North Wales

Out with Mark yesterday and we decided on a trip to North Wales picking up Darren (Leeds) and Dave (Huddersfield) on the way, we headed out to South Stacks first, a Sand Martin over Holyhead was the first of the year for us all, at South Stacks a few Auks were back in, there was a Peregrine sat on the cliffs, a couple of Ravens croaked as they flew high above us and our main target, Chough were soon located and a pair performed well for us. We then headed back to Holyhead Harbour but unfortunately failed to find any Black Guillemots so carried on round to Cemlyn Bay for a very showy Lapland Bunting, a bit early for any Terns to be back in there but a Little Egret and Greenshank were on pools by the car park. After a late lunch it was back to the mainland, a Red Kite flying along the coastline near Llanfairfechan was unexpected and posed the question are the Welsh birds expanding their range or was it a wandering English bird, we called off at Conwy RSPB as there had been a Firecrest wintering, we had a quick look but apparently there had been no sightings since last Thursday, fairly quiet otherwise so we ended up further along the coast at Pensarn where an immature Iceland Gull treated us to some mega views, an enjoyable day.

hiding in the grass

flew up onto a nearby wall after being flushed by a dog

also Little Egret

and Stonechat

very confiding Iceland Gull

Local Shrike

Back to Heslington this afternoon after work for the still present Great Grey Shrike, good views as it sat on and hunted around a bit of Hawthorn scrub right in the middle of the Tilmire, it even had a little sing at one point, super bird and a great record for the York area, two or three Kestrels were also in the area and a couple of Barn Owls were out later as well as sightings of Buzzard and Green Woodpecker again.

Singing

spotted something

one of the Kestrels

parting shot

Another weekend pass out

Chance of another full weekend birding and on the Saturday along with Mark and Paz headed over to Astley Lake, Swillington where we met up with our mate Darren who then took us on a tour of his area. We spent the morning at Temple Newsam woods as there had again been recent sightings of Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, there was certainly plenty of avian activity, lots of drumming which a couple of times we thought could have been Lesser’s, we found a roosting Tawny Owl in a Holly Tree, Red Kites and Buzzards soared overhead and eventually late morning a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker was found but to say it was active was an understatement it never settled for more than a few seconds and always high up in the trees and although the other three managed to get brief views I was always in the wrong place and never managed to get on it before it just disappeared. In the afternoon Darren took us around a few sites in the Swillington Ings area eventually ending up at the main area where 19 Whooper Swans had dropped in and a Marsh Harrier hunted the reedbeds, it was a lovely warm Spring like day and a few Bee's and Butterflies were also noted during the afternoon. We ended the day at Normanton where the Nosterfield American Wigeon has relocated to a small Lake there, still distant though. 

well hidden Tawny Owl

most of the flock

Grebes are looking good now

distant American Wigeon

On Sunday it was just me and Mark and we headed up to Teesside, started at Ward Jackson Park as Mark still needed Ring Necked Parakeet for the year, they were hiding at first but we eventually came across a couple of pairs disputing a nest hole, a pair of Nuthatch also got in on the act. Next up was the waste ground near the Jewish Cemetery to try for the long staying Shore Lark there was nothing about at that point in time though so we carried on to the Headland, fairly quiet there but quite a few Kittiwakes are back in now. Late morning news came through that seven Snow Buntings and the Shore Lark had been seen by the Jewish Cemetery so we headed back there, we got onto the Buntings straight away but the Lark had disappeared again however it wasn’t long before it returned and we had a little session with it until a biker went through and flushed everything, the Lark headed off over the Cemeteries and knowing there was some waste ground at the other side we went to have a look, good move, it was there and by using the car as a hide we got quite close to it. After lunch we made a failed attempt to find the Taiga Bean Goose at Cowpen Marsh before ending up at Dormans Pool where the Green Winged Teal was still present but still distant, by this time  we had heard a Great Grey Shrike had been found on the Tilmire back at Heslington, we decided to head back early and try for it, it was a pleasant sunny late afternoon as we set out on to the Tilmire, a Barn Owl was out hunting, there were a few Buzzards soaring, Green Woodpecker and Stonechat showed but unfortunately we had just missed the Shrike, it must have gone off to roost early, a Little Owl was in the usual tree as we returned along the lane.

Sparrowhawk buzzing the Park residents 

guarding the nest hole

Nuthatch also thought the hole looked interesting

courting couple

a few Kittiwakes back in

after an initial session where we got reasonably close to the bird

it got even better when we were able to use the car as a hide

Barn Owl out hunting on the Tilmire

North Lincs

Out with Pete Watson and we thought we’d do North Lincs today, we were off to a good start with a Red Kite over the road near South Cave then once over the bridge a couple of Buzzards were seen along the way to Saltfleetby on the Coast, a few wintering goodies seen here yesterday and it wasn’t long before a small flock of Twite dropped in front of us however the star birds, three Shore Larks, took a bit longer to find but we eventually got good views, we headed back North calling in at Rimac before ending up at Donna Nook, some more Twite there, a small flock of Dark Bellied Brent Geese, Little Egret and a small number of Rock Pipits, a couple of other birders were claiming a Water Pipit was with them but we couldn’t find it, then a Peregrine came over and flushed everything ending the search. We carried on back to Far Ings and staked out the Reedbed for an hour or more, a Bittern has been showing on and off of late but no sign this afternoon, an immature Marsh Harrier showed well though, next up was South Ferriby and after sitting out a short shower we found the 12 Tundra Bean Geese were still present amongst the large number of feral Geese there. We ended the day at Alkeborough Flats where there was an impressive 200+ Avocets, a few Black Tailed Godwits, more Little Egrets and a hunting Barn Owl but no hoped for Hen Harriers.

plenty of Sky Larks up and singing

some Twite

two of the three Shore Larks

Peregrine flushed everything at Donna Nook

some Cormorants looking quite smart now

Imm Marsh