Old Moor RSPB - The 17th hour of Little Bittern twitching

This was my only free day before I left for Spurn, other days taken up with goodbyes and packing. It was therefore my last chance to attempt once more to try and see the phantom Little Bittern at Old Moor. By now, having spent over 16 hours since its first appearance last year not seeing it, I was at breaking point. Seeing it today was simply a must.

I brought a uni friend, Issac, along, so I had a comforting shoulder should I once more fail to connect with the bird. As soon as we arrived though things started to look up, as a few birders were standing on the bridge outside the Bittern Hide saying that the bird was being very vocal. After a short while we also heard it, far softer and more mellow than I had anticipated from its call, but proof that the thing did actually exist.

The bird was clearly calling from a matter of feet in front of us, all the more frustrating but then one of the birders quickly indicated that he could see it. We were with him immediately but it took me a while (relative to the time we had) to work out where exactly he was looking, until I realised just how close it actually was, and that it was sat at the top of the reeds. I will never forget that image, of the bird sat atop the reeds just there, almost right in front of me. It did not sit there long, opening its wings to reveal the large white patches and diving into the bushes. It continued to call from there for a short while before it flew off into the reed-beds past the hide. Issac had missed it when it had sat up but saw it when it flew past the hide, the occasion when I missed it. It all worked out nicely in the end then. I finally saw the bird in the 17th hour of trying, and Issac got the bird on his first proper twitch.

The relief of seeing the bird at long last, even if I failed to get a photo of it. We tracked to where it had landed in the reeds and waited a solid four hours for it to come back out, but it failed to do so before we left at 13.30, and at the time of writing, 16.00, there has still be no further reports. Sadly no pictures then, but the view was fantastic and all that I needed. What a bird.

Other birds on site were very much the same as yesterday. The Great Bittern did a couple of flybys, throughout the day, but none were particularly close. A Tree Sparrow turned up in front of the hide and started catching damselflies which was something of a novelty. There were also a few insects on the wing, including Four-spot Chaser and Black-tailed Skimmer.

-Black-tailed Skimmer

-Tree Sparrow

So after many hours waiting I finally got the bird I had been after, plus it was another fantastic day out with plenty of nice birds and good company. Its nice to be able to settle this old score. Now for a new arch nemesis...

Species List:

Old Moor RSPB: Black-headed Gull, Chaffinch, Carrion Crow, Magpie, Woodpigeon, Feral Pigeon, Stock Dove, Blackbird, Tree Sparrow, Coot, Moorhen, Great Tit, Bittern, Mute Swan, Wren, Common Tern, Little Grebe, Tufted Duck, Swallow, Swift, Sand Martin, Whitethroat, Great-crested Grebe, Goldfinch, Jackdaw, Gadwall, Canada Goose, Long-tailed Tit, Cormorant, Grey Heron, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Greylag Goose, Reed Bunting, Kestrel, Common Buzzard, Herring Gull, Little Bittern,

Spurn Day 6

Again, Day 6 started at bang on midnight. But since it was completely dark I failed to register any birds until around 4.00 in the morning. There were only a few Dunlin still around, as well as the Little Tern, Ringed Plover and Oystercatcher that I have become so familiar with over the last few days. I was delighted to see that the Oyk family with 2 chicks were still doing fine, as they were feeding along the shoreline. When you can see a family like this, know they are the same birds you’re watching day after day you become very attached to them, and they have been one of the highlights of my time here so far.

As the time wore on to the end of my shift I started to notice a few other birds around. A few Whimbrel were moving down the coast, in occasional small groups, but it’s the first time I have seen them up at the ponds so that was nice. There was also a Greenshank behind the hide, but I saw it the same moment it saw me and so my views of it were fleeting. There were also 4 summer plumaged Little Gull that went north over the hut in the morning too, always lovely birds to see.

On the way back to the warren, a worn and weary me spotted a lovely buck Roe Deer feeding on a hawthorn tree by the roadside. It was incredibly approachable, before it ambled off into the fields as I tried to pass.

I awoke again at 12.00, but found myself locked into the warren so did not get out until around 13.00. I went up behind the warren to join Paul and Steve but it had been a quiet morning apparently, and my stay there of around half an hour yielded very little, the highlight being a male Linnet that was singing from a gatepost.

Since it was so dead Paul offered to take me shopping early, but before he went to check his nets and found 3 young Swallows in them, so I got to watch him ring them before we set off. They were mixed ages, some clearly very young, but one seemed much older.

On the way into Withernsea we had some pretty nice birds. By the side of the road was a female Sparrowhawk that flew into a tree as we passed by. A fleeting but nice view of the bird. Next up was Little Owl. Paul mentioned a nest in a farm complex, but we failed to spot the bird as we drove past. No wonder, as round the corner the bird was easy to see sleeping in a tree.

Once we arrived back it was clear to see that it was still pretty dead in terms of birds, probably due to the lack of wind. As a consequence I once more headed to Clubleys ponds behind the warren to see if there were any RV Darters around. There were not, but remained good numbers of Emperors, of which I saw a 3 way fight, and Black Tailed Skimmers. 

-Black-Tailed Skimmer

Since I had all afternoon I decided to do the Triangle walk, which was basically the same walk I had done over the past few days. I headed off up Canalbank first to see what was about but there was not much. There was a Reed Warbler calling from the canal scrape, and more Whimbrel on the estuary, thought the tide was out and they were not close.

-Whimbrel

I carried on without much further happening besides flyovers and brief views of commoner birds. Along the road I got a nice treat though as I spotted a Roe Deer buck, probably the same as the morning, feeding very placidly side by side with a Brown Hare in one of the fields. I got some great views of it as it wandered around in the open seemingly completely uncaring that it was so obvious. The hare on the other had was quick to bolt, and was not particularly showy even when it was there, so I managed no photos of that.

-Roe Deer

So the afternoon wore on and evening came, and the joys of the nightshift came at me again. This side of the night was very successful, with nothing happening and plenty of birds to see while it was still light. The highlight of this was a Common Sandpiper feeding along the edge of the sea. Apparently, or so I understand, they are not overly common around here, but we shall see tomorrow when I submit it. Other birds were an excess of around 2000 Dunlin along the beach and pool edge, and incredible sight. Red Knot and Grey Plover were joining them.

But it was not just the birds, as there was a young female Grey Seal hauled out on the beach. It let me walk past within a few feet without batting an eyelid. It was bizarre only seeing one seal, and yet it still being so uncaring about my being there. Sadly I left my big camera at home to save luggage, and as such my photos are not exceptional, but still show just how close I got while walking past it. The photos will follow as my laptop does not want to read my compact cameras SD card!

  The rest of the evening passed without incident, and little else to report except for a couple of Little Egrets hunting the pool. And with that I will sign out for today with the species list.

Species List:

Beacon Pools: Dunlin, Little Tern, Oystercatcher, Ringed Plover, Mute Swan, Whimbrel, Greenshank, Little Gull, Shelduck, Common Gull, Black-Headed Gull, Swift, Grey Plover, Woodpigeon, Greenfinch, Roe Deer,  

Warren Viewpoint: Common Gull, Swallow, Linnet, Meadow Pipit, Grey Seal,

Driving: Sparrowhawk, Little Owl, House Sparrow, House Martin, Swallow, Woodpigeon, Goldfinch, Pied Wagtail, Rook,

Clubleys Scrape: Sandwich Tern, Meadow Pipit, Swallow, Magpie, Emperor Dragonfly, Black-Tailed Skimmer, Common Emerald Damselfly, Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown,

Triangle: Whimbrel, Woodpigeon, Curlew, Mute Swan, Swallow, Mallard, Reed Warbler, Coot, Common Gull, Magpie, Pied Wagtail, Carrion Crow, Blackbird, Starling, Whitethroat, House Martin, Linnet, House Sparrow, Blue Tit, Sandwich Tern, Black-Headed Gull,

Beacon Pools: Black-Tailed Godwit, Turnstone, Common Sandpiper, Sandwich Tern, Avocet, Common Gull, Ringed Plover, Oystercatcher, Little Tern, Dunlin, Mute Swan, Cormorant, Knot, Grey Plover, Little Egret, Grey Seal, 

Spurn Day 5

Well day 5 started at 00.00 for me, but there were not many birds to see at this point as I'm sure you can imagine. It was a very quiet night, but since it was my first time I made sure everything was checked. There were Oystercatchers calling occasionally but whenever I checked I could not see any predators. I did however send the roosting Dunlin flying, so much so that by morning there were none left. While scanning with the torch I also found the Ringed Plovers roosting on the shoreline, but they were none too pleased by this.

The sun finally appeared around 4, revealing the Little Terns and a pair of Mute Swans on the lake. At 5.00 I was relieved of my duty, a successful night with no casualties. I know I fell asleep at least once, but apparently this is allowed because the birds will wake you should there be any bother.

On the way back I found numerous Woodpigeons along Beacon Lane. Near the bottom of the lane a Cuckoo flew over me. In any other mood this would have been great but by this point all I wanted was bed. A Cuckoo is still a great record though, and an excellent find.

I awoke from my slumber at 13.00 to an absolutely glorious day. As a consequence I decided to spend my afternoon hunting for red-veined darters. On Clubleys scrape there were two darter dragonflies but they did not land and I frequently lost them and did not re-find them, so their identity will remain unknown. The Emperor Dragonflies showed well and there continued to be ample Black-Tailed Skimmers. Since I was there I also decided to finally take some photos of the Emerald Damselflies, but they were quite difficult to approach so my efforts were not overly exceptional.

-Emerald Damselfly

-Black-Tailed Skimmer

I next headed along Canalside to Churchfields, along the way picking up only off bits, like Sedge Warbler. Work was being done at Churchfields so I decided not to enter. I headed back to Clubleys but the darters were still not showing so went back to the warren to chill, as I was feeling pretty knackered!

After a short while at the Warren, Paul came round telling me to come look at the Swifts going over. There were good numbers. I spent about 2 hours up there with a few birders and we counted around 1500 Swifts going over. Paul and Tim were trying to catch them for ringing but were unable to catch any. 2 did get clobbered by the net though, but did not fall into it.

It was a different experience for me, vis-migging. But a very enjoyable one. Not only were there good numbers of Swift but also Whimbrel, Sand Martin, Knot, Bar-Tailed Godwit and the highlight 3 Man Shearwaters, my 176th bird this year. Tim spotted them and I could see from watching these birds that the birds I had pondered earlier in the week were defiantly guillemots. They were not too far out so could clearly see them banking and changing as their colour moved from black to white and back again. A great addition to the day. At 7.00 I left the vis-migging to get some dinner, in prep for my shift. And that is where we will leave it for now.

Species List:

Clubleys Ponds: Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Meadow Pipit, Skylark, Woodpigeon, Linnet, Emperor Dragonfly, Black-Tailed Skimmer, Common Blue Damselfly, Common Blue-Tailed Damselfly, Emerald Damselfly, Meadow Brown, Ringlet, Small Heath,

Canalside: Sedge Warbler, Curlew, Woodpigeon, Swallow, Sand Martin, House Martin, Large White, Meadow Brown,

Vis-Migging: Starling, Oystercatcher, Great Tit, Whimbrel, Swift, Swallow, Sand Martin, Manx Shearwater, Meadow Pipit, Skylark, Woodpigeon, Black-Headed Gull, Knot, Redshank, Cormorant, Gannet, Curlew, Collard Dove, Sandwich Tern, Arctic Tern, Bar-Tailed Godwit, Dunlin,

Spurn Day 4 - LIFER ALERT

I managed to sleep in til 9.00, but awoke at 5 feeling completely awake. I guess that confirms that my sleeping pattern is screwed. However, I now had a full day ahead of me full of exploring and casual birding.

I decided to start with a little Seawatching as the weather was not exceptional. However, the sea was completely flat, no waves at all. I settled down to watch and see what would emerge. The highlight of my hour’s shift were 21 Common Scoter, which flew by in flocks of 10 and 11. The only other birds were the Gannets, but these were way out. It was a nice start to the day though, and the weather picked up during my stay.

Next I moved to join the small group of birders that was stationed near the seawatch hut. These were counting swifts and were made up of locals and regulars. Initially it was very daunting being among so many birders familiar with each other, but I got to speak to a couple as they started to drift. There were good numbers of Swift even while I was there, but the total for the day was already about 1000. The real buzz was regarding a certain bridled tern that was slowly progressing down the coast, and many were wondering if it would make it so far down to Spurn.

As the weather picked up, and I mean really picked up, I decided to head over to the ponds near the warren to see if there were any red-veined darters. The place was buzzing, with about 10 Black-Tailed Skimmers and 2 Emperor Dragonflies strutting their stuff along the pond. Another birder was also there looking, and we got chatting. He mentioned that there was another pond where there may be some, in Churchfields. We stuck around the warren pond though, and good thing too. I did find a darter, but I was unable to approach it very easily so was restricted to long range views and photos. However, it was very red, so I put it down as a Ruddy Darter and thought nothing much more of it.

However we now jump ahead in the story. I returned for lunch and filtered through my photos to see if there was anything funny about said dragonfly and also a couple of other things. I zoomed into my best photo and what do you know; Red Veins. However, the dragonfly lacked the blue eyes and had black legs. It was almost like someone had taken red-veined darter wings and stuck them onto a ruddy darter. Obviously the 2 ruddy features are more subjective to light than the very obvious red veins, but I was reluctant to call it.

That afternoon I spoke to Paul the warden and showed him the picture. He too was not confident with it, but we decided it was obviously an older insect as it had tatty wings. This supported the Red Veined school of thought as ruddys had only just started to emerge. This and the fact that it had a more red face (And Pauls opinion having seen them before) confirmed the dragonfly as my first ever Red-Veined Darter. 

-Red-Veined Darter

Unknowing this of course we continued to Chruchfields to see if we could find any there. Apparently four had been in the Heligoland trap the day before, but not today. We met Tim Jones there and he fished out 3 Ruddy Darters from the trap. There were also a few very fresh Ruddy Darters on the pond looking rather lovely. Add to that a couple of Emperors and Four Spot Chaser. But the lack of Red Veins made me wonder if I was actually going to get one. Tim said that they often get another influx, so it was likely more would appear.

  On my tour of Spurn the next stop was the Canalside walk. Along there was supposed to be a family of lesser whitethroat. Bob was already watching them, and said that he could hear them. Apparently numerous people had been past claiming these birds as Lessers. I heard the call and thought it was common whitethroat, but since so many had apparently claimed them as Lessers I assumed I was wrong, not knowing the call for a Lesser. As a result I claimed this as a great find for the day. However, I got home and checked just for good measure and they were indeed Common Whitethroat. The moral of the story kids is always trust your instinct and just because someone tells you something does not make it right. 

-Common Whitethroat

After lunch, having checked my photos, I decided to go to the pond and try to re-find the dragonfly to get some more photos to clear up my dilemma. It was around for about 5 mins, but the wind had picked up and it was chased off by a Black-Tailed Skimmer, so no answers were found at this point. I did grab some photos of the Black-Tailed Skimmers though, but they did not come out very well.

-Black-Tailed Skimmer

I decided to walk back up Canalside, have a look at Churchfields again and then come back down, doing ‘the triangle’. On the way up Canalside I picked up Reed and Sedge Warbler, as well as Reed Bunting. I am accumulating some great species for my trip here. However, it was another dragonfly that stole the show as I found an Emperor Dragonfly eating a Bumble bee of some description. Sadly it was not out in the open for a full body shot but I got some great close ups of the jaws. I got close enough to hear it crunching the bees carapace, but it was so loud that I did not have to be excessively close. 

-Emperor Dragonfly

Timing would have it that when I arrived at Churchfields it was raining so there were no dragonflies to be found anywhere. I continued along the road where there was an actual family of lesser whitethroats but did not find them. I did find a Blue Tit though, which was a much needed addition to my site list.

I headed back to the warren ponds but the wind had put all the dragonflies down, so nothing was happening there unfortunately. As a consequence I headed back to the Warren where I asked Paul about my dragonfly and had it confirmed as a Red-Veined Darter, my first. I decided to do some Seawatching but that did not last long, as after half an hour I had only managed one distant Gannet.

However, my time there was livened up when Paul brought a recently ringed Sand Martin juvenile to be released. It’s a different view of a bird when it’s in the hand and it was a real privilege to be able to see this young bird so close, and then watch it go on its journey south. 

I wandered back to the warren to work on this and to make dinner. During dinner Tim walked in and told me about a young Cuckoo that had perched on a post near the warren. I came out and had a look and it was still there. It had just been rung, so that was probably why it was sticking around, that and the fact that there were good numbers of cinnabar moth caterpillars in the area. It was lovely to see, and very docile so I could approach it and grab some photos. In the evening light the brownish plumage really shone, one of the best views I have ever had of Cuckoo.

-Juvenile Cuckoo

Thats the end of this post, but I'm on nights tonight which will be a new experience for me, so I will update this post tomorrow should anything happen during the night.

Nothing much happened in the night, as it was quite dark when I got there. I did however stumble across some Turnstones along the beach as I made my way to the hut, which were a nice addition to my daylist

Species List:

Seawatch: Swallow, Meadow Pipit, Gannet, Common Scoter, Sandwich Tern, Woodpigeon, Swift, Herring Gull, Oystercatcher, Common Gull, Linnet, Grey Seal, Meadow Brown, Large White,

Warren Ponds: Reed Bunting, Meadow Pipit, Swift, Swallow, Sand Martin, Woodpigeon, Feral Pigeon, Linnet, Skylark, Starling, Emperor Dragonfly, Black-Tailed Skimmer, Common Darter, Red-Veined Darter, Common Blue Damselfly, Common Blue-Tailed Damselfly, Common Emerald Damselfly, Meadow Brown, Large White, Small Heath, Gatekeeper, Small Tortoiseshell, Red Admiral

Churchfields: Sparrowhawk, Woodpigeon, Ruddy Darter, Four-Spot Chaser, Emepror Dragonfly, Black-Tailed Skimmer, Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper, Oak Eggar,

Canalside: Common Whitethroat, Swallow, Linnet, Magpie, Lesser Black-Backed Gull, Mallard, Mute Swan, Whimbrel, Reed Bunting, Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Blue Tit, Emperor Dragonfly, Small Skipper, Small White, Large White, 6-Spot Burnet Moth

Warren: Cuckoo, Woodpigeon, Meadow Pipit, Swallow, Swift, House Martin, Rabbit,

Fairburn Ings

My time at uni is drawing near to an end for good for the summer. Since it is 'Le tour' this weekend I decided to make today my final major birding trip due to the number of road closures over the weekend. I decided to try a new site, for public transport at least, by going to Fairburn Ings RSPB. Its a site where I have had mixed fortunes before, dipping smew 3 years in a row, but I had not been for some time.

Reports showed that there were 2 spoonbills on site, that had been around for some time, which was the main reason I thought to go and have a look, but the glossy ibis that has been roving around west and South Yorkshire had recently made it is home. As a result I decided to head over that way to enjoy my last bit of proper first year birding.

Despite its steep train fare I did not have to get a bus, as I can walk to the site from Castleford, so that was a major bonus. Once out of the town you follow the canal for a short distance before going onto the RSPB land.

It was walking along the canal that I had Mallard, Swallow and Mute Swan on the canal and woodpigeon on the overhead cables over the hedge. Or so I thought. I don't really know what inspired me to check out this so obvious woodpigeon on the wires, but for some reason I gave it a thorough inspection. It was difficult from my range, and my head secretly wanted turtle dove, so I allowed myself all kinds of thoughts. When I managed to get a decent view through the bins I immediately noticed a lack of white round the neck. Woodpigeon no more. I still struggled to make anything out with my bins though, so got the camera and grabbed a record shot. I could not believe my eyes when I had a look, it was a Cuckoo, chilling on the wires. I got closer until I was right in front of it, the hedge providing a suitable hide. Its my first good shots of a Cuckoo landed, and it is also one of my best self finds. To find a Cuckoo at this time of year, on a site not reknown for its cuckoos, is something pretty special. I was well pleased with myself. I had a good look through the bins, before taking some shots and then going for the bins again. But it was between the transition of camera to bins that the bird moved off, as it was no longer there when I looked up again. I don't know where it went, but it made my day, and it was not even lunchtime.  

-Cuckoo

I continued onto the reserve, and decided to first call in at Lin Dyke Hide, as that was where the ibis and spoonbills were most frequently recorded. As I left the riverbank and headed up towards the hide I noticed 2 large white birds circling near the farm in the distance. Of course my first thought was swans, but through the bins I could see that they were not swans, they were in fact the Spoonbills that I had come to see. The scope was in my bag, and through the bins there was not much to make out except for their long neck and broad wings and tail. I grabbed a ton of record shots of the birds, since I had no idea what their next move would be, and good thing too, as they quickly dropped down below the tree line. They are my 17th lifer this year, and a bird I have long wanted to see. Sadly because of distance I could not make out the bills properly, but I had hope that over the course of the day I would find them again.

-Spoonbills

Now I was really buzzing and it was about to get even better. Not much further up than from where I saw the spoonbills I noticed a large bird fly towards me over the reeds to the right of the hide. It was clearly a heron and because the neck was tucked in from such a low flight I identified it as a bittern. A quick check with the bins showed I was right, but it also showed that the bird was coming towards me. I grabbed the camera due to the potential of some great shots, just in time for the bird to gain altitude and fly right over me. Great shots? you bet, it was without doubt the greatest view of a bittern I have ever had, beating even those birds that I have seen landed. I think it would only be right to let the pictures do the talking.

-Bittern

The bittern flew over the path and then was lost behind the trees. I had barely made it on site and already it was one of the best days birding this year, and that is saying something. I made it to the hide without further incident, but that's not saying much due to the short distance. I began looking for the ibis, or to see if the spoonbills had landed. The latter had not and the former was not to be seen. I did not want to ask other birders, as it removed some of the pride from any sighting, but from tactical eavesdropping I learned that it was in a pool just up the path.

From the hide there was good stuff to find, including many waterfowl; Common Teal, Shoveler, Gadwall and more Mute Swans. On the banks there were Lapwing, Redshank with a well grown chick and a few Little Egrets, which were showing really well. After some continued searching I found a few Little Ringed Plover on an island quite far out, and was going to announce them with pride, when I noticed a small bird right in front of the hide have a stretch. There had been a Little Ringed Plover with a well grown chick right in front of the hide all along, and nobody had noticed. They were even close enough to get some decent record shots.

-Little Ringed Plover

After my stay in the hide I decided to head up to check out the Ibis and see if it showing. I saw the small cluster of birders on the path, but could not see the bird due to the hedge. I saw the pool next and was shocked by how close it was to the path, as in really close. There were also about 10 Little Egrets on the pond, which being so close and so unfazed looked absolutely great, the best views I can ever recall having.

After a short while the ibis raised its head, it had been feeding at the back out of view. It was moving closer though, but keeping to the reeds and sedges, making it difficult to photo, or even see. This is of course the same bird that I twitched at Wombwell Ings, before exams and all that fun. That seems so long ago, and compared to how close the bird was currently seems completely independant of this encounter.

While I waited upon the ibis to yield a great view I noticed a pair of Whitethroat that had been moving around the hedge in front, probably disturbed by the small cluster of birders. I decided to back off to avoid causing them more harassment. Once back the birds started landing in very nice positions for a photo of Whitethroat for this year.

-Whitethroat

As I had mentioned before there were many Little Egrets all showing well. While photographing the Whitethroat I had noticed to my horror that my camera battery was very very low. Even so, I decided it was too good and opportunity to miss, so took a few photos of the egrets while they were in nice positions.

-Little Egret

But of course, the bird of the hour was the ibis. After waiting a little while it decided to finally come out and show itself in all its glory. It was a different perspective to the view I had got at Wombwell, here really highlighting the grey streaks on its head and the the green and purple sheen on the bird. It carried out all kinds of behavior, mainly feeding but also preening which was a different perspective of the bird.

-Glossy Ibis

I got so many better pictures of the Ibis than before, the fourth awesome bird that I have seen already today. After a while I decided to move on to try and re-find the Spoonbills further up the reserve. I had initially decided to walk along the river, but the spoonbills had changed that and I decided to walk along the road to see if I could find them further up.

Before the road I added Willow Warbler to my day list, and Wren too, which was singing with great gusto from the hedge. Once on the road the birds naturally declined. Overlooking the Spoonbill Flash I did not get many additions as most of the birds could be seen from the hide. However, there were some ducks resting hidden next to the road which I failed to see due to me being distracted by a Sedge Warbler. One of the ducks was a Pochard female, which I took a couple of photos of due to it being so close.

-Female Pochard

I continued along the road, reaching the area that overlooks the moat. However, the spoonbills could not been seen. What did impress me were the number of Cormorants. They were everywhere, on the trees, on the bank, in the water even flying overhead. I was very surprised by how many there were.

I moved off and entered the car park area of the reserve. I first headed down to the main bay lookout point near the car park to see if there was anything there, as there has been some decent stuff in the past. Today it was very quiet though, mainly eclipse mallards. There was also a female Mandarin which was different, a lovely male reed bunting giving it Gusto from the reedbed and a couple of Common Terns hunting out over the bay.

After a short stay at the feeding station my next call was the Pickup Hide for lunch. On the feeding station there were Blue Tits, Great Tits and Tree Sparrows, nothing particularly unusual, nor were there any willow tits which I really wanted to see.

Fortunately at the Pickup Hide there was a Willow Tit, a very aggressive individual that was chasing all other birds on the feeders. Besides that there was not much about. The Sand Martin wall in front of the hide was quite busy, with a few birds drifting in and out at regular intervals. There were also about 5 Avocet on the bank, I am informed a pair with chicks. A Stock Dove also joined in at one point for a drink, but it was very quiet. I tried for some record shots of the Willow Tit but it was very dark and they did not come out well. Never mind.

-Willow Tit

-Tree Sparrow

Once I had moved on from Pickup I decided to take a look at the hide overlooking the main bay before returning to Lin Dyke via the river. In that hide there was not much, but there were good numbers of Great-Crested Grebes on the lake, most of which were sleeping. On the way to the hide I also picked up Chiff-Chaff and Long-Tailed Tit, the latter being a regular at the site.

Along the river it was very quiet. There good numbers of Cormorants in the river, and a Grey Heron on the bank. It was mainly the insects along the bank that were the highlight, with many species of butterfly; Ringlet, Gatekeeper, Small and Large Skipper, Red Admiral, as well as a couple of dragonfly species; a spectacular Four-Spot Chaser and a Black-Tailed Skimmer on the path.

-Four Spot Chaser

-Black-Tailed Skimmer

 I re-arrived at Lin Dyke hide intending to stay a little while and then go and re-find the ibis. However, not long into my stay at the hide and a birder came in and informed us that the ibis had moved on, apparently we should have seen it from the hide, but failed. So I spent all my remaining time in this hide waiting for something to appear.

And right on cue the Spoonbills decided to do another flyby, but this time I opted to watch them rather than photograph them. Even through the scope it was difficult to see that beak, but I certainly got a better view than I had got before, and I was glad I saw them again before I left for the train. Once they had gone down again I returned to try and see what else was about. The fore mentioned birder had spoken about Common Sandpiper, and right on cue a Common Sand came and landed on one of the pieces of wood on the lake, another great day tick. There was a tree in the middle of the flash, and while I watched this tree became frequently covered in Sand Martins, before something would cause them to flush and they would all leave. But the real stars again were the Little Ringed Plovers, which once more were right in front of me, but I was unable to spot them for a good half an hour. It then turned into a nightmare trying to describe their location to the other birds, who could not believe how well hidden they were, despite being out in the open.

-Little-Ringed Plover

It came to the time when I had to go for the train sadly, and I departed. On the way back I picked up another Grey Heron and a Pheasant but not much. It truly had been a great day, really enjoyable. And with another lifer, and catching up with that Glossy Ibis what more could a birder really ask for.

Species List:

Fairburn Ings RSPB: Spoonbill, Bittern, Little Egret, Grey Heron, Glossy Ibis, Starling, Dunnock, Chaffinch, Blue Tit, Magpie, Carrion Crow, House Sparrow, Blackbird, Blackcap, Great Tit, Robin, Common Pheasant, Black-Headed Gull, Wren, Mallard, Jackdaw, Mute Swan, Feral Pigeon, Woodpigeon, Mistle Thrush, Bullfinch, Goldfinch, Pied Wagtail, Kestrel, Collard Dove, Lapwing, Long-Tailed Tit, Tufted Duck, Cormorant, Moorhen, Coot, Great-Crested Grebe, Jay, Common Teal, Shoveler, Gadwall, Pochard, Redshank, Greenfinch, Tree Sparrow, Reed Bunting, Stock Dove, Willow Tit, Oystercatcher, Chiffchaff, House Martin, Little-Ringed Plover, Sand Martin, Willow Warbler, Scaup, Canada Goose, Graylag Goose, Avocet, Sedge Warbler, Common Sandpiper, Common Tern, Whitethroat, Swift, Cuckoo, Small Skipper, Large Skipper, Meadow Brown, Large White, Gatekeeper, Ringlet, Speckled Wood, Common Blue Damselfly, Common Blue-Tailed Damselfly, Brown Hawker, Black-Tailed Skimmer, Common Darter, Four-Spot Chaser, Common Toad,

Swillington Ings

For my final birdwatching trip in Sheffield for this academic year I decided to head off to Swillington Ings for one final look. Obviously I can get here from home, but its far more work due to a change in Leeds. Yesterday there had been 5 black terns so I was hoping for similar today, as well as hobby and grasshopper warbler. I can say right now that none of these birds made an appearance today. Neither did Garden Warbler, though I must have heard about 10 different birds sing all around me at various points. There is little I have found more frustrating than hearing a bird but not being able to see it, so hearing them this many times and still not seeing one... well, words fall short.

On stuff that I did see; Swillington was quite quiet for its usually high levels bird wise, with me being unable to find anything major on the main lake. Obviously there was the usual which is all good stuff; Gadwall, Teal, Lapwing and Common Tern diving right in front of where I had set up. I also had good numbers of Whitethroat, Reed Bunting and Long-Tailed Tit on the bank.

On the insect front we were far more successful, picking up my first Banded Demoiselle of the year, and recording Brown Hawker again. The main species of dragonfly in the early stages of the walk were Black-Tailed Skimmer, that were resting on the path in many places.

-Black-Tailed Skimmer

I decided to miss out 'Gropper Corner' since it was dead last time. Continuing round I failed to pick up much birdwise but there continued to be a multitude of insects, including Red Admiral, Common Blue, Large Skipper, Speckled Wood, Ringlet, 4-Spot Chaser and my first Emperors of the year. One of the Emperors started ovipositing, but as I have seen before it was harassed by Common Blue Damselflies, which tried to nip the wings. This behavior is one of the most fascinating I have ever seen, so to see it again was a real treat.

-Emperor Dragonfly

I continued round to where the Gropper had been calling from previously, but no joy this time. There were other birds calling in the area however; Whitethroat, Reed Bunting, Skylark (Which I also got to watch have a rather spectacular dust bath), Meadow Pipit, Reed Warbler and Sedge Warbler. Continuing along the northern path I got incredibly views of the latter, when it came and moved around the tall plants surrounding the path. Initially when it landed I thought 'what a view' but then it came closer and even positioned itself, best view of a Sedge ever. I spoke to a local birder and he said that he thought it was one of this years young, explaining why it was so fearless. Said birder also had a knowledge of soil hill...

-Sedge Warbler

I made my way along the northern path and then turned down the eastern reedbed, hoping for some Black-Necked Grebes with chicks. They did not disappoint. At first I spotted only one bird, a well grown juvenile looking very similar to a winter plumaged bird. But then an adult surfaced right next to the path and proceeded to move behind the reeds and feed a small family that was there. The family then moved out from behind the reeds so I was able to get great views. I assume the bird I first saw was the male since the other bird, presumably the female had a chick on its back. There was an additional chick swimming along side the female, while the male kept on fishing and then feeding the chicks. It was a true joy to watch this, but it was too short as the birds moved off behind some reeds. 

- Black-Necked Grebes

After they swum off I decided to settle down on the bench near the main lake to observe comings and goings and see if anything turned up. It was also a chance to get a breather, the last few days had really taken it out of me and I had started to trudge rather than stride.

There was nothing much to add from my vigil on the side of the lake, but I got outstanding views of Common Tern as they moved over the path between the eastern reedbed and the main lake. One settled on the near shore of the main lake so I got a couple of shots of that particular individual, but did not really try with any of the others, content just to watch them. 

-Common Tern

I had intended to head back with time in hand to listen for some garden warblers and hopefully track at least one down, but they had all shut up when I arrived and failed to find any. I had also intended to stop off at Old Moor on the way back to see if I could get barn owl, but I was such a tired, sweaty mess, that I decided to go home and get some food and water.

So that ended my final Swilly visit from the Stevenson Base. Alas that first year is already over, but looking to the future I now have experience getting to all the sites I should need and am looking forward to second year.

Species List:

Swillington Ings: Starling, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Black-Headed Gull, Mallard, Mute Swan, Feral Pigeon, Woodpigeon, Goosander, Pied Wagtail, Grey Heron, Kestrel, Lapwing, Long-Tailed Tit, Cormorant, Tufted Duck, Moorhen, Coot, Great-Crested Grebe, Little Grebe, Meadow Pipit, Lesser Black-Backed Gull, Common Teal, Pochard, Redshank, Gadwall, Reed Bunting, Oystercatcher, Skylark, House Martin, Sand Martin, Swallow, Canada Goose, Graylag Goose, Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler, Black-Necked Grebe, Common Tern, Whitethroat, Swift, Banded Demoiselle, Common Blue Damselfly, Common Blue-Tailed Damselfly, Large Red Damselfly, Brown Hawker, Emperor Dragonfly, Common Darter, Four Spot Chaser, Black-Tailed Skimmer, Large Skipper, Small White, Large White, Common Blue, Meadow Brown, Ringlet, Speckled Wood, Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell,