Local update: signs of Spring

Well I've rather neglected the Ings this last couple of years but I'm getting back into it this year, to start with though a visit on the 10th April to another local York reserve, Strensall Common, got me off to good start, primarily looking for Wood Lark after half an hour or so one flew in and started singing from a tree near to me which then prompted another into song some distance away and while scanning to try and find that one I picked up three large birds flying towards me low over the trees, as they circled and gained height I was amazed to see they were Common Cranes, made my day. Back to the Ings and another good find was a male Ring Ouzel on the Clifton Rugby Club fields on the 14th, there's been a good passage so far which has included one or two inland birds but this is only my second York area record plus a patch tick, otherwise the summer visitors slowly trickle in, everywhere's turning green and Butterflies are on the wing.

Blackcaps back in good numbers

the Sand Martins checking out their holes

Blackthorn Blossoming

Cowslips

remnant of the old Orchard that used to be on Clifton Park

Cuckoo flower

and Speedwell

Orange-tip

West Yorks Warbler fest

Rather quiet on the Coast at the moment so me and Mark decided on a day in West Yorks starting at Swillington Ings, we got brief views of yesterdays Ring Ouzel before it was pushed by cyclists, dog walkers etc then took a walk around Lowther Lake where we picked up a good few Warblers including Sedge, Reed, Whitethroat and a very showy Grasshopper Warbler, we carried on to Pit Lane where we added Cetti’s, Lesser Whitethroat and another Gropper eventually working round to the Causeway, a couple of Common Terns were hawking over the main lake and a sick or injured White Fronted Goose was with the Greylags, a Bittern boomed from the Reedbed Lake and at least three Black Necked Grebes were showing well there, a very pleasant morning and early afternoon stroll around this super reserve. After lunch we headed over to Fairburn Ings in search of a Ruddy Shelduck but it wasn’t found, another Cetti’s Warbler sang near Lin Dyke and a Kingfisher was showing from the screen but otherwise it was fairly quiet. On the way home we called in at the Quarry at Tadcaster, several Red Kites were seen as we approached and a Peregrine was flying around but soon disappeared to the back of the Quarry, then it was on to Heslington where Mark had discovered a posing Little Owl yesterday, it was still posing today, also a couple of Buzzards soaring. 

showy Gropper creeping about like a mouse at first

before posing in the hedge

lots of Willow Warblers

and Coot chicks

Lesser Whitethroat

lucky flight shot

distant Common Tern

and not so distant Black Necked Grebe

Fairburn Ducks

first Comma of the year

Kingfisher from the screen but a bit far really

a good end to the day, Little Owl at Heslington

A dry but quiet Spurn

Not a good weather forecast again today, out with Mark and Spurn looked to be the best bet, we started at a very windy Sammy’s Point but it was really quiet, a Wheatear in one of the Paddocks was the best of it, we carried on and had a scan through the Brent Geese near the Kilnsea Wetlands, we found a couple of Pale Bellied  birds amongst all the Dark Bellied but there was no sign of the recent Black Brant. After a rather unproductive search of the Canal Scrape and Church Field areas we headed back to Kilnsea Wetlands, a female Garganey was on Holderness Field but distant, there were also plenty of Little Egrets around plus another three Wheatears but generally it was very quiet. Mid-afternoon we had another scan through the Brent flock but still couldn’t find the Black Brant then a Peregrine put them all up so we called it quits and headed for home calling in at North Cave Wetlands on the way back, not exactly hopping but in contrast to Spurn there were a good few Spring birds about including Yellow Wagtails and a good number of Hirundines, the pair of Mediterranean Gulls were still present as well. The journey home saw a couple of Buzzards along the ridge running towards North and South Cliffe and a Barn Owl out hunting near Kexby Bridge.

a pair of Pied Wagtails at Canal Scrape

incoming Brents

Ringed Plover

displaying

Easter in general

I was out birding Good Friday and today this weekend, Good Friday was not a good forecast but I managed a couple of hours at Swillington Ings before the heavy rain started, I failed to catch up with the Garganey and Water Pipits but three summer plumaged Black Necked Grebes were nice compensation, a Bittern was also booming away most of the time I was there. 

A nicer day was forecast for today, I decided to spend the morning at Wykeham, it was quite misty up there though but it burnt off by mid-morning, a good selection of Passerines were seen by High Brow while I was waiting for the mist to lift included several Crossbills. With visibility improving I dropped into Troutsdale, Buzzards performed well as usual and a pair of Peregrines crossed the valley but the Goshawks were disappointing with just a couple of brief sightings. I headed off to Flamborough in the afternoon, fairly quiet really I thought there may have been a few Spring migrants about, no sign of any Firecrests down Old Fall neither.

Buzzards performed well as usual

and lots of Pheasants running around

Teal at Thornwick Pools

and other general birds

Tortoiseshell of the small black legged variety unfortunately