Thursday 8 December 2011

Hyde Park, London, 6/12/2011

I took an hour walk around the Serpentine, Hyde Park to look for a 2nd winter Ring-billed Gull, there had been two recently reported sightings.

The sky was white cloud, slightly overcast, good for photographing gulls !

No sign of Ring-billed Gull, all the regular birders had not seen one either !

The Tawny Owl was showing well
Coal Tits feeding out of the hand
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Grey Wagtail,
Common Gulls, 20 +

Tawny Owl
 Lesser Black-backed Gull

 Lesser Black-backed Gull

 Black-headed Gull, adult w

 Black-headed Gull, adult w

 Common Gull, 1st w

 Lesser Black-backed Gull

 Common Gull, 1st w

  Lesser Black-backed Gull

 Common Gull, adult w

 Coal Tit

Coal Tit

Monday 5 December 2011

North Lincolnshire and East Yorkshire, 3rd and 4th December, 2011

This outing is to try and see a species of bird, the Willow Tit, that all three of us had never seen before.

M.S., Kevin and I set off at 05.00 hours to arrive at Potteric Carr, North Lincolnshire around 08.30 hours.

Bright sunny day, blue sky, prospects good.

In the hedgerows

Redwing
Blackbird
Goldfinch
Chaffinch
Robin

on the feeders

Willow Tit
Great Tit
Coal Tit
Blue Tit
Great Spotted Woodpecker

The sun was bright and straight into our face, birds very fast, not clever for photography ! but I tried

 Willow Tit

 Willow Tit

 Coal Tit

 Coal Tit

                             Blue Tit

                             Great Spotted Woodpecker

11.00 hours, set of for Bempton RSPB Reserve, East Yorkshire arriving about 12.30 hours.

Here it is bright sky but a very strong cold wind

We had come here to look for a Desert Wheatear that had been reported here for the last 10 days.

We followed directions given to us by helpful RSPB staff and within a few minutes joined about 10 other persons looking. Easily found and as it was being pointed out to me, it flew away, way off out of site into the distance. I was not pleased ! I had a wander along the clifftop, then returning to the place where the Desert Wheatear had been seen most. A Kestrel was hunting along the cliff giving a photo opportunity

  Kestrel

Nobody here now. Yes the Wheatear returned, to be very close to me, posing on different perches, giving 30 minutes of  'better and better' excellency !

Desert Wheatear, male

Desert Wheatear, male

Desert Wheatear, male

Desert Wheatear, male

Desert Wheatear, male

Desert Wheatear, male

Desert Wheatear, male
Desert Wheatear, male

Desert Wheatear, male

Also seen at Bempton was

Sparrowhawk
Rock Pipits
Meadow Pipits
Tree Sparrows, 30 +

Tree Sparrow

Day over, bed for the night and an evening meal in Bridlington.

Day 2, Sunday 

We started the day of by travelling 20 miles up coast to Scarborough arriving at the harbour before day break. The weather was bright, no wind, but the forecast was not good.

In the harbour we saw

Great Black-backed Gulls,
Black-headed Gulls
Lesser black-backed Gulls
Herring Gulls

Kittiwake, 1

Turnstones

At 9.00 hours we moved on, the target was to find Red Grouse ! A 'new bird' for Kevin and M.S.

Heading towards the Yorkshire Dales we stopped of briefly at Forge Valley, where we saw

Coal Tits, maybe 20 +, many,
Marsh Tit, 4 +
Blue Tit
Great Tit

Nuthatch
Chaffinch
Dunnock

further up the valley

Bullfinch, 6
Siskin
Common Crossbill, 1 male
Goldfinch
Mistle Thrush, 2
House Sparrow

Mallard
Wigeon
Moorhen

Bullfinch, he would not show himself !


Out of the valley, up through the forest, past the sheep and now we were up by the heather,

Red Grouse

We found the first one immediately, followed by many, 30 +, males and females, some very close, calling, very vocal in flight.

Stonechat, m
Whooper Swan, 6 flew over calling


Red Grouse, m

Red Grouse, f


The weather was deteriorating fast, low cloud, light rain, then turning to sleet.

14.30 hours, mission complete, no more to be gained, headlights on, turned for home and indoors for 21.00 hours.

Lots of year ticks for all
2 new birds for me
3 new birds for Kevin
2 new birds M.S.

I say it every trip, but surly this was 'special', to say the least !