Bully's Back

The Bullfinches have returned to the garden for the 4th year on the trot. Last year they arrived a day earlier on the 30th and the year before it was a week later on 6th Feb. Even better was the interest a male showed in the feeders. Peak numbers in the past have been 8 simultaneously so here is hoping for double figures this year.

Cattle Egrets are Crap

White crows. Thats all they are. Saw the Tophill Cattle Egret today. Looked at it for maybe 15 seconds. If was huddled up in a ditch in the same pose as when I saw it in Blakeney in the Autumn. For excitement it looked left and right. If you ever catch me twitching one of these in the future, shoot me. They arent too bad when they are hunting but they are rubbish otherwise!

I found 7 Lesser Redpolls between O reservoir and South scrub in willows. They then flew high toward the car park. Heading back to the car park there were about 50 Siskins in the trees opposite the garage and these held a handful of Redpoll but despite looking I couldnt pin a mealy (despite false alarms). I went for the Willow Tits on the D woods feeders and these werent in evidence but 3 Goldcrests feeding in the brambles and a couple of Treecreepers were also in evidence.



There was not a lot going on in the gull roost and apparently I was being missed by Izzy so I bailed at 3.30. Just waiting to hear how I missed a white-winger. On Friday I got a bit of a surprise as a Pheasant was stalking the garden. It is the first in garden record although I have seen a few from the garden sat up on the fence by the railway.

No Egrets

A quick smash and grab for the Tophill Low Cattle Egret failed but I enjoyed a ramble around the compound and up to Easingwold Farm with my daughter. We did manage a few other birds including hundreds of Redwings passing by the entrance, singing Mistle Thrush and a some Grey Partridges on the approach road.

 

 

 Abject failure was fully embraced and bumping into Mat from Sheffield unexpectedly was a nice surprise. Better (sorry Mat!) was the discovery of a mixed flock of finches adjacent to north lagoon containing a few Siskin and Lesser Redpoll. The former was a year tick whilst the latter was a site tick. A paler bird may have been a Mealy Redpoll but I am waiting for news from my field agent Flowers. Fingers crossed.

Stuck in the Middle

A work jaunt to the east midlands was a touch underwhelming this week but it did lead to a few year ticks and a handful of decent birds. Working on a major reserve we suffered due to the pools we were working next to being frozen. This prevented birds feeding on them and we were left with a loafing flock of gulls for the most part. By the end of the week the pool had opened up and we had good numbers of birds on.

Our travel day was completed early and we had a wander round the nature reserve which we were to work on. A redhead Smew on an island looked an awful lot like a juvenile male and a male Goosander was a year tick (and one I didnt manage in 2011 - how rubbish am I?). We saw swathes of Tufted Duck & Pochard amongst the manky Mallards and a Bahama Pintail. A couple of Egyptian Geese were rather lame lifers for my colleague. I also year ticked Lesser Black-backed Gull with an adult loafing with some Common and Black-headed Gulls. Steady away...

Our first day of work was greeted by singing Mistle Thrush and unseen Green Woodpecker yaffling away. On the work site calling Cetti's Warbler was only seen briefly when going for a pee but a Marsh Tit was calling above us in the frosty morning which was registering -4 C. Quite cold enough. The day passed off with crash landing Goosander and Cormorant but little else aside from a Bittern coughing in the adjacent reedbed unseen, probably forced in by the brief freeze.

Day 2 held a little more for us with LBBG and Herring Gull briefly joining the loafing small gulls. Herons were seen regularly around the pool and small numbers of Mallard and Teal were seen.

By the third day most of the pool was unfrozen and we recorded Shoveller, Goosander, Cormorant, Canada Goose, Egyptian Goose & Moorhen. Not much better but a definite improvement. Not the most exciting survey but a nice place.

Travelling back we called by Clumber Park and Harewood House. At Clumber I year ticked Buzzard, Treecreeper & Nuthatch but failed with big finch and micro-pecker. A very brief sojurn to Harewood revealed at least 4 different Red Kites. Very tasty and takes me onto 123 for the year already - only another 85 to beat 2011 which should be straight forward. In fact only 90 to be my best yearlist for 4 years after 222 in 2009 (I managed 253 in 2008 and seems probably unattainable until my daughter is a teenager. Only a decade then).

Twitching Norfolk

Western Sandpiper

At 4.30am Mike rocked up at mine and ten minutes later I picked up Jess Stokes in Driffield. Onward to Hull and to meet John.  As we passed Tophill Low a Fox came scurrying out from the undergrowth giving lovely views. Fully loaded we headed in the direction of Norfolk. For about 6 miles and stopped at McDonalds. It was still before 5.30 and we needed crap food fuel. A steady passage south had us at Buckenham Marshes for 8.20 where we bumped into a bunch of wessies! Fancy that. Keith, Pete, Rob and Ken arrived about 10 minutes before us.

Our quarry was located relatively quickly amongst a flock of Taiga Bean Geese (which was a lifer in its own right although I have seen a few Tundra's before). The Lesser White-fronted Goose was pretty distant but prolonged views helped nail it. Some Cat C Barnacle Geese were also evident on the marsh which were a year tick. Further year ticks were plentiful with Barn Owl & Cetti's Warbler amongst them. We quickly moved off to our next destination - Cley.

We made the mistake of heading to the visitor centre rather than the East Bank car park and thus were a few minutes behind the wessie crew. Due to this we got crippling views of Bearded Tit and Stonechat as we made our way up there. The beardie was a particular star as tantalising views 10 metres in to the reeds suddenly stopped and a mini mandarin pitched up on the nearest reed top. We landed at Arnold's marsh as the Yankie peep was missing and this gave us the opportunity to grill the place. I turned up a smart adult male Yellow-legged Gull right in the centre of the marsh and there were a number of Spotted Redshank. Then suddenly Rob asks me to check out this bird in his scope - a small Dunlin-esque peep with a strong super, long bill and crucially one leg. Oh no hang on, I mean rusty rear scapulars. Yay! It did hop about for the next 20 minutes and was at one stage joined by a Dunlin & Ringed Plover illustrating its small size.

Soon after our schedule was catching up with us and a rumour of Snow Bunting flocks at Salthouse led us to a diversion there. These were seen before we had even arrived flying over the car park. Some lovely males were present including a stonking bird with a pinky rump. Seksie! Whilst there we cast an eye over the sea for year ticks turned up a Black-throated Diver and then we all grabbed our scopes and Red-throated Divers and 3 Slavonian Grebes were soon turned up. Sweet!

The only photos I took all day!

We hit the cafe at Cley for coffee and cake as it was now 7 hours since my McCrap breakfast. The wessies bombed on to Holkham and we followed once satiated. Pink-footed Geese everywhere and a Tundra Bean Goose emerged from the flock only to disappear back in as I tried to get the others on it. Turning round we had a Peregrine sat in a field and one of the Rough-legged Buzzards sat in a bush. We were cooking on gas. Walking through the pines we spied our mates on the saltmarsh. We ambled in their direction where they appeared to have espied the Shore Larks. Infact as we arrived they had pinned down the 4 birds pretty close and we got top, top views. It was now 2pm and we had to leg it to catch up with our final target.

Arriving at Titchwell we were soon on the redpoll flock and a number of classic Mealy Redpolls amongst a number of the commoner cousins. A particularly pale individual was picked up by Pete and we talked through the features, chamois wash to the face. Tick. White rump. Tick. Single undertail streak. Tick. We had the bugger! Nice views were had but the sun was low and as the bird moved about we struggled to keep on it and silhouette was replaced by it moving into a distant alder and then disappearing completely. Good times. Another lifer. We moved down to the freshmarsh where a Chinese Water Deer was foraging on the shooting marsh to the west. It showed down to about 10 metres without being bothered by punters moving along the path. A mammal lifer and one with quality tusks that looked like a Llama crossed with a terrier. We moved onto the sea and turned in a few more waders and 7 Red-breasted Mergansers. It was time to go and a failed Golden Pheasant twitch blighted the trip home. More junk food and then home. Knackered but elated.







Scarborough Wax

Went to Scarborough today to take Izzy to the seaside. Sadly spent most of the time in Sainsbury's after she had an accident but we did have a nice time walking around marine drive and the harbour once she was suitably rebooted. On the way in I had some brief and distant views of 10 Waxwings at B & Q. I gave up after they disappeared into a housing estate.

Whilst mooching round the harbour a single Shag was knocking about and the usual Herring Gulls. Cruising around marine drive was a male Peregrine Falcon which briefly alighted above us. Sadly this was at the same time as Izzy was desecrating her clothes. Post sorting her out we went to Holbeck car park and managed brief views of an adult and 1w Mediterranean Gull. It was a bit rubbish compared to usual as they disappeared as fast as they arrived.

We left as it became evident that Izzy was getting bored but had to stop when the Waxwings were showing well at B & Q. Here I bumped into Andy Hood as the Waxwings came down next to the cars to feed. Shame it was dull but better than nothing!



 Off to Norfolk on Sunday for the Ross's Goose, Western Sandpiper, Arctic Redpoll, Lesser White-fronted Goose combo. Fingers crossed!

Nickelodeon & Birding

Its not often that the endless repeats of Peppa Pig & Ben & Holly's Little Kingdom stimulate me. I have seen every episode. Thrice but recently it has been running adverts about the Big Garden Birdwatch and has reminded me (the parent) and informed Izzy (the child) simultaneously. What a corking idea. I take my hat off to the RSPB. 3 weeks of reminders and you should drum up plenty of support from parents of small kids for the citizen science hour. Almost immediately I drove to the garden centre that is 20% cheaper than buying from Bempton and a better selection. Got home and upscaled from my peanut feeder, no mess platform and fatballs to a full 9 feeder array with peanut tray, fat block, nyjer and sunflower hearts. It was pretty busy out there before but now it is buzzing, with Goldfinches adding to the melee. Still plenty of Tree Sparrows, House Sparrows & Chaffnch plus Wren, Dunnock, Song Thrush and 3 Robins. My Coal Tit seems to have moved on this winter but the common cousins are still present. Also got a Mere first, in a party of 4 Canada Geese. Considering we have regular Gadwall and Tufted Ducks with records of Pochard & Goldeneye, the fact it has taken 4 years nearly to chalk up is a surprise.

Got a new Giottos Tripod today. Not flash but urgently needed. Going to Norfolk a ticking on Sunday. Quite excited. Try a bit of Peppa Pig.