From showy Buzzard to elusive Pipit

It was forecast for a nice sunny morning so I thought I would have another session with the Rough Legged Buzzard at Grindale, but it started clouding over earlier than expected and before I managed to find the Buzzard unfortunately, however once I had located it along a road running out to the Caravan Club it showed well perching on concrete posts that lined the road and hunting over nearby rough grassland, it caught at least three Mice or Voles while I was watching it, there was a couple of common Buzzards knocking about as well. In the afternoon I headed over to Hayburn Wyke north of Scarborough for a very late and long staying Richard’s Pipit, with only a vague idea of where to look I fortunately bumped into some Birding mates who had just been watching it and they pointed in me in the right direction and told me which field to look in, easy to see why it can be a bit elusive at times, halfway down a big field in long grass it would just vanish at times then appear some way to the left or right, still I ended up getting some decent scope views, it was certainly a well marked bird.

going in for the kill

missed that time

it liked to use these posts for a look out

just shows how light these birds are

some interesting Fungi in the Richard's Pipit field

Izzy Wheatear at the Snook

Late yesterday news filtered through of an Isabelline Wheatear at Seaton Snook, Teesside, still smarting from missing the Spurn bird two or three years back me and Mark were quick off the ball this time, fortunately we were both on a late shift today so we were down there first thing with fingers crossed as it had been a clear night, no worries the bird was still present and not only that, it was showing really well, a very confiding individual it came within 10 feet at times.

a bit of a different pose 

blended in at times

typical upright posture

what a superb little poser

A quiet day

Out with Mark today as it looked the best day weatherwise, still very murky though with a couple of light showers in the morning, we headed for the East Coast starting at Scarborough Harbour again but a low tide meant it was very quiet, we carried on to the Mere to look for a reported Scaup, found a good contender but it turned out to be just a female Tufted with a lot of white round its bill. News came over of three Tundra Bean Geese at Long Nab, Burniston so we thought we’d go have a look, upon arrival we were informed they had flown off back towards the village, we had a little tour round looking for them but it was a bit of a “wild goose chase” really so we were soon on our way to Filey, very quiet there this week, still nothing in the Bay and not even much around the Brig so we thought we’d try our luck down at South Landing, Flamborough, Little Auk and Water Pipit reported from there yesterday, it was not to be though, the tide was right in and even though it had become fairly bright there was nothing there of note, a pretty mediocre day really and no pics.

West Yorks

Day off today and I decided to have a potter around West Yorks, some Long Eared Owls have been discovered roosting in their usual spot at the far end of Lin Dyke, Fairburn Ings so I headed there first, three birds were on show but as to be expected they weren't doing much, there was also a Cetti’s Warbler singing nearby, several Goosanders flew over heading for the river and a good few Fieldfares and Redwings were at that end of the reserve, winter approaches, it was fairly quiet otherwise. Moved on to Swillington Ings in the afternoon, there was a good selection of Wildfowl etc but nothing out of the ordinary, highlights were a female Marsh Harrier hunting and a male Stonechat.

as per usual a bit hidden in the branches

but one was in a fairly open position

it even had a look around

a bit of action at the feeders

not the best Willow Tit I've ever seen but what a striking wing panel

Marsh Harrier at a murky Swillington Ings

a pair of Gadwall going for a stroll

East Coast seawatching

I went to Scarborough first thing hoping there may be a Little Auk in the Harbour, there wasn’t it was fairly quiet really although I had one fly by a bit later along Marine Drive, it looked to land on the sea a bit further down but I couldn’t relocate it when I got there, one of the Peregrines was sat on the cliff looking totally disinterested. After checking the Mere, also fairly quiet, I carried on to Filey and dropped down to the seawatching hide, several birders already there informed me there had been a good passage of stuff already and although I had missed the Grey Phalaropes that had flown back out to sea I saw seven or eight Pomarine Skua’s, a couple of Great Skua’s and eight or nine Little Auks one of which passed over the Brig giving reasonably close views also a lot of Red Throated Divers moving and a Great Northern off the end of the Brig, after a late lunch I went back to the end of Carr Naze for another look, a couple of Snow Buntings were seen on the way, I had a good scan but there was still no sign of any Grey Phalaropes although I had a couple more distant Little Auks sat on the sea.

Purple Sandpipers

and Turnstones in Scarborough Harbour

Peregrine on the cliff

a couple of the Pomarine Skua's passed quite close
although still too far for a decent image

a stormy Brig

several Rock Pipits were feeding close by

plus a winter Herring Gull

the close Little Auk, unfortunately by the time I got the camera
out it was passed and flying away

Snow Bunting on Carr Naze