Baggins on the Loose: Plovers

Friday, 30 November 2018

Northern thrushes arrive, autumn colours, Merlin on the beach, Barred Warbler, Golden Plover and more

Been 'heads down' working on a website which I will be launching in the New Year. Primarily a directory of all of Yorkshire's wildlife sites plus topical articles on what's happening in the county, the site will also contain lots of links to all of the wildlife organisations, interest groups, photo galleries, blogs etc ... its proving to be a bigger task than I first imagined but I'm determined to launch in some form or fashion next January.

This blog has taken a hit of course but I'll continue with it - its become kinda personal! Once the new site is up and running I'll be linking it up along with other selected blogs and posting much more frequently. Not sure yet how I'm going to tackle and separate out my out of county & overseas trips but I'll find a way!

Ok my last post was back in October when we were all enjoying the last embers of the long hot summer that was 2018 (long gone mow!). I spent a few days on the Lincolnshire coast 3rd week of Oct, a few trips out to the Yorkshire coast and then a trip out to RSPB Blacktoft Sands. Otherwise the following photographs are all from my local patches in the Yorkshire Wolds and around York.

Lincs Coast trip (with birding pals Rob & Mark)

Merlin, Saltfleet beach, 18/10/18

Still not sure on the age / sex of this splendid bird but we were thinking immature male.

Brent Geese, Donna Nook, 19/10/18

Stonechat, Theddlethorpe, 18/10/18

Common Starlings, Donna Nook, 19/10/18

Sea Buckthorne, Theddlethorpe, 18/10/18

Little Egret, Tetney Marshes, 17/10/18

Bar Tailed Godwit, Saltfleet, 18/10/18

Other good birds for the trip - Great White Egret, Whooper Swan, 1000's of Pink Footed Geese, 6ish Chiff Chaff, Lesser Whitethroat (Theddlethorpe 18/10) and a late Barn Swallow the same day.

Yorkshire Coast

A very poor Autumn rarities for me and everyone on the Yorkshire coast this year, this Barred Warbler being my only decent spot!

Barred Warbler, Bempton, 29/10/18

Always plenty of regular birds to see on the coast though .... this is the regular pair of Peregrines that haunt the cliffs around Buckton / Bempton area and they were hunting together.

Male Peregrine Falcon, Buckton, 29/10/18

Female Peregrine Falcon, Buckton, 29/10/18

Redwing, Bempton, 29/10/18

Barnacle Geese, Hornsea Mere, 05/11/18

Northern Lapwing, Hornsea Mere, 05/11/18

Washed up ordnance, Cowden beach, 05/11/18

2 Marsh Harriers also present at Hornsea Mere plus a good selection of winter ducks - Wigeon, Goldeneye and a probable female Scaup. I was with one of my daughters that day and earlier we were on the beach near Cowden, the site of recently decommissioned bombing range and found this on the beach .. Harry, my daughters dog nearly picked it up!

Cowden beach, 05/11/18

Fieldfares, Blacktoft Sands, 24/10/18

RSPB Blacktoft Sands

I went hoping for a Hen Harrier or at least some Bearded Tits, saw neither, but it was a good weather day and plenty about. Fieldfares were passing through the reserve, looked like they were coming straight up the Humber in small groups, a few even hit the deck and rested a while on the one of the scrapes ..

Greylag Geese, Blacktoft Sands, 24/10/18

Tons of Greylags and a couple of Whooper Swans in with one of the field bound flocks. In with this little bunch (pic left) a domestic goose that many would try and make into a Snow Goose (they're not that disimilar!)

Still a smattering of waders knocking about with Black Tailed Godwit being the most obvious but nothing photographable. Nice pair of Stonechats right outside one of the hides made for some good captures though.

Greylag Geese, Blacktoft Sands, 24/10/18

Whooper Swans, Blacktoft Sands, 24/10/18

Male Stonechat, Blacktoft Sands, 24/11/18

Local Patches

Fieldfares (and a single Redwing if you look closely enough!), Fangfoss Park, 26/10/18

Always a thrill to see the first Redwings and Fieldfares arrive on my campsite and every year I reel off 100s of shots and end up deleting 95% of 'em! What I'm really after is good flight shots and I rarely succeed but every now and then something half decent comes out of the can ok.

Fieldfare, Fangfoss Park, 26/10/18

Fieldfare, Fangfoss Park, 23/10/18

Fieldfares and Redwings, Fangfoss Park, 26/10/18

This is the usual view I get of my local northern thrushes .. pesky things to get close to!

Little Egrets, Fangfoss Park, 30/10/11

Little Egrets are spreading all over the UK and I've had a couple of records around here near the Spittalk Beck but to see 3 together a few weeks ago was a great patch record for me. They didn't stick around!

I took part in a Golden Plover survey for the York area recording group and in common with many others drew a blank. They are present here though - a flock of about 600 a few days after the survey (typical!). They are decreasing in numbers though - typically flocks in the hundreds now whereas 10 years ago flocks were in the 1000s in the York area.