A Swift trip to the Wirral

Out with Andy today and we had decided to twitch the Little Swift that had been found at New Brighton last Friday however we were having doubts whether we’d see it or not after the lack of reports from late yesterday and early this morning, fortunately as we arrived we were informed it had been seen along the front but had disappeared behind some trees, we joined the small group of birders present and spent the next hour or so scrutinizing every Swift and House Martin that came over but to no avail, the bird had done a bunk, fortunately another birder came along and informed us that he’d had it some15 mins earlier flying round a church tower up in the town, we decided to check it out which proved a good move as within 10 mins of getting there we were getting really good views, it had obviously changed its routine and moved up into the town and although it was feeding higher than the last couple of days and ranging over a wider area it came back to the church on a regular basis affording everybody excellent views when it did. We called in at Burton Mere Wetlands on the way back, it was a nice little reserve but there was not a lot going on today, no sign of the Spoonbill from yesterday just a couple of Buzzards, the breeding Avocets and half a dozen Little Egrets of note. We also called off at the Quarry near Tadcaster and although the Peregrines were not as showy as last year two juveniles had a brief fly around over the other side confirming another successful year.

across the Mersey

at Burton Mere Wetlands we had Blue Tailed Damselflies of the forms violacea

and rufescens

as well as some impressive Water Lilies

and Marsh Orchids

Jackdaw at the Quarry

Category D

A quick visit to Hessay this afternoon inbetween showers after a couple of Sacred Ibis's had dropped into a field near Marston Moor Farm yesterday, they were still present today and although not countable they were still nice interesting birds to see, there seems to be several birds knocking around the country at the moment possibly from the reintroduction schemes on the continent.

White Winger at Fairburn

I nipped to Fairburn Ings after work on Tuesday to see a superb summer plumaged White Winged Black Tern, it had first been seen at Swillington Ings Monday evening but then moved to Fairburn Tuesday morning and spent the rest of the day out in front of Lin Dyke Hide, a bit distant for photography but really good views, a stunning bird, there were also several Common Terns fishing here and a female Marsh Harrier hunted nearby plus a Ruddy Shelduck was on the Main Bay but it was typically very distant and playing hide and seek behind one of the Islands, there are several of these birds doing the rounds at the moment, whether their credentials are good or not is anybodies guess, nice to see anyway.

always distant

the Common Terns weren't shy

shame I just lost the wingtip

very distant Ruddy Shelduck

I think this maybe a Northern Marsh Orchid

young Tree Sparrow

Morning and Evening

A did a morning visit to Blacktoft Sands on Sunday, it was their open day but unfortunately fairly quiet birdwise, a Grasshopper Warbler reeling near Marshland hide was the best of it, it had also been announced they were running a Moth trap as they did last year so I was hoping there might be some good Moths on show but the recent cold damp weather has also affected them so there was not much on offer, no Hawkmoths this year. On the plus side I received a snippet of information from another birder about a new area for Nightjars in the Wykeham forest so I decided to check it out this evening, a couple of Tree Pipits were singing when I first arrived and a Buzzard flew over heading off to roost then around 10pm the Nightjars started churring  followed by mega flight views as one flew right in front of me, after another brief churr some distance away it all went quiet for ten mins or more then a flight call alerted me to one flying close by which then landed and started churring from the top of a dead tree not too far away, an excellent showing, there were also several Woodcock roding, a Tawny Owl calling and as I was driving back a Little Owl was on the side of the road just before Wykeham itself.