Buff Breasted

Back late Saturday from Spain so by the time I was up and sorted on Sunday it was just an afternoon out, I thought I'd try for the Buff Breasted Sandpiper at Hatfield Moors, parked up at Boston Park and after a long trek out to Packards South I was informed it had been flushed by a Sparrowhawk and so ensued a search of the area to try and find it again, it was eventually refound and although there has been one or two reasonable pics of this bird, today it kept its distance and I only managed some record shots.

Sunny Spain

Spent last week on a sunshine holiday to Salou in Spain again with the Mrs, much the same around the resort as last year, Wood Pigeons, Collared Doves, House Sparrows and Spotless Starlings with the occasional sightings of Monk Parakeets and Hoopoes, a couple of trips down the coast to Cambrils added Sandwich Tern and Audouin’s Gull around the Harbour plus a Sparrowhawk over and once again there was a steady southerly passage of mainly Swallows throughout the week. I had my half day out birding mid-week and managed to find the little Nature Reserve in the middle of the Port Aventura Golf Course I’d failed to find last year so I saw a better selection of birds this year although I would imagine it’s far better in Spring, first up was a viewing platform at the perimeter where a Zitting Cisticola popped up and posed for a short while (not long enough for the camera) and several Great Reed Warblers crashed around the reeds but it was largely restricted viewing so I followed a track further in, quite a few Spotted and Pied Flycatchers were flitting around as well as Redstarts, Hoopoes and Sardinian Warblers, a few large pools on the edge of the Golf Course hosted a good selection of Waterfowl with several Little Egrets and Squacco Herons patrolling around the edges plus masses of Dragonflies most notably Lesser Emperor,  Red Veined, Yellow Winged and Scarlet Darters plus Violet Dropwing. In the middle of the main reedbed I found a Hide overlooking a small pool where a Kingfisher was fishing and a Western Swamphen stalked through the reeds, a male Little Bittern flew across the back and a while later while tracking a Turtle Dove flying across I picked up a Raptor getting up over the back, I initially thought it would be a Marsh Harrier but it soon became apparent it was much bigger than that, a superb Short Toed Eagle, quite a surprise to say it was in a small Nature Reserve in the middle of a Golf Course in the middle of a large coastal conurbation, a bit later the more expected Marsh Harrier came over hunting, also of note was a brief Southern Grey Shrike and a distant flock of Bee-eaters, a few Butterflies around as well included Long Tailed and Common Blues, Clouded Yellows and a Pale Clouded Yellow, all in all a very enjoyable afternoon. 

Audouin's Gull in Cambril Harbour

plus White Wagtail

and Pied Flycatcher nearby

Great Reed Warbler near the viewing platform

and Turtle Dove on a construction site

some large pools bordering the Golf Course

hosted mainly Coots and Pochard

from the hide a Kingfisher took a high vantage point

plus a swimming Swamphen

big surprise was this Short Toed Eagle

also the more expected Marsh Harrier over

another of the pools with Port Aventura in the background

Great Crested Grebe still with young

Little Egret over

also Squacco Herons

three Hoopoes in a tree

one flew off as I got closer

a good selection of Dragonflies included Violet Dropwing

Red Veined Darter

and Scarlet Darter

Spurn Sunday

Out with Mark last Sunday and it was good to have Paz with us for the first time in a while, we also met up with our mate Dave Ousey from Rochdale at North Cave and then carried on to Spurn hoping all the rain on the Saturday would produce the goods that day, as we headed in down the Easington straight a large flock of Gulls flew over the road that again included a few Med Gulls but in Kilnsea there was a distinct lack of birds and birders in fairly windy conditions, we thought a seawatch might the best bet. At the Hide we joined a few of the local birders and quite a good mornings seawatch ensued, most stuff moving South included several Red Throated Divers, Manx Shearwaters and all four species of Skua although the Long Tailed was so distant and just IDed on jizz by the more expert seawatchers that I decided not to count it. By early afternoon it had quietened off so we took our leave, a look over the estuary while we had lunch revealed several Little Egrets flying about and a large flock of Golden Plovers and Bar Tailed Godwits, Canal Scrape was very quiet again so we soon ended up at Kilnsea Wetlands again, not as many Waders as last week but they still included the Wood and Curlew Sandpipers, a few Whinchat and Wheatears were in the field behind. Late afternoon we moved back to the Warren where we watched a Pied Flycatcher in the bushes but it had generally been a quiet day for Passerines. 

some images from the day, Snipe at Canal Scrape

Wheatear Kilnsea Wetlands

Wood Sandpiper still at Kilnsea Wetlands

and Dunlin

young Swallows waiting to be fed

Local update August

So Autumn begins, the Swifts had gone by the end of the first week and quite a lot of the Sand Martins too although a few were still attending nest holes at the top end of Rawcliffe Ings most of the month, Swallow and House Martin numbers remain healthy. Tits and Warblers are now gathering into small feeding flocks and probably include many birds passing through the area, Clifton Park is a good spot for watching them with many Brambles and Elderberry bushes to attract them, mainly just the common stuff but Lesser Whitethroats were noted on a couple occasions and three Spotted Flycatchers arrived on the 25th with eight there the next day. Not a good month for Raptors although it would seem two pairs of Sparrowhawks have bred with young birds calling from two separate locations apart from that just a single Buzzard sighting on the 10th. Most interesting sighting this month was of a Little Egret sat in a riverside bush preening on the 15th, only my second sighting of this species here.

some images from this month, the river at Rawcliffe Ings

Clifton Ings being grazed now

Clifton Park

Spotted Flycatcher

Big Blue Chicken (at last)

After dipping the Western Swamphen at Minsmere at the beginning of August it was welcome news of it being discovered at Alkborough (presuming it to be the same bird) on Tuesday, not being able to go for it that day I was all set to go after work on Wednesday then the bloody thing disappeared for the day, I ended up at Blacktoft, well there was always chance it may turn up there, a few Waders there included a Curlew Sandpiper there was also two or three Cetti's Warblers singing but surprisingly no Harriers, most intriguing sighting though was a family of Weasels running along the path in front of me. Although a bit disappointed I thought there was a distinct possibility that the Swamphen may still be there, it's a big reedbed at Alkborough, and sure enough a phone call from Mark this morning confirmed the bird was still present and showing again from the first Hide, I shot off there after work and although it was initially out of sight in the reeds it wasn't too long before it popped out, a bit distant but good scope views and pleased to get a second chance for this potential first/second for Britain.

the Curlew Sandpiper at Blacktoft

and a family of Weasels

a few Herons flying around

initial views of the Swamphen at Alkborough

running for cover after being spooked