Easter extravaganza, well not quite

Good Friday and a shopping trip out to Boundary Mill at Colne, Dawn loves the place, but it means a stop off at Bolton Abbey on the way back, a bit early for the Woodland stuff but we managed to get parked near Barden Bridge and I had a little stroll along the river to the next bridge and back, highlights were several Goosander flying up and down, a pair of sleepy Mandarin on the opposite bank, a couple of Grey Wagtails and a few Buzzards over the ridge.

Sunday the 27th and I thought I would nip up to Teesside to have another session to try and photograph the Penduline Tits but it was quite windy and although there was a brief sighting early on I never even saw them let alone photographed them, after giving up I had a wander around Saltholme hoping for some early migrants, a couple of Chiffchaffs were singing but apart from them it was just remnants of winter with the female Smew on the main Lake and four Barnacle Geese remaining. Took a walk along Greatham Creek to view the Tidal Pools next, a few Avocets, Black Tailed Godwits, Dunlin and Ringed Plover but no Little Ringed then carried on to North Gare, after sitting out a rather long wintry shower I ventured out, a few Skylarks were quite obliging and I finally got a year tick in the shape of two Wheatears on the Golf Course.

right distance wrong Tit unfortunately

Meadow Pipit song flighting

Skylarks were quite obliging

 

this one singing right over my head

a few Lapwing on Seaton Common

Monday the 28th and it was a wet rainy morning so I just went out for the afternoon, I decided I’d have a potter around the LDV maybe get some Hirundines as a few had been reported over the last few days, I managed one brief Sand Martin at Bank Island where there were also three Buzzards messing around, this species becoming a feature of the afternoon being seen at every site visited. I called in at Thorganby but not a lot was happening there so I went round to North Duffield Carrs where I soon located the winter Slavonian Grebe that had been found on the Sunday but there were no more Hirundines to be had. I also managed to catch up with Wood Lark at one of the local sites getting good views of a pair feeding on the ground. No photos today.