Monday 30 October 2017

Hartlepool Area

Courtesy of DW who drove brilliantly with the one hand the other having been bitten badly when he offered me the invitation to go. Two calling Tawny Owls out back provided early am stimulus to leap out of bed in time.




2 Curlew, c36 Oystercatcher, c 200 Golden Plover, c300 Lapwing, c18 Purple Sandpiper, 3 Redshank, 1 Ringed Plover, many Turnstone.
Cormorant, 1 each Shag & Guillemot, Eider, 1 Red-breasted Merganser & GC Grebe, c50 Common Scoter, 1 Red-throated Diver.
2 Water Pipit, ditto Rock Pipit, few Meadow Pipit, 5 Skylark, pr Reed Bunting.
1 each Kestrel, Sparrowhawk & Marsh Harrier.
Fulmar, BH, Common, Herring, LBB & GBB Gulls.
Canada, Greylag & Barnacle Goose, Mallard, Gadwall, Shoveler, Wigeon, Pintail, Pochard, Teal.
Blackbird, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Tree Sparrow, Coot, Moorhen, Pheasant.


TBC... Photos, Elaborations, Bullshit & True LIes.

Sunday 29 October 2017

Queensbury Bonus Bird

Queensbury South 0820-1020 hrs. Birds were sporadic with quite a few quiet stretches however I got a cracker in Foster Park aka Littlemoor. Just about 50 yards inside the top entrance I startled a bird on the ground which in turn startled moi. Twas a Woodcock which took flight going across me then veering right and into the trees showing all identification criteria.
Otherwise a Nuthatch and a couple of Goldfinch were noted. Prior to that as I'd left the house a GSW was calling from the back and two Redwing flew over my garden.

c180 Starling and a few Mipit were around the track circuiting the golf course. For the first time in a while the Cross Lane bog was empty. I got 9 distant thrush type from Shaw Lane but can't say for definite that I've seen my first Fieldfare of the year. c44 Lapwing & c56 small gull sp. were in Corporal Lane along with a few Woodpigeon. A Green Woodpecker was heard brieflyand a few Jackdaw seen at Green Lane and that was it.

Saturday 28 October 2017

Park Lane News

Hi Nigel,

Welcome back. Despite your earlier doubts, you seem to have seen plenty of good birds on your holiday.

Photo DS

The Brambling was in this afternoon; it seems to be quite settled. I've been putting niger down with the seeds in that usual spot opposite the patio doors.
The Sparrowhawk  has been coming in sporadically so you were lucky with it. We've had Treecreeper, Jay, female Bullfinch up to 12 LTTs  and Song Thrush lately along with our usual suspects..

3 Hawfinches on our vis-mig, in Huddersfield, on Monday and I managed to get a couple of shots.
Good luck with the Brambling, you might catch it another day.
Denise

Friday 27 October 2017

Queensbury South

1040-1205 hrs a walk in bright sunshine from Park Lane through Foster Park terminating at Shaw Lane end.
Nuthatch, Sparrowhawk, Coal Tit, Mistle Thrush, Common Gull & 5 BHG.
2 Snipe ditto Pied Wagtail, 6 Blackbird, 3 Chaffinch and an odd mix of 5 Meadow Pipit in with 5/6 Goldfinch hanging round bushes. Also 3 Goldfinch seen elsewhere along with Blue/Gt Tits & a Dunnock.
A Fox was present in the Cross Lane bog.

Thursday 26 October 2017

Queensbury to Mixenden

What a crap un it turned out to be 😣. Raggalds Flood: 19 Canada, 11 Lapwing, few small gulls with c100 on the sports field.
Soil Hell c70 Lapwing even more small gulls. 1 Snipe, 3 Goldfinch, c50 Woodpigeon > SW, 3 Mipits, Kestrel, singing Red-legged Partridge.
Ogden: c14 Redwing, c17 Goldfinch, Goldcrest and usual detritus on the brimful reservoir.
By the time I got to Poxenden I'd lost the will to live. 1 Blackbird & Mistle Thrush Grey Wagtails, 3 BHG, Jackdaws.

Wednesday 25 October 2017

Moorland Baptism of Mire

Dire Mire it was too with Messrs DM and DW as witness's. The water isn't exclusive to Ogden and Warley Moor (aka Fly Flatts) Reservoirs; there's bathtubs of it upon t'moors.
1 Snipe by the Withens; 3 Grey/Red-legged Partridge very briefly at FF also a Kestrel there. c11 Red Grouse seen throughout the walk. A Golden Plover was heard in the vicinity of Ogden Clough where a Green Woodpecker was seen from the track approaching the res.
3 Redwing were seen briefly and heard calling at Ogden which produced very little; just a Coal Tit & Goldcrest were the only other Passerines. Besides these it was down to 5 LBBG plus several smaller Gulls and the Dullards.

I didn't want to pester DM to stop by the Raggalds after such an arduous walk but I'll give it a bash in the am because 15 mins ago I got this text from DW...
"Just been to farm shop.  3 wigeon on Raggalds Flood.  The male looking well in this sunshine".

Sunday 22 October 2017

Manavgat Grand Finale

Day 11 Migration evident in a NE'ly  breeze. 1 GCG, 3 Snipe, c26 WW, 5 Yellow Wagtail, 6 Stonechat,1 Whinchat, 4 each  Lesser Whitethroat & Red-Backed Shrike. 1 f RED-BREASTED FLYCATCHER😎 ditto WRYNECK & BLACK REDSTART. Cormorants were flying around in small groups. Also a f Blackcap 1 Richards Pipit, ditto Robin & Spotted Flycatcher. 3 Kingfisher were seen and finally Phil O'rope seems to have migrated too.

This was a good last day as I got photos of the Red-breasted Fly, Black Red & Wryneck which were all in the same area together and made for a frantic 20 minutes.

Saturday 21 October 2017

Lake and Sand Dunes

Day 10 1 Whinchat, 6 Stonechat, 2 Redstart, 3 Red-Backed Shrike, 4 Lesser Whitethroat ditto Corn Bunting, 1 each Marsh Harrier, Sardinian Warbler & Spotted Flycatcher, c24 Greenfinch, c15 Goldfinch, 3 Great White Egret in flight, 1 Blackbird ditto Grey Wagtail, 2 Kingfisher, Red-necked Phalarope. 3/4 Tree Pipit flight calls heard.

An interesting sight was 2 Laughing Doves doing a dance routine. They would circle each other then jump up over one another repeatedly. Was this 2 males establishing mastery. This is a very late date for a breeding foxtrot surely?

Does anybody want to take advantage of scores of RB Shrike and Phalarope photos on offer, say at £25 the lot? What's that you say more like £35? OK deal I'll credit your bank account within the next 2 days 😆.

Friday 20 October 2017

Sand Dunes and Lake

Day 9 I needed to have a less arduous walk today and allow my leg stumps to grow back so I spent the morning bummin around the sand dunes and pines. I came across a cat that spoke english😼. I saw it licking it's lips so I said "You've eaten all the birds haven't you?" It replied "Me How?"

5 Robin, few Gt Tit, 2 each Spotted Flycatcher, Lesser Whitethroat & Red-Backed Shrike.1 Sparrowhawk, ditto Black Redstart 😆, 2 Redstart, 3 Cettis & WW. 2 Kingfisher, 4 Stonechat, 1 Graceful Prinia & Phil O'rope. 3 Laughing Dove, 2 Cormorant & 6 passing Swallow.
I'm pleased with the Black Red as I got off 3/4 decent shots of it.

Thursday 19 October 2017

More Manavgat Movement

Day 8 and another satisfactory session by close of play. 5 Lesser Whitethroat possibly 6 because as you know Lesser is more 😆. 1 each Red-Backed Shrike, Spotted Flycatcher & Stonechat. I got a Kestrel which was quickly followed by a Marsh Harrier with a bunch of Hooded Crows in attendance

2 Lapwing were a bit of a surprise as they were Northen and not Spur-winged. 1 Grey & Yellow Wagtail, Cormorant, 4 Jay. 10 Little Egret decided to fly round in a large circle.
After just finishing rinsing my kidneys I was fortunate in walking straight into another splendid Richards Pipit. Have to admit at first I had it as a Tawny thankfully my photos are good enough to confirm the Id.

On the final leg back to the hotel ( I should say butt cheek ) I happened to encounter a most efficacious WRYNECK. I'm electing this as bird of the week because over Five and Twenty years have passed since the last one.
Not forgetting the White Wagtails 3 BHG. 2 Cettis Warbler. YLGS, 2 Kingfisher & Phil the Phal  (before I get accused of sexism it could be Philippa).

Wednesday 18 October 2017

Down By The River

Day 7 Hard work again but birds slowly crept in at the end. Singles Robin, Redstart, Sardinian Warbler, Spotted Flycatcher, Blackcap, Lesser Whitethroat, Black Tern, Goldfinch, Grey Heron, Grey Wagtail. 2 Red-Backed Shrike ditto Stonechat, 3 Jay ditto Great Tit. Not so many White Wagtails or Crested Larks today. The Irish wader Phil O'rope is still with us as are the Grebes & Coots despite a large dredger churning up the lake bottom.
Not without some skill I managed to dodge the Kingfishers today but still fell foul of the Bulbul crowd.

Inspired by BS great find of a Caspian Gull back home I took on the onerous task of going through the hundred of YLGs by the riverside. Every age group is present but after a while I realised I'd have a job for life. Far better to hope for a singleton or even a couple to fly by separately. Just 2 BHGs were also noted.

Tuesday 17 October 2017

Manavgat Mini Migration

Definite signs of movement this am after a poor day yesterday on Day 5 when winds kept things down and the only new bird was a Grey Heron. Otherwise it was down to 2 WW, 4 Kingfisher, 5 Spectacled Bulbul, 6 Laughing Dove, 2 Grey and a few White & Yellow Wagtails, YLG, Hoodies & a Graceful Prinia.

Today's birds Day 6 4 Red-Backed Shrike. Red-necked Phalarope, Cormorant, 1 each Redstart & Spotted Flycatcher, 2 Lesser Whitethroat, 3 Corn Bunting, many YLG, Crested Larks, many White Wagtails. Little Egret, pr Great White Egret, Sanderling, 6 Spectacled Bulbul, Greenfinch, 2 Jay, 1 Whinchat, 5 Cettis Warbler, 3 WW. I need to check Lark songs as I got a prolonged burst of definitely Not Crested

The Black Terns may have moved on but the Phalarope continues to stay close to wherever one may be. Now there is an additional peril; the Sanderling came up and let itself be photographed at a range far too close for comfort. I mean a bird like that could take your leg off at the elbow!

v

Sunday 15 October 2017

More from Manavgat

Day 3
Cormorant, Stonechat, Spotted Flycatcher, 5 Red-Backed Shrike, Black Tern, Kingfisher, White Wagtails & Yellow, 7 Jay, Great Tits, Graceful Prinia, Mallard, Whinchat, Red-necked Phalarope.
The Phalarope is unbelievable. It comes up so close one has to step back to focus on it. At one stage I had to chastise a cat for trying to eat it. All was well, the moggy settled for a tickle 😆

Day 4 Manavgat river. Richards Pipit, Whinchat, c230 YLG, Black Tern, BHG, Little Gull, Sandwich Tern, Little Egret,  LRP, pr Kentish Plover, Sanderling, 2 Swallow, 2 Cettis, Little Grebes now c16, Red-Backed Shrike.
I left it late in coming here on Oct 11 a lot of birds have left the area. Still it's nice to see all the new hotels and roads that weren't here 3 Years back.😨
Many Pics to follow...

Manavgat Turkey

Day One
House Sparrow, Greenfinch, Serin, Goldfinch, Collared Dove, White Wagtail, Grey Wagtail, Yellow Wagtail, Willow Warbler, Cettis Warbler, Unid Warbler, Sardinian Warbler, Spotted Flycatcher, Graceful Prinia, Crested Lark, Night Heron, Black Stork, Jay, Hooded Crow, Blackbird, Sand Martin, Swallow, Coot, Moorhen all in the am.
After lunch: Shoveler, Little Grebe, Spectacled Bulbul, YLG, Commic Tern, Black Tern, Red-necked Phalarope, Icterine Warbler?

Day 2
Hard work very dry at Manavgat. c22 YLG, pr Red-Backed Shrike, 2 Kestrel, 4 Whinchat, Quail, Richards Pipit, Kingfisher, Moorhen, Crested Larks, Yellow & Pied Wagtails, 2 Jays, Blackbird, many moving Laughing Dove, Graceful Prinia, Spectacled Bulbul. Probable Eastern Bonellis Warbler.

Tuesday 10 October 2017

More Down South

1220-1430 hrs same route as before but quieter. 3 Chaffinch, 1 Nuthatch, ditto Jay & Kestrel. 5 Pied Wagtail, 6 Blackbird, 3 Snipe, c50 Jackdaw, 3 Rook, few Goldfinch, 8 Meadow Pipit, c30 small Gull sp, 1 Collared Dove.







I bumped into L... a young lady who lives in the area and though a keen birder had no knowledge of the local bird blogs. Fear ye not she is now up to speed on how to discover info on the rich bird life in and around Queensbury 😎😏 arf arf snigger snigger.

Sunday 8 October 2017

Queensbury South

0905-1045 hrs starting off in Foster Park then down to Corporal Lane & up Green Lane. Nothing too exciting but an interesting session nevertheless.
Foster Park: Song Thrush, 2 Blackbird, Nuthatch, GSW, Grey Wagtail, Dunnock, few Tits and Goldfinch.


On the track skirting the golf course up to High Cross Lane 8 Mistle Thrush went over > SW and 13 BHG were in the nearby field along with 2 Pied Wagtail.

The Cross Lane bog coughed up 4 Snipe, 1 Reed Bunting & a couple Mipit. A flock of c40 finches flew across Shaw Lane into a bush at speed; I managed to spot Goldfinch but I think a Linnet or two were possibles. 
A Buzzard circled around for a few minutes while a Jay and c14 Rook were busy feeding with another 4 Pied Wagtail, Blackbird & 4 Dunnock seen as well as a couple more Mipit & BHG.




DS strikes again from Park Lane...





A nice flock throughout the garden yesterday with at least 8 LTTs and 3 Goldcrests and a Treecreeper. This morning I had just looked up from your e-mail when what should I see but my first-of-season garden Brambling (only 50 to go to equal the previous high count!).

Denise

Friday 6 October 2017

Park Lane & Shibden Valley

Denise sent me these shots of a Nuthatch seen cache building and a Treecreeper that flew into her garden on Sunday. I'll probably be doing a bit o' creeping myself seeing as I've only had one such bird this year.


Photos DS
DM went into deepest darkest Shibden Valley today and saw 4 Buzzard soaring together, 1 Kestrel & 3 Jay.

Thursday 5 October 2017

A Poor Days Birding

After an interesting start at Raggalds Flood where there were 29 Canadas 1 LBBG and c100 small gulls present it was really poor through to Mixenden Res. Some unseen culprit put all the Gulls in the Raggalds area up into the heavens c250 birds at one stage.

No real point in carrying on, the title says it all.

Wednesday 4 October 2017

Old Moor Reserve

A trip to Barnsley this am courtesy of DW with DM alongside.
9 Ringed Plover, 2 Green Sandpiper ditto Black-tailed Godwit, 1 Dunlin, 6 Ruff, 1 Golden Plover, numerous Lapwing.


Photos DW

1 Sparrowhawk put in appearances on several occasions with a Kestrel also knocking around. The only other raptor was a Buzzard over the motorway on the way down.




Photos NK

Wildfowl: 4 Little Grebe, numerous Gadwall, several Teal & Wigeon, few Shoveler & Tufted Duck. One of the many Canada Geese had a pinkish bill and head markings indicative of hybridisation. A few Greylag were in the same vicinity. Also 1 each Grey Heron & Kingfisher, Mute Swans, many Cormorants, Moorhen & Coot.

Passerines: 1 Tree Sparrow, 2 Lesser Redpoll, c20 Linnet, c22 Siskin, 5 Bullfinch, 7 LTT, few Chaffinch & Goldfinch, 4 Greenfinch, 3 Blackbird.

Tuesday 3 October 2017

Queensbury South Surprise

Thought I'd go locally to see if any migrants were in Park Lane and Foster Park at 1310 hrs. I got to the top entrance and heard a kind of Wood Pigeon like call/grunt coming from a wall, next thing I knew this young Grey Squirrel crawled onto my boot then halfway up my shin!



It hung on for almost 10 minutes, allowing me to extract the mobile bone and take this couple of pictures. I left it where I found it looking somewhat sheep er, squirrelish.
The park produced a number of Blue & Great Tits with 3 LTT alongside, c12 Goldfinch & 2 Blackbird.



High Cross Lane to Shaw Lane: 3 Pied Wagtail, 1 LBBG, few BHG, c10 Mipits, c90 Starling, 2 Snipe & 20 Lapwing.

Monday 2 October 2017

Same Old Route

A poor morning's birding. Raggalds Flood was both full and  empty. Soil was Hellish  just 2 Pied Wagtail & several Mipits. A flock of c32 Canada flew over Coal Lane > W and settled in a field. I know why they didn't bother with Ogden - it was gash. The water was contaminated with Dullards with just a few small Dulls for backup. Probably the same reprobate Cormorant stood forlornly on the buoy.
I managed to hear just 2 Chaffinch and a Nuthatch.

The Brookhouse track area was comatose, 3 Mistle Thrush, 4 Mipits.
Mixenden Res: Green Woodpecker, Nuthatch, 2 Grey Wagtails, 6 Canada & numerous BHG in fields. 





A saving grace was 5 f Goosander in the top corner by the overflow together. They soon scarpered into the middle upon seeing me bearing down.

PS The Countryside Officer at Ogden had a better session than I did as this Email shows:
This morning I had 1 Woodcock and 2 Tawny Owls in the woodlands on the left going up Ogden Clough.
Just thought you might like to know.
Chris