Patch Watch

Another Friday time to look for somemore Finch’s this time in the Club Area “The Patch” and up to High Hoyland nr Bretton for the first look. Geared up I made my way into the fields and it wasn’t long before I had some fly over Linnet, thanks to some calling as they were going over, but they made their way down to the over side of the field and too far to see if anything else was with them. Patience prevailed and it wasn’t long before I was in and amongst the flock birds all around me thanks to the hedge layout , I was soon feasting on Yellowhammers, Reed Buntings, Chaffinch, Linnet, Brambling c15, I did manage to get sight of one Lesser Redpoll before the whole flock took to flight thanks to the local Spaarowhawk, so change of plan and down to the feeders. Here I saw Great Tit, Blue Tit, Coal Tit, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Nuthatch but not for hoped for Tree Sparrow.

I moved on then to Sands Lane nr Mirfield to find Goosander ♂♀, Mute Swan, Kingfisher, Black Headed Gull, Common Gull, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Mallard and Kestrel.

 

Longshaw Estate and Clumber Park

My birding weekend started on Friday in Holmfirth to add another to my “Patch List” in the form of a Mandarin Duck (147) I found them were they had been last reported but now there were three male birds and not two as reported.

 

Mandarin Duck ♂

These birds are on the BOURC list has Cat C1E*, which means :-

C > Species that although introduced, now derive from the resulting self-sustaining populations

C1 > Naturalized introduced species – Species that have occured only as a result of introduction

E > Species that have been recorded as introductions, human-assisted transportees or escapees from captivity, and whose breeding populations (if any) are thought not to be self-sustaining. Species in Category E that have bred in the wild in Britian are designated E*. Category E species form no part of the British List (unless already included within Categories A,B or C)

Understand that, it means they are on the British list, along with the Mandarins the usual Mallards. On then to Langsett to try and find some Finch flocks after a couple of hours searching only birds seen were Red Grouse, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Goldcrest and Coal Tit, no finch.

Saturday saw me taking a trip up to the Longshaw Estate to see the finch flock reported here, whilst travelling to the Estate in one of the surronding fields near by I caught sight of the largest flock of Redwing I have seen this year must have 150+ birds along with a only a couple of Fieldfares. Anyway shortly after arrival at Longshaw I was soon feasting upon birds such as Lesser Redpoll, Common  (Mealy) Redpoll, Brambling, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Chaffinch, and Siskin. Along with this finches in the surrounding trees Blue Tit, Great Tit, Coal Tit and Nuthatch a plenty. I didn’t spend much time here being so high up in the high peak I was getting cold very quick ending up with blue hands and shivering needless to say the heater was on full blast when I got back to the car.

Male ♂ Brambling (Winter)

 

After thawing out I made my way out of Yorkshire to Clumber Park to try and see another finch the Hawfinch. Certain areas of the park are free but I wanted to be near to the Chapel so I had to pay £5 for the priviledge. Okay I set off at a slow pace seeing plenty of Nuthatch, Great Tit, Blue Tit and Chaffinch, Jackdaws playing around the chapel itself. No luck on the Hawfinch so deepr into the wood along the well made footpaths catching sight of Blackbird, Treecreeper, Greenfinch, Siskin, Great Spotted Woodpecker and a pair of Marsh Tit, no Hawfinch. I had a quick look around the lake thought I might as well Mute Swan, Black headed Gulls, Canada Geese, Mallards, Tufted Ducks, Moorhens and Coots all the usual stuff, so one last look around the chapel Lesser Spotted Woodpecker new one for the day and another Marsh Tit but no Hawfinch. Talking with other people Hawfinch hadn’t been sighted that day so I didn’t feel to bad

 

Nuthatch

Day List :-

Mute Swan, Canada Goose, Grelag Goose, Mallard, Tufted Duck, Moorhen, Coot, Black Headed Gull, Woodpigeon, Stock Dove, Rook, Crow, Magpie, Jackdaw, Red Grouse, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Long Tailed Tit, Coal Tit, Marsh Tit, Goldcrest, Robin, Blackbire, Redwing, Fieldfare, Mistle Thrush, Treecreeper, Nuthatch, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Lesser Redpoll, Mealy Redpoll, Siskin, Brambling,  

 

 

Out and In

My starting point was slightly OUT of the club area “The Patch” today at the Calder Wetlands Site nr Pugneys on arrival the first bird that drew my attention was the Wigeon with its calling

 

Wigeon

These little beauties had all crowed together into the only open area of water free from ice and were having a right song and dance calling and displaying along with Mute Swan and a few Coots not leaving much room for anything else. Stood around on the ice Black Headed and Common Gulls with a few Mallards and Canada Geese, with a couple of Redshank around the pool edges. It wasn’t long before the Wigeon headed off towards the river with me walking on behind, or should I say skating on behind.

Wigeon in Flight

It wasn’t long before I was at the river and decided to head towards Horbury and under the M1 Motorway  seeing on the river Tufted Duck, Goosander, Mallard, Teal, Great Crested Grebe, Little Grebe it wasn’t long before I was IN the club area “The Patch”and started to pick up some patch year birds Mallard, Moorhen, Littel Grebe, Great Crested Grebe,Teal, Tufted Duck, Goosander and Goldeneye, the bird I was hoping to see didn’t show before I left, Smew, I did find out later it was on the river but an extra 1/2 mile up from where I was positioned having not seen one in “The Patch” area since the late 80’s it would have been a good one to catch up with, maybe next week??

Birds Seen :-

Wigeon, Teal, Mallard, Goosander, Great Crested Grebe, Little Grebe, Goldeneye, Coot, Moorhen, Tufted Duck, Mute Swan, Kestrel, Canada Goose, Cormorant, Blackbird, Fieldfare, Collard Dove, Woodpigeon, Mistle Thrush, Long Tailed Tit, Great Tit, Common Gull, Herring Gull, Black Headed Gull, Redshank.

 

Snow Snow Snow

Yep and lots of it one thing that is sure to get my spirits down is the white stuff and with the car in dock, brakes being fixed and with Britain in the grasp of zub zero temps down to minus 15 around Yorkshire, Nature Reserves shut due to dangerous conditions, there was only one thing to do to get the spirits on the way back up and that was a bit of birding.

I planned my walk from work to home and I was soon into the birds as I started around the work patch Blue Tit, Great Tit, Blackbird, House Sparrows and Nuthatch. Up to Jumble Wood passing many garden feeders on the way and seeing the usual garden birds Great Tit, Blue Tit and Robins (and getting the odd looks from people as I stood around with a pair of binoculars, be careful how you use them if your out and about away from reverse) at the wood Nuthatch, Great Spotted Woodpecker, and lots of Long Tailed Tits. On then to Thurgory Lane, this would normally be green fields but today nothing but white stuff and then more Long Tailed Tits this time flitting from hedgerow to hedgerow around my head, my spirits were lifting. My final area was around the cemetry again more Long Tailed Tits and another Nuthatch this one was being very vocal and showing off quiet a bit, stonking views of a female Kestrel atop a popular tree eyeing up the small birds looking for tea I believe.

A final flurry near home getting great views of ♂ and ♀ Bullfinch, along with Fieldfare, Redwing, Mistle Thrush, Dunnock, Goldfinch and Greenfinch.

The walk was over 27 species seen 16 of these added to the year tally, spirits lifted mission accomplished, and heres a couple of snow scenes first and last ones so enjoy

 

 

Kick Start

To get the New Year off to a start and to get the “scores on the doors ” we decided on Anglers CP and Pugneys CP for the afternoons birding on New Yers Day. We meet at my place getting the day off to a good start with a garden first in the shape of a Pied Wagtail. Arrived Anglers CP at about 12:30 in the afternoon adding Robin, Tree Sparrow, Chaffinch, Blue Tit, Great Tit and Goldfinch from around the bird feeders, in the fields Canada Goose and Lapwing then on to the boating lake adding wildfowl to the list Tufted Duck, Gadwall, Mallard, Goldeneye, Shoveler, Pochard, Coot, Moorhen, and a fly thru Kingfisher. Back on to the reserve part to get Scaup ♀ on the list along with Mute Swan, Great Crested and Little Grebes, and Wigeon.

The news was coming thru that things were happening at Pugneys so we made a 20 minute dash across town and landed at the Calder Wetlands part of Pugneys. It wasn’t long before we added Ring Necked Duck ♂ to the day list and then a 15 minute walk to add the ♂ Smew, Red Breasted Merganser and Goosander to the growing list. On then to the Nature Reserve at Pugneys to add Bittern with the Cettis Warbler and Water Rail only making it to the heard list and then to the boating lake to see once again the Ferruginous Duck

The day list ended at about 50 :-

Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, Cormorant, Bittern, Grey Heron, Mute Swan, Greylag Goose, Canada Goose, Wigeon, Gadwall, Teal, Mallard, Shoveler, Pochard, Ring Necked Duck ♂, Ferruginous Duck ♂, Tufted Duck, Scaup ♀, Goldeneye, Smew ♂, Red Breasted Merganser, Goosander, Kestrel, Water Rail, Moorhen, Coot, Redshank, Black Headed Gull, Common Gull, Lesser Blacked Backed Gull, Herring Gull, Great Black Backed Gull, Woodpigeon, Kingfisher, Pied Wagtail, Wren, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Cettis Warbler, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Jay, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Starling, Tree Sparrow, Chaffinch, Goldfinch,

 

East Coast Tour

We stayed in Yorkshire for this coastal trip with the Brigg at Filey being the starting point it was still cold and still icey in the Country Park on our arrival at 9am.  We finally parked up and made our way to the Brigg adding the first birds of the day Rock Pipit and Fulmar before we got down to the sea watching hide. The tide was coming in so it would have to be quick, Red Throated Divers were added Common and 2-off Velvet Scoters, 1-off Long Tailed Duck, Eider, Oystercatcher and Turnstones, Guillemot, Razorbills and a couple of Gannets. We had to make our way back to the naze I didn’t fancy being stuck down here back on top to see more Rock Pipits and a couple of Stonechat, it whilst we were walking the footpaths that  a small bird flew up in front of us and settled a couple of feet away from us, yep Snow Bunting a first winter ♀ I believe , where’s that camera Doh! back at home another shot missed. There were quite a mixture of waders now in the Country Park car park Oystercatchers, Dunlins, Turnstones, Lapwing and what we were lead to believe by a local birder was a unusual bird at Filey Golden Plover.

On to Filey Dams reserve to add a few ducks and gulls Mallard, Teal, Black Headed Gull, Common Gull, Tree Sparrow, and Blue Tit few birds here due to the reserve being 75% frozen.

Bempton next for the hope of a few raptors Peregrine was about but we didn’t see it more Tree Sparrows, Blackbird, Greenfinch and Chaffinch around the feeders

On then to Bridlington harbour its here we caught up with some waders Redshank, Knot, Purple Sandpiper c15, Bar Tailed Godwit, Sanderling, Dunlin, Turnstone.

The day was getting on so it was to our final destination Barmston Beach hadn’t been here for a long time but it still delivered in the form of a Slavonian Grebe and a Black Throated Diver off shore. On the Beach Ringed Plover with a Grey Plover in the stubble field.

A great day out the first time to the coast this year so 17 year birds were added to this years tally with 57 for the day list, it was good to see Barmston Beach again and to see that it could still deliver in the form of Divers and Grebes, and I’m still kicking myself over leaving the camera.

Day List :-

Red Throated Diver, Black Throated Diver, Slavonian Grebe, Fulmar, Gannet, Shag, Mute Swan, Teal, Mallard, Eider, Long Tailed Duck, Common Scoter, Velvet Scoter, Kestrel, Pheasant, Moorhen, Coot, Oystercatcher, Ringed Plover, Golden Plover, Grey Plover, Lapwing, Knot, Sanderling, Purple Sandpiper, Dunlin, Bar Tailed Godwit, Redshank, Turnstone, Black headed Gull, Common Gull, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Great Black Backed Gull,Guillemot, Razorbill, Rock Dove, Woodpigeon, Collard Dove, Rock Pipit, Pied Wagtail, Dunnock, Robin, Stonechat, Blackbird, Fieldfare, Song Thrush, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Magpie, Rook, Crow, Starling, House Sparrow, Tree Sparrow, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Snow Bunting

 

Potteric Carr

ROBIN

Three months to the day since I was last at Potteric Carr the main reason for today’s visit was to try and get a Bittern on picture. Arrived at 8:50am ready for the gates to open at 9:00am checking thro and getting the days permit at a cost of £3:00 I made my way down to the first hide, Decoy hide seeing Blue Tits  and Blackbirds on the way. Arriving at Decoy to be told that there was a Bittern showing and sure enough as I sat down he/she was making its way back into the reedbed and all I saw was the backside, so that was the Bittern shot for the day. I moved on to Old Eaa Marsh hide to see nothing, really, but I did hear the other bird I was hoping for Cetti’s Warbler it gave its unmistakable explosive call from the reedbed but was too far to get a view. Well I made my way down to the Willow Pool hide next seeing a Great Spotted Woodpecker, Chaffinch, Robin, Reed Bunting, Blue Tit, Coal Tit, Willow Tit, and Dunnock to name a few. On then to Piper Marsh hide to hopefully get that Bittern photo in one of the beat places to get close views. Birds about Pintail ♂, Shelduck, Gadwall, Mallard, Teal, Coot, Moorhen, Black Headed Gull but alas no Bittern, well there was about an hour before I arrived it wasn’t to be my day. I decided on a revisit to Willow Pool hide to take some more photos and may be get to see Water Rail that wasn’t to be either so I slowly made my way back to the car park adding Redwing and Bullfinch to the day list

 

Grand Day Out

Record Shot > Great Northern Diver

Last Month of the year and finishing on a high adding Great Northern Diver which is  the first Diver species to the Patch List, two Immature birds located at Blackmoorfoot Reservoir. I had been holding my breath for a good week before I could get out to see these birds, winter nights, but it was worth the wait even if they were distant. Along with the divers Goldeneye ♂, and Black Headed Gulls.

On then to Pugneys to try and add a couple of year birds for this years list, it wasn’t long before I found the first a Ferrruginous Duck and I had timed it just right, it had come out of its sleep and was swimming around in front of the hide. Then another hoped for bird in the form of a Bittern which was harder to find but just at the right moment creeping up the reeds enough to give its self away and then away from prying eyes once again. Other birds on show at Pugneys today Pochard, Shoveler, Mallard, Tufted Duck, Wigeon, Cormorant, Black Headed and Common Gulls, Kingfisher, Mistle Thrush, Great Crested Grebe, Mute Swan, Coot, Moorhen, Lapwing,

 Ferruginous Duck

 

Old Moor RSPB

Out to Old Moor again for a couple of hours with the new toy the Panasonic FZ38 [see  links page for review] to take a couple of pics and get used to the feel etc etc. Stopping around the bird feeder area watching Great Tit, Blue Tit, Long Tailed Tit, Willow Tit, Bullfinch, Robin, Greenfinch, Chaffinch, Tree Sparrow, Magpie, Pheasant and a couple of Grey Squirrels busy gathering food and buring it oh I did manage to grap a couple of pics as well even if it was poor light.

Tree Sparrow

Greenfinch

Grey Squirrel

 

My Patch

A quick tour of a couple of the patch reservoirs in very windy conditions resulted in bird life being very absent. Broadstones gave me Blackbird, great flocks of Starling, Black Headed Gull and that was about it for Broadstones. Royd Moor was a bit more fruitful with Fieldfare, Redwing, Blackbird, Long Tailed Tit, Blue Tit, Bullfinch ♀ and ♂, Lesser Black Backed, Common and Black Headed Gulls and very much a fly thru Sparrowhawk that went that fast I nearly missed it.