Spurn Point Disaster

   Not wrote on here for a while but thought I'd make an effort after
   travelling to Spurn Point for the day and what a miserable day it was
   weatherwise, the forecast was sunshine after 10.00am so was looking
   forward to a cracking days photography, well I must tell you that
   somebody lied as it was dark and dingy all day together with 70mph
   winds which blew my hair off.

   Reports of rarities been seen there but were non existent for me, but
   I did get to see Yellow Browed Warbler which is a first for me also
   2 Black Redstart and Little Stint which are also lifers so in that
   respect it was a good day but the photographs were absolute pants.
   Lots of scopes and arguments about what birds had been seen around
   the place, and I also managed to get lost for a while until I eventually
   found my bearings and got in discussion myself about the 2 bottom
   pics on here which is it, Skylark, Meadow Pipit, female Reed Bunting?
   I went for Mipit at first but then opted for Skylark while the other blokes
   chose the other 2, so if anyone can help it would be appreciated.

   Local reports have been great with BS seeing a Great White Egret
   over Fly Flatts and lots of Pink Footed Geese, Whooper Swans,
   Fieldfare and Redwing flying over, BS has got a cracking photo
   of the Egret on his blog and he also got to see a Caspian Gull as
   well.

   Garden has had 8 Collared Doves everyday I think thats why the
   Sparrowhawk also flies through everyday looking for a meal, lots
   of Goldfinch which is the usual and also a few Greenfinch, and a
   few Fieldfare and Redwing flyovers.

 

Raptor Heaven

     Its been Raptor heaven around the garden the last couple of weeks,
     Peregreine flythrew 3 times once just missing the wifes head,
     Sparrowhawk flying through daily on the lookout for a meal which
     it got last week with the capture of a Collared Dove which I was
     actually gutted about as it had become quite tame but thats nature I
     suppose, Its nice to see the Kestrel back again on a daily basis hunting
     in the back fields, today I think it lost its temper as it gave the pestering
     Magpies as good as it got which I was glad to see, Buzzards popping
     over now and again around tea time, and Tawny Owl out hunting at night.

     Garden has had the regular birds but also flying about have been House
     Martins and also Swallows which I thought would of flown to warmer
     climates by now but eck what do I know.

   

Buzzard Overhead

     Reports this morning of Osprey flying in from Skipton
     and Marsh Harrier over Ringstone so took a look overhead
     hoping to see something, Kestrel was above getting pestered
     by Crows then at about 13.00 a Buzzard came across and did
     a couple of circles before shooting off towards Beacon Hill,
     another Kestrel then made an appearance hunting in the back
     field, garden had Goldfinch, Collared Dove and Woodpigeon
     along with a couple of Jackdaws.

   

                                          Marsh Harrier at Blacktofts

Quiet on the Tops

    Took a trip up to Fly Flatts today for an hour but was
    surprisingly very quiet, stopped at Nolstar first and saw
    nothing on the ground and just a flock of Goldfinch overhead,
    then up to the radio masts where there were just Starlings.
    I was driving up to the lake when I saw some wings fluttering
    so stopped and had a look and among the ruins up there were
    6 Whinchat & Stonechat all looked like juveniles, 8 Canada's were on the
    water with others in the grass, 2 Curlews flew over and more
    could be heard later and also 2 Raven flew over Cronking and
    2 Little Owl were seen up Withens which cheered an old couple
    up when I showed them where they were and also cheered me
    up too, they're a cracking little bird.

    Goldfinch, Chaffinch, Blue Tits, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove,
    Wren and unusually 2 House Sparrow were in the garden and
    last night the local Tawny Owl was on the hunt and doing
    plenty of screeching.

 

Blacktoft Sands after Osprey Visit

    Nice surprise last Saturday morning as I was just setting off to work
    at 6am as I looked into the sky like I always do when I step out of the
    door, there was a Osprey flying over Claremount Hill and then over
    Halifax towards the moors, I had no time to get my camera so was
    a bit gutted. News came in over the week that one was at Leeming
    Reservoir diving into the water and another at St Aidans Rspb
    Swillington so its great that there about locally.

    I decided to go Blacktoft Sands now that Ive got my mojo back
    for photography in hope of seeing the Spoonbills before they migrate,
    but they didn't show but I still had an enjoyable day with my mate
    Chris T who was good enough to do the driving, lots of waders about
    and Marsh Harriers kept making an appearance but everything was at
    long distance though I was surprised at seeing a Sparrowhawk attacking
    a Harrier as it was perched in a tree, and I was also surprised at how
    quiet it was with the smaller birds hardly any about to be seen and
    birdsong was nearly non-existent, most small birds seen were Treesparrows.

     Garden has been very busy with all the finch family feeding there young
     and a big gang of Blue Tits raided the feeders early doors this morning,
     Sparrowhawk has been a regular visitor swooping through nearly everyday.