar yr. Common Crane was not seen on the reserve today,but was heard calling distantly from the direction of Blacktoft Sands RSPB,from were it was reported later in the day.Several other sightings of note from the non avian world included 1 Common Darter,1 Red Admiral,1 Peacock,3 Tree Wasp and a Hawthorn Shieldbug and a Common Seal which was hauled out on Whitton Sand.A decent day with some cracking views of the resident Marsh Harriers.

Barton Pits and Worlaby......

2011-10-28T21:46:00.001+01:00

A visit firstly to Barton for a couple of hours,saw me enjoying more views of the 1st winter male Ferruginous Duck after it flew onto its favourite pit near the Far-ings visitor centre.It seems to be aquiring more adult male plumage coloration and the eye looked a touch whiter.He showed quite close for a while before reverting to his usual habit of feeding along the far side of the pit,right in the reed edge.A bonus also on this same pit,was a juv. female Scaup which showed very well and amazingly was the first i have seen this year.After arriving at 'The Patch' i decided to walk all the way down to the river and back,with the highlights being 12 Common Buzzard,4 Redpoll,1 Green Sandpiper and brief views of a ringtail Hen Harrier.The day was rounded off nicely with superb views of 11 Short-eared Owl a slight increase on last weekends 9 birds,with several birds interacting with the local Kestrel and Common Buzzards and involving much sparring amongst each other also,providing great viewing.An enjoyable day out in the great weather.

Worlaby And Bonby Carrs,22.10.11.

2011-10-23T16:24:00.003+01:00

Hawthorn Shield-bug.

An all day effort around the local patch today provided some great sightings over the 11 hours i spent there,with the latter part of the day seeing the Short-eared Owl circus beginning in earnest.I arrived on site at dawn,with no owls to be seen anywhere,but the Rough-leg was hunting around the decoy pond to the south east of the car park,giving good views,but this was the last time i saw it today and suspected it may have moved on.Notable movements of birds during the day included 595 Fieldfare,which the majority of which moved north,518 Pink-footed Geese,north and 250 South and a large count of 180 Mallard feeding on a stubble field on the way to Bonby Carrs.Raptors were well represented today with the afore mentioned RlB,but also seen were a juvenile Peregrine hunting the Fieldfare flocks down at the Ancholme and later a Merlin watched doing the same,the Merlin looking almost the same size as the Felfers.No Harrier were observed by myself at all today,which was strange,but good numbers of Kestrel and Common Buzzard were observed,with 13 of the former and 12 of the latter,the Kestrels including 6 birds hunting in the pasture at dusk along with the 9 Short-eared Owl.The Short-eared's put on a great display,even though the light was going,superb to see.Non bird sightings consisted of 4 Common Darter and a single Migrant Hawker,a Hawthorn Shield-bug which landed on my rucksack,7 Roe Deer and 4 Brown Hare.The Roe's included a group of 4 animals which had 2 young bucks in it and they put on an amusing performance as they pretended to joust with invisible antlers,great to watch.An excellent day was had again on this superb area,and a cracking sunset to end it.

Wonderfull Worlaby,20.10.11.

2011-10-21T07:44:00.002+01:00

The patch is really coming into its own again now,with todays all day visit producing some excellent sightings through the day.The Rough-leg again put on a cracking performance,giving excellent views,but does disappear for periods,sitting in trees after eating its vole breakfast or dinner.Todays best sighting on a personal level other than the northern buteo,were 2 Hen Harrier,an adult male only seen distantly today and a juv.,which is probably a female,as it looked pretty large when seen at close range.It was watched hunting one of the pheasant strips and caught a vole,it then proceeded to eat it on the bankside of the soak drain.Thankfully there seems to be plenty of food for the raptors again this year and along with the other species the S.e.O's have now increased to 8 birds and at least 8 Kestrel were seen also.Other notable sightings today included at least 15 Common Buzzard,438 Fieldfare all moving north,2 Marsh Harrier,1 Redpoll,60 Linnet and 40 plus Goldfinch.Another superb visit.

Scandinavian beauty........

2011-10-19T13:41:00.000+01:00

A few hours to spare this morning before nights saw me heading for the local patch to see if the juv. Rlb was still around.On arrival and a quick look in the pasture field,saw this stunning raptor briefly hunting before resting in a hawthorn bush accompanied by the usual,unwanted corvid attention,this time by 2 Magpie,which were very interested in their northern visitor.After a spell resting,it began a good hunting session covering most of the ground around the carrs and looked like it was checking out the area for its hoped for wintering.It was interesting to watch as the local corvids tended to be more interested in their new visitor rather than a couple of nearby Common Buzzards,the Commons probably enjoying the respite from their attacks.The bird gave stunning views and was observed on the ground on several occasions,once right next to the parked cars,if only we had been sat in them.This is the 4th Rough-leg i have seen on my local patch now since 2002,finding 2 of them,a beautiful bird!.Also seen today and equally as rare by local patch standards,a small flock of Crossbill which flew into the small pine plantation near to the car park and they gave superb views before chipping away,my first record down here and goes to show you never know what may turn up.The only other notable sightings were a single Redpoll and 3 Siskin.

Sunny Barton.....

2011-10-15T20:50:00.000+01:00

A misty Ancholme valley en-route to Barton.

Male Common Darter.

A visit for a few hours this morning to Barton,saw me logging some nice sightings over the four hours i was there.In rarity terms,the best bird was the still resident 1st winter male Ferruginous Duck which showed very nicely today as he fed and loafed on his favourite pit near to the visitor centre.Much better views were gained today,thanks to the superb light and weather,with the plumage and eye colour being more apparent than on my last visit in duller conditions.Other nice sightings included at least 382 Pink-footed Geese feeding with a mixed flock of feral geese behind the Blow Wells,13 Siskin,1 Chiffchaff,2 Grey Plover which flew west and a juv. Marsh Harrier.An enjoyable visit in some great weather.

Linc's Coast......

2011-10-14T21:10:00.001+01:00

Mesembrina meridiana,Seaview,Saltfleetby and Theddlethorpe Dunes NNR.

An all day effort down the Lincolnshire coast with Graham and Neil today,concentrating our efforts between Saltfleet Haven and Churchill Road resulted in few common migrants being seen in any numbers,but this was made up by us finding a cracking juv. Rough-legged Buzzard which flew in off the sea at Seaview farm with an elusive,but vocal Yellow-browed Warbler nearby.The Buteo flew in at tree top height giving superb views,before being lost over Saltfleet village,with a group of Corvids in hot pursuit,a superb bird.The Yellow-browed was less confiding,being seen in a nearby inaccesible garden,calling on and off.Other birds recorded during the day included a confiding Pied Flycatcher on the way down to Churchill road,2 Short-eared Owl,2 Merlin,Peregrine,2 Woodcock and 31 Pink-footed Geese,with small numbers of Brambling,Siskin,Redwing and my first Fieldfare of the autumn.A decent day in some great weather.

Ferruginous Duck.....

2011-10-10T11:04:00.001+01:00

After a text saying that Graham had found a juv. male Ferruginous Duck on Western App. Pit at Barton,i made the short trip over this morning to see if i could catch up with it.The bird was immediately found on the same pit this morning feeding and loafing with a small flock of Tufted Duck and Pochard and i was treated to superb views of the bird.As Graham has described on his blog,a good set of features are indicative that this is a genuine bird and not a hybrid.As i spent my time watching it,it became apparent that it was very wary and the flock then flew towards Far-Ings.On arrival at Ness Lake it was feeding in the middle of the lake,before again looking alert and flying back to the original pond,this happened again and by this time i was knackered and couldn't re-locate it.This is only my 2nd sighting of this smart duck,the last being at Water's Edge in April 2001.Other birds seen this morning included my first Redwing and Goldeneye of the autumn a handfull of Siskin and Lesser Redpoll,a singing male Cetti's Warbler,which was only heard and a couple of Treecreeper and Willow Tit.A good few hours.

Local Patch......

2011-10-07T20:04:00.001+01:00

An aborted effort at trying to look for Owls on the patch this evening,saw a few more species being recorded which included my first local Pink-footed Geese of the autumn,with a flock of 53 over the patch and a few distant flocks heading for the Wolds from the direction of the humber.Other notable sightings included a pair of Stonechat,flycatching in the pasture field and a Merlin sat on the ground to the south east of the car park.Both the latter sightings were also first sightings for the patch in this autumn/winter period.The only mammal sighting recorded was a lovely Fox along the side of the small wood at the car park.

Sandhill.......

2011-10-07T12:31:00.002+01:00

Male Migrant Hawker.

With the kind offer of a lift from Neil to go and see the adult Sandhill Crane that has been touring the UK,myself Graham and Neil made the long journey to coastal Suffolk.As we arrived,eventually finding the village hall car park,we made the walk to the birds chosen fields were it had been feeding.Within half an hour we were watching this magnificent,elegant species as it fed in some harvested fields,at first at long range,but later showing very nicely through the scope.It was quite inactive at times,feeding in one area,but was also heard to call on numerous occasions and was also seen in flight.The local species were quite interested in their overseas visitor and a comical encounter with a Brown Hare was an interesting piece of behaviour to watch,as neither the Crane nor the Hare new what to make of each other.This is the first record of the species for myself and is the first to be recorded in England,with the remainder of a handfull of records coming from Ireland and the Northern Isles.Other birds observed through the day included a 2nd winter Med.Gull,4 Wheatear,5 Marsh Harrier,2 Common Buzzard,a singing male Cetti's Warbler and a cracking adult Hobby,with an escaped juv. Bald Eagle being seen also!.Insect sightings comprised of hundreds of Harlequin Ladybirds,about 10 Migrant Hawker and 20 Common Darter and a handfull of Red Admirals.A long,but enjoyable day.

Windy day...

2011-10-05T21:04:00.001+01:00

A brief few hours around the patch this morning,saw a couple of highlights being logged in the form of a single 4th year Yellow-legged Gull watched loafing on the fields at Bonby along with a group of 23 Lesser black-backed Gulls and a couple of juvvie Wheatear watched battling along in the blustery westerly wind.The only other notable sightings were at least 200 Linnet and a flock of 268 Golden Plover.To make things worse,apart from the bloody wind,was the haze,coupled with a constant smoke screen from the steel works,making the visibility not great,so i called it a day after 2 hours.Cooler weather is on the way thank god!.

The Patch,26.09.11.

2011-09-27T07:36:00.002+01:00

Female Field Grasshopper.

Male Scorpion Fly.

Male Common Darter.

A few hours around Worlaby Carrs this morning produced very few surprises apart from a nice juvenile Whinchat watched sallying for insects from the strip of set-aside to the north east of the car park.The is my second record of the year for the patch with 1,also a juv.,on the 14th of August.Other sightings included at least 16 Common Buzzard,2 Hobby,5 Marsh Harrier and 8 Kestrel.A nice few hours.

Rimac and Covenham re-Tern.....

2011-09-25T16:19:00.001+01:00

Rimac Sunrise.

Juvenile Little Stint.

Juvenile American-black Tern.

Devil's-coach Horse Beetle.

A day free today,saw Chris and myself heading down the coast,bright and early hoping to add some nice rarities to our lists.We began proceedings at Rimac to look for the 2 or 3 Buff-breasted Sandpipers that had been present all week,but failed after putting in a good 5 hours effort.All was not lost though,as we logged some nice sightings which included Merlin,5 juvenile Curlew Sandpipers,2 juvenile Little Stint,immature male Marsh Harrier,Lapland Bunting,2,sparring juvenile Peregrine and 5 Pintail which flew south over the sea.The stints and Curlew Sands showing particularly well,giving some nice views and the Lap being our first of the autumn period.After our efforts at Rimac we back-tracked to Covenham to look around the superb res seeing again the expected juvenile American Black Tern,which had been present all week.Today it showed very well again,with us enjoying close views of it resting on the reservoir bankside,a smart bird.Also here were a couple of confiding juvenile Little Stint,2 Common Sandpiper,at least 2 adult White Wagtail,2 Common Buzzard and cracking juvenile Wheatear which showed characteristics of the Greenland race Leucorhoa,with peachy/buff underparts all the way to the undertail coverts and did look a tad larger and longer legged,with a striking head pattern to boot,a beauty.Also observed from the avian world was a roadside Little Owl at Fotherby.Non-bird sightings included a couple of Grey Seal at Rimac and a photogenic Devil's-coach Horse Beetle at Covenham.A great day out again.

What a Dump,but gorgeous bird.......

2011-09-19T09:52:00.002+01:00

The worst photo of a Sabines Gull you will ever see!.

What a lovely place!Leadenham Tip.

At last!i have finally caught up with a Sabine's Gull in Lincolnshire,with me today travelling to not the most inspiring of places to see this lovely species,Leadenham Tip.As i arrived at the site,the bird was watched feeding on flies which it was delicately picking from the surface of the furthest right hand pool and after only watching it for ten minutes,it took off and flew past me about 20 feet away heading off to the south east over the fields,before returning again about 30 minutes later.It was a little worrying to see an oceanic species swimming around a grotty hole of a place,with staining from the water on it's breast,lets hope it survives and makes it way back to the Atlantic Ocean!.Other bird sightings comprised of 2 Hobby and at least 5 Common Buzzard and on the insect front a roadside Clouded Yellow,my first for several years.An enjoyable few hours in the sun.

American Black Tern......

2011-09-19T09:40:00.003+01:00

Sunset over the nearby Lincolnshire Wolds.

After hearing that GPC had found this first for Lincolnshire,a frantic dash to the res,resulted in everyone present enjoying stunning views of this nearctic visitor.The bird was watched feeding,hawking insects over the res for the majority of the time we observed it,but it did have a few periods of rest on adjacent fields loosely associating with the flocks of Black-headed and Common Gulls present.It was on occasion chased by the local gulls,but managed to evade them thankfully.It was an interesting bird to study,with the distinct i.d. features obvious such as the greyish wash along the flanks,grey underwings and more 'smudged' mark at the neck side and the head pattern was more reminiscent of White-winged Black Tern,a cracker and a fantastic find!.Although there is some argument about it's taxonomic status,it was still an enjoyable and educational bird to watch.Other birds seen while enjoying the Tern included an adult and juvenile Red-necked Grebe(Also possibly of the american race) which showed well and 4 Common Sandpiper.An excellent few hours at this great site.

Pec Sand........

2011-09-11T20:11:00.001+01:00

A very welcome text from a certain local birder who seems to be on a bit of a roll at Alkborough at the moment,saw me travelling to this excellent wader and wildfowl hotspot to see this american species.At first the bird gave us the run around,but eventually it was pinned down and we were treated to some nice views as it fed loosely with a flock of Ruff,showing the distinct tram-lines on the mantle and well marked pectoral band.It was watched feeding fairly frantically and was very flighty,suggesting that it may have been newly arrived on this side of the Atlantic.After watching it on and off for about an hour or so it was lost to view and we didn't observe it again.Other sightings around the reserve included 2 juv. Little Stint,3 juv. Curlew Sand's,juv. Sanderling,several Greenshank,40 plus Ruff,1 Spoonbill and 2 Ruddy Shelduck and also at least 2 adult White Wagtail.A very enjoyable few hours at this great site.

Garden Surprise!........

2011-09-04T21:23:00.002+01:00

A real surprise addition to the garden list this morning,when i saw a huge bird alight on our hedge and to my surprise it was an adult Grey Heron and we don't even have a pond!.It must have been eyeing someone elses pond and fish and it soon disappeared when it got a glimpse of the strange creature looking out of the kitchen window at it!.Other recent garden visitors have included a couple of Goldfinch visiting the Sunflower heart feeder and a single Coal Tit also visiting the said feeder,with a single Chiffie in the hedgerow.

Out And About In North Linc's.........

2011-09-03T20:11:00.003+01:00

Female Common Darter.

Male Migrant Hawker.

A trip out around a few sites with Dave today saw us enjoying a decent days birding in the local area.We began on the patch at Bonby and walked down to the river seeing a few nice birds along the way,the best of which was the resident Common Crane which was watched feeding in a stubble field just over the river in Appleby Carrs.It again,showed nicely in the early morning sun today and looked like it was feeding on spilt grain from the recent harvesting activities,what a smart bird!.Other birds here included 3 Greenshank,flying up from one of the almost dry pools,a good count of at least 260 Goldfinch and 5 Common Buzzard.Other sightings included a single Water Vole and a single Brown Argus.A stop at South Ferriby en-route to Alkborough Flats,saw us enjoying some nice birds,with the highlight being 3 juv. Hobby watched hunting along the Island and adjacent fields,not sure were these birds originated from,they could be local?,but they gave great views all the same,with one perching on a clod of earth,before carrying on its way.Also here was a single juv. Curlew Sandpiper which was associating with a mixed flock of Dunlin and Ringed Plover,only being seen in flight and masses of ducks,waders and gulls flushed by a couple of hunting Marsh Harrier,made for an amazing spectacle!.Our final port of call was the excellent Alkborough Flats and after enjoying a very nice bacon buttie and cuppa,we began our wander around the reserve.Highlights here included 9 Spoonbill(8 on Whitton Sand and 1 on the reserve) all doing what Spoonbills do 90% of the time,sleep and 9 Ruddy Shelduck also on Whitton Sand,with a decent count of 17 Little Egret on the reserve along with at least 10 Ruff,5 Greenshank,1 Green Sand and 9 Pintail.The latter are the first of the autumn i have observed.There were quite a few insects on the wing with the best being a single Wall and 3 species of Dragons,including a female Southern Hawker and several Migrant Hawker.An excellent day out!.

Filey Brigg.......

2011-08-29T19:01:00.000+01:00

Chris taking a few shots of the big sea.

Looking back towards Carr Naze,with a distant Scarborough in the distance.

A nice change of scenery today,saw Chris and myself heading for this cracking birding hotspot on the North Yorkshire coast.No real rarities were encountered today,but several nice birds were seen for the year and we got some cracking views of the resident commoner species.The year ticks came in the form of Sooty and Manx Shearwater,Arctic Skua and Bonxie,with the Arctic Skua's showing particularly well harrying terns close in off the Brigg,giving us a great chance to study the birds plumage,particularly on one confiding juv..Unfortunately,the Shearwaters were more distant and the Bonxie passed by at about mid-distance.Also seen were a decent sized flock of 55 Little Gull passing slowly north,as they fed.But today it was the commoner species which we were able to study at our leisure and we enjoyed fantastic views of Gannet,Fulmar,Guillemot,Eider,Kittiwake,Knot,Sanderling,Dunlin,Bar-tailed Godwit and a personal favourite Whimbrel,with one bird showing very nicely on the Brigg as it refuelled,before carrying on its migration south.Other goodies included a juv. male Peregrine which showed very nicely,a single Black-tailed Godwit which flew north,3 cracking juv. Wheatear and the surprise of the bunch a Goldcrest on Carr Naze.Non bird sightings included several Red Admiral butterflies,1 Common Porpoise and a couple of Grey Seal.A very enjoyable day in some nice weather.

Patch again........

2011-08-27T18:35:00.000+01:00

A passing Thunderstorm.

A few hours around the patch this afternoon dodging showers,saw the best highlights being provided by the superb local raptors,the best of which were 3 juv. Hobby watched hawking dragonflies over one of the woodlands.These superb falcons are always a joy to watch and they showed very nicely through the scope.A further 2 Hobby were also seen,which included 1 which almost caught a Swallow along the river.Other species recorded included 4 Marsh Harrier,which consisted of 1 male,1 female and 2 juv's and at least 15 Common Buzzard,with me also gaining superb views of a juv. male Sparrowhawk as it perched in a dead tree briefly.Also seen was a huge swirling flock of corvids,which was mainly made up of Rook's but there were also quite a few Jackdaw mixed in with them and this coupled with the strong North west wind made for some great viewing as they wheeled about acrobatically,coming down to drink near to the river.An enjoyable few hours.

Local Patch........

2011-08-14T18:20:00.001+01:00

Bonby Carrs.

A good walk around the patch this morning covering all the area between Bonby and Worlaby Carrs,saw me getting some nice sightings to log in the notebook.The first good birds were the expected ones,even so,they can't always be guaranteed and were the superb Common Crane and the equally stunning Osprey.As i got out of the car i heard the Common Crane and it was feeding in a stubble field towards Worlaby along the side of the Soak drain,as usual giving nice views,but for some reason every time i have watched it in a morning it calls continuosly,today it started to dance about a bit also as if displaying.It then flew further down the field after being flushed by a dog walker and was still there as i left towards the river.The Osprey wasn't present when i arrived,but she soon flew in with a fish and proceeded to devour it in her favourite tree,there must be some feathers and pellets under there somewhere,perhaps a walk across the field is needed at some point.Also seen near to the car was a single juv. Whinchat,watched flycatching along the grass verge and chasing the local juvvie passerines,which included several Reed Bunt's,Goldfinch,Whitethroat and Yellowhammer's,making for some enjoyable viewing.A single Green Sand was seen along here also with another in the Soak drain later.Other notable sightings included only my second Spot Fly down here,watched along the large hedgerow adjacent to the Soak drain,4 Hobby over,a juv. Peregrine which briefly dive-bombed the Crane!,23 Common Buzzard,which included the stunning pale morph adult that has been around for a couple of years,down near the river at Worlaby and 4 Marsh Harrier.Also pleasing to see were good numbers of Linnet and Goldfinch with 330 of the former and 207 of the latter,the Goldfinches making the most of the abundance of thistles this year.Non bird sightings today were provided by a lovely Buck Roe Deer at Bonby,8 Brown Hawker,114 Common Darter and a single female Southern Hawker.A rewarding 5 hours around the patch!.

Little Gulls.......

2011-08-12T22:18:00.001+01:00

Magpie Moth in my sisters garden at Beverley.

A visit to see my sister today,gave me the chance to go over to Hornsea to experience the annual gathering of Little Gulls on the mere there and tonight was no disappointment!.On arrival,the birds could be seen everywhere and after my first full scan of the water i came up with at least 400 birds,but then another 200 appeared and then another 150 and by the time i left,i had seen 900 birds at least,with the final figure tonight reported on RBA being 1220.For anyone who hasn't seen this spectacle,it is well worth the effort,as personally i have always thought that Little Gull's are such an appealing species and to see at least 700 birds at one time,together,all hawking insects over the water takes some beating in my opinion!.There were at least 60 birds perched on the pontoons at the yacht club,with the birds bathing and preening,before flying out to sea to roost or having a feeding session,amazing stuff!.A superb few hours and one i will be enjoying again next year!.

Wet and windy Horseshoe,10.08.11.

2011-08-12T22:05:00.002+01:00

A visit to this site today,to hopefully see the Tern roost,ended in a disappointing end to the day due to the crap weather we are experiencing at the moment,sorry all summer!.But all was not lost as i managed a few goodies,the best of which was the great sight of 3 Peregrines sat together out on the beach.The trio consisted of an adult male and his 2 fledged chicks,a male and a huge female.The adult bird had brought some prey in for the fledglings and the young male was proceeding to pluck it as his sister looked on.These could be the birds seen by the 'Grimsby' lads during a recent meet at Cleethorpes.A nice sight also experienced today,was a fairly large flock of Golden Plover which consisted of at least 1773 birds, watched feeding in a nearby stubble field and it was great to study the birds at close range as they fed,a chance that doesn't come along that often!,with quite a few individuals still showing some remnants of summer plumage.Every so often the birds would get up and fly around and eventually the culprit was seen,a cracking Merlin,my first since last winter.Other nice birds observed included 6 Whimbrel feeding out on the Salt marsh,a passing female Marsh Harrier and a single Greenshank.A nice few hours despite the rain and blustery wind.

The Carrs.......

2011-08-09T22:32:00.003+01:00

The second day of my week off,saw me visiting my local area and enjoying a superb 6 and a half hours around the patch.The highlights were of course the 2 summering beauties,the female Osprey and the sub-ad Common Crane.Today the Osprey was first watched briefly,flying north along the Ancholme,with a few half hearted attempts at fishing,then later showed brilliantly,watched mobbing a couple of Grey Herons,continuously dive bombing them before eventually flying to roost,a great piece of behaviour to watch!.The Crane today,was watched feeding in a newly harvested stubble field and gave superb views in the lovely evening light as it caught several insects,a beautiful bird and a real privilege to have one summering locally.It is now beginning to acquire more adult plumage features including the bushy tertials and black on the head and neck and also a hint of the red crown patch coming through.Other highlights included a juv. female Peregrine which almost caught a Lapwing,putting on a fine performance,twisting and turning all over the place,but the Lapwing eventually escaped by crashing into a ditch! and 5 Hobby,with at least 2 being juv's,which were watched chasing each other,so all this action combined with 15 Common Buzzard,60 Linnet and 10 Kestrel made for a superb afternoon.Non bird highlights included a single male Roe Deer at Saxby and more Scaeva pyrastri watched nectaring on the riverside flowers.A very enjoyable visit to this cracking local area.

Alkborough Flats.......

2011-08-07T21:07:00.000+01:00

Flesh Fly.

Harlequin Ladybird with pupal case.

Adult Harlequin Ladybird.

Syrphus vitripennis.

A visit to this superb site to see what birds and wildlife were about and to lead a walk for North Linc's council,provided me with some nice sightings over the ten hours on site.Bird sighting highlights were provided by 5 Spoonbill,doing what Spoonbill's do best,sleeping,in the breach area at the northern end of the site along with at least 7 Little Egret and 4 Grey Heron.Other avian highlights included a small flock of 6 Juvvie Bearded Tit,which gave nice views as they searched for insects in the blustery wind and singles of Green Sandpiper,Greenshank,Little-ringed Plover and Turnstone were also noted.3 Ruddy Shelduck of suspect origin were also seen feeding on the mud flats with the resident Shelducks.Insect highlights were provided by a couple of Brown Argus and at least 10 Harlequin Ladybird.Mammal sightings included at least 12 Brown Hare and 2 Roe Deer,the latter watched dozing in the morning sun.A great few hours again.

Crowle And Thorne Moors NNR......

2011-07-31T21:15:00.000+01:00

Female Common Lizard.

Tree-damsel Bug.

A visit today to this superb site saw us seeing a varied array of insects and birds while on site.Bird highlights consisted of 3 1st summer Hobby hawking dragonfly's over the peaty pools on the vast Thorne Moors,with a distant Marsh Harrier also seen here.Other birds seen,included 11 Siskin,Green and Great-spotted Woodpecker's and several juvenile Willow Warbler.Insects were obviously well represented,with 10 species of butterfly being seen,with the highlight being 2 Holly Blue and a couple of late Large Skipper,with good numbers of Peacock being seen also.Animal highlights included a male Adder and a Grass Snake,swimming in one of the drainage dykes and several Common Lizard,like the female above.Another great visit to this brilliant site with some nice company.

Roesel's-bush Cricket......

2011-07-30T20:44:00.000+01:00

The River Ancholme at Saxby Bridge.

Male Roesel's-bush Cricket.

A few hours spare this afternoon and a visit to the carrs,resulted in a nice surprise in the guise of a male Roesel's-bush Cricket along the main track down to the river at Bonby.It was found in an area of rank grass along the track edge and i was first drawn to the electricity like stridulation of this species.It was of the migratory macropterous form 'Diluta' and is the first record of the species i have personally recorded away from the coastal Lincolnshire population and Chamber's farm wood area.Other insect sightings comprised of 6 species of Butterfly and a subterranean Tree Wasp nest.Unfortunately today,both the Common Crane and Osprey were not seen,but raptors were well represented otherwise by a cracking juv. Peregrine,single Hobby,7 Common Buzzard and at least 4 Marsh Harrier.I also enjoyed superb views of a Sedge Warbler which had caught a Common Darter to feed it's chicks,now that will be a mouthfull for any young warbler!.A good few hours in the warm afternoon sun.

Barton and Alk......

2011-07-24T19:27:00.001+01:00

Juvenile Kittiwake.

A change of scenery today included a visit to the Far-Ings area at Barton and a few hours at Alkborough Flats.Highlights at Barton consisted of very little in the way of surprises,but i enjoyed some lovely views of the resident Marsh Harrier's,with 1 particular juvenile showing brilliantly!.Also around the pits were a female Tuftie with a young brood of 6 ducklings and 6 Red Admiral were seen zooming about the flowers.After enjoying my walk here i made my way to Alkborough after visiting the visitor centre shop and parting with a very well spent 25 quid for the Butterflies of Britain and Ireland by Lewington and Thomas,a book i have been after for a while!.At Alkborough the highlight was an unfortunate one,as i found a Juvenile Kittiwake sat in the grass infront of the main hide,with the bird in a very distressed state,it later,sadly died,what a shame!.This little beauty,no doubt came from the relatively near breeding colonies at Bempton and Flamborough.Other birds here were at least 4 Greenshank,13 Dunlin and a single adult Little Stint,the Stint had me going for a while as it looked more interesting than it obviously was until the heat haze subsided,my first of the year!.Other sightings of note included a single Brown Hare and several more Red Admirals.A good few hours in the nice weather!.

The Carr's and Mess....

2011-07-23T22:40:00.000+01:00

Digger Wasp - Ammophila sabulosa.

Brown Argus.

Common Toad.

Juvenile Reed Warbler.

Firstly a visit to the carrs to check out a reported Quail or 2 at Worlaby drew a blank,but i managed to see a single Barn Owl sat next to it's nest box at the river and amazingly i could hear the Common Crane calling from the direction of Bonby,so that was my next port of call.On the way down to the river at Bonby another Barn Owl was seen,but this time at close range showing very nicely along the roadside,what a beauty!.I then parked up and had a scan around and before long the female Osprey flew in with a fish and proceeded to eat it's breakfast.I again heard the Crane calling from the direction of Saxby village,but still didn't see it!.Also seen down here was a single Peregrine perched on top of one of the pylons across the river in Appleby Carrs.I then travelled over to Messingham to see what i could find around the reserve with the best bird highlights being 1 adult and 2 juv. Spotted Flycatcher showing very well as the adult fed it's hungry fledglings,2 juv. Common Tern over Grebe lake,1 Green Woodpecker and a single Green Sand.Insect highlights were provided by 14 Red Admiral,Brown Argus and a Violet-ground Beetle.On the journey home,2 Common Buzzard and a single Marsh Harrier was seen over fields near to Briggate Lodge roundabout.

Sweet Honey!.....

2011-07-17T14:21:00.002+01:00

Comma.

Red Admiral.

Hedge Bindweed.

A visit to New Holland this morning to do my Webs count,saw very little wader's being seen,but i did manage a cracking female Honey Buzzard,which flew over my head and south west inland,being briefly mobbed by a couple of corvids before i lost it in the distance over Barrow.What was most certainly the same bird,was seen by N.D. at Appleby Carrs a couple of hours later!.The only other notable highlights from my webs count included 1 Common Sandpiper,104 Mute Swan and a passing female Marsh Harrier,which flew through my field of view while watching the Honey.Also seen was a single Grey Seal and at least 6 Red Admiral butterflies.A cracking few hours!.

Wader extravaganza!....

2011-07-16T20:01:00.001+01:00

After finally finishing my week of nights,and after a quick hours kip this morning,i headed for Blacktoft Sands RSPB in East Yorkshire.I had of course travelled today to try and see again,Tuesday's Marsh Sandpiper.After arriving and a brief encounter with a not very helpfull RSPB warden!,i made my way down to Singleton hide enjoying superb views of 2 2nd cal yr. Spoonbill's,9 Little Egret,6 Marsh Harrier,50 Black-tailed Godwit,Greenshank,Common Sandpiper and 2 summer plumaged male Ruff(1 of which was colour-ringed),but sadly no sign of the Marsh Sand.By this time it was torrential rain and myself along with a couple of other birders were stuck,but thankfully the Marsh Sand flew in straight past us and out of view,at least it was still here!.This theme continued as it was pretty flighty,but we all managed prolonged,excellent views from 'First Hide',being seen in the same scope views as Garganey,Wood and Green Sands,simply superb!and made up for the brief views on Tuesday morning at Alkborough.Also enjoyed here were the afore mentioned Green and Wood Sands,with 7 of the former and 2 of the latter being seen and on more than one occasion,feeding together,allowing a superb comparison of both species feeding alongside one another.Also seen while sat in the hide here were 11 flyby summer plumaged Spotted Redshank and the lovely Garganey,which looked like an eclipse male,but i couldn't be 100% sure as i didn't see the wing pattern,although it did have quite a strong head pattern!.A brilliant 3 hours around the reserve,albeit a bit of a soaking in between hides,but it was well worth it!!.

Marsh Sand......

2011-07-12T16:38:00.000+01:00

After getting a text of Neil last night,just as i was about to leave for work,i prayed the bird would be still present this morning and sure enough a well timed text again from Neil confirmed it's prescence,as i was leaving work for home.A quick u-turn and i was there.The bird was watched briefly from the bank top as it fed with 2 Greenshank ,but for some unknown reason,the birds were spooked and flew.After a search of all possible areas the bird could have been,it was re-found across the border in Yorkshire at Blacktoft Sands RSPB.This bird is the first in Lincolnshire since one at Bardney Beet factory in spring 1992 and is a long awaited addition to my personal and Lincolnshire list.It would have been great to have seen it at close range,but beggars can't be choosers in this game!.Also around the reserve included male Marsh Harrier,Spotted Redshank and the 2 Spoonbill's.The latter doing what Spoonbill's do best,sleeping,although one did stretch itself on one occasion!.A frantic few hours and i eventually caught up with some sleep!.

Bonby again!.....

2011-07-10T20:40:00.000+01:00

Puss Moth larvae.

An early morning start at the Carrs this morning as the sun came up,saw me getting some great sightings over the next couple of hours.On the way from Barnetby,i saw a single Barn Owl flying along the main street in Worlaby before i arrived at Bonby and was greeted to the superb sound of a calling Crane as i got out of the car.It was so still,and this fantastic call was echoing all around and then the Crane flew past heading towards Worlaby Carrs,a patch tick!.It later flew back to it's favourite field at Bonby adjacent to were the female Osprey was sat in her favourite tree!.She did a brief spell of flying about before again returning to the tree and stayed there until i left.Apart from the birds,i had come to try and find yesterdays Puss Moth larvae,which Colin had found and luckily i found 1,what a stunning caterpillar they are in the flesh,with the lovely lime,grey and white colouration,the amazing clown-like facial markings and double tail.When i found the Sallow Kitten larvae y.day i wasn't sure about the identification fully until i arrived home and was gutted to see Col's photo,so had to pop back this morning for a second look.I have always wanted to find a Puss Moth caterpillar after seeing them in a book as fledgling naturalist 35 plus years ago! and now i have,bloody brilliant!.A great few hours in the complete solitude of the Carrs all on my tod,with some brilliant birds and insects!.

Mess and Bonby bits.....

2011-07-09T20:48:00.001+01:00

Dune Helleborine.

Sallow Kitten larvae.

The wolds at Saxby.

An early start today saw me firstly visiting a cloudy and dull MSQ first and then heading for the Ancholme valley afterwards,resulting in some great sightings over the next 9 hours.Highlights seen at Mess included 3 Common Crossbill over,at least 1 Spotted Flycatcher still present in the plantation and a female Marsh Harrier also flying over.Very little else was seen here apart from the Dune and Marsh Helleborine's which are now in full flower and a brief view of a Fox and i also enjoyed watching a newly fledged brood of Wren's,which scolded me as i got too close,super little birds!.So it was onto Saxby and by this time the weather had certainly improved and was 21 degrees!.On arrival at the river,the female Osprey could be seen sat atop a tree in the distance and thankfully this was the direction i was heading in.After an enjoyable walk seeing a couple of Common Darter and at least 10 Small White,i arrived opposite the Osprey and enjoyed some superb views of this cracking eagle as it sat on it's regular perch.It then took flight and began soaring around with a Common Buzzard and Hobby in the same scope view before heading towards South Ferriby and that was the last time i saw it today.Also,in the field next to were the Osprey had been sat was the immature Common Crane and it showed brilliantly today at close range allowing some great views through the scope and it eventually sat down and went to sleep.We are so lucky this year to have 2 stonking birds summering on the doorstep,brilliant!.The reason i had actually visited Bonby today,wasn't to look for the birds,but some caterpillars i had found on some Sallows a couple of weeks ago.The caterpillars were identified as Sallow Kitten larvae and are superb looking,colourfull beasties,a real bonus and made my day!.The only other sightings along the river here included a single female Marsh Harrier,Common Darter and a family of Whitethroats,which gave cracking views in a patch of nettles and bramble.A great day out today,despite getting a real soaking at Bonby,but it was well worth it!.

A great day out!.....

2011-07-02T22:28:00.001+01:00

Wood Ants,Bedford Perlieus.

Wood Ant,Bedford Perlieus.

Female Silver-washed Fritillary.

White-letter Hairstreak,Bedford Perlieus.

A day out today with Dave and Colin to a few sites in Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire resulted in a fantastic day's wildlife watching.The first site we visited was the superb NNR at Bedford Perlieus,were we enjoyed a multitude of different species.Bird wise,the highlight of the day went to a cracking male Honey Buzzard watched soaring over the woodland here in the company of 2 Common Buzzard and was a real bonus as we searched the extensive woodland rides.Other bird sightings included several Red Kites,Nuthatch and Marsh Tits and a single Crossbill.The real reason to visit this site was to see what butterflies we could see and they certainly came up with the goods today,with superb views of both the beautiful Silver-washed Fritillary and the diminutive White-letter Hairstreak as both species showed brilliantly while nectaring on the woodland flowers,the Silver-washed being particularly stunning,what a cracking species!.Another surprise sighting was a single Dark-green Fritillary,my second sighting of the year.Other insects seen included my first Common Darter of the year,a female Black-tailed Skimmer,Speckled,Dark and Roesel's-bush Cricket's with a huge Wood Ant nest also found.After enjoying this super site we moved onto Fairmyn Wood.The main target here was obviously Purple Emperor,and we managed at least 6 individuals of this beautiful woodland butterfly,which included 1 on the ground and an egg-laying female,watched in a Sallow.Other butterfly species seen here included a single Silver-washed Fritillary,6 White Admiral,which were my first of the year and a couple of Dragonfly species also which included 3 Brown Hawker and 2 Southern Hawker.Birds seen here included a distant Red Kite,Grasshopper Warbler and a bathing Garden Warbler.Mammal sightings were provided today by a couple of Foxes and 3 lovely Fallow Deer.Some very nice plants were also enjoyed today and included Violet and Broad-leaved Helleborine's,the former being a new species for myself.A superb day out,with several first sightings of the year and an impressive 18 species of butterfly!.

Fen Bog,North Yorkshire,26.06.11.

2011-06-27T10:39:00.001+01:00

An introdution to the reserve.

Beautiful-yellow Underwing.

One of the many fantastic views.

Round-leaved Sundew.

Soldier Lichen.

A trip up to this fantastic reserve with Colin today certainly lived up to expectations,with us seeing some great sightings.Apart from the superb scenery and sweltering temperatures,we managed to see all our target species and some!.Several good bird sightings were had,which included Breeding Whinchat's and Curlew,18 Crossbill over,20 Siskin,1st summer Hobby over and Grey Wagtail,but the biggest and best surprise of the trip was a cracking male Nightjar,which i flushed at very close range,almost treading on it,while walking through a bracken covered hillside!.We got superb views of this nocturnal beauty as it glided into an area of Willow scrub,an unexpected bonus!.We really had come to see Dragon's,but apart from those aerial predators we were also treated some good moth's and butterflies as well.The best of which included Dark-green and Small pearl-bordered Fritillaries,Large Heath of the northern race 'Polydama' and Beautiful-yellow Underwing's.Other insects included Green-tiger Beetle and several Bog-bush Cricket nymphs.A couple of Adder's were also seen today and some Otter spraints were found on the small stream down from the car park.The world of flower's also provided some nice sightings with Heath-spotted Orchid,Bell Heather,Bog Asphodel and masses of Round-leaved Sundew.So all in all a superb visit again to this great reserve and part of the world.

Fish Eagle and Big bird again.....

2011-06-25T21:04:00.000+01:00

After hearing that the 2nd calendar year Osprey which has been spending some time along the river Ancholme between Worlaby and Saxby bridge had still been present on Thursday,i decided that i would take a look.After parking at Bonby Carrs,i walked down to the river and after ten minutes i was onto the Osprey as it flew out of a riverside tree and proceeded to fish,with the first effort drawing a blank,it tried again and this time was successful.You forget what an amazing sight it is to see a large bird like this totally submerge itself and then have the power and energy to get out of the water and then fly with a caught fish,usually under attack from Corvids,an amazing piece of behaviour!.On this occasion it caught a large Roach and flew across the river into Appleby Carrs and sat atop an Electricity pylon from which it enjoyed it's fishy meal,what a superb bird!.I then walked further along the river up to Saxby bridge and it was great to see that the summering Common Crane was still present in it's favourite field and i watched it as it walked about feeding,sometimes being lost in the long grass,with only the white on it's head being visible.It's amazing how such a big bird can be inconspicuous when feeding in rank vegetation.Other sightings of note included 2 Common Buzzard,2 Marsh Harrier and a lovely hunting Barn Owl.The owl being particularly nice after a dearth of sightings this year.A very enjoyable few hours.

Garden visitors....

2011-06-22T13:34:00.000+01:00

Now my garden isn't the biggest in the world and not the most attractive to birds,but continuous feeding of our little feathered friends throughout recent months has provided us with some surprise visitors,the best of which in recent days has been an adult Stock Dove.This species has always been a personal favourite and i always stop to watch them down the Carrs,but to get one visiting your garden was a nice surprise to say the least!.Other recent visitors have included a Rook,Magpie,a superb female Sparrowhawk and endless House Sparrows and Starling families,all making for entertaining viewing!.

Sunshine at last!.....

2011-06-20T18:23:00.000+01:00

Mating Green-veined White's.

Adult and final instar Forest Bug's.

Male Common-green Grasshopper.

Woke up this morning to blazing sunshine,what a contrast to the last week!.As Trace was at work,i decided to pay Messingham another visit.The first place i looked,was Grebe lake were after yesterdays traumatic events had hopefully ended well and after a quick scan,they had!.Yesterday we had arrived to see one of the Common Tern chicks floundering around in the water,calling continuously to the very distressed parents,but instead of trying to climb up onto the new raft which they have nested on,it decided to swim across to the old one.When we left yesterday,it was sat under the old raft in the water,but thankfully today it was on top,with constant calling and flapping of wings,no doubt trying to get it's parents attention,the other 2 chicks were still in situ on the new raft,which i must say is a poor design,with no protection around the edges and slippery sides,i think someone needs to go back to the drawing board!.Other birds observed today included a superb 1st summer Hobby which caught a Damselfly right infront of the Duck hide,at very close range and then proceeded to eat it on the wing,amazing views were enjoyed of this super fast Falcon,they do take some beating!.Also seen were a single Crossbill and Siskin in the plantation,along with the resident Spot Fly.With the warmer weather today the reserve was alive with insects and highlights included another couple of Garden Chafer,with several species of butterfly being seen which included Green-veined White,Brimstone,Small Heath,Large Skipper,Meadow Brown and Ringlet.Another great day at this brilliant reserve!.

My second home.......

2011-06-18T21:54:00.001+01:00

Female Common-green Grasshopper.

Fleshfly.

Common Toad.

Marsh Cinquefoil.

Another visit this afternoon to this superb reserve,after a brief visit to look for the Crane at Saxby,saw a decent variety of birds,insects and plants around the reserve.Bird highlights today consisted of a showy Spotted Flycatcher in the plantation,which was watched sallying for insects in the canopy of the pines,calling constantly,with that distinct pssss-tick call and nearby 4 Willow Tit were seen in a mixed Tit flock,giving nice views as usual.After meeting up with Mike,Steve and Teresa,further bird highlights went to a couple of Black-tailed Godwit,at least 6 Common Buzzard and 2 Hobby,on and around the main lake.Insect highlights went to my first Meadow Brown and Ringlet's of the year,with 3 and 10 respectively with other butterfly species seen including Speckled Wood,Green-veined White and Large Skipper.3 Grasshopper species were also observed today,with lots of adults beginning to be seen and i managed to get some decent pics too.The reserve was also covered in Toadlets and you had to be carefull not to tread on them,as they were easily into there hundreds and some of the paths were alive with them.Wildflowers put on a great show today around the reserve,with particularly Orchids being abundant,with Dune Helleborine,Marsh Helleborine,Southern-marsh Orchid and Common Twayblade being seen.The Bladderwort is beginning to flower also on the way down to the wader hide.A much better day than expected weather wise and a decent days birding and wildlife watching.

Beautiful Troutsdale....

2011-06-12T08:19:00.001+01:00

Herb Bennet.

Herb Robert.

Expert photographer at work.

The River Derwent.

An all day visit today to this stunning part of the countryside,primarily to see the reported Honey Buzzards didn't disappoint,with us seeing at least 4 different birds,with 2 male's displaying.The first bird we saw was displaying to the right of the raptor viewpoint as we viewed it and was distant until it flew across the valley over our heads,with a second male doing the same also,the display flight is amazing to see,with the males looking like giant butterflies with their wings above their heads,clapping together,stunning!.This second male was carrying food,which was interesting,so must have a female sitting and flew past at close range,allowing us to see the pale head and iris,what a cracker.While watching these superb birds,we also managed to see a couple of immature Goshawk,one which was watched chasing a Carrion Crow and then it chased another Gos,both looking like they were immature male's going on plumage characters and size,this certainly is raptor heaven!.We later saw another 2 Honey Buzzard,both probably females,from were we parked the car,just before it started to rain again,with a passing shower.Other raptor's observed,included single Sparrowhawk,Kestrel and at least 7 Common Buzzard,which included 2 displaying male's.After enjoying the raptor fest,we decided to walk around this superb area and after being seen off by a nasty farmers dog and a near accident trying to cross the river,we got back to the car safe and sound!.Highlights along the river included 4 Grey Wagtail,4 juvenile Grey Heron,2 Spotted Flycatcher,Kingfisher,Marsh Tit,Nuthatch and flyby sightings included a couple of Siskin and 22 Crossbill.Non-bird sightings today comprised of several Brown and 1 Sea Trout and an array of woodland flowers with the smell of Ramsons filling the air all along the river.A superb day out,in a cracking part of the world,with some great company.

Grus grus again....

2011-06-09T08:23:00.000+01:00

After a quick look this a.m. to see if the local Crane was still present,i dropped her indoors off at work and made my way down to Saxby bridge by the river Ancholme.Sure enough as i arrived the 2nd calendar year Common Crane was still present and in the same set-aside as the previous days sightings.The bird gave great views as it fed and preened in what seems to be a harvested maize field,it's plumage was also interesting to note,as the only immature bird i have ever seen,was my first,which flew south over Covenham Res on the 30th April 1990 and i didn't really get chance to study that birds plumage characters.The head pattern was quite well developed,being basically a shadow of the adults and the upperparts were just grey,but the tertials were not the big bush of feathers as on the adult birds.After watching this fine bird and also enjoying watching a hunting Hobby and a couple of Common Buzzard, i made my way home,an enjoyable hour or so!.

Messingham Bits....

2011-06-06T09:37:00.000+01:00

Sloe Bug.

Jumping spider-Salticus scenicus,with prey.

Southern-marsh Orchids.

Twayblade flower detail.

A few hours to spare today,while the boss was at work,so i decided to pay a visit to my second home at Messingham.The weather was a bit of a mixed bag again,but eventually brightened up with some warm sunshine,despite the cold easterly wind.After meeting up with Teresa,we began to search for the Tawny Owls that had been seen in the plantation and after some Blackbird's gave away it's position,we were treated to superb views of and adult Owl roosting at the side of a Willow,superb!.Other notable bird sightings today included mainly breeding birds,with the first Avocet chicks hatching,with one pair having 2 chicks and plenty of Black-headed Gull chicks all over the islands,we also saw 2 broods of Shelduck.Insect sighting's were provided by another Sloe Bug near the small pond in the plantation and a few Wild flower sightings brightened up the day with the Dune Helleborine's almost in flower and the Southern-marsh Orchids and Twayblade's,showing well.Another nice visit to this superb reserve.

Crowle Moor NNR.....

2011-06-05T05:51:00.002+01:00

Broad-leaved Helleborine.

Fledgling Whitethroat.

Superb heathland habitat.

Large Heath of the form 'Davus'.

Tree Bumblebee.

A change of scenery today,to visit one of my other summer haunts,saw me visiting this superb reserve,with plenty of highlights during my 5 plus hours on site.So to begin with,bird highlights consisted of at least 4 singing male Tree Pipit,watched giving that super,parachuting display flight akin to the Pipit family and i gained very nice views of one individual,with the other 3 birds being more distant.The best highlight from the avian world,was a flock of 5 Common Crossbill,watched 'Glipping' there way across the heath in an easterly direction,great birds and always a joy to see,these being all immature birds as well,a typical summer occurrance,but my first at this site.The Lepidopteran world was well represented today,by the reserve's speciality species,the Large Heath.At least 97 individuals were counted on my walk,with this being a great count and also pretty early to have such good numbers,the insects here are of the most southerly form 'Davus',with other's occurring further north in the form of 'Polydama' and 'Scotica'.Other butterfly species observed included singles of Peacock,Red Admiral and Speckled Wood and 10 Large Skipper.Other niceities observed during the visit,included at least 10 Common Lizard and possibly a significant find in the form of 3 spikes of what looked to be Dune Helleborine.The Helleborine's were beginning to flower like the Messingham population,but just not quite enough for photo's yet.A great day out to this superb reserve!.

The above found Helleborine's have been identified as Broad-leaved Helleborine.

Barton Pits...

2011-05-29T19:28:00.000+01:00

A few hours to spare this afternoon saw me heading to one of my old haunts at Barton,to see what i could find.As it was overcast,i didn't bother to look for insects today,so concentrated on our avian friends,with me beginning at the new visitor centre.The best birds,were a trio of lovely Little Gulls,watched feeding and loafing on the Outdoor pursuit pit,giving superb views as they hawked for insects over the water,sometimes in the company of a couple of the resident Common Terns,showing just how small these little beauties are.Also here,were at least 47 Avocet,with some of the chick's,now hatching giving good,but distant views and a largeish flock of 142 Common Swift,mixed in with Swallow's,House and Sand Martins,all giving superb close views over the water in the overcast conditions,great stuff!.An enjoyable few hours on the old patch.

MSQ And Big birds again.....

2011-05-29T07:48:00.000+01:00

Final instar Forest Shieldbug nymph.

Large-elephant Hawkmoth.

Pond Skater.

Digger Wasp sp. Argogorytes mystaceus.

A full day at Msq today and a second visit to see the Crane's,made up for a very good day despite the poor weather continuing,the highlights were as follows.At Messingham bird highlights consisted of mainly the resident breeding successes,with now 3 broods of Shelduck on the main lake,9,5 and 5,the pair of Great-crested Grebe still with 2 chicks and the Great-spotted Woodpecker chicks now hatching,while on the sheep fields at the back of the reserve,several Lapwing chicks,displaying Snipe and Redshank were observed.Other birds seen around the reserve included a couple of Common Buzzard,adult male Marsh Harrier and Green Woodpecker.Insect highlights included a cracking,freshly emerged Large-elephant Hawkmoth found by Dave,which allowed Dave,Colin,Teresa and myself to get some superb views and photo's.Other moth species observed today included a couple of Silver-ground Carpet,Common-white Wave and Clouded Border each and a Hebrew Character larvae,while micro moth's were represented by Scoparia ambigualis.Other interesting insects observed included my first Forest Shieldbug of the year and Digger Wasp sp. Argogorytes mystaceus.After enjoying our time around the reserve we all decided to pay the Common Crane's another visit and when we arrived they were again feeding in the same field,giving superb views of this majestic bird.We also saw them in flight briefly,showing off that huge flight profile,superb stuff and a big thanks to Teresa for taking us.Another great day out.

Big bird and Wet-my-lips......

2011-05-27T16:55:00.002+01:00

A trip out in the north of the county today saw me visiting a couple of Common Crane's that have been visiting some potatoe fields on the side of the River Trent near West Butterwick.When i first arrived the birds were nowhere to be seen and i had to make do with watching a cracking Hobby and listening to a calling male Quail nearby,with it's distinct 'Wet-my-lips' call.When the Crane's eventually flew in they showed brilliantly,feeding and preening in the field,giving nice views through the scope and they also did some brief displaying and calling,cracking stuff!!.A few mammals where seen also and included an endearing Fox cub watched nearby and a single Roe Deer.After enjoying these beautiful birds and gorgeous mammals,i made my way home with them being still present when i left and the male Quail still calling away!.An enjoyable few hours.

Windy MSQ..

2011-05-22T20:23:00.000+01:00

Hoverfly sp. Criorhina berberina.

Tortrix moth sp. Epiblema rosaecolana.

Sloe Bug.

Great Tit Nestlings.

Juvenile Mistle Thrush.

A couple of visits to the reserve over the weekend in some really blustery weather,particularly today saw me seeing some good sightings,which included one new species for myself and a personal first record for the reserve.Bird highlights were provided yesterday by 2 1st summer Hobby,hawking dragonflies over the main lake,giving some nice views and today a Little-ringed Plover amongst the breeding wader's and duck's.Other bird sighting's enjoyed over the 2 days included a gorgeous brood of day old Shelduck,4 pairs of Common Tern and 4 Common Buzzard,with a very tame juv. Mistle Thrush seeming oblivious to Theresa and myself today.Insect highlights were provided by my first sighting of the hoverfly species Criorhina berberina and my first personal record for the reserve of Sloe Bug,with 2 individuals being observed.Lepidoptera sightings included 15 Brown Argus and at least 20 Cinnabar Moths,with the micro moth species Epiblema rosaecolana being a personal first also.A windy couple of days,but enjoyable all the same with some nice company.

MSQ re-visited 15.5.11.

2011-05-17T08:36:00.000+01:00

Robber Fly-Dioctria atricapilla.

Male Brown Argus.

Long-jawed orb-web Spider,Tetragnatha extensa with caught Azure Damselfly.

A visit to this gem of a reserve again today after a disastrous Webs count,saw me seeing some nice sightings despite the early finish due to the blustery,showery weather.The best bird sighting went to my first Spotted Flycatcher of the year,with 2 together in the plantation.1 of the birds showed very well as it sallied for insects,a joy to watch and a real shame this species has declined so dramatically,hopefully they will nest successfully again this year.Other bird sightings comprised of at least 4 Common Buzzard,a distant Hobby and 32 Swift and an earlier visit to the sheep fields provided me with my first sighting for the year of some cute Lapwing chicks.Insect sightings were provided today by Wasp Beetle,Birch Shieldbug, and Brown Argus.Not a bad visit despite the mixed weather conditions.

Messingham Sand Quarries,09.05.11.

2011-05-10T19:00:00.000+01:00

Longhorn Beetle,Agapanthea villosoviridescens.

Germander Speedwell.

Meadow Saxifrage.

Breeding and feeding habitat for Odonata.

Another blustery,but warm visit today,saw some nice sightings through the 4 hours on site.Bird highlights consisted of my first Common Sandpiper of the year feeding around the bottom islands on the main lake and a cracking Hobby hawking insects over here as well!.A very confiding male Garden Warbler gave superb views around the car park,no doubt looking for a mate and a superb 'Pale Morph' Common Buzzard was watched soaring over the heath area and was a real stunner!.Insect highlights were provided today by my first Wall Brown of the year around the Duck hide and the first Agapanthea villosoviridescens of the year on the first clumps of Hemp Agrimony,both welcome sightings to add to the notebook.I also saw a superb queen Median Wasp chewing wood pulp from the Duck hide,a stunning insect!.Another great visit!.

Bonby Bits.

2011-05-08T20:03:00.000+01:00

After a tip off yesterday evening about a couple of Temminck's Stint and a small flock of 6 Wood Sands at Bonby Carrs,i decided to go down and have a look this morning after dropping Trace at work.When i arrived it was blowing a gale and peeing down,but it soon brightened up and i walked down to look to see if any of the waders were showing.After a little while and with some able assistance from RH and WG we managed to see 4 Wood Sandpiper feeding around the water's edge,although a little distant,but still cracking birds all the same!.Also on the rapidly drying pools were a couple of cracking Little Egret,a single Dunlin and Greenshank and a very nice 'Greenland type' male Wheatear.Also present was a very unseasonal neck collared Pink-footed Goose,which surely should be on it's way to Iceland by now,perhaps the cold easterly weather last week has held it back?.A nice couple of hours on the local area.

Fenland..07.05.11.

2011-05-08T05:23:00.001+01:00

Woodwalton Fen entrance.

Mating Pebble Hook-tip's,Woodwalton Fen.

Coreus marginatus,Holme Fen.

A trip out of the county today with Colin deep into the heart of the Cambridgeshire fens,primarily to look for Scarce Chaser,saw us enjoying a varied array of wildlife and bird sightings,despite the wet start.We first visited Woodwalton Fen NNR,were avian highlights were provided today by,5 Grasshopper Warbler reeling away as we walked around this superb reserve,with us also enjoying views of 1 bird,followed by 3 singing male Nightingales heard singing that beautiful song as we continued are exploration of the reserve,with several Garden Warbler,a 'Yaffling' Green Woodie and a distant Cuckoo adding to the sounds of summer.Mammal highlights here were provided by at least 3 Chinese-water Deer,which included a barking male,startled by our prescence and a close encounter with a female from the Rothschild mere hide briefly as it munched on reeds,lovely animals.Insects were also well represented on our visit here and apart from the afore-mentioned dragons the highlights were a single Red Admiral and a couple of mating Pebble Hooktip which i found while sheltering out of the rain under a Silver Birch!.A superb place to visit and i would love to go back in better weather.So onto another reserve,the nearby Holme Fen,which is also part of the 'Great Fen' project to re-create some of the county's previous fenland habitat and link these two reserves together.Here bird highlights consisted of a single Hobby hawking insects,single Grasshopper Warbler and a Common Buzzard.It was mainly insects which provided the best sightings and we saw some nice additions to our already impressive list for the day,these included several Coreus marginatus,a species of Squash Bug observed on a couple of areas of Dock and at least 2 Peacock Moth,a new species for us both!.There were also quite a few butterflies on the wing here and included Holly Blue,Orange Tip,Speckled Wood,Peacock,Brown Argus and our first Common-blue's of the year.So all in all a superb day,despite the early rain,i certainly will be back to this cracking area!.

Messingham Sand Quarries 02.05.11.

2011-05-03T15:53:00.000+01:00

Another trip out to this superb reserve today,saw me adding a few more firsts for the year in the form of 3 Wood Sandpiper,Swift and Drake Garganey to my year list.Both the Wood Sands and Drake Garganey were watched feeding around the bottom islands at the far end of the main lake on the reserve and gave pretty good views,albeit a little distant,the Swift was watched hawking insects over the same lake along with a mixed flock of House and Sand Martins and Swallows.This now brings my yearlist total to a respectable 187.Other bird highlights were provided by a female Marsh Harrier and at least 6 Common Tern,with still good numbers of migrants present on the reserve.Butterflies seemed to also be in good numbers today,with the highlights being my first Brown Argus of the year and at least 3 Red Admiral.Another great visit to this super place.

Barn Door and Prat again....

2011-04-30T20:55:00.002+01:00

Ruckland,Lincolnshire Wolds.

Industrial sunset at South Killingholme.

With the continued prescence of the 2nd calendar year White-tailed Eagle being seen at Ruckland deep in the heart of the Lincolnshire Wolds,i made the trip over to see it today and eventually after a 5 hour wait,saw this majestic raptor.The bird flew in from a northerly direction and did a superb flypast over the village and into the area were the fishponds are,did a few circuits,scaring the living daylights out of the local geese and Mallard population and promptly sat in a large Beech tree.I then walked around along the public footpath to be treated to some excellent views of this monster bird of prey as it preened and watched the Greylag's below,no doubt eyeing up it's next meal,before it took flight again and disappeared behind a wood to the east.What an absolute cracker and this constitutes my first sighting of this species ever!.Also seen in the area today,a single Hobby and at least 6 Common Buzzard.After tea,i then rounded the day off with another visit to see the beautiful Collared Pratincole at South Killingholme and it showed absolutely brilliantly today,with me enjoying some superb views of it on the deck as well as hawking insects,what a beauty and a superb end to a fantastic day!.

Tetney Pipit etc....

2011-04-28T23:10:00.000+01:00

Another trip out this morning before work,to see if i could connect with the reported Tawny Pipit,saw me eventually seeing the bird after a bit of a run around.I managed to find it feeding along an area of rotting Sugar Beet,what a stunning bird!,it then flew and i didn't see it again.This is my first sighting of this lovely Mediterranean species and leaves me only needing to see Buff-bellied Pipit to complete my list of British Pipits.Other birds seen this morning included a trip of 7 gorgeous Dotterel on an adjacent pea field,2 Cuckoo,3 Wheatear and a single Short-eared Owl.A very productive 3 hours!.

Collared Pratincole.....

2011-04-28T23:00:00.001+01:00

A well timed phone call yesterday,late morning,saw me dashing for Rosper-road Pools at South Killingholme to see a gorgeous Collared Pratincole.The bird was watched as it performed to the assembled group of birders,hawking insects over the area of open water and adjacent hedgerow,what an absolute cracker!.After watching it for about 30 minutes the bird gained height and flew off to the east and was eventually lost to view,but the bird was again seen in the evening.This is my second sighting of this beautiful tern-like wader after seeing the bird present at Frampton Marsh RSPB in August 2009 and also constitutes the 5th record for Lincolnshire.The only other birds seen while watching this beauty,were 4 Arctic Tern,passing rapidly west,my first of the year.

Nightingale's....

2011-04-24T17:42:00.000+01:00

A family outing with Trace,Shell and Lee,saw us popping into Whisby nature reserve near Lincoln so muggins could go and see the resident Nightingales and what a show they put on too!.The first bird i came across was singing it's head off,but was very skulking and only brief views of a bird shape were all i saw,so i decided to walk a little way further and found a second male.This particular bird was a proper poser singing right out in the open on an exposed branch,stunning!.He went through his full reportoire of song and when i got too close started to give that grating 'Kerrr,Kerrr' alarm call,but still showed excellently,what a cracking bird,with his reddish brown rump and tail.The sound at times was so intense from this songster that you could actually feel it ringing in your ears,great stuff.This seems to be the only site in Lincolnshire were this beautiful bird is hanging on and long may it do so!.

Falco Subbuteo etc....

2011-04-23T18:56:00.000+01:00

Cuckoo Flower.

Tachinid Fly,Tachina ursina.

A woodland scene on the reserve.

With the prospect of another gorgeous days weather,i headed for my favourite summer haunt and had one of my best day's so far this year.The best birds i encountered went to a couple of 1st summer Hobby watched catching St.Mark's Fly's which were swarming everywhere today,these falcon's are so agile and the pair put on a superb aerobatic display,snatching the fly's with their talons and dispatching them in the air,fantastic stuff and a superb sight,one of which i never tire.The reserve is now well and truly alive with summer visitors and the nicest sighting i had was watching a gorgeous male Garden Warbler as it sang that lovely liquid song inbetween catching several flies,this is my favourite warbler species and this site is a haven for this sadly declined species.Other bird highlights included a super male Marsh Harrier,2 Willow Tit,at least 4 Common Tern and a gorgeous summer plumaged Black-tailed Godwit.Today the reserve was alive with Insect's,with my first Odonata species of the year recorded,with 6 species seen and 9 species of butterfly,which included my first Small Copper's of the year.Other goodies included a single Tachina ursina a parasitic species of fly and clouds of the afore mentioned St.Mark's Fly which were providing food for all the avian visitors to the reserve.Another great day in some scorching weather.

Barton Bits.....

2011-04-22T20:42:00.000+01:00

Male Orange Tip

Bee-Fly

Hawthorn Shieldbug

A visit to Barton today while Trace was at work,saw me seeing several first records of the year in the form of both insects and birds.The best highlights were at least 4 Grasshopper Warbler's,1 to the right of reedy causeway at Far-Ings and 3 along the shoreline reedbeds infront of the new visitor centre.There have been up to 19 birds here at Barton,an unprecedented event!.Other bird first's for the year included a lovely male Lesser Whitethroat near north meadow at Far-Ings,with another heard singing nearby,a male Yellow Wagtail,over west and 2 Common Tern on Hotel Pit.Insects also featured,with my first Red Admiral's of the year,with 3 being seen and also i recorded my first Bee-Fly's to be recorded at Barton.This latter species is slowly spreading through the county,with,in recent years the species also appearing at Messingham Sand Quarries.A nice few hours in the s.

Chamber's Farm Wood.....

2011-04-17T18:45:00.000+01:00

Wood Anemone

Green-veined White

One of the many woodland rides

Male Common Lizard

A change of scenery today from my usual haunts,saw me visiting the superb Bardney Limewoods complex at Chamber's Farm Wood.I purposefully arrived for dawn hoping to hear some Nightingale song,but sadly as last year,i drew a blank.All was not lost though,as i recorded my first Turtle Dove,Cuckoo and Garden Warbler's of the year,with singles of each,the Turtle Dove being the earliest i have recorded.It was great to hear the great spring sound's of Cuckoo song and Turtle Dove,with that gorgeous purring sound as i enjoyed the lovely spring sunshine.There were also fairly good numbers of Blackcap,Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler present,with number's being 30,25 and 18 respectively.Other notable bird sightings included 3 Brambling,2 Siskin and at least 4 Common Buzzard.Mammal sightings today comprised of 3 Muntjac and 4 Brown Hare,both species showing well.Reptile sightings included my first Grass Snake's of the year with 3 being recorded(2 male and 1 female) and at least 15 Common Lizard,the Lizards showing brilliantly!.Notable insect sightings included my first Orange Tip's of the year with 3 males and also 7 Peacock,3 Speckled Wood,3 Brimstone,1 Small Tort,11 Green-veined White and 2 Comma.An excellent day out at this superb site,with the above sightings,coupled with a suffusion of spring flowers and nice weather,great!.

Kj's Garden,16.4.11.

2011-04-17T18:19:00.001+01:00

Trace and myself went to visit my sister Kirsty and Kev,her boyfriend,at her home at Beverley yesterday and as it was a nice day,we were sat in the garden.First of all we had 3 Sparrowhawk,1 male and 2 female's displaying over the garden and then about 30 minutes later i spotted 2 more raptor's soaring around on the thermals,2 adult Peregrine!.They were a male and a female and gave great views as they slowly drifted south,perhaps checking the Minster for a new nesting site.After this unexpected sighting,we continued to enjoy the sun seeing several butterflies which included 3 Brimstone,2 male Holly Blue,3 Green-veined White and my first Large White of the year,great stuff and it just goes to show what can turn up in and around your garden.

Lutra lutra etc.....

2011-04-10T19:33:00.000+01:00

Fan-leaved Water-Crowfoot

Ground-Ivy

Long-tailed Tit nest

Lycogala terrestre

The heath area on the reserve.

A few hours spare again today while Trace was working,so i decided to go back to Messingham Sand Quarries to see what i could find.The highlight of another great visit,was more fantastic views of an Otter watched fishing on Grebe lake and i spent at least 45 minutes watching it today,what a beauty!.I never get tired of watching these superb animals,they are simply fantastic!.I was also very pleased that Teresa managed to see it today after several blank visits and i also managed to find another area were it has been scent marking.Bird highlights today included at least 4 Marsh Harrier,6 Common Buzzard,more Blackcap,Willow Warbler's and Chiffies and a couple of Brambling in the entrance to the pine plantation,with the male heard singing on several occasions,great stuff.Insects featured highly again today with the following totals for butterflies being 5 Brimstone,6 Green-veined White,3 Peacock,3 Speckled Wood,1 Comma and 1 Small Tortoiseshell,with other highlights including a Red-breasted carrion-Beetle and several Slender groundhopper.Amphibians were also well represented today with about 20 Common Frog,15 Common Toad and 10 Smooth Newt.Another superb day at this priceless reserve.

Barton Dip and MSQ again....

2011-04-09T21:39:00.000+01:00

Female Common Toad.

Marsh Marigold's.

Speckled Wood.

A visit to Water's Edge this morning drew a blank,while visiting the site to look for the reported Slavonian Grebe and after a conversation with Graham i learnt that on the previous evening,the Slav had been chased all over the pit by the local Great-crested Grebe's,buggar,but not was all lost,as i had seen 2 summer plumaged birds here in the past.I then decided to walk up to the Sailing pit enjoying superb views of my first Sedge,Reed and Cetti's Warbler's for the year,the Cetti's and Reed showing particularly well!.It was obvious that there was quite a lot of migrant warbler's about with me recording total's of 17 Blackcap,12 Chiffie's,7 Willow,5 Sedge and 3 Reed Warbler,an impressive haul considering we are only in the first week in April!.The highlight of the visit,was the female Long-tailed Duck watched diving for food on the Sailing pit,loosely associating with a first summer male Goldeneye,both lovely species.Raptor's also featured,with 2 Common Buzzard drifting west,a cracking male Marsh Harrier and a soaring Sparv.A fairly unseasonal sighting,was 13 Pink-footed Geese watched flying west.Insects were also apparant today,with Butterflies being represented by my first Speckled Wood and Brimstone of the year and singles of Comma,Small Tortoiseshell and a couple of Peacock.After picking Trace up from work and dropping her at home i went over to Messingham and it was nice to meet up with Teresa,Mike and Rog.The best sighting's here included a good mix of birds and Insects,with a couple of male Marsh Harrier,5 Common Buzzard,single Brambling in the plantation and more Chiffie's,Willow Warbler's and Blackcap's,coupled with my first Green-veined White of the year,3 more Speckled Wood and singles of Brimstone,Small Tort,Comma and Peacock,so six species recorded,pretty good stuff.We also managed to find more Otter sign's and also 15 Smooth Newt's in the woodland plantation,with a few Common Toad's also seen and my first Bee-Fly's of the year.So,all in all a good few hours out and about with some nice company.

A taste of the Orient.....

2011-04-02T19:34:00.001+01:00

An early start today along with 2 other hardy twits,sorry twitcher's,saw us heading for Oxfordshire in the search of the reported Oriental-turtle Dove.After the very entertaining experience of listening to Neil's entire collection of Motown music and the 3 hour journey,we eventually arrived at the bird's chosen garden.We were quickly waved in by the owner on arrival and promptly told it had just been showing,so we paid our 5 pound donation and settled down to the surreal experience of twitching a rarity in someone else's kitchen!.After what seemed like an eternity and enjoying superb views of 29 Brambling,male Blackcap and 4 Bullfinch which were also visiting the garden feeders,we got some fleeting views of the bird at last.We only managed to see it's head and body and also had some brief flight views as it was spooked by a passing Sparv,but at least we had seen it,although not great,but better was to come.We were then told the bird was showing down the road,so off we all went,to be told it had flown off again,this wasn't going well.Neil and Graham decided to walk back into town and get the car while the bird appeared again,when all of a sudden someone said it was back in the garden.We all made our way back to the house and i got cracking views of the bird along with ten other birders as it fed on the bird table in front of the patio,superb stuff!!,i willed Graham and Neil to arrive,but the bird flew into next doors garden and thankfully was still showing and they eventually got back to see the bird.This is only the 5th record for Britain of this very rare eastern vagrant and the owner's of the house have to be congratulated for raising money to save birds in Malta and for letting so many strangers into their home.A superb bird and my first new species of the year!.

Far-Ings NNR. 01.04.11.

2011-04-02T19:14:00.000+01:00

A spare few hours this morning while her indoors was working,so i decided to pop over to Far-Ings and have a look to see what spring migrants had arrived on the banks of the Humber.The first migrants i came across,were a steady passage of Sand Martins over ness lake all moving west,with a total of 125 birds,but no Swallows or House Martins today.After spending what seemed like an eternity in Ness hide and dodging a few showers,i enjoyed some nice views of an adult male Marsh Harrier as it hunted the now dry scrapes and reedy causeway,a lovely bird!.After seeing the Harrier i continued onto the Humber bank,quickly seeing a Wheatear sillouhette on the banktop.I then began to watch this harbinger of spring and it showed nicely as it caught several insects,things wern't going to badly at all.After this i made the daft mistake of walking around the new pools instead of walking through north meadow,as Andy found a male Firecrest after i had left,buggar!.A quick check of Old cements before leaving for home revealed a single Willow Warbler and a nice male Blackcap which showed very well and spent most of the time i observed it,singing that,rich fluty song,my first of the year and a good end to the visit.

Windy Mess.....

2011-03-31T17:46:00.000+01:00

Juvenile Common Frog.

Male Smooth Newt.

A lovely early spring scene.

Otter spraint.

Peacock Butterfly.

Marsh Marigold.

A visit to this superb little reserve didn't disappoint today with me seeing some nice birds and another superb,but brief encounter with our native aquatic mustelid.The first highlight of the visit,was my first Swallow of the year seen flying over the second lake,battling against the blustery South west wind,quickly to be followed later by my first House Martin,feeding over the main lake with a decent sized flock of 100 Sand Martin.The House and Sand Mart's gave superb views,hawking insects over the water,a lovely sight and brightened up the day as alway's.Next,was the best sighting of the visit,with me seeing,albeit briefly,a cracking Otter watched catching a fish and then devouring it,superb!!.This is my 3rd of the year so far,with 2 being seen at Barton a few weeks ago.Lets hope the sighting's continue of this beautiful mammal.While watching the Otter,i had heard a brief part of Willow Warbler song and sure enough i found the little beauty singing in an adjacent Hawthorn,this is my first sighting of the year of this returning summer visitor and a personal favourite.Other bird sighting's during the visit included at least 14 Siskin in the plantation,4 Avocet,46 Wigeon,8 Chiffchaff and 5 northbound Redwing.Insects were represented by singles of Peacock Butterfly and Small Tortoiseshell and i enjoyed my first Common Frog sighting of the year along with 12 Smooth Newt in the small woodland pond in the Pine plantation.An excellent visit to this cracking little reserve!.

Superb Viper's,29.03.11.

2011-03-30T16:59:00.001+01:00

Female Adder,Laughton Forest.

Male Adder,Laughton Forest.

Female Adder,Laughton Forest.

A full day to myself today,so i decided to pay Laughton a visit and try and get some images of the resident Adder's again.When i first arrived,the weather wasn't great,but by mid-morning the sun began to finally break through.I managed to find a total of five individual animals today which consisted of 4 males and a single female and got the usual fantastic views and encounters with these superb reptiles.I also managed to see a few nice birds here too,with a single male Woodlark singing over the clearing,2 or 3 Chiffies,45 Siskin and a handfull of Redpoll's,with the resident Grey Heron's calling in the background as they attended their young and 4 Common Buzzard drifted over with that superb mewing call.Other sighting's consisted of a lovely Comma and my first Parent Bug of the year.A good day in some warmth at last
.

The Patch....

2011-03-28T18:33:00.000+01:00

Misty sun on the patch.

Female Twin-spotted Quaker.

A few hours out this morning as Trace was at work,saw me revisiting yesterday evenings Great-grey on the patch at Worlaby.The bird was seen on arrival and was already being watched by Graham and a few others.It put on a fine performance,catching lot's of food which included several earthworms and Cranefly larvae and was seen at fairly close range,perched on the roadside fence near to the crossing,what a super bird and a long mooted species to occur here.While watching the star bird,i picked up a raptor flying in from the direction of Broughton bridge,gliding on flat wings and i knew what it was immediately,a cracking Red Kite.We watched as the bird flew the length of the wet pasture,giving nice views and heading for the wolds.This is the first time i have seen the species on the patch and was a welcome addition to my list and is my 11th species of raptor here!.The next goodie,was a nice male Wheatear watched feeding in a ploughed field next to the soak drain and gave lovely views as it caught several insects.This is my first of the year and my first recorded down here for 2 years and a welcome spring sight!.Non bird sightings included a Twin-spotted Quaker which i rescued from one of the ditches,a couple of Brown Hare and several 7-spot Ladybird.A cracking few hours on the patch again!.

Wonderfull Hatfield and Patch Great-grey.......

2011-03-28T17:20:00.005+01:00

Female Common Groundhopper,Hatfield Moor NNR.

Cuckoo Bee-Nomada leucophthalma,Hatfield Moor NNR.

A trip out today with Chris and Dave to the excellent Hatfield Moor NNR,saw us having a great day.We started proceedings at the nearby Huggin Carr which is adjacent to the NNR and enjoyed superb views of at least 9 Black-necked Grebe,our first good bird of the day.The Grebe's are frequenting a lake which ,sadly,is being developed,so future disturbance will put an end to this site being used by the species.The grebe's showed very well,with them already matched up into pairs,with much calling between them and 1 pair was watched displaying briefly,superb stuff and a real privilege to enjoy these birds.Also around the lake were our first Sand Martin's of the year,with 5 birds being seen,2 smart,singing male Corn Bunting,with their distinct,jangling song,2 Chiffchaff and 5 Goldeneye.A good start!.So it was on to the reserve after running the gauntlet of the Hounds of the Baskerville's again for a second time and down to business.The first place we looked was Boston Park lake,with another 2 Black-necked Grebe being observed here,our first Little-ringed Plover of the year on one of the small islands,at least 51 Sand Martin and the Aythya hybrid from earlier in the year.We then made the long walk down to the other end of the reserve at Ten acre lake,finding a Grey Plover on one of the adjacent pools,a good bird for an inland site and seeing a couple of Common Buzzard and a distant,hunting female Marsh Harrier(With another being seen later).As we arrived at the far end of the lake,the star bird of the day was seen,the gorgeous summer plumaged Red-necked Grebe.We watched him,as he swam around his territory,catching several fish,which included a good sized Roach and was also quite vocal,as on last years visit.If only he could find a mate!.Other birds seen during the day included a further 5 Common Buzzard,2 Redpoll and a handfull of Green and Great-spotted Woodpecker's.Insects were well represented today,with 2 Small Tortoiseshell and a Peacock representing the butterflies and first sightings of the year which included 2 Green-tiger Beetle's and about 50 Common-Groundhopper.I also managed to find a new species today,in the form of a Cuckoo Bee,Nomada leucophthalma,which is a parasite of Andrena clarkella.We also managed to see 1 male Adder.An excellent day at this superb reserve!.

Turkeytail,Hatfield NNR.

After i arrived home,i had just finished my tea and was dozing after all the walking,i got a timely phone call from Neil to say that a Great-grey Shrike was on my patch!.I was there within about 5 minutes and the bird was sat atop a Hawthorn bush and didn't stay put for long,as a passing train flushed it.Luckily i quickly refound the bird sat in another Hawthorn,from which it stayed and went to roost.What a cracker and an unexpected end to the day!!.

Pulfin Bog/High Eske NR.

2011-03-26T20:10:00.000Z

A walk up to Pulfin with my sister,Kev and Trace this afternoon produced a few nice sightings,although nothing out of the ordinary.The best birds were a couple of Little Egret watched roosting up on one of the islands,no doubt getting some respite from the cold easterly breeze today,the first ones i have seen down here and brightened up the dull day.The only other really notable sighting was a couple of European White-fronted Geese which were residing with the local Greylag flock,1 individual was fairly tolerant of our approach,but the other soon made it's way out into the middle of the lake.Who know's were these two could have originated from,they could be wild birds or escapee's from a collection somewhere,but were nice to see all the same.Other sighting's included a single Kingfisher seen fleetingly on a couple of occasions,a singing Chiffchaff in a waterside willow,86 Wigeon,33 Mute Swan and 4 Goldeneye and on the walk back 12 Pied Wagtail on a freshly ploughed field and 10 Fieldfare.An enjoyable few hours,despite that biting wind!.

Mixed bag.....

2011-03-20T16:25:00.001Z

Greylag Geese,Far-Ings NNR.

A trip out again today to firstly,Worlaby then South Ferriby,then Barton finishing on the patch,saw me seeing a good mixture of departing winter visitors and incoming spring migrants.Highlight of the day went to a superb male Black Redstart watched feeding around Chowder Ness Farm at Barton,giving superb views at times,although he was a little elusive feeding inside some of the farm buildings.This is my first spring bird for some years and was a welcome sight,thanks to Mr Sharp for finding it!.Also at Barton was a cracking singing male Firecrest watched feeding with a tit flock in Target lake hedge,3 Chiffchaff,a south bound Common Buzzard,a single Avocet and a displaying pair of Great-spotted Woodpecker,which showed brilliantly.At Ferriby,the best birds were 19 Whooper Swan,3 Common Buzzard,a prospecting pair of Marsh Harrier and 40 Pink-footed Geese.Finally,Worlaby produced the still resident flock of 8 'Taiga' Bean Geese,being seen today on the small reservoir,at least 12 Common Buzzard in the area,with 5 together over the railway crossing and finally 3 Marsh Harrier.Non-bird sightings comprised of 3 Brown Hare at South Ferriby and 2 at Worlaby.A great day out again!.

Full Of Beans......

2011-03-19T21:36:00.000Z

Jumping Spider-Salticus scenicus,Water's Edge,Barton.

Groundsel,Water's Edge,Barton.

The highlight of a lovely spring day today,was the fantastic sight of 8 'Taiga' Bean Geese on the local patch at Worlaby!.When first seen this morning,they were only observed in flight,but a quick visit again this afternoon saw me enjoying some great views of them on the deck.This is the first time i have seen this distinctive race of Bean Goose,not only for the patch,but also for Lincolnshire.Other birds seen here included 1 Short-eared Owl and a record patch count of 78 Whooper Swan flying north in 2 flocks of 23 and 55 respectively.The 23 landed on fields in Bonby Carrs and contained 1 colour-ringed bird.Other highlights enjoyed today included my first Chiffchaff's of the year,singing away in the spring sunshine at Barton and the male Long-tailed Duck still present on the sailing pit.Non bird sightings included a single Comma seen at Water's Edge,several clumps of Coltsfoot and a Roe Deer at South Ferriby along with several Brown Hare.An excellent 4 hours out!!.

Gloomy Donna and Covenham Res.....

2011-03-13T21:03:00.000Z

Coltsfoot,Donna Nook NNR.

Badger footprints,Donna Nook NNR.

Male Yellow-dung Fly,Covenham Reservoir.

A day out today with Chris and Dave resulted in a few goodies being seen in the gloomy conditions,what a contrast to yesterday.We put in some considerable effort at Donna Nook,walking south to quad 3 and then all the way up to Pye's Hall,with the best birds being the wintering Hooded Crow seen in the quad 3 area with his Carrion cousins and showed fairly well being seen in flight and perched.This species seems to be much rarer in Linc's these days,what a shame!.The only other notable sighting's were a Merlin watched hunting along the beach and perched up on the RAF targets and 8 Long-tailed Tit.Non-bird sightings here included my first Coltsfoots of the year and lot's of Badger activity ,with tracks all over the beach area.The last place we visited was Covenham Res,with the best bird here being a single Sanderling watched feeding along the east bank,this is the first time i have observed the species here.Other birds here included 3 Goosander(2 Drake and 1 Duck) and 27 Goldeneye.On the way home 3 Common Buzzard where seen near to Ludborough.Not a bad day despite the weather.

Woodland Wonder's.....

2011-03-12T20:53:00.001Z

Hide and seek!,male Adder,North Linc's.

Male Adder,North Linc's.

A trip out today to one of the local woodlands resulted in a great 4 hours while Trace was working.The main reason i had ventured out today,was to look for those zig-zag patterned reptiles which are now emerging from their winter homes and i managed to find 6 individuals today and got some excellent views of these stunning animals as they basked in the warm,hazy spring sunshine.I also managed to get some fairly good images of them as well,which is always a bonus.While watching the Adder's,several good birds where seen and included a singing male Woodlark,with it's beautiful song washing over the woodland,2 Common Crossbill,30 Siskin and 5 Common Buzzard.There was also quite a bit of insect activity today,which included my first Buff-tailed bumble-Bee,Seven-spot Ladybird and Pine Ladybird's today.Spring is certainly here now!.

Peacock....

2011-03-07T15:48:00.002Z

A shout from Trace this afternoon saw us enjoying our first butterfly sighting of the new season,with a Peacock enjoying the lovely afternoon sun,basking on our garden fence.A nice sighting and a sure sign spring is on it's way!.

MSQ And The Humber Estuary.....

2011-03-06T14:40:00.001Z

A few hours out this morning starting firstly at Messingham Sand Quarries where spring was all around today,with birdsong filling the air and my first amphibian sighting of the year,with a single male Smooth Newt in the small woodland pond in the plantation.The best bird sightings today included a couple of Goosander watched fishing on the main lake and 2 'Trumpeting' Whooper Swans flying onto the small pond on the sheep fields,one of the birds being colour ringed.Also on the sheep fields was a good sized flock of 112 Wigeon and more signs of spring with displaying Skylark's,Lapwing's and Oystercatcher's.The next place i visited was the superb Read's Island,were the best birds included a feast of raptor's, which included juv. Rough-legged Buzzard,2 juv. Peregrine,Merlin,4 Marsh Harrier and a single Common Buzzard,with my first Avocet's of the year being seen also,with a superb count of 236 birds.Other birds seen here included a couple of 'Sinensis' Cormorant,several groups of Wigeon and Teal,but no sign of the Pink's today.A quick visit to Water's Edge on the way home revealed very little apart from a drumming Great-spotted Woodpecker and a nest building pair of Magpie.A good few hours,with spring here at last.

Oldsquaws,Greenland Whitefront and Vipera berus.....

2011-02-27T20:05:00.000Z

Male Adder,Laughton Forest.

A trip out today with Chris saw us visiting Barton first thing and seeing the pair of Long-tailed Duck still present on their temporary home,showing out in the middle of the pit along with about 30 Goldeneye,a good start.As Chris's main target today was the Greenland White-front,we made our way to Read's Island and after about 30 minutes we got onto it and it showed pretty well,with it's bright orange legs and carrot orange bill,a cracking bird!.Other goodies here included a superb juv. Peregrine watched chasing the local waders and a male and female Marsh Harrier.The last site we visited was Laughton Forest,where the highlights included a single Nuthatch at Owlet Plantation and my first male Adder of the year and a couple of Roe Deer.A good day out despite the dull weather.

Cats and Dogs....

2011-02-19T13:43:00.001Z

A planned day out today had to be aborted due to the gorgeous weather we are experiencing at the moment,so i had a quick drive to Barton to look for the pair of Long-tailed Duck's currently residing on the Sailing pit there.After about 20 minutes i managed to see them through the torrential rain out in the middle of the pit with them looking quite at home on the choppy water,these are the first L.t.D's i have seen this year,so where a welcome sighting and i always think they are such an appealing duck species!.I had a quick drive around after seeing the duck's to look for the 'Pink' flock,but even they wern't stupid enough to show themselve's today.Oh well there's always tomorrow!.

Showy S.e.O's......

2011-02-12T21:15:00.001Z

Sunset on the patch at Worlaby.

A visit to the patch for 3 hours this afternoon,saw the Short-eared Owl's putting on a fantastic show in the lovely afternoon sunshine.A total of 8 birds were seen today and put on a great display sparring with each other and hunting,with frequent calling involved,it would be great if a pair stopped to breed!.The best bird of the afternoon was also seen in the same vicinity as the Shorties,a cracking juv. male Hen Harrier which came into roost in the pasture field.As it flew in,it was briefly chased and mobbed by two of the S.e.O's and it looked like it had not long ago eaten,with it's crop looking full and it confirmed this by flying in and not getting up again,settling to roost.Other sightings included 9 of the ubiquitous Common Buzzard and 117 Fieldfare and the first signs of spring with a singing male Skylark.An enjoyable few hours on the patch.