Winter thrushes in Fangfoss, harsh winds, early snow and a broken lens!

Snow on the Yorkshire Wolds, from Fangfoss Park 01/12/17

Not that we're breaking any records nor that I'm in any way complaining but blimey its got cold early this year...harsh winds, frost and snow and it's not officially winter for a week or so!

I don't mind the cold too much.. get wrapped up, hats and gloves and all that, but I do mind slipping and dropping my rucksack and then discovering that my Canon 400m lens took the brunt ..ouch! Took me a week or so to find out but after image after image came out blurred I made the connection😭. Its away to the menders for a barrel realignment and I decided to get the front glass element replaced to sort a niggling little scratch. Net result - £411 and a wait of 3 to 4 weeks but still cheaper than a new lens. I miss it like I'd miss my right arm, had a few quiet grumbles but I'm over it .. it'll feel like getting a brand new lens back with all the servicing these optics firms throw in for free😜😛

So before the lens broke I took advantage of some crisp winter sunshine at both ends of the day around my local patch and got some pleasing pics of the many Fieldfares and Redwings that descended en mass last month.

Redwing, Fangfoss Park, 06/11/17

Fieldfare, Fangfoss Park, 06/11/17

 

Redwing, Fangfoss Park, 16/11/17

Redwing, Fangfoss Park, 16/11/17

Fieldfare, Fangfoss Park, 25/11/17

Fieldfares, Fangfoss Park, 06/11/17

400+ each of Fieldfares and Redwing plus scores of Blackbirds, Song & Mistle Thrushes have been typical over the past few weeks plus many large finch flocks, 300+ Golden Plover and several skeins of Pink Footed Geese overhead.

Pink Footed Geese, Fangfoss Park, 06/11/17

I'm lucky to get regular sightings of Grey Partridge around the fields here, absolute devils to photograph but I got reasonably lucky with this little grouping out of a covey of 16.

Grey Partridge, Fangfoss Park, 06/11/17

Away from Fangfoss (I haven't been far!) this Nuthatch was a pleasing shot at the Arboretum during the Hawfinch twitch.

Nuthatch, Yorkshire Arboretum, 06/11/17

During a walk with my good friend Mikey and mad dog Ivy on Sand Hutton Common we had an amazing 3 Peregrines flying over together - never seen anything like that away from a nest site, plus a Corn Bunting and a flock of c80 Skylarks, and down by the river Derwent on Low Catton Ings I had a great view of this Barn Owl.

Barn Owl, Low Catton Ings, 03/11/17

 We had a 'super moon' this month and so bright was it when it rose over the Wolds it looked like the sun rising!

Super Moon rising over the Yorkshire Wolds, 03/12/17

.....and finally, a pic I meant to post last month a nice Green Woodpecker on Strensall Common I stalked for ages and one of my local Kessies.

Green Woodpecker, Strensall Common, 30/10/17

Common Kestrel, Fangfoss Park, 30/11/17

Yorkshire floods, early singers and bloomers, uplifting landscapes and aerial manouvers over the LDV

Up until this last w/e, as far as I can recall, up here in the north, we've had precisely 5 decent weather days since early November - someone might be bothered to check that and hey my memory ain't great, but suffice to say its bin reet gloomy up ere!



Gloomy and wet! This flood alert map for the UK was a typical scenario for any given day in the 2nd half of December and just about says it all!




A few choice flood pics later but with a stack of images around re the chaos and havoc reeked in some of our northern towns and cities, including around my home city of York, there's not a lot more I want to add.






So here we are well in January and at last a few bright days and opportunities to get out and about.
The planets are aligned (worth checking out by the way) and so too the off duties of a couple of my good mates and a day tramping around the Lower Derwent Valley brought some pleasing results ...

We met at the old Church Bridge at Melbourne to be greeted by a singing Song Thrush giving it plenty. Its been so mild of late that many birds have been tricked into thinking that it's nearly spring. I've been hearing Great Tits singing for a while now and there's many reports of Daffodils in full bloom. Skip to my footnote for an even earlier bloomer!

Anyway, back to Winter and the LDV. First off were 3 White Fronted Geese in amongst Greylags at Thornton Ings. We never get many of these relatively scarce geese around here but a few turn up every year so always good to track down.


White Fronted Geese, Thornton Ings, 23/01/16

Several Pintails flying around (prob 30ish) in amongst several hundred Wigeon  but you've gotta like Pintails! So graceful and different looking.

Pintails (male and female), Thornton Ings, 23/01/16

Pintails (2 males and female), Thornton Ings, 23/01/16

and check this out ... not the best of pics and I wouldn't normally include this one, but here's the same small flock of Pintail plus attendant Lapwings apparently stopped in their tracks by an approaching Sparrowhawk that none of us spotted at the time.

Pintail spooked by a Sparrowhawk (top left), Thornton Ings, 23/01/16

I guess that's the value of taking lots and lots of pics of flocks of birds - you never know what you might later pick out! Here's another - mainly Lapwings but if you look closer, several other smaller waders in amongst. In this case we reckoned Dunlin and all told maybe 60 in total. You can never rule out the odd Ruff or even Knot in amongst such flocks but I've scoured this pic and pretty sure they're all Dunlin.

Dunlin in with Lapwings, Ellerton, 23/01/16

A few Golden Plover flocks around too, no pics but maybe 150 or so.



Peregrine Falcon (male), Ellerton, 23/01/16

Here's a very distant pic of the culprit in the above mass take off of waders around Ellerton church, a male Peregrine Falcon that had earlier had a go at a careless but on this occasion lucky Lapwing.



















At the same location there were many many Wigeon (1000+) but not as many as on previous occasions I've been down here, but with so much flood water, Peregrines around and Saturday morning boy shooters taking pot shots at tame Pheasants (come on guys, that's such poor sport!) everything gets so dispersed. These Whooper Swans for instance had been pushed right up to the edge of the churchyard by all the shooting (they're usually way over on the far bank).

Whooper Swans (2 adults & 3 juvs), Ellerton, 23/01/16

At North Duffield we had a single male Scaup in with about 100 Pochard and 20 or so Tufted Ducks - too distant for a pic but its my first Scaup of the Winter and good to get a nice male.

Yet another great day out around the LDV!

Ok, as promised a pic or 2 of the recent floods. My home city of York plus nearby Selby and Tadcaster were all drenched with much havoc, media coverage and ...well .. wetness.! All gone now and most Yorkshire folk I speak to just don't talk about it anymore.. "Aye, its 'appened a fore, n reet as rain it'll 'appen again!"

Floods in York, Dec 2015

Askham Bog flooded, 27/12/15

Askham Bog flooded, 27/12/15




Cawood (nr Selby), 28/12/15

..and to round  things off, a few pics from the odd occasions that the sun shone over the New Year period and I managed to get out. Here's a couple of great Redwing images - I've decided that they're far easier to photograph in flight than on the ground or perched when they're sooo skittish!

Redwing, Fangfoss, 24/12/15

Redwing, Fangfoss, 24/12/15

Cot Nabb and nearby Givendale in the Yorkshire Wolds is one of my favourite places to visit and walk around when I want to just get away from it all and clear out my head, you barely see a soul out there and on this particular morning earlier this month all my relatively minor issues in the grand world scale of things were put firmly into perspective!

Cot Nab, Yorkshire Wolds, 11/01/16

Cot Nab, Yorkshire Wolds, 11/01/16

Cot Nab, Yorkshire Wolds, 11/01/16



Red Kite, Givendale, Yorkshire Wolds, 11/01/16

I know they're becoming a little ubiquitous in some parts of Yorkshire (they're all over Harrogate / Leeds area), and I know some folk (well, just gamekeepers really) have little time for them, but there's a reason why they're one of the most photographed of British birds .....


Red Kite, Givendale, Yorkshire Wolds, 11/01/16

Just as uplifting, here's the Mausoleum at Castle Howard viewed from the back way into the estate







The Mausoleum, Castle Howard, 20/01/16

  

 



Footnote
I was out on YWT duty today at Askham Bog, really mild it was and on my way out at sunset I spotted a flowering Lesser Celandine. Yes its an early flowering plant but traditionally it appears late Feb/ early March - this January 24th!

Lesser Celandine, Askham Bog, 24/01/2016

September ins and outs down my way, young swallows venture south and the finches move in.

September .. the summer crops are gathered in and wild flowers are blooming their last. Nights are drawing in, temperatures are dropping, cricket's days are done and rugby takes centre stage, and small birds of many species are moving south .....

Almost all of the Swallows around Fangfoss Park have now departed, slightly earlier than last year when I had good numbers well into the last week of September and then the odd late straggler into the first week of October. Their long and often hazardous flight down to sub Saharan Africa must be a daunting one for all this year's young ones and, although many other birds undertake the self same amazing journey, there is something endearingly magical about the annual departure of these vulnerable looking wee birds.



Barn Swallow, Strensall Common, 10/09/15 

These youngsters were 2 of many that were massing together on Strensall Common a couple of weeks ago and obviously getting ready to go. They'll be well on their way now, their journey time south to Africa is a lot more leisurely than the dash back north in the Spring and these 2 can be reasonably confident of catching flies under South African skies within a couple of months but my they look so fragile!








Barn Swallow, Strensall Common, 10/09/15




Blackcap, Fangfoss, 21/09/15

Departure time from Europe for many other birds too, including many warblers using the UK as a convenient stop off point and feeding station. The many hedgerows around my local patch here in Fangfoss have held many Willow Warblers, ChiffChaffs, Whitethroats and Blackcaps over the past few weeks and even a couple of Lesser Whitethroats ... sadly not able to photograph the latter but as with my Whinchat of a couple of weeks ago a welcome new species for the area.




Willow Warbler, Fangfoss, 22/09/15

Spotted Flycatchers bred here this year and this may be one of the youngsters but could equally be another individual on passage ... it was in amongst a roving group of tits and warblers.



Spotted Flycatcher, Fangfoss, 15/09/15

Lesser Redpoll, Fangfoss, 21/09/15

There's a lot of fruit laden hedgerows around the countryside at the moment and all worthy of a look if you're looking for migrants (and I don't mean Syrians!). Just as the warblers, chats and flycatchers feed up on this seasonal feast before heading south, other birds are arriving on our shores either to stay or in transit - Blackbirds, Robins and assorted finches have all increased in numbers of late and a small flock of Lesser Redpolls in amongst the more numerous Goldfinches is a sure sign of the changing season ...




Lesser Redpoll, Fangfoss, 21/09/15

Goldfinch, Strensall Common,

No Redwings or Fieldfares have made it this far inland as yet but a steady increase in Blackbird numbers, like this one gorging on Elderberries.



Good to see some healthy flocks of Lapwings back in the fields too ...


Lapwings, Fangfoss, 15/09/15

I'm glad my Aug 24th Honey Buzzard sighting finally made it onto the Flamborough bird observatory site here - http://fbo.org.uk/category/sightings/ It was the highlight of my day too, even though I had to study the pictures before I realised what it was!

Back here in the Yorkshire Wolds our own Common Buzzards seem to go from strength to strength with up to 8 in my immediate vicinity.

Common Buzzard, Fangfoss, 16/09/15



Common Buzzard, Fangfoss, 16/09/15

Lucky shot of this one calling as it swept past me!


Almost certainly I'll be heading out to the coast soon to catch some more visible migration ... maybe an October trip out to Spurn when the winter thrushes start coming in, but in truth I'm more than happy walking the lanes and hedgerows of my own patch!

My second Spring, out and about in the Wolds, North Cave Wetlands, atmospheric Barnies and Common Cranes in Yorkshire!

Ist Swallow, Thornton Ings, 5apr2015

Back from my Iberian travels and straight back into a typical stop start UK Spring - not too dissimilar from Spain really... blowing hot & cold! Great to be back into the swing of things with YWT but ain't there a lot to do when you return from a long trip! Almost feel as if the Spring is passing me by such have been the twin demands of work, catching up with folk and a distinct lack of 'get up and go' after so many foreign and exotic adventures. I've had a few trips out though and had some good moments in my 2nd Spring!



Barn Swallow, Wheldrake Ings, 20apr2015

Swallows were back in my neck of the woods first week of April and who knows, some of them might have flown past me when I was in Spain - highly unlikely but a nice thought!













Snakes Head Fritillary, Wheldrake, 20apr2015

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spring flowers are popping up everywhere with these Snakes Head Fritillaries on the sheep field at Wheldrake being my favourites of the month

Snakes Head Fritillary, Wheldrake, 20apr2015

Closely followed by these gorgeous Primroses high up on the Yorkshire Wolds nr Bishop Wilton


Primroses, Bishop Wilton, 10apr2015

Lovely indeed but the morning I took these was the day a shed load of poor air drifted in from the continent on SE winds and that wasn't so lovely!

Poor air quality over Bishop Wilton, 10apr2015

I had my first Willow Warblers singing on the 15th and a rare treat of a passage Ring Ouzel close to my local patch on the top of Garrowby Hill on the 10th, a full on male, but frustratingly shrouded in twigs till it flew off north.

Yellowhammer (male), Fangfoss, 5apr2015

My local birds are looking resplendently colourful and there are singing Linnets, Yellowhammers, Greenfinches, Skylarks and Thrushes down my back lane here at Fangfoss and both Sparrowhawks and Common Buzzards have been performing their aerial courtship displays with gusto!

Common Buzzard, Fangfoss, 5thapr2015

Talking of raptors, there's a prospective pair of Peregrines on York Minster. I hope they breed and with luck I'll get some pics. They seem to be doing alright and this is one of several in the Lower Derwent Valley where they nest in the big electricity pylons there ...

Peregrine Falcon, LDV, 17apr2015

After a superbly successful breeding season last year and a relatively mild winter I'm pleased to see so many Barn Owls on the wing. I've struggled to get a 'gripper' pic but its always an atmospheric moment when you watch a 'ghost bird' hunting and I'm well pleased with the artsy feel of these...

Barn Owl, Wheldrake, 20apr2015



Barn Owl, Millington, 6apr2015







Barn Owl, Wheldrake, 20apr2015

Got my first Swift yesterday (28/4) at North Cave Wetlands, along with Lesser Whitethroat, Garden Warbler, Common Tern and Yellow Wagtail (all first for the year). Failed to get decent pics of any of them but the Avocets were easier ... I so hope the Black Headed Gulls don't take all the young this year as they have done in previous years.

 

Avocet, North Cave, 28apr2015

Avocet, North Cave, 28apr2015

 


 

I didn't see a single Common Whitethroat all the time I was in Spain, couple of weeks too early, but pleased to see and hear so many in the hedgerows again ....

 



Singing Common Whitethroat, North Cave, 28apr2015



 

I've saved my best birds till last and hopefully you've scrolled down this far. I've had more than my fill of Common Cranes in France and Spain over the years but not seen many in the UK, so to see a small bunch turn up in a field in Yorkshire recently was a bonus. Not entirely surprising as they're expanding as a breeding bird with small but successful numbers of breeding birds in Norfolk and Somerset. For obvious reasons I can't reveal the location and don't bother asking, just enjoy the pics ...

 



Common Cranes, Yorkshire, Spring 2015



 

Common Cranes, Yorkshire, Spring 2015







Common Cranes, Yorkshire, Spring 2015



More than a little hint of courtship going on so hope they're successful.