Knives and things

In a non bird related piece I want to talk about work. Cant say much due to confidentiality and that but some scumbag visitor arrived on my ward with blood dripping down his face and i heard him say '...and then I stuck a knife in him...'. Bosh security check, blam the rozzers arrive but the visitor had gone. All very weird. Never did know what happened.

Today a collegue fainted in my arms. Bless her - she had just smashed her head on one of the TVs and concussed herself. Its a hazardous business this nursing laugh.

Shiny Black Cock

Arrived up in the dales to be greeted by several male Black Grouse lekking across a valley. It was only a mere -2 this year as opposed to -7 the last. On the way up a few Red Grouse were tasty, as were several Barn Owl, Grey Partridge and the McDo's brekkies that we started with. We being me, Mike(Skink1978), Michael Flowers(Birdflower) & John(Birdieboy123) as the East Yorks contingent to the latest BF meet. Also in attendence were Graham (Bitterntwisted), Marcus Conway(Ebirder), Rob(Zatcatzooba), Keith Dickinson, Mark (Knocker7800) & Jim (JTW521).

Also at the Grouse site were a few Buzzards, drumming Snipe, Golden Plover, Fieldfare, and Meadow Pipits a go-go. We moved onto the Stang and got some of the most mindblowing views of Goshawk display you can imagine with birds Rollercoastering and chasing all over. At least 4 birds seen and very nice they were too. Also Siskin and a few distant Buzzards.

Next we moved down the valley to try for Ring Ouzel but mainly to enjoy the warming sun. By now it was much warmer and Dipper, Grey Wag and a couple of Wheatears made up for the lack of Rouzel action. Time was pressing on and we called in at Nosterfield on our way back noting a few Goldeneye and a Red-necked Grebe. A couple of LBBG made for 3 self found year ticks (with Dipper and Red Grouse) for a good day. Check Michaels blog for pics.

Patch photos

Here is a selection of photos from the patch as a virtual guided tour. Its not big or clever and was largely devoid of birds today but I reckon it may produce something.

The beck - source of Grey Wagtails, perhaps.

Here looking the other direction up toward the water tratment works. Do Kingfishers live here?

The scrub with hawthorns in the background. The train line runs through the middle of those trees in the foreground.

The rushes which produced a Snipe a couple of days ago but sadly only a Moorhen today. Jack Snipe in the future?

The flash which has Solitary Sandpiper written in very small letters all over it. A Redshank would be a bonus. Lapwing breeding territory in the background which includes some other flashes.

The treatment works which hopefully produces hirundines aplenty and wagtails in some numbers. Today nothing. Note on the left hand side the phyllosc and regullus filled leylandii.

The reedbed hopefully to be chocka with Reed Warblers, Sedge Warblers and Cuckoos. Or just Wrens. Note the houses in the background. My house is immediately behind these so not too distant. Also the stream with a profusion of macrophytes in it - which disappear 6 feet further down adjacent to the outlet pipe from the treatment works. Coincidence?

The wood. Chaffinches included.

Naff Patching

For those long time readers of this blog (thanks Mum) you will remember that I moved to Nafferton, East Yorkshire from York last May. Ive not really had a new patch with Tophill Low being a regular calling place but not somewhere I am actively trying to patch watch (mainly because its too heavily covered already). Well today I think I have found the place I want - and its a mere 200 yards from my front door. When I did the bird atlas for Nafferton in late Janvier I noticed the sewage works just the other side of the railway line from my house and had a wander down. Today I returned with a bit of time to spare as these bird atlas things are all a rush job. Adjacent to the lane up to the tratment works is a small beck which is reputed to have Kingfisher on it and im fairly sure is the source of the juvenile Grey Wagtail in my garden last summer (a rare breeding bird in East Yorks according to Michael Flowers). It definitely contains some small fish - probably sticklebacks as the outflow from the treatment works enters here pretty much ruling out oxygen loving minnows. Today I found a couple of Moorhens on the beck plus a pair of Mallards looking like they were prospecting for nesting sites. Between the beck and the railway line is a large dryish reed bed which undoubtedly holds breeding Reed Warbler- why am I so sure? Because I believe this to be the location of the Cuckoo which I could hear from the house but not see before i relalised there was any habbo in the locale. This has also got to drag in other passage migrants and has wet areas so Water Rail is possible. The otherside of the beck is a stand of leylandii which screen the treatment works which seem a dead cert for some phylloscs, goldcrest and hopefully a Firecrest one day. The sewage treatment works look good for wagtails, warblers and hirundines and possibly more with a few Mallards sat on a tank. Its pretty small and has a STRONG smell so an equally strong constitution is needed when getting up close and personal with it. Sadly no wader habbo on the treatment works. The same however cannot be said for the flashes in the field behind which is like a mini black dyke ings but with a couple of the flashes having Reedmace in. No waders on the open flash (although a little stint or wood sand must call in one day!) but a snipe shot out of the reedmace filled pool. The only problem is the profusion of places like this locally which obviously dilutes the chance of good waders. On the field itself were lots of displaying Lapwings so it looks like they breed here. A good passage of Gulls was going over to roost at Tophill which is only 7 miles as the crow flies away. A large copse sits across the beck from the field and looks like it is managed regularly so may get disturbance. I thought I caught a glimpse of a Sparrowhawk in the treetops so this maybe the source of local birds.If this place doesnt ring out to singing Willow Wobblers in the summer I will be surprised. Allied to all this stuff the railway line which runs between the patch and my house is fringed in hawthorn scrub which will encourage whitethroats and the like - perhaps a Turtle Dove one day! One can only dream. I will get some photos for next time.

More spring

Once again I was at Tophill Low doing my dissertation counts when I noticed one of the alba wags by the borrow pits was a bit chunky and had a yellow eye ring and was in fact a LRP. Which was nice. Little else of note but at the feeding station a male siskin and female brambling were bumming about. The light was quite nice so i took a fe photos to stick some colour on here. Also took a short (very) film of the tangerine coloured male GSW. The colours in the vid are representative of real life

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Further update

Richard's Pipit at Hornsea. Bollocks.

Update

Having sat at the computer for over 30 hours in 3 days including 16 hours yesterday the mist started to clear and my work was done. Two mini projects, like 'fun' size dissertations that had been eating my soul for 9 months finished. I dont really care about the mark, purely the relief at not having to think about Japanese Knotweed or mussel dropping behaviour of crows makes me feel better. Sadly im just padding on this update and have relatively little birdy to add save for the fact that spring has led to 2 Collared Doves to make themselves at home in my garden and that male House Sparrows are all over my feeders like a barely noticeable rash. Still at least I havent dipped anything..whats that? Snow Goose at Far Ings this afternoon. At least its out of county. Oh and the second record of Bittern for Flamborough Head this afternoon as well. Fingers crossed the latter sticks or I might get grumpy.