Ringstone Edge

  At 15:50 PD messaged out that there was an excellent assemblage of Wildfowl on Ringstone, including Gadwall which would be a Calderdale tick for me, and Pochard which would have been a yeartick. Given that the light was already fading, I decided to race up there and arrived with just enough time to scan the reservoir. 

  The bulk of the ducks were easy to pick out, with the water calm their shapes stood out conspicuously. The drake Gadwall and Shoveler were very easy, nestled into a flock of 8 Wigeon. There was also an Athya sp. in the flock, but it wasn't a drake (like PDs Pochards) and with the bird remaining asleep almost the entire time, and struggling with the light, I could not confidently ID it. From what I could make out it was probably just a Tufted Duck. I was unable to pick out the Pochard, but they could easily still be there somewhere in the gloom. 

  A brilliant selection from PD, and Gadwall is my 130th species in Calderdale in 2024.

-Shoveler & Gadwall

-Wigeon, Gadwall, Shoveler & Athya sp.

Species List:
Ringstone Edge: Northern Shoveler, Gadwall, Eurasian Wigeon, Mallard, Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, Eurasian Wren, Common Blackbird, European Robin, Dunnock, 

Ogden

   After an enjoyable but also frustrating morning on Soil Hill, with fog badly restricting my ability to count the rafts of thrushes coming through, I found myself at home for lunch when a WhatsApp message came through that BS had found a drake Shoveler at Ogden. Since it would be a yeartick, and I only have a week to consolidate my list, I jumped in the car and headed over. At the start of the road to Ogden I picked up JJL so we could search for the bird together.

  We parked up and headed down to the reservoir, where a quick scan picked up the Shoveler on the east side of the reservoir, so we headed down to get a closer view. On the way I was sifting through the various gulls present and picked out a bird in the middle of the reservoir which had the impression of a Black-headed Gull with no black in the wings. I remarked to JJL that I thought I might have a Mediterranean Gull, and then took a few record shots. Zooming in on these quickly confirmed that the bird was indeed a Med Gull. The bird was washing itself and occasionally receiving grief from other gull species, but generally drifting closer all the time, so JJL and I followed it and were able to get some nice views.

  After a short while it took off and flew to the west bank where the majority of the other gulls were roosting, so we walked round. Initially we couldn’t pick it out, only to then spot it right in front of us nestled among the Black-headed Gulls there. From here we got some excellent views and both got some nice photos. After about twenty minutes or so it took off and flew off south towards Mixenden Reservoir and did not return while I was there.

  After it left I decided to head back home, and JJL continued on his way. Hope you got something good John! 

-Mediterranean Gull

-Shoveler

Species List:
Ogden: Northern Shoveler, Mallard, Goosander, Stock Dove, Common Wood Pigeon, Black-headed Gull, Mediterranean Gull, Common Gull, European Herring Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Eurasian Magpie, Carrion Crow, Eurasian Blue Tit, Great Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Goldcrest, Eurasian Nuthatch, Eurasian Wren, Common Blackbird, Fieldfare, European Robin, Eurasian Chaffinch, 

Ogden Water

  I don’t bother twitching so much these days, but when something local catches the eye, its hard to say no. And although it's hardly a mega rarity, when two Shovelers turned up on Ogden, found by NK, I decided to make the short journey across. As if extra motivation was required for a species that would be a Calderdale tick, I had also managed to miss two already this year, both at this same site.

  Of course, seeing a duck on Ogden is not difficult, and sure enough, upon arriving at the site, the two birds were still sitting in the middle sleeping or preening. I did a full loop of the reservoir to get a better angle for photos, but they always remained quite distant, and as such I could only manage a few record shots.  

-Shoveler

Species List:
Ogden Water: Northern Shoveler, Mallard, Little Grebe, Common Wood Pigeon, Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, European Herring Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Great Cormorant, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Eurasian Jay, Western Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Goldcrest, Eurasian Wren, Common Blackbird, European Robin, Dunnock, Grey Wagtail, Common Chaffinch, Eurasian Bullfinch, European Goldfinch, Eurasian Siskin, 

Spurn Week 1

Once again I have landed myself the extremely prestigious job of Little Tern warden at Spurn. This time I am starting a month earlier than before, and so will be able to actually watch the terns settle down on the nests, and then track individuals progress. Its all very exciting and something I am very much looking forward to.

Of course it does mean that I have now permanently left uni, which really is quite sad. I moved to Spurn on the Saturday and after settling down began work on the Sunday. I'm not sure how best to post things up on here, as I feel it will quickly become backlogged if I post for everyday, so I might try weekly posts or whatever, see what happens...

Sunday 12.06.2016

Day 1, foggy and overcast. Not a lot happening really. I went down to numpties first thing and not long after the first major bird of my stay flew down, a Bee-eater. It was only a flyover but obviously there are few birds better than a Bee-eater. Sadly through the mist and fog there was not much chance of a good photo, but I managed to grab a record shot.

-European Bee-eater

Other species were a bit thin on the ground. A Hobby flew around the watchpoint a few times during the morning, showing really well at times but difficult to catch using the camera. A couple of Shoveler went south, which was something different to the usual species which fly south. A Corn Bunting went north and brief views of a Little Stint which went south with a couple of Dunlin were a nice couple of additions to the yearlist.

In the afternoon I was going to head over to sammies but instead ended up doing a shift on the ponds with the Little Terns. There were not many birds about but I did manage 80 Little Terns sat on the beach which was pretty awesome to see. 

Species List:

Numpties: Carrion Crow, Magpie, Starling, Swallow, House Martin, Swift, Shoveler,  Teal, Common Scoter, Gannet, Fulmar, Hobby, European Bee-eater, Little Stint, Corn Bunting, Knot, Little Tern, Green Sandpiper,

Beacon Ponds: Little Tern, Curlew, Sandwich Tern, Oystercatcher, Ringed Plover, Herring Gull, Mallard, Fulmar, Reed Bunting, Starling, Carrion Crow, Little Egret, Cuckoo, Short-eared Owl, Meadow Pipit, Avocet, Common Scoter, Shelduck, Woodpigeon, Feral Pigeon, Gannet, 

Monday 13.06.2016

I start on morning shifts, so I was up at the ponds nice and early. Not long after I arrived on site had I already crashed and fallen asleep. In the periods where I managed to stay awake though I did see a Little Gull and an Arctic Tern. Another highlight of the morning was a Puffin which was sitting on the water fairly close inshore. It seemed to have a damaged wing but was active enough, diving and feeding. Commoner species were obviously still around, but a lack of activity from the Little Terns, with still no birds having settled down to nest yet.

On the way back to Obs after lunch I popped in at the wetlands to have a look at the Common Scoter that had been present for a few days. I was surprised to find the bird sat right in front of the hide as I walked in, not a usual view to get of the birds you usually only see when their flying out at sea. 

-Common Scoter

Absolutely exhausted, I crashed back in the Obs around early afternoon. Try as I might, I failed to muster the desire to go back out, until I read a tweet saying that a Golden Oriole had been found down the canal. I headed straight down there, but failed to spot any observers so had little idea where to actually look for it. I did soon find one observer looking into canal hedge. As I walked down to ask him though, the bird itself flew straight past me giving fantastic flight views. What a bird to see, and the rump was so bright and distinctive.

It staying around the canal while we watched. It was showy but flighty and difficult to approach in any sense. Often it would alight on the sides of bushes that were simply not view-able. I did manage a few record shots though, enough to confirm what it was without doubt. A smashing lifer. The best part of all was that the bird was frequently singing and calling, a sound I am familiar with from those times at lakenheath fen. A superb bird to say the least.

-Golden Oriole

We followed it round but it was very mobile, soon leaving the canal and heading into the village where it flew between various hedgerows, including over the obs garden. Eventually the chase became too much, when the bird was finally lost late afternoon. It was a cracking bird, what a way to start my time here.

Species List:

Beacon Ponds: Little Tern, Little Egret, Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Ringed Plover, Oystercatcher, Mallard, Mute Swan, Gadwall, Arctic Tern, Little Gull, Avocet, Shelduck, Short-eared Owl, Carrion Crow, Sandwich Tern, Common Scoter, Meadow Pipit, Gannet, Dunlin, Magpie, Curlew, Swallow, Woodpigeon, Kittiwake, Puffin, Fulmar, Swift, Sand Martin, Starling, Skylark, Cormorant, 

Tuesday 14.06.2016

Another day on the Job. Once more I crashed as soon as I had arrived at the ponds. Not long after I awoke though did I find my first good birds of my stint, when a pair of Spoonbills flew south over the ponds. Sadly, between my calling them out, and trying to get my camera out they had already turned away from me and I did not intend to just grab photos of the behind of the birds. They made their way south and were picked up at the Warren. A nice start to my finders list for the summer. Also on shift I managed to muster up a Knot, Red-throated Diver and my first Painted Lady of the year. A nice morning spent up at the ponds.

In the afternoon after I had been shopping I headed down the canal to see the Golden Oriole again. It remained very elusive to put it mildly but did show well a couple of times in flight before sitting out in the open distantly in canal hedge. I had hoped to develop my record shots from yesterday but sadly there was nothing much new to add...

-Golden Oriole

-Barn Owl

The Oriole would often go down for long periods of time before emerging from a bush on the complete other side of the canal. Once it dived into canal hedge I decided to call it quits, there was absolutely no point chasing it further. To keep us busy in the mean time there was a nice Barn Owl and my first Emperor Dragonflies of the year. All in other smashing day at work.

Species List:

Beacon Ponds: Little Tern, Sandwich Tern, Knot, Ringed Plover, Mute Swan, Mallard, Shelduck, Skylark, Reed Bunting, Carrion Crow, Woodpigeon, Short-eared Owl, Great Black-backed Gull, Oystercatcher, Herring Gull, Cormorant, Starling, Avocet, Gannet, Shoveler, Meadow Pipit, Swallow, Spoonbill, Common Tern, Grey Plover, Dunlin, Red-throated Diver, Common Scoter, 

Wednesday 15.06.2016

Another day out at work. I was on site early in the hope that the Lincs caspian terns might have rocked up but the fog was so thick that I was unable to tell, although from what I could see there were no large white birds on the ponds. The fog did not lift until around 10.00, during which time the only notable species I recorded was a nice Little Gull.

The day soon cleared up though into a very nice afternoon, making the four layers I put on in the morning to keep out the rain somewhat redundant. The shift passed largely without incident, with a few more Little Terns looking like they are going to settle down and the 3 remaining Oystercatcher nests still looking good.

Despite the overall quietness of the day I still managed to log another Spurn mega, albeit one that has been seen a couple of times infrequently during the week. A Red Kite flew south over the ponds before being lost in the rising cloud. Thats another good bird to have under my belt for Spurn.

But perhaps the highlight of the day was this: Watching a female Red and Black Burying Beetle bury an expired mole on Long Bank. It was somewhat unnerving watching the mole corpse twitch and shuffle as the beetle excavated it out from underneath, but still fantastic to watch. So interesting.

-Black and Red Burying Beetle with deceased Mole

Due to ongoing footware issues I spent the afternoon chilling in the hope that my bruises might get the respite they need to recover to allow me to fully enjoy working here. We shall see.

Species List:

Beacon Ponds: Little Tern, Ringed Plover, Oystercatcher, Little Gull, Little Egret, Dunlin, Mute Swan, Red Kite, Sandwich Tern, Carrion Crow, Mallard, Woodpigeon, Skylark, Reed Bunting, Gannet, Common Scoter, Fulmar, Shelduck, Herring Gull, Curlew, Swallow, Magpie, Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, 

Thursday 16.06.2016

Another morning with thick fret, allowing me chance to catch up on the sleep I was missing from the absurdly early starts. There were two Short-eared Owls on Holderness Field early morning as I walked up, but that was about the best of it. The first Redshank of the autumn was also back on Wetlands, a sign that waders were on the move.

Managed to clock up a decent species list during the morning, the best of the birds probably a few Manx Shearwaters that were moving north. Not in any great numbers but in small groups of about four that would occasionally glide past.

The real highlight of the day was a Sunfish flapping about offshore. I picked up the fin about mid-distance and then pondered as to its identity. It was clearly not a dolphin or shark due to its upright nature, and its erratic behavior made sure it was something a bit different. Given these two pieces of information it was not difficult to rule out all other candidates except Sunfish, despite the fact that it is a little early for them. I did get to watch it for some time but alas the choppy nature of the sea meant I was unable to get any record shots.

Species List:

Beacon Ponds: Redshank, Short-eared Owl, Little Tern, Oystercatcher, Swallow, Sedge Warbler, Reed Bunting, Ringed Plover, Sparrowhawk, Mute Swan, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Herring Gull, Cormorant, Linnet, Avocet, Sandwich Tern, Great Black-backed Gull, Mallard, Skylark, Gannet, Common Scoter, Fulmar, Dunlin, Feral Pigeon, Manx Shearwater, Guillemot, Red-throated Diver, Black-headed Gull, Yellow Wagtail, Knot, Kittiwake, Common Gull, Eider

Friday 17.06.2016

The plan of the day was extremely similar to that of the previous days, with fret first thing, followed by a clearer day with healthy species numbers but nothing overly different to add to the ponds list. The best of it was probably a Little Gull early morning which flew off into the fret, or three Arctic Terns which dropped in mid-morning.

Species List:

Beacon Ponds: Dunlin, Little Tern, Little Egret, Little Gull, Black-headed Gull, Oystercatcher, Curlew, Ringed Plover, Carrion Crow, Avocet, Mallard, Mute Swan, Cormorant, Arctic Tern, Skylark, Meadow Pipit, Herring Gull, Common Gull, Shelduck, Gannet, Sand Martin, Swallow, Sandwich Tern, Common Scoter, Fulmar, Pheasant, Grey Heron, House Martin, Woodpigeon, Eider, Reed Bunting

Saturday 18.06.2016

The situation at ponds was very similar to what it has been the last few days. A flock of 42 Knot on the beach were new but otherwise on the whole the variety of species on the ponds seems to have dropped off a little bit today. Out at sea it was a little better, as I got my first Great Skua of the year. Nice to have a few seabirds around to put my scope to good use at sea.

On my way back a couple told me about a Tufted Duck from the hide, so I went in to have a look. I got the tuftie but also got a drake Shoveler, which was a really nice bonus.

-Shoveler

In the afternoon I went for a wander down the canal but I was unable to find anything and the Oriole had long since departed. A Chiffchaff was about the best of it, to give an idea of how quiet it was. Now we enter the dead season when there are really not many birds about at all.

Species List:

Beacon Ponds: Redshank, Gadwall, Little Tern, Curlew, Knot, Fulmar, Little Egret, Ringed Plover, Oystercatcher, Carrion Crow, Woodpigeon, Black-headed Gull, Herring Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Swallow, House Martin, Sandwich Tern, Great Skua, Gannet, Mute Swan, Tufted Duck, Cormorant, Starling, Shoveler

Canal: Blue Tit, Blackbird, Magpie, Dunnock, House Sparrow, Whitethroat, Chiffchaff, Little Egret, Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Woodpigeon, Swallow, House Martin, Oystercatcher,

Sunday 19.06.2016

Last day on exhausting mornings. And with the last day came a sudden surge in the variety of waders about, with my first Sanderling of the autumn small group of Dunlin, 2 Curlew, and a Redshank. 2 Little Gull also graced the ponds early morning. On my way back to the Obs I found myself cut off as the farmer was doing something to his fields and had shut the gate, allowing me plenty of time to check Holderness field, where I got Spurns first Ruff of the Autumn. 

In the afternoon word came over the radio of a Spoonbill at the bottom of that same field so I headed over. I was pretty thrilled to see that not only was the Spoonbill still there, but it was not asleep. It was my first proper chance to photograph one not flying or sleeping since that bird briefly at Blacktoft last year. 

-Spoonbill

Species List:

Beacon Ponds: Dunlin, Sanderling, Little Gull, Little Tern, Shelduck, Curlew, Swift, Little Egret, Avocet, Oystercatcher, Ringed Plover, Sandwich Tern, Gannet, Herring Gull, Reed Bunting, Meadow Pipit, Great Black-backed Gull, Swallow, Black-headed Gull, Cormorant, Fulmar, Carrion Crow, Redshank, Greylag Goose, Kestrel, Grey Heron, Sand Martin, Mallard, Mute Swan, Ruff, Lapwing, Spoonbill, Teal, Knot,

Dorset Holiday Day 2

Since the weather remained a little off point, I decided to make my move for the long staying Hudsonian Whimbrel at Pagham Harbour. Granted it’s a bit of a trek, but it was not too expensive and it is only the 9^th British Record, and a fascinating bird from an ornithological point of view. I was well up for going to see it.

I woke earlier than expected, so was out of bed for 5.30. I decided to make the trip round all the toilet blocks on site looking for moths before I got my train, hoping to get my day off to a good start. I thought it had started fantastically when I found a Green Silver Lines on the first block. However, I was in for a real surprise when I got to the second. There were a couple for GSL’s but on the roof of the building, drooping down was the moth I most wanted for the holiday; Poplar Hawkmoth. I was thrilled and did not know what to do, so I grabbed a load of photos before picking it up and moving it to a number of more scenic locations, including my nose. I was thrilled. Moths were on the agenda today, as the other shower block had left the light on all night, filling the building with moths for me to look at. Below are the ones which I was able to identify, which are all of the notable ones.

-Green Silver Lines

-Poplar Hawkmoth

-Buff Ermine

-Swallowtail

-Scalloped Shell

-Beautiful Snout

-Iron Prominent

-White Plume Moth

 I then made my way to the train, after holiday ticking Siskin and getting a couple more moth species at the train station itself. It took a while travelling to get to Pagham, but I made it on site for 10. Knowing that the Whimbrel was mobile and hard to pin down I opted not to look at the spotted redshank on the near pool and just race to the estuary to try and pin it down.

As soon as I arrived at the bank I could see a few Whimbrels starting to move, as well as a few Curlews. They were flying past me for roosting at the saltmarsh. I began to check through the moving whimbrel, looking intently for the tell-tale signs. All the initial whimbrel were normal, but then, as I was filtering through them I picked it out, brown back and all.

I could not believe I had picked it up so soon, but it continued to fly and I realised that I was going to lose it pretty quickly. I threw my bag down and grabbed the camera as soon as I could. Fortunately it was still in flight and I managed to fire off a few quick record shots of the bird before it dropped down into the saltmarsh. Sadly my camera screen remains broken and I could not check them in the field. Fortunately, when I got back to base I was pleased to see they came out reasonably well, well enough for a record shot anyway.

-Hudsonian Whimbrel

 I was chuffed to bits, and raced to the spot where it had landed. Sadly it was well down in the saltmarsh and I could not see it. I waited another 2 hours at the spot where I had seen it land, but it did not reappear. Whimbrels and Curlews were roosting on the water’s edge but I could not pick it out there, and I did not see the bird fly off.

Whilst I waited I was treated to a few bits and pieces. There were good numbers of Linnet around, some of which were singing right alongside the path from the top of nearby gorse bushes. Waders were moving a little bit too, with a few Redshank and Oystercatchers blogging about. Ducks were also moving, and I picked up a mixed flock of Teal and Shoveler moving over the saltmarsh.

-Shoveler and Teal

 I decided, after the 2 hours, to move down the bank to the hide where the bird had been frequently reported from, in the hope that it had moved down there while I was distracted. It was not down there but by now the tide was out a little more and as such there were a few waders around. Turnstone, Grey Plover, Ringed Plover and Dunlin were all on the bank, and there were 3 Species of tern accompanying them; Little, Common and Sandwich. Without doubt the highlight bird was a superb looking leucistic Curlew, almost pure white. It sadly remained distant but I got a couple of record shots of it, without doubt the coolest Curlew I have ever seen!

-Leucistic Curlew

 By now doubts were plaguing my mind as to whether I had actually seen the Whimbrel, since I could not check my photos, and as such I was beginning to get frustrated that I had not got a proper view of it. Since it was not at the hide I moved back to where I had seen it previously. As soon as I arrived I thought I checked through the Whimbrel and immediately picked it up in flight in the distance but did not see where it went down.

I was here joined by another birder, who had seen it before, and this proved invaluable when, a few minutes later, I picked up a rather striking Whimbrel on its own in the bay. It was distant but there were no other birds nearby and as such I had nothing to compare it to, but the features on the face were strong and the bill seemed a little longer than normal. The other birder had a look and he confirmed that it did look right for the Hudsonian Whimbrel, but we would need it to fly before we could be 100% certain.

Right on cue, as we were discussing the bird, it took off, catching us both by surprise. In flight it clearly was the Hud Whimbrel as indicated by the brown back. However, the euphoria did not last long, as it circled once before dropping into the saltmarsh where we lost it again. Despite another hours wait it did not come out and I eventually decided to give it up. I had seen it clearly on the deck (though distant) and had reasonable flight views, so I was pretty pleased.

After that I headed back to the caravan, considering my days work done. However, in the evening we went for a walk in Weymouth. I sifted through the gulls present during our stroll and was rewarded with superb views of an Adult Mediterranean Gull, plus another 2 adults on the beach and a second winter bird… So not bad going at all.

-Mediterranean Gull

Species List:
Crossways Caravan Site: Magpie, Woodpigeon, Siskin, Robin, Blackbird,
Pagham Harbour: Avocet, Chaffinch, Black-Tailed Godwit, Teal, Green Woodpecker, Dunlin, Skylark, Rook, Long-Tailed Tit, Linnet, Mallard, Moorhen, Coot, Shelduck, Black-Headed Gull, Great-Crested Grebe, Reed Bunting, Reed Warbler, Redshank, Blue Tit, Little Egret, Starling, Blackbird, Woodpigeon, Feral Pigeon, Curlew, Whimbrel, Oystercatcher, Stock Dove, Cormorant, Whitethroat, Common Tern, Herring Gull, Lapwing, Sandwich Tern, Ringed Plover, Dunnock, Greenfinch, Turnstone, Mute Swan, Grey Plover, Great Black-Backed Gull, Little Tern, Swift, Hudsonian Whimbrel, Greenshank, Meadow Pipit, House Sparrow, Little Grebe, Common Sandpiper, Kestrel, Shoveler,

Old Moor RSPB

This trip was not one of my true birding trips but a course related trip to teach us how to identify wildfowl, which would be assessed in an exam. However, instead of sitting there drawing ducks in order to be able to identify them in an exam I decided to make the most of the opportunity and do some birding.

There was some decent stuff around too, including Redshank, Dunlin, 4 Grey Herons and multiple species of wildfowl, the highlight of those probably being a female Godleneye. Sadly we arrived at 1.00 when the light was already dropping and as such I was unable to get many photos.

Fortunately I was able to get photos of the 2 highlights of the trip; a young Peregrine sat right out in the open on one of the islands looking stunning in the evening sun. There was also a rather well concealed Barn Owl, which had I not asked about, would only have assumed to be another stick in the tree. Once I was on it though it was pretty clear that it was an owl so that was another great species for the day.

-Shoveler

-Barn Owl

-Peregrine

The birds were great, though it felt a little odd birding with so many coursemates, but hopefully they enjoyed. They certainly got some great birds out of it.

Species List:

Old Moor RSPB: Common Teal, Mallard, Shoveler, Gadwall, Canada Goose, Moorhen, Redshank, Coot, Lapwing, Goosander, Barn Owl, Peregrine, Woodpigeon, Goldfinch, Carrion Crow, Common Gull, Pheasant, Tree Sparrow, Goldeneye, Dunlin, Tufted Duck, Starling, Feral Pigeon,