Temminck's Stint

Not feeling too good this weekend after the latest chemo session so just made a quick trip out to Thornwick Pools at Flamborough Sunday day to photograph a Temminck’s Stint which was showing well, fairly quiet otherwise but a bit of info from another birder sent me on to South Landing in search of roosting Tawny Owls, found the nest tree and saw the head of a youngster but no adults on show this afternoon.

incoming

the only other waders were a couple of Little Ringed Plovers which were giving the Stint short shrift

smart little bird amazing how small they are

A few more year ticks

A free morning yesterday (Saturday) so I took the opportunity to go up onto the Moors and Danby Beacon in particular where a pair of Dotterel had been found the other day, a popular staging post for them in recent years, I often find them a most confiding species except when they're in the middle of Pea Fields and this pair were no exeption.

female

and male

also a few of these around to be expected

Today I had hoped for better after overnight rain and decided Teesside would be as good as anywhere but it ended up a rather quiet and steady day although I did manage to year tick Cuckoo on Seaton Common, Little Terns at Crimdon Dene and a pair of Turtle Doves at Sutton Bank on the way home.

Wheatear at Crimdon

plus lots of Little Terns

Blackcap at Saltholme

Turtle Doves remained unsettled, too many people about

Mid-week Stilt at Blacktoft

An afternoon dash to Blacktoft Sands after a Hospital appointment on Wednesday morning upon hearing news a courting pair of Black Winged Stilts had been discovered there that morning, still present when I got there although being out in front of Ousefleet Hide they were fairly distant for photography, still nice to catch up with, there has been a few around this Spring but mainly down South.

also a few of these little beauties around

Whisby

A trip out to Whisby NP on Sunday with young Ellis Lucas for the Nightingales, a new bird for Ellis so it was good the usual pair at the corner of Coot Lake were performing very well but with only four singing males this year resulting in less activity they were the only ones seen and heard despite a good walk around the reserve, plenty of other Warblers singing though including lots of Garden and Cetti’s plus a drake Garganey and plenty of Swifts at Teal Lake. Mid-afternoon we headed for home calling off at Broomhill Flash on the way where the a certain Duck was showing well along with more Swifts, Swallows and a couple of Common Terns etc, a nice steady and enjoyable day.

showing well but never got a clear shot

female

Whitethroat

this Bank Vole also got in on the act

Sunday April 30th and Monday May 1st

Sunday
Just out for the morning and I thought I'd go back to Blacktoft Sands to see if I could do any better with the female Montagu’s Harrier, she was certainly more showy that morning appearing regularly all the time I was there although still a bit distant, also a lot more Warblers in including Whitethroats and still one or two showy Cetti’s plus the sleepy Garganey pair was still present and the Bittern was booming well. Also that morning there had been a good movement of Black Terns throughout the region (except for Blacktoft) so when news came through of one on the Lake at Hes East I thought I would call off on the way home, still present when I got there flying around and resting on the Tern raft with a load of Common Terns, a nice bonus.

female Monty's performed well if a little distant

lots of Sedge Warblers singing

and Whitethroats

sleepy Garganey

Black Tern at Hes East

resting up with the Common Terns

Monday
Out with Paz today and we thought we'd try our luck at the Flamborough Headland, we started at Bempton first thing while it was quiet, the usual array of Seabirds were present plus a hunting Peregrine and a Short Eared Owl, later after a little look around Buckton Pond for a reported Wryneck, not seen, we moved on to Thornwick Pools at Flamborough, no sign of Sundays Bar Tailed Godwits but several Dunlin, Ringed and Little Ringed Plovers and a Common Sandpiper posed nice, also a White Wagtail present. After lunch we had a look at South Landing beach, it was fairly quiet but a few Oystercatchers accompanied by a winter plumaged Bar Tailed Godwit dropped in, a little walk around the Head also proved quiet birdwise but an Oil Beetle was an impressive find. We returned to Bempton in a failed attempt to find the earlier reported Redstarts and Ring Ouzel then headed for home calling off at Bank Island in the hope a Hobby might be seen, several Red Kites and a couple of Buzzards were flying around but no Hobbies that evening.

Short Eared Owl out hunting

Waders at Thornwick Pools

Oil Beetle was an impressive find