Yorkshire Birding (38 Viewers)

[Hotspur]

Was in a blue cap and crappy Gap hoodie. I see you need to edit you bogey birds

 

[Marcus Conway - ebirder]

I've just been there too!! Was in the tree when I left. what were you wearing??

Well, well, well. When I called my girlfirend on my way home from London and asked if she wanted to go away little did I expect to be four lifers to the better after the trip!

The trip started well in Yorkshire with a new yorks bird in the form of Great White Egret at Swillington, and then straight onto the A1 and up to Northumblerand. I'd agreed to take the missus to hogwarts (i.e. Alnwick) for a nice meal, alongside a bit of biriding!

So first stop Beal and LIFER 1 ROLLER shwowing well hedge hopping between, well hedges. Whilst at the site both sparrowhawk and Marsh Harrier flew through. Missus strating ot get fed up looking at the ' blue swiss roll' so we headed out onto Holy Island. My fist time there and WOW what a place. First to the Snook and a year tick in the form of Great Grey Shrike, whilst there had a superb male hen harrier come in off the dunes! Onto the village and LIFER 2 BARRED WARBLER showing exceptionally well - too close to scope! Also there was Yellow Browed Warbler showing in the same hedge. Went to look for the Red B*****d Flycatcher, but no joy (would have been a lifer), but not to be so went to the Lough. The birds are now pouring in. Brambling and Redwing crawling on the path nearby! Down there on the lough there were pintail and a couple of scaup, with a few gannets passing offshore. Then another Yellow browed warbler (self find) in the sycamores by the hide. Small Passerine incoming - stonechat - in off the sea! Further along shore lark pottering around the beach.

Back to the flycatcher again but alas no joy. So started heading to Alnwick. Quick stop at the causeay produced eider, grey plover and plenty of curlew. Spent Sunday morning around the castle looking at the Quidditch pitch (I think). Anyhew... back to the birding and LIFER 3 BONAPARTES GULL showing at Newbiggin, also in the area at least ten Mediterean Gulls - Jeez I remeber the days of scanning gulls! Also there black redstart, red necked grebe and BT Diver NEVER known it so good!!

So decided to head home and call in at Fairburn for LIFER 4 CATTLE EGRET - if that wasn't enough also saw a kingfisher feeding away oblivios to my presence!

Superb over 100 species, and nearly forgotten about that Red Ba****d Flycatcher now!!!

 

[Marcus Conway - ebirder]

West Yorkshire BLING

Sometimes it pays to get to work early saw these tired little fella's in the trees this morning.

Picture of the fairburn egret to boot too!!

 

[Jane Turner]

I see there is a Raddes Warbler at Filey this morning in the top scrub.... lovely!

 

[Hotspur]

I fancy a trip to my mum and dads this afternoon, they are only 6 miles from filey. Forgot my camera yesterday so no pics of the Cattle Egret but that was its pose as i looked back from toward the car park. A good half mile away.

 

[Marcus Conway - ebirder]

I fancy a trip to my mum and dads this afternoon, they are only 6 miles from filey. Forgot my camera yesterday so no pics of the Cattle Egret but that was its pose as i looked back from toward the car park. A good half mile away.

Am very jealous. Good luck! Raddes never normally stay for more than day. Anyone want to be it wont be there tomorrow?

 

[Jane Turner]

An Acrtic Warbler too at Filey - in the top end of Arndale..... well jealous now!

 

[Jane Turner]

and a Pallas's there. Greedy if you ask me

 

[Marcus Conway - ebirder]

and a Pallas's there. Greedy if you ask me

It's the new Holy Island, which was the New Scillies.

See there's a YBW not far from you Jane

 

[Jane Turner]

I can see the trees its in!

The Arctic at Filey isn't one... its Two-barred Greenish or Greenish.... if the former I may get out there tomorrow, its a form I really want to see.

 

[Hotspur]

Hopefully going to filey tomorrow after uni to meet the ringers and find some rare warblers. Maybe not if my practical drags on.

 

[Marcus Conway - ebirder]

Hopefully going to filey tomorrow after uni to meet the ringers and find some rare warblers. Maybe not if my practical drags on.

Think you should have bitten the bullet and gone tonight, but I really hope everything sticks for you. It's a dry night, but seems to be cloudy too.

There's rain tomorrow night so it may be Wednesday that there''s a load more stuff in.

Fingers crossed dude!!!

 

[Hotspur]

Would have gone today but my tutor kept me until 4.15 and thus it would have been dark when i got there. Can/will do Weds tho!

 

[Marcus Conway - ebirder]

Would have gone today but my tutor kept me until 4.15 and thus it would have been dark when i got there. Can/will do Weds tho!

All still there today!! Good luck Hotspur.

I have to go to Brum until Friday so no chance I can get out.

 

[Ben M]

Hay-a-Park

Hi everyone, I posted the following info in an ID thread in conversation with Graham, but would probably be more suited to this thread:

--------------
Hay-a-Park (Knaresborough)

Hay-a-Park was great for me as a kid, as it was just a 5-minute walk from the house where I grew up, but whilst it's not the greatest site in the area, my lack of expertise probably prevented me from seeing a few good spots. Back then it was relatively unspoilt, but well kept. Earlier this year I popped in for a quick look, but it all seemed a little neglected. I've heard that there's a large housing development in the area too, which probably won't help. One year, my dad and I spotted a very large raptor circling high in the area on thermals. It was too far away for us to determine what it was, but later that year we heard that a White-tailed Eagle had been in the area at that time.

When I was a kid I found the best spots to be around the far (big) lake, which was always far quieter and didn't get so many fishermen. It also took longer to get to. The approach that I used to take to get to the big lake was from the gate under the railway bridge on Park Lane (via Chain Lane) and take the paths around the smaller fishing lakes. When you come out at the big lake there is a small island just offshore if you take the clockwise route. This was the best place to see the commoner water birds, but also good for migrants. The downside is that there's a country-lane entrance close by and it's a popular spot for locals "feeding the ducks". In the anti-clockwise direction you'd pass over a "dam" made of large boulders and onto a small meadowlike hill, which provides great views of the site. I've attached a crude map based on the OS map of the area in case you ever need a reference. The area behind this, and furthest from the roads, provided the best overall patch (overlayed with green on the map); although maybe not so for the water birds.

I'll try to dig out my old notes from my parents' loft, but from memory:

• The small fishing lakes used to be the best areas for Little Grebe and species that like reed beds/bullrushes.
• The area around the "dam" and hill used to be best for other divers with Great Crested Grebe and Goosanders quite common, and Black-necked Grebe and Red-breasted Merganser possible.
• The island area has had White-fronted Goose and Pink-footed Goose during winter, and I also saw Whooper Swan there, but more commonly (I think) within the green area.

We also had flocks of 20+ Waxwing and Redwing in our garden nearby, so these are probably possible there too.

In all the times I visited, I never once saw another birder, but I was inexperienced and maybe looking in the wrong places or couldn't pick them out in their camouflage Since neither me or my dad entered the BirdGuide sightings, at least one other person is/has been watching the site.
--------------

Although not on par with the great places many of you report on, it was my local patch as a kid. Have any of you visited the site? If so, did you see anything of note? I don't live in Yorkshire anymore, so I no longer visit, but would still be interested in hearing of anything seen there.

 

[Hotspur]

My practical has just finished at half 4. No chance of getting there in time. Nightmare. My tutor was arranging for me to meet the ringers that are busy there at the mo as well. Bugger.

 

[Mike Richardson]

Hi everyone.

Just got back from a great week in Scotland with the girlfriend. A number of lifers were seen including White-tailed Eagle, Capercaillie, Crested Tit and Pine Marten. Also saw Golden Eagle and loads of other cool stuff. Hope to write a brief trip report in next week or two for those who are interested.

Had today off work so I could un-pack and catch up on some boring household chores. At least that was the plan until on the way back from an errand to Hull I ended up at Spurn Point (must have taken a wrong turning or something!!). Nothing much about apart from loads of Redwings, some Stonechats and a Black Redstart.

Decided to drive back to Brid to finnish my Jobs, but missed my house and somehow ended up at Filey Country Park! Arndale Ravine was my first port of call where I had some great views of Two-barred Greenish Warbler. I then walked up to the top scrub where after walking around and waiting for half an hour, I got some decent views of the Radde's Warbler.

Think I've probably used up my birding luck for the next year or so. Back to work tomorrow and back to reality!

I sincerely hope the warblers stay around for the rest of you- good luck!

 

[djprest]

hi jimmy two faces
thought it was you at fairburn on sunday did you get any good shots of the cattle egret? i met you first at spurn in may(gargeneys on the canal pool and red backed shrike at the riding school),though thinking maybe at fairburn last year.cannot belive your girlfriend was asleep in the car at fairburn!

 

[Lawts]

Hi everyone, I posted the following info in an ID thread in conversation with Graham, but would probably be more suited to this thread:

--------------
Hay-a-Park (Knaresborough)

Hay-a-Park was great for me as a kid, as it was just a 5-minute walk from the house where I grew up, but whilst it's not the greatest site in the area, my lack of expertise probably prevented me from seeing a few good spots. Back then it was relatively unspoilt, but well kept. Earlier this year I popped in for a quick look, but it all seemed a little neglected. I've heard that there's a large housing development in the area too, which probably won't help. One year, my dad and I spotted a very large raptor circling high in the area on thermals. It was too far away for us to determine what it was, but later that year we heard that a White-tailed Eagle had been in the area at that time.

When I was a kid I found the best spots to be around the far (big) lake, which was always far quieter and didn't get so many fishermen. It also took longer to get to. The approach that I used to take to get to the big lake was from the gate under the railway bridge on Park Lane (via Chain Lane) and take the paths around the smaller fishing lakes. When you come out at the big lake there is a small island just offshore if you take the clockwise route. This was the best place to see the commoner water birds, but also good for migrants. The downside is that there's a country-lane entrance close by and it's a popular spot for locals "feeding the ducks". In the anti-clockwise direction you'd pass over a "dam" made of large boulders and onto a small meadowlike hill, which provides great views of the site. I've attached a crude map based on the OS map of the area in case you ever need a reference. The area behind this, and furthest from the roads, provided the best overall patch (overlayed with green on the map); although maybe not so for the water birds.

I'll try to dig out my old notes from my parents' loft, but from memory:

• The small fishing lakes used to be the best areas for Little Grebe and species that like reed beds/bullrushes.
• The area around the "dam" and hill used to be best for other divers with Great Crested Grebe and Goosanders quite common, and Black-necked Grebe and Red-breasted Merganser possible.
• The island area has had White-fronted Goose and Pink-footed Goose during winter, and I also saw Whooper Swan there, but more commonly (I think) within the green area.

We also had flocks of 20+ Waxwing and Redwing in our garden nearby, so these are probably possible there too.

In all the times I visited, I never once saw another birder, but I was inexperienced and maybe looking in the wrong places or couldn't pick them out in their camouflage Since neither me or my dad entered the BirdGuide sightings, at least one other person is/has been watching the site.
--------------

Although not on par with the great places many of you report on, it was my local patch as a kid. Have any of you visited the site? If so, did you see anything of note? I don't live in Yorkshire anymore, so I no longer visit, but would still be interested in hearing of anything seen there.

I live in Wetherby and visit Hay-a-Park from time to time. It is a damn good local patch, and well-watched. It has a good selection of winter duck. It's a good spot for Lesser Whitethroat in Spring. Little Owl is also regular. I still park just after the bridge near the rugby pitch. Now and again there's the odd nutter there being a nuisance, but compared to some places (e.g. Skelton Lake) it'a as safe as houses.

It gets its good birds as well. Within the last few years I've seen Slavonian Grebe and two Red-rumped Swallows that spent several days. Going back a bit further I had a drake American Wigeon viewed from the pylon, and of course the Penduline Tit some years back. I remember a Spotted Crake there as well but I dipped on that.

I just wish it was a few miles nearer so I could nip there regularly.

 

[Lawts]

I'm a definite shade of green at the moment. Everyone seems to be seeing stuff, and it's all going on around me. This happens to me every year. I think I'm on top of the situation and handling it, then October erupts and I lose control.

I was thrown of course last weekend when the Canada Warbler went. All week I'd been planning to go but fortunately I'd waited before booking my flight and also had kind of agreed to hang on until this coming weekend to go with my brother. Anyhow, I can forget that little gem.

I just have to tell myself that not everyone is seeing everything. It's like that even when visiting Spurn or Flamborough in a single day. You look at the list of birds seen and think what was I doing, then realise very few people if anybody has clicked with it all, and probably had a similar day to you.

I got the Great White Egret last week, (very distant) and Cattle Egret on Sunday but hardly compensation for what has been about.

Fingers crossed I'll get out this weekend somewhere. Here's to low cloud, drizzle and an east wind - long may it continue.

One bright spot for me last night. Don't get me wrong I'm Yorkshire through and through except for....footie. For some strange reason I've followed Leicester City all my life. The rest of the family are Leeds. A very enjoyable 90 minutes in the away end! I'd swap it for a day of good birds though!!