Soil Hill

  A delightful day up on Soil Hill. Although I had a few hours bush-bashing this morning, the highlight of the day came during an afternoon visit when at 14:35 an Osprey flew over high southwest, my second here this year, always a brilliant bird to see.

  During the morning there was very little in the way of VizMig but a Yellow Wagtail flew south calling which is my second of the autumn here, and a Tree Pipit went south, which given the forecast could be my last of the autumn after a fantastic August for this species. Two Snipe also flew west, a species I always enjoy seeing on VizMig and is a highlight of early to mid-September when their migration picks up.

  The bushes this morning were quite productive with a few grounded migrants. The highlight were two Sedge Warblers, which were also joined by a Grasshopper Warbler, three Chiffchaff and three Whitethroat. In the reservoir field there were two Wheatears this morning, and during the afternoon three Wheatears flew high southwest, which may have been the same birds

-Osprey

-Sedge Warbler

Species List:
Soil Hill: Canada Goose, Grey Partridge, Common Pheasant, Feral Pigeon, Stock Dove, Common Wood Pigeon, Common Moorhen, Northern Lapwing, Common Snipe, Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, European Herring Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Great Cormorant, Grey Heron, Osprey, Common Buzzard, Common Kestrel, Eurasian Magpie, Western Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Northern Raven, Eurasian Blue Tit, Great Tit, Eurasian Skylark, Sedge Warbler, Common Grasshopper Warbler, Barn Swallow, Western House Martin, Common Chiffchaff, Common Whitethroat, Eurasian Wren, Common Starling, Mistle Thrush, Common Blackbird, European Robin, Northern Wheatear, Dunnock, Grey Wagtail, Western Yellow Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, Meadow Pipit, Tree Pipit, Eurasian Chaffinch, Common Linnet, European Goldfinch, Common Reed Bunting, 

Soil Hill

  Despite being late April, it was a cold and frosty morning that greeted me when I woke up; a particularly uninspiring scene when setting off to look for summer migrants. Still, the wind was limited and the sky largely clear, so I ventured out as per and began my walk before settling down for work.

  As I descended Perseverance Road I could see a bird moving up the valley, clearly flashing black and white as it flapped. Presuming this would be one of the summering Lesser Black-backed Gulls, I received quite the shock when I raised my binoculars to see that the bird was in fact an Osprey.

  Because of my positioning, the bird was already level with me and would only be flying away from me at this point. Sadly I was flanked by two of the taller dry-stone walls in the area, so had to grab a few shots while I could before running down the road to a more open area where I would be able to continue watching the bird fly away. The unclean background made it difficult to get nice photos, but still a vast improvement on my three immediately preceding Soil Hill Ospreys.

  This is my fifth time seeing this species on Soil Hill, the fourth in the Spring. It was certainly a livener for the morning and got the adrenaline pumping. It is one of those birds that is always exciting to see, no matter how many times you have seen them before, especially in the UK context. 

-Osprey

Species List:
Soil Hill: Canada Goose, Mallard, Common Pheasant, Red-legged Partridge, Feral Pigeon, Stock Dove, Common Wood Pigeon, Northern Lapwing, Eurasian Curlew, Common Snipe, European Herring Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Osprey, Common Kestrel, Eurasian Magpie, Western Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Great Tit, Eurasian Skylark, Barn Swallow, Willow Warbler, Common Whitethroat, Eurasian Wren, Common Blackbird, European Robin, Northern Wheatear, Dunnock, House Sparrow, Pied Wagtail, Meadow Pipit, Eurasian Chaffinch, European Greenfinch, Common Linnet, Lesser Redpoll, European Goldfinch, Common Reed Bunting, 

Spurn Bird Observatory

  The annual Spurn BBQ gave me an excellent excuse to return to Spurn, primarily to see people before I leave but also to fit in some early autumn birding as the migration season begins to gain momentum. I arrived on Thursday and stayed until the following Tuesday, giving me plenty of time to enjoy the birding between hangovers.

  There was some nice birds during my stay, the undoubted highlight of which was the juvenile Black Stork that was tracked down the coast on the Sunday. A group of us spent our day on the Obs platform, scopes at the ready, awaiting for the bird to appear over the horizon. Rainstorms hindered its progress and it took longer than anticipated to arrive, but once we received news that it had passed over Holmpton we knew that it was a matter of time. Once we picked it up the bird spent most of its time flying over Easington and landing in fields. Most birders drove up to get a better view but a small group of us stayed on the platform where, although distantly, we could watch the bird as the local Peregrine forced it down again and again until it landed in a ditch out of sight. It was not until the next morning that it finally came south, passing low over the platform just above us, but frustratingly the wrong side of the sun. A brilliant Spurn tick for me, making up for missing out on the bird in 2015.

  Other birds were also around. An Osprey flew south on the Tuesday, and there was a constant trickle of waders flying in off the sea as we watched from the Obs platform. Turnstones, Black-tailed Godwits and Whimbrels were all among the highlights. Passerine-wise it was still a little steady but there was a nice scattering of Willow Warblers that helped keep the ringing entertaining in a morning. We also tried Storm-Petrel ringing but we failed to even attract any, never mind catch them. It was not a complete loss though, as, in addition to some incredible shooting star action, we also caught a Sandwich Tern, which was a ringing tick for PC. And that does not happen often!

  The weather was warm so in the afternoons we went out to hunt for Odonata. I had a Spurn tick when JHF pulled a male Brown Hawker out of the Church Field Heligoland trap. This is was the easiest species I still needed at Spurn, so was a welcome addition to my list. There was an influx of Banded Demoiselles over the weekend as well. I caught up with two in the end, one in Kew and another in Sykes Field, but there were double-figures over the weekend, an event only previously documented once at Spurn. There were Small Red-eyed Damselflies to enjoy as well, but the highlight was a female Southern Migrant Hawker that I removed from the end of the Church Field Heligoland. My suspicions were raised so I grabbed some photos on my phone, but then talked myself out of it and let it go, forgetting all about it until the next morning when I opened the book and realized what a fool I had been. Still, the first female for Spurn, and not a mistake I will be likely to make in future…

-Black Stork

-Sandwich Tern

-Osprey

-Southern Migrant Hawker

-Brown Hawker

-Banded Demoiselle

Species List:
Spurn Bird Observatory: Greylag Goose, Mute Swan, Common Shelduck, Mallard, Common Scoter, Common Pheasant, Feral Pigeon, Stock Dove, Common Wood Pigeon, Eurasian Collared Dove, Common Cuckoo, Common Swift, Common Moorhen, Eurasian Oystercatcher, European Golden Plover, Common Ringed Plover, Eurasian Whimbrel, Eurasian Curlew, Bar-tailed Godwit, Ruddy Turnstone, Red Knot, Sanderling, Dunlin, Common Snipe, Common Sandpiper, Common Greenshank, Common Redshank, Common Guillemot, Black-headed Gull, Little Gull, Mediterranean Gull, Common Gull, European Herring Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Little Tern, Common Tern, Arctic Tern, Sandwich Tern, Black Stork, Northern Gannet, Great Cormorant, Little Egret, Western Marsh Harrier, Common Buzzard, Western Osprey, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Western Barn Owl, Common Kestrel, Merlin, Peregrine, Eurasian Magpie, Carrion Crow, Eurasian Blue Tit, Great Tit, Sedge Warbler, Eurasian Reed Warbler, Barn Swallow, Common House Martin, Willow Warbler, Garden Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Common Whitethroat, Eurasian Wren, Common Starling, Song Thrush, Common Blackbird, European Robin, Dunnock, House Sparrow, Eurasian Tree Sparrow, Grey Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, Western Yellow Wagtail, Meadow Pipit, Tree Pipit, Eurasian Bullfinch, European Greenfinch, Common Linnet, European Goldfinch, Yellowhammer, Common Reed Bunting, Roe Deer, Red Fox, Brown Hare, European Rabbit, Common Lizard, Banded Demoiselle, Azure Damselfly, Common Blue-tailed Damselfly, Small Red-eyed Damselfly, Migrant Hawker, Southern Migrant Hawker, Brown Hawker, Emperor, Common Darter, Ruddy Darter,

Soil Hill; Isolation week 2

The Spring on Soil Hill really got going this week, with birds departing and arriving throughout the week. Heres a quick summary from each day I've been up to the Hill:

04 April

Visit from 07.00. Total 42 species observed. 

A nice early morning migration, which I observed from 08.00 - 09.00 with the following totals going north; 18 Woodpigeon, 52 Fieldfare, 92 Meadow Pipit, 2 Linnet

Birds on and around the Hill included a single Grey Partridge, another Collared Dove, 3 Oystercatcher, a Snipe and a Buzzard.

05 April

Visit from 07.00. Total 42 species observed.

No migration of note this morning, although a flock of 14 Fieldfare and 2 Redwing flew north

Birds on and around the Hill included the first Swallow of the year, single Oystercatcher, 2 Snipe, 2 Buzzards and a Goldcrest.

-Pied Wagtail

-Wren 

06 April

Visit from 11.00. Total 28 species observed. 

Decided to head up a little later today due to overcast, cloudy and windy conditions when I checked at 07.00. However, it paid off greatly! Having been following numerous lockdown birders recording Ospreys over their houses I was becoming very jealous and frustrated at the lack of such action on Soil Hill. AGAIN! 

I had been round the Hill and was climbing back up the north slope when I spotted a large bird in the sky above me. Before I even put bins on it I knew this was the one, and I was relieved when it banked revealing its white belly and axillaries. I was absolutely over the moon, at long last I had this raptor on my Soil Hill list. This is also my 100th species that I have seen on patch, to make it extra special. 

-Osprey

07 April

Visit from 07.00. Total 39 species observed.

First Wheatear of the year this morning, a fairly inactive individual along the walls of the top fields. Seen on the way up and could not find on the way back down. 

Other species of note include 2 Red-legged Partridge, ANOTHER Collared Dove, Snipe, 2 Coal Tit, Barn Swallow, Goldcrest and a flock of 35 Fieldfare

08 April

Visit from 07.00. Total 43 species observed.

A very productive morning with a nice species total. The standout was a pair of Bullfinch in the trees on the north slope. This is the first time I have seen them on site since the winter group moved off. 

Other species of note included; 4 Red-legged Partridge, 2 Grey Partridge, 2 more Collared Dove and the regular displaying Snipe. 

-Bullfinch

09 April

Visit from 07.00. Total 26 species observed

Waste of time this morning. Thick fog descended at about 07.15 and from that point there was little birding to be had. The best of it was a Green Woodpecker which was calling from somewhere towards the ogden plantation, not a hope in hell of actuallying seeing it. Was done in an hour.

10 April

Visit from 10.00. Total 40 species observed

Due to another foggy forecast I delayed my walk until late morning. The cool and overcast conditions meant birds were still fairly active and I mustered a few good birds. First of these were my first Willow Warblers of the year, with two singing. Three Wheatears were gracing the bottom fields with their presence, and my journey down to try and photograph them yeilded two Reed Buntings. A Jay also flew through. 

Other species of note included Snipe, Red-legged Partridge and another Barn Swallow

-Jay

Species List:
Soil Hill: Canada Goose, Mallard, Red-legged Partridge, Common Pheasant, Grey Partridge, Rock Dove, Stock Dove, Common Woodpigeon, Eurasian Collared Dove, Common Moorhen, Eurasian Oystercatcher, Northern Lapwing, Eurasian Curlew, Common Snipe, Black-headed Gull, Herring Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Grey Heron, Western Osprey, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Common Buzzard, Little Owl, European Green Woodpecker, Common Kestrel, Eurasian Jay, Eurasian Magpie, Western Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Coal Tit, Eurasian Blue Tit, Great Tit, Eurasian Skylark, Barn Swallow, Willow Warbler, Goldcrest, Eurasian Wren, Common Starling, Mistle Thrush, Song Thrush, Redwing, Common Blackbird, Fieldfare, European Robin, Northern Wheatear, Dunnock, House Sparrow, White Wagtail, Meadow Pipit, Common Chaffinch, Eurasian Bullfinch, European Greenfinch, Common Linnet, European Goldfinch, Common Reed Bunting, European Rabbit, Roe Deer, Red Fox, Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock, 

Lincolnshire surveying Grey Partirdge

I spent the last week surveying arable farms across Lincolnshire. I did four farms with the main target species being Grey Partridge. I was super excited for it and had a great week with plenty of Partridge, both Grey and Red-legged seen. A host of other birds also played a part, with really good numbers of Yellowhammer, cracking views of Red Kite and Buzzard, Barn Owl. I also got my first migrant species of the year; Willow Warbler, Blackcap and Chiffchaff were all common in the woods around the farms, with all three species in song. I heard my first Swallow of the year twittering but I was unable to see it.

The highlights of the week were really obvious to me. First of all was an Osprey that flew low over us whilst we were having a meeting before the week surveying. I did not have my camera on me at the time, which was a real shame given the views we got. And the other highlight was a small colony of 4 singing Corn Buntings I encountered at one of the farms. Obviously its a species you hope for on farms like this but there was so little talk about them before the surveys I presumed they were not in the area. I was pleased to find out that I was wrong. 

-Corn Bunting

Species List:

Lincolnshire Farms: Corn Bunting, Linnet, Tree Sparrow, House Sparrow, Goldfinch, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Bullfinch, Yellowhammer, Reed Bunting, Meadow Pipit, Skylark, Starling, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Coal Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Lapwing, Oystercatcher, Common Snipe, Pheasant, Grey Partridge, Red-legged Partridge, Osprey, Common Buzzard, Red Kite, Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, Barn Owl, Robin, Wren, Fieldfare, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush, Dunnock, Green Woodpecker, Great-spotted Woodpecker, Woodpigeon, Stock Dove, Collard Dove, Blackcap, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Mallard, Tufted Duck, Canada Goose, Greylag Goose, Grey Heron, Little Egret, Rook, Jackdaw, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Raven, 

Spurn Week 15

Spurn 26.09.2016

Absolutely no birding at all at Spurn today, as the entire day was spent on a trip to Scotland to see Brünnich’s Guillemot! What a bird that was!

Spurn 27.09.2016

After the long drive and stress mixed with elation yesterday, we were hardly busting a gut to get up this morning. Sadly this did cost us as a Richards pipit flew south as we were checking canal scrape. Once we arrived at Numpties there were still a few birds going south, a handful of Meadow Pipits and a couple of ducks on the sea.

Once it had dried up, which did not take long, we headed back to the Obs and continued our work on the garden. In the afternoon I headed off to Kilnsea wetlands to count the ducks and any waders. 119 Wigeon were the best of it, but sadly there were very few waders. A single Curlew Sandpiper came on and that was very nice but only a handful of Dunlin, a couple of Knot and Ruff and that was basically that. The roost reflected the level of the tide, which was very low.

-Curlew Sandpiper

Species List:

 Triangle: Common Scoter, Teal, Eider, Tufted Duck, Mallard, Moorhen, Little Grebe, Whinchat, Meadow Pipit, Linnet, House Sparrow, Dunnock, Carrion Crow, Little Egret, Dunlin, Arctic Skua, Common Gull, Cormorant, Brent Goose,

Kilnsea Wetlands: Teal, Wigeon, Shoveler, Pintail, Mallard, Mute Swan, Knot, Dunlin, Ruff, Redshank, Greenshank, Bar-tailed Godwit, Woodpigeon, Golden Plover, Grey Plover, Ringed Plover, Little Egret, Meadow Pipit, Carrion Crow,

Spurn 28.09.2016

The ongoing south-westerlies continued to bring good passage this morning. Over 2000 Meadow Pipits was by far the biggest count, but a number of Finches, Buntings and Wagtails were also on the move. The most unusual bird was a Great-spotted Woodpecker which went south high north, obviously saw the peninsula, didn’t like what it could see and decided to turn around and go back north. A more unusual vis-mig species…

The benefits of being at numpties means you can also watch the sea, and from there I got a Spurn tick, probably easiest to get Spurn tick. It was a Scaup Its also only the second time I have ever seen this species, although the circumstances are substantially different from last time. This time it was a female flying at sea with a flock of Common Scoter. The bird was distant but it was easy to tell what it was. A great addition to the yearlist and Spurn list!

Species List:

Triangle: Common Snipe, Cormorant, Gannet, Scaup, Common Scoter, Greylag Goose, Pink-footed Goose, Mallard, Moorhen, Little Grebe, Dunlin, Ringed Plover, Grey Plover, Golden Plover, Kestrel, Jackdaw, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Starling, Feral Pigeon, Woodpigeon, Swallow, House Martin, Sand Martin, Skylark, Peregrine, Marsh Harrier, Meadow Pipit, Linnet, Reed Bunting, Great Tit, Great-spotted Woodpecker, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Chaffinch, Lesser Whitethroat, Blackcap, Common Gull, Black-headed Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Redshank, Curlew, Herring Gull, Blue Tit, Sparrowhawk,

Spurn 29.09.2016

I first went up to Kilnsea Wetlands in the morning in the hope of counting the Wigeon present. There had been good numbers of Pink-footed Geese going south and I was no surprised to find a flock of 60 on the Wetlands itself. There remained 131 Wigeon plus other duck species, and a Kingfisher flew through, which was a fantastic sight.

Next I cycled down to numpties where I was treated to a satisfying Vis-mig featuring more of the same species as previous days, but with a few Pink-footed Geese thrown in for good measure. The undoubted highlight came after I had just left numpties and was walking back along the road. A radio shoutout for Osprey came over the radio, coming south directly towards me. I picked it up with time to judge everything for when it came straight over my head, which it did. It gave some fantastic views and I managed to get some decent photos, only I had accidently altered the settings leaving me with some unwanted artistic wing-blur…

-Osprey

In the afternoon I went with Andy Roadhouse to deliver reports around Flamborough and Filey. We tried to twitch a bean goose but failed to connect but it was nice afternoon out, and we avoided missing anything at Spurn whilst saving the obs money on postage.

Species List:

Kilnsea Wetlands: Wigeon, Teal, Pintail, Mallard, Mute Swan, Pink-footed Goose, Golden Plover, Curlew, Redshank, Dunlin, Knot, Grey Plover, Greenshank, Ruff, Kingfisher, Woodpigeon, Meadow Pipit, Pied Wagtail, Starling, Lapwing,

Triangle: Chiffchaff, Long-tailed Tit, Starling, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Cormorant, Pink-footed Goose, Little Grebe, Moorhen, Mallard, Common Snipe, Dunlin, Ringed Plover, Grey Plover, Golden Plover, Curlew, Meadow Pipit, Skylark, Yellow Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, Grey Wagtail, Greenfinch, Chaffinch, Linnet, House Sparrow, Tree Sparrow,

Spurn 01.10.2016

With so many birders on site today I decided it might be worth trying somewhere different, and by different I meant not numpties. I ended up at Beacon Ponds, as the birds on  Wetlands had all been flushed there. The high tide roost was good, with over 1000 Dunlin and 500 Redshank, plus a Little Stint and a Curlew Sandpiper. On the duck front I had over 200 Wigeon for the first time this autumn and 16 Brent Geese. All good stuff.

Next I headed down to numpties but passage had largely dried up by then, only a handful of Tree Sparrows and Grey Wagtails. I decided to head off up to a new area around Easington and see what was around there. I did not see much, but missed another Richards pipit. As I was cycling back to the triangle in a futile attempt to catch up with it a radio message came out that a Crane was flying over Easington. I immediately stopped, found a place to set up and began scanning. It did not take long to pick up the Crane. Although distant there was no denying the identity of the bird, a smashing bird to add to my Spurn list. Sadly it kept on going through west and it was soon too far away. An unexpected bird for the day…

In the afternoon the wind finally changed from south-westerly into Northerly. Almost immediately the birds on the sea started to pick up so I headed down that way for possibly the best Seawatching session I have had all year. Highlights were a self-found Sabines Gull and Great-Northern Diver, the latter being a Spurn tick, and a fully Spooned adult Pomarine Skua. All cracking birds to add to the steady trickle of Sooty and Manx Shearwater, Arctic Skuas and Red-throated Divers. A fine end to the day!

Species List:

Beacon Ponds: Little Stint, Curlew Sandpiper, Dunlin, Redshank, Greenshank, Grey Plover, Golden Plover, Grey Heron, Cormorant, Brent Goose, Wigeon, Mallard, Teal, Ringed Plover, Black-headed Gull, Little Egret, Curlew, Knot, Linnet, Reed Bunting, Turnstone, Lapwing, Little Grebe,

Triangle: Robin, Dunnock, Tree Sparrow, Grey Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Black-headed Gull, Long-tailed Tit, Arctic Skua, Greylag Goose, Pink-footed Goose, Mallard, Goldfinch, Linnet, Reed Bunting,

Seawatching: Arctic Skua, Pomarine Skua, Great Skua, Little Gull, Sabines Gull, Kittiwake, Red-throated Diver, Great-northern Diver, Manx Shearwater, Sooty Shearwater, Grey Plover, Dunlin, Knot, Gannet, Great Black-backed Gull, Common Gull, Black-headed Gull,

Spurn 02.10.2016

Given the potential of the northerly winds that blew all night I arose early and headed down Seawatching in the hope of a petrel. Sadly, despite spending about 8 hours in Seawatching throughout the day I failed to get one. That being said, the Seawatching was exceptional until midday when it all but dried up.

The highlight was 128 Sooty Shearwaters all going north, some of them coming very close in shore and looking fantastic in great light. A Balearic Shearwater flew south too, which was a fine addition to the yearlist, my first since last year’s birds on Portland. Sadly though it was very distant, and there was some contention as to its identity, although from what I saw of it, there was no doubt and it was accepted as Balearic. An adult Pomarine Skua with full spoons also flew south, but sadly more distant than yesterdays, plus two Great Northern Divers, one of which was very close. Also a distant Long-tailed Skua went past, but it was hardly a highlight.

Away from the sea I only had a couple of hours, but in that time I managed to connect with 3 Yellow-browed Warblers of the small fall that occurred during the afternoon. I also managed to see some of the Redwings and Bramblings that had come in on this first wave of birds. Remarkably, Brambling was a Spurn tick, although possibly the easiest species that I still needed…

Species List:

Seawatching: Manx Shearwater, Sooty Shearwater, Balearic Shearwater, Fulmar, Puffin, Razorbill, Guillemot, Gannet, Common Scoter, Teal, Wigeon, Arctic Skua, Pomarine Skua, Long-tailed Skua, Great Skua, Mute Swan, Red-throated Diver, Great-northern Diver, Kittiwake, Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Oystercatcher, Grey Plover, Dunlin, Knot, Redwing, Meadow Pipit,

Triangle: Brambling, Redwing, Yellow-browed Warbler, Chiffchaff, Song Thrush, Brent Goose, Pink-footed Goose, Mallard, Kestrel, Goldcrest, Sparrowhawk, Meadow Pipit, Grey Wagtail, Black-headed Gull, Grey Plover, Redshank, Dunlin, Knot, Golden Plover, Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow, Magpie,

Lake District

Since the weather was so nice as of late we decided to go into the Lake District for the day as a family. We started by going for a drink at the cafe at the Osprey Watchpoint at Bassenthwaite lake. The Osprey was very, very distant and nothing like the other views I have had this year, but it was nice to see one settled down. Also on site there was Gary the Biking Birder, who it was nice to see again after Spurn.

-Osprey

Post Osprey watching we headed onto a small village overlooking Bassenthwaite to grab a bite to eat. It sort of clouded over while we were there but was still unpleasantly hot. Here there were good numbers of Siskin flying around and calling, and a Lake District tick for me when a Red Kite came soaring over.

-Red Kite

Post lunch we headed out on a rowing boat on Derwent Water as per usual. It had really clouded over now but the wind had dropped a little making things a little easier. Out on the lake it was a case of the usual suspects still being around. Numbers of the probably feral Barnacle Goose population seemed to have dropped but it is possible they were within the trees on the islands in molt. We still saw around 10 individuals either flying around or lurking on the shoreline.

-Barnacle Goose

Also in molt were the Mergansers, or that's what I would presume since all those we saw today were brown birds, with no males seen at all. Its the first time I have taken my 500 lens to the lake district so I was able to try and take some nice photos of the Mergs. I got decent shots of one that was sat on the bank, and they were great to see as usual.

-Red Breasted Merganser

There had been a change in the dynamics of the bird fauna since last time I was here. This time there was a massive roost of Lesser Black-Backed Gulls on one of the island, and a few nests with developing chicks. I have never seen this many before and I have been here at this time of year previously, so the reason for this gathering is beyond me. There we well over 100 birds roosted on the island, whilst others we blogging about the lake. 

-Lesser Black-Backed Gulls

New to my Derwent Water list, as it were, was a Common Sandpiper that was on the shoreline of one of the islands. Its a patch tick for me, but I could not get a good photo as the boat kept rocking and the Sandpiper dipping in and out of the rocks. I did manage a solitary record shot which says more than enough.

-Common Sandpiper

After the boat ride we went for a walk around the side of the lake. It was getting dusky and the sun was now quite obscured, rain had started to fall and the Midges had come out in force. There were good numbers of commoner birds. The woodland area looked ideal habitat for lesser pecker but I saw none, only Great Spotted Woodpecker, of which there was an adult and a juvenile. The best bird of the walk was a nice Spotted Flycatcher that was in one of the more open areas of the woodland.

-Spotted Flycatcher

It was a lovely day out, only the heat was the downside but we can't complain given it will soon be back to the British summer we all know and don't love.

Species List:
Bassenthwaite Osprey Watchpoint: Osprey, Siskin, Grey Heron, Lapwing, Oystercatcher, Stock Dove, Carrion Crow, Red-Breasted Merganser, Common Buzzard, Mute Swan, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Lesser Black-Backed Gull, Black-Headed Gull, Canada Goose, Graylag Goose, Mallard, Robin, Tufted Duck, Chiffchaff, Chaffinch, Woodpigeon,
Derwent Water: Barnacle Goose, Canada Goose, Graylag Goose, Red-Breasted Merganser, Common Sandpiper, Lesser Black-Backed Gull, Herring Gull, Oystercatcher, Black-Headed Gull, Pied Wagtail, Siskin, Woodpigeon, Great-Spotted Woodpecker, Coal Tit, Blackcap, Spotted Flycatcher, Jackdaw, Magpie, Mute Swan, Chaffinch, Blue Tit, Nuthatch,

Ladybower and Derwent Reservoirs

My family decided today they were going to Ladybower Reser to cycle round the reser to test out their new tandem. I decided to tag along as I could wander around and hopefully see some good birds, with a goshawk still a possibility.

It was not goshawk that got me today though. It was another bird of prey. As we were driving along Ladybower having just come down the valley on onto the side of the reser I spotted a large bird in the sky. I my verbal thought process went something like this; 'seems like there are plenty of large birds around today, (Only bird in the sky) looks like a raptor or a gull... its a raptor... nope its a gull... S*it, its an Osprey. Dad pull over, just pull in here, now' or something like that. 

It was a very low flying bird, but was almost directly above us, so a much better view of the underwings than the bird at Spurn. Sadly due to camera faults I could not nail the shot which the experience required to full show how close and well showing this bird was. It even crossed our minds that it might try to catch a fish, but sadly not, and it began to circle higher and higher until it drifted over the crest of the hill on the NE side. It was, simply, unbelievable! 

-Osprey

Absolutely buzzing from that experience I set off for a wander round Derwent Reservoir. Keeping an eye on the sky and the other for anything else around. There were a few Common Buzzards and Kestrels but the sky was reasonably quiet over the course of the day, the standard having been set so high so early on.

The woods still had plenty to provide though. As I was walking along I picked up on a trilling call from the woods. Once I had noticed it I listened more closely and realised that it was a Wood Warbler, the species I had suspected it might be. Unfortunately it was in a fenced off paddock, so had to wait until nobody was around before trying to locate the bird.

Once I was onto it, it required little difficulty to track down as its song flight was very distinct and the call loud. The only downside was that it tended to stay high up in the trees, which was a bit disappointing but since I remained plagued by camera errors it mattered little, so I was able to sit back and watch the bird sing and descend, a real nice surprise for the day.

-Wood Warbler

As I carried on up there remained good numbers of species. They were mostly commoner species but the highlights included 4 fledgling Treecreepers chasing each other round, and a Common Sandpiper on the shore of the reser. 

I had planned to go all the way round Derwent until I reached the Dam of Howden and realised this was not an option. I took a moment here to have a breather and some lunch, but as I stopped I heard my second Wood Warbler of the day trilling from the woods. This one was not fenced off so I rushed up to try and get to grips with it.

This individual was far more mobile, and remained high up, but was a more constant singer than the first bird. I tried to take some sound recordings but failed, and only managed one record shot. Considering it was a lifer not 2 months ago, to see 2 in one day was pretty special.

-Second Wood Warbler

That was the icing on the cake for an awesome day. I headed a little further up the side of Howden to where the path curved round and I had a good view of the surrounding environment to scan for raptors. I only had Common Buzzard but was treated when this rather funky longhorn beetle flew in at my feet. A quick check of the book informs me this is a 'Rhagium bifasciatum' but please correct me if I'm wrong.

-Rhagium bifasciatum 

I say Common Buzzard was the only raptor, this was not true. whilst scanning I picked out a couple of young Kestrels on the dam wall, and when I got closer to have a look I could see there were 3 well developed young kestrels looking very nice all sat out preening. Its obviously been a good year for them.

-Kestrel Fledglings

I caught my parents as I was here, and as they were cycling back and I was not I decided to make a move. I did not get much else on the way back but it had already been such a super day, I was more than thrilled.

Species List:

Ladybower and Derwent Reservoirs: Osprey, Common Buzzard, Jay, Swallow, Mallard, Canada Goose, Carrion Crow, Kestrel, Grey Heron, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Woodpigeon, Wood Warbler, Great Tit, Pied Wagtail, Swift, Siskin, Treecreeper, Coal Tit, Goldfinch, Wren, Chaffinch, Long-Tailed Tit, Common Sandpiper, Grey Wagtail, Cormorant, Nuthatch, Blackbird, Spotted Flycatcher, Curlew,

Peak District Tour: Feat. The Midhope Shrike, the 2nd largest reser in England and an Osprey over the pub

Today was the return journey to Sheffield after 2 and half very enjoyable weeks at home. Fortunately these days usually involve a day out in the peaks and since the weather was lovely this was sure to be a nice day out with the family. We were heading to Ladybower reservoir, and I had hopes of catching an Osprey flying over.

However, when I learned the route my dad intended to take to Ladybower I could see that we were going to pass straight by the Midhope Great Grey Shrike, which had conveniently been re-found yesterday. I hoped that it would be on show and clear so that I could persuade my dad to stop the car and I would be able to get a proper view of it.

On the way over though I got an even bigger surprise when my dad picked out a Swallow hunting along the road, which is my first of the year. So already the day was off to a good start, and it got even better as I easily picked up the shrike as we drove past. No sooner had we stopped than the bird dropped, so we had to wait for it to re-appear. Another Swallow flew past at this point and I managed to get a few photos of it, my first swallow photos of the year.

-Swallow

The shrike had initially shown very well on top of the tree, before it dropped. It must have been around 10 mins before it came back up again, and even then the view was badly obscured by the bush. After a while though it returned to the top of the bush where I was able to get some far improved shots on those that I had taken previously when I came to see the bird. I also tried to digiscope it but it took off and flew straight at us before I managed to get back on the DSLR. It flew straight past us and my dad decided that gave us a cue to move on, even though the shrike was now clearly much closer to the road than it had been before, even though we could not see it.

-Great Grey Shrike

We arrived at Ladybower and I expected to pick up siskin on the feeders immediatley, but there were no birds on the feeders at all. I could not believe it, but that's that I guess. I was constantly scanning the skies but could see no raptors at all in the air.

There were good numbers of passerines calling from the woods, and after a quick check of the Collins App I could tell this was where the Siskins had got to. There were loads of them flying around and calling but I could not find any sat down or perched for a photo of this year-tick.

We continued walking along the side of Derwent Reservoir when I heard another call I was not familiar with. I had a quick check in the tree for the source, and found a stunning male Brambling calling. I was shocked to say the least, as this was not a species I anticipated finding in any way. It sat for a while for photos before flying off. Not going to lie, this was a massive shock in a birding sense. 

-Brambling

In that knowledge we continued our walk round until we reached a point where my mum had to stop. My family sat down for a bit while I found myself a place at the edge of the reser where I could scan for ospreys. No joy on that front though I did pick out a large hawk on the horizon. Sadly it was too far away and high up for me to find it in the scope before I lost it. A shame, as from what I could see in the bins it looked good for a gos, which would have been a lifer.

Gutted about that, there was some consolation in that a Siskin flock flew into the trees directly above my head and started to drop seeds on me. Its not the ideal angle for a record photo but its certainly a different perspective on the birds.

-Siskin

Sadly that was it for Derwent reservoir. I found no Ospreys, and the only other birds of note were a couple of Grey Wagtails flitting around the dam wall. Still, it was a great turnout from the birds and better than I had expected that's for sure.

It was not getting on in the afternoon so we headed on to Castleton to find a pub for dinner. We found a reasonably nice one with a nice beer garden with views of Mam Tor and the rest of the valley. It was from this location that I finally saw it.

Despite that time and luck were no on my side I had kept scanning for Osprey all day, even now at the pud, DESPITE HAVING NOT BROUGHT MY BINS WITH ME!! I spotted a large bird flying down the valley and began to take interest in it. When it was still a long was off my first though was  a large gull, but it then came close and I could see the wings were far too broad, and the flight pattern wrong. My next port of call was grey heron, but the feet did not protrude and there was no neck bulge. Now it was not close but close enough to be seen clearly (though only as a silhouette) and I was thrown by how massive the bird was. It then stopped its lazy flapping and started gliding and that was the final clincher for this bird being an Osprey. It could not have been buzzard as I could not clearly make out a tail and the wings were no rounded enough, that and the fact that the wings were too long. As I realised what I had just seen the bitter disappointment in myself for not bringing my bins or camera started to hit me. Alas, I paid a heavy price, but I found myself an Osprey and another yeartick. I can only wish I had been able to make for of it...

Fortunatley the pub had Wifi and I was able to put out the record. I could see from birdguides that an Osprey had been seen at 13.00 in Oldham and was heading SE. Granted, if it were the same bird it should have arrived around 14.00 not 16.00 but the direction and distance fitted, and there is no reason it should not have stopped off somewhere, so why I can see no reason why my Osprey shouldn't be the bird picked up in Oldham. 

So that was a fantastic end to the day. We drove to the top of Mam Tor and got fantastic views of the valleys below to finish off the day before taking me back to Sheffield. What a fantastic days birding to say the least!

Species List:

Midhope Moor Watchpoint: Great Grey Shrike, Swallow, Lapwing, Skylark, Jay, Blackbird, Meadow Pipit, Feral Pigeon, Woodpigeon,

Derwent Reservoir: Siskin, Brambling, Mandarin, Grey Wagtail, Curlew, Kestrel, Canada Goose, Graylag Goose, Mallard, Common Buzzard, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Chaffinch, Woodpigeon, Feral Pigeon, Mistle Thrush, Blackbird, Pied Wagtail, Long-Tailed Tit, Robin, Dunnock, Coal Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Meadow Pipit, Nuthatch, Skylark