Blackstone Edge and Whiteholme

A lousy start in the NE’ly wind and light rain. Nothing on the NE corner of Blackstone except a quick flying small duck suspected to be a Teal which an over zealous dog had put up. A distant flying black blob of a raptor may have been a Harrier sp. probably Marsh but as Pigs don’t fly it won’t be Birdtracked 😂.

Whiteholme was also bereft of watery things on the first tranche but on the return leg matters improved. A Wader appeared on the SW shore looking well out of the ordinary 😊.

It turned out to be a summer plumaged Knot, a bird I've not had inland in 30 years plus. (Whoever took this photo on my camera is in for a reet kickin).

Also I juvenile Wheatear, 3 Pied Wagtail, 2 Meadow Pipit.

Two large Gulls flew over, one suspected of being a sub-adult phase GBBG. The other an adult LBBG.

Completing the circuit 3 Common Sandpiper were on the SW sandy shore of Blackstone along with a pr Pied Wagtail.

Longer Walk Wider Area

I Set off for a specific species which failed to materialise but was surprisingly compensated by another cracker. I also managed to remain mostly dry in a noticeable SW/W’ly blow.

1 Little Grebe. Juv Wheatear on a wall. 

3 Cormorant, 1 each GC Grebe & Tufted Duck female. c24 LBBG, 2 Herring & c50 BHG.

Also 1 Whitethroat, 2 Jay ditto Swift & House Martin. Several Swallow. Goldfinch & Linnet flocks starting to build up. Scattered Meadow Pipits & expected Geese sp.

Swillington Swelters

Swillington Sweltering

I was led to believe there would be some rain today I was.

I was slightly heat fatigued after traipsing round this ever more disappointing mismanaged marshland 😩.

A Bittern in slow flapping flight was the pick of the bunch.

Common Tern were in fair numbers. 2 Grey Heron but for the 5/6th session in a row not one Egret species.

Only waders were c34 Lapwing seen and a couple or three Oystercatcher heard.

Many GC Grebe including 3 sat on nest, 3 Little  Grebe also.

2 Pochard, several Gadwall, ouzings of Tufted.

Reed & Sedge Warbler still singing in small numbers, 2 Reed Bunting.

Goldfinch in a flock c75 strong.

Couldn’t  be bothered lifting the camera from the sad sack.

Soil Hill Route

An exceptionally quiet session probably due to the light variable E’ly winds.

Perseverance paid off however when I got my first Redstart of the year, a female flying around the golf course at Carrs Beck 👍.

Gulls were down in number on Ogden Res with 5 LBBG on Mixenden.

Other: WW, Chiffchaff, Stock Doves few Meadow Pipit. 

Coastal Critters

 Some of the photos from the Scarborough region:

Soil Hill to Mixenden

 Good to get back to birding paradise 💀. ‘Twas rather quite especially after Ogden where a pleth horror of nothingness dwelleth.

Soil Hill (a bagatelle after the hills of Scarborough) 1 Whitethroat, couple Meadow Pipit ditto Swallow. 

Ogden Res: c50 LBBG most welcome, didn’t get one at the coast. 1 Herring & 1 Common Gull, c65 BHG. I looked over the embankment in trepidation and was most pleased to observe a juvenile Dipper. I have to go back about 3 Months for the previous record. Also 2 Chiffchaff & a Bullfinch.

Two Policemen were patrolling the reservoir I think on vehicle theft related issues. I dumped my stash and said “When you two esteemed gentlemen have finished here are you going home to Letsby Avenue?”. “Will you be having Iarres Stew for tea?”. In stentorian tones the reply was “Hey creep quit the jokes or we gonna put you so far deep inside, they gonna have to pump air into you”. 😬.

The security guard on duty at Mixenden was not up to the remit; he allowed a handful of youngsters to climb the wall in his presence. 1 BHG ditto Chiffchaff.

This tiny juvenile frog was in my water barrel. It must have arrived by parachute; the nearest body of water is about two miles down the frog n toad 🐸😁. It's not the first, around 9/10 years ago I found another one nearly thrice the size in autumn.

Filey Brigg

First let me tell you about yesterday’s warbler heard at approx 1915 hrs. What’s that you say, you don’t have 70 minutes to spare?. OK short version then.

The bird was singing loud and continually from a bush at woodland edge but remained hidden. I went through every Warbler I’ve experienced in Europe and couldn’t relate to the rich bubbling sounds with the odd rattle thrown in (forget lesser Whitethroat). Not exactly peak migration date 18 July is it? This ain’t a could have been, more like a Wish it never occurred 😩.

This morning’s crew: 6 Sandwich Tern, a few Swift, House & Sand Martin ditto Swallow.

Gannets in droves all over t’shop. Fulmars and few Razorbills, many Guilty Mots. Cormorants & couple Shag. Meadow Pipits where Rocks should have been 🥸.

Bridlington Harbour

I half heartedly attempted to hit Flamborough today but fatigue and lack of sleep took took their toll and I ended up in Bridlington. All was not lost as I copped for c26 Turnstone having a kip prior to posing for photos then earnestly feeding.

I ignored the Dullards avin a laff and proceeded to spend a great half hour with 6/7 Great Big Bad Gulls which took the trouble to pose for photos while robbing fish baskets or ripping crabs to shreds 🤓😂.

Also the inevitable Herringbone Gulls 🧐 a few Kittiwake & a Pied Wagtail.

Holbeck: 3 Mediterranean Gulls, Grey Heron & a Kestrel.

Back at the hotel a Kittiwake chick freshly out of the nest.

Cayton Bay to Filey

 Scarborough was more of the same this am and not much scope for improvement so I walked the 5 miles from Cayton to Filey in the throbbing heat fool that I am 🤡.

Twas hard graft but eventually I managed a couple Gannet ditto Shag & Razorbill. About 13 Fulmar were also new for the year. Guillemot were in plentiful numbers off Filey Brigg, the large majority being juveniles.

Oystercatcher were present throughout and 

singles of Curlew and Peregrine also made it to the tally.

I am wondering why Rock Pipit is so difficult to find. I gave up on Corn Bunting decades ago.

Scarborough In The Heat

Tide was out this afternoon and beaches busy so no waders other than a pr Oystercatcher.

Grey Heron, Cormorant. Lots of Herring Gull less so BHG.

I visited a patch historically known for Mediterranean Gull and nailed a pair in moulting summer plumage.

Swallows, Goldfinch, Linnets, Chiffchaff.

Come eventide I walked toward the harbour and encountered seemingly thousands of Kittiwake nesting on the bridge and hotel window ledges (sleep well inmates). Herring Gulls in mugging mode but no incidents to report. Way out to sea a bunch of Tern sp. were noisy but too brief for confident Id.

About 16 Swift passed over as I went for a pint of bitter that never touched the sides.

Photos to be published whenever.

Gull Activity Saves The Day

A good first half of todays walk with an appalling second. Got my first returning Common Gull, an Adult and 6/7 LBBG.

c60 BHG were all over the shop mocking my attempts at aerial photography.

Also 1 each GC Grebe, Tufted Duck & GSW. Couple Swallow, 1 Whitethroat, couple Chiffchaff.

1 Kestrel above Windy Bank. A welcome home from a couple 

of House Martin out back.

Mixenden Reservoir Out of Bounds

 YWA now employ a Security Guard to warn people and birders NOT to walk with the reservoir walls. 

From one who got nabbed this am😩😢

Walking In The Rain

Not to mention the fog which only cleared in the latter half of the session. Ogden Res: pr GC Grebe, 1 Cormorant ditto drake Tufted Duck. 3 BHG & 5 LBBG. 6 LTT, 2 Song Thrush, 1 Blackcap, 2 Chiffchaff. 

The golf course stretch to Hunter Hill bottom coughed up a pr Oystercatcher in flight.

Several Meadow Pipit were seen both in display and carrying food. Also a brief call from a Whitethroat and a couple of Linnet.

A pr Green Woodpecker were perched at Hunter Hill bottom. 

Mixenden Res was again very quiet until the last few minutes when 6 LBBG dropped in.

Usual Route Birds

SH: 2 Skylark, 3 'throats, 1 Blackbird, few Swallow & couple Goldfinch. 1 Rabbit.

Ogden Res: 30 BHG (no large gulls). 4 LTT, 1 Nuthatch ditto Blackcap. A Grey Heron over > W.

Golf course to Hunter Hill bottom: 1 House Martin, few Swallow. 1 calling Tawny Owl ditto. Green Woodpecker & a pair Buzzard. Couple Linnet. 1 Brown Hare was the first I've seen in a few years.

Mixenden was gash; 1 Chiffchaff ditto Nuthatch. 10 dogs gallivanting. Lots of panting, gasping & tongue flicking. One owner begged me to stop that, saying I was encouraging the dogs. 👅 🐕 😎

c15 Tortoiseshell flutterybies seen throughout.and others of that ilk.

Elsewhere a pr. Barn Owl.

Reservoirs Ogden and Mixenden

Finally, Gulls are back at Ogden. 17 BHG were on the E shoreline on arrival with 4 more arriving as I left. 

9 LBBG were present with one having me ponder about it being Michahellis. The distance was too great to be confident about a positive id however.

  

Also: 1 Cormorant & 1 GC Grebe on the water.

3 Grey Wagtail incl. a juvenile. 1 Bullfinch, 4 Chiffchaff, 1 WW.

The golf course to Hunter Hill bottom coughed up 5 Mistle Thrush, 2 Reed Bunting, couple Goldfinch and several Swallows. A portion of the latter were juveniles being fed by adults.

Mixenden Res was dull; 4 LBBG, 1 Chiffchaff.

A Shortened Walk

Not a short walk by any means but I had to alter the planned route to get back home in readiness for a delivery.

Very below par birding indeed apart from an exciting period involving a species that has to be witheld for various  reasons.

Soil Hill: 1 each Blackbird, Skylark, WW & Whitethroat, couple Goldfinch.

Ogden Res was awful; one solitary  BHG & a GC Grebe. Singles of Chiffchaff & WW.

I do wonder where the Gulls have gone.