Wykeham and Bransdale

I was leading the York Bird Club outing to the North Yorks Moors today, we naturally started at Wykeham where during a nice sunny morning we had several sightings of up to four Honey Buzzards soaring above us and displaying, just a bit higher than I would have liked (never happy), also rans included common Buzzard, Goshawk and Turtle Dove. After checking out nearby Wykeham Nurseries where some Turtle Doves had been showing well recently (not today) we headed across to Bransdale and had lunch by the little bridge on the Eastern side, several Whinchats entertained but a good wander around failed to produce any definite sightings of Ring Ouzel so we carried on our search around the top and back down the other side of the Dale with sightings of Red Grouse with young, Redstart, Golden Plover and Snipe unfortunately the forecast rain arrived mid afternoon so we decided to call it a day.

above 4 displaying bird

three together

a tatty common Buzzard

Whinchats in Bransdale

The Robin Twitch

Twitch up to Hartlepool this evening with Andy and Mark for the female White Throated Robin found yesterday morning, couldn’t get up for it yesterday but thankfully the bird was still present today, probably worked out better actually as access had been granted into the Doctors Garden today where the bird seemed to be spending most of its time and we got cracking views as hopped around the lawn, as to be expected though they were keeping birders well back so it wasn’t too good for photography.

Norfolk Day 3

Out before breakfast Sunday morning after receiving information about a site for Nightingale on Salthouse Heath, they used to be quite common here but not any more, the bird wasn’t exactly singing its heart out but it did eventually give a few short bursts of song, also a couple of Garden Warblers singing there. After breakfast most of the group decided to start at Kelling Heath and got good views of the Dartford Warblers this morning, we decided on Cley Marshes, there was a Little Stint present on Arnolds Marsh this morning and two Little Gulls on North Scrape but no sign of the Spoonbill seen earlier, again Marsh Harriers and Hobby hunted overhead and several Egyptian Geese were around. It was then over to Titchwell which to be expected for a Sunday and despite the strong winds was pretty busy but unfortunately fairly quiet birdwise, highlights included a drake Red Crested Pochard on one of the pools, a few waders present included some nice summer plumaged Grey Plovers plus a couple of Little Terns were resting up, on the way back we took a walk around the Meadow Trail which was fairly sheltered and as well as a singing Cetti's Warbler there were a good selection of Dragonflies. We ended the day and weekend at Sculthorpe Moor near Fakenham where we found and photographed a confiding male Golden Pheasant it never came out into the open though, not quite the weekend we had hoped for but good nonetheless with at least a couple of the good birds remaining, I saw a total of 106 species over the weekend with over 130 seen collectively.

4 Spot Chaser

Broad Bodied Chaser

Southern Marsh Orchid

Yellow Flag Iris

Confiding Goldie, although he never strayed from the understorey

some type of large bracket fungi

Norfolk Day 2

Saturday and after breakfast it was decided to start at Burnham Norton then work back, we called in at Wiveton enroute where a Golden Oriole had been heard singing this morning, must have moved on though as there was no sight nor sound of it, a female or immature Broad Bodied Chaser was seen in a nearby meadow. At Burnham Norton we walked out through the marsh to the sea wall to view some pools where the star bird, a female Red Necked Phalarope was still present although it remained fairly distant, other birds in the area included a singing Quail, some Little Terns fishing, a pair of Egyptian Geese plus some late Pink Footed and Barnacle Geese flying around. We went to the Montagu's Harrier site near North Creake next, the birds were supposedly present but had not settled this year so were a bit hit and miss, we gave it an hour or so but only had Buzzard and Kestrel so we headed back to Cley. There had been some good birds here over the past couple of weeks but unfortunately they had all moved on, highlights this afternoon were a Whimbrel amongst other waders on Arnolds Marsh plus one or two pairs of Mediterranean Gulls there and a Stoat dragging a duckling across in front of one of the hides, Marsh Harriers and a Hobby hunting over and a few Bearded Reedlings flitting about the reedbed, a late Shore Lark was at the end of East Bank although it was difficult to pick out in the shingle and a Cetti's Warbler was singing near Walsey Hills. Late afternoon we ended up on Kelling Heath looking for Dartford Warblers which have bred there for the last few years but none were showing this evening, good views of a Muntjac though.

Broad Bodied Chaser

fishing Terns

the distant Phalarope

Stoat with duckling prey

more Avocets

and Lapwings

blending in with the shingle

Muntjac on Kelling Heath