Long Bank

We had a lovely walk in the sunshine along Long Bank this morning. Inadvertently we flushed a couple of Short-eared Owls. Here's the obligatory disappearing bird...

 





 

Onward to Sammy's Point!

 

The sun was behind me so I could scan the area and get clear views. Nothing unusual was apparent initially then things picked up. Ring Ouzels have been present for a while now....same or different birds. Who knows? For what it's worth I reckon they could be the same birds hanging around due to the north winds we've had.

 

They can be very elusive and mobile but on occasions will perch up in the bushes...

 

A fleeting glimpse of one sunning itself in the hedge

I then picked a second bird up further along...

 

 

Extremely fortunate to see these birds. I even heard them calling. My last view was much closer but unfortunately it was directly into the sun...

 

 

Still, a great session.

 

On returning to the car I saw Mick Turton approaching. Nice to have a decent chat with him. He told me he was going to Scilly this Autumn. I hope to be there too. It will depend on how well the Op goes?

 

As we were chatting news came over the radio of a RAVEN!!! A potential Spurn tick for yours truly. We eventually picked it up (P.120, S.96) with some Crows although it was very distant. Just as I was about to leave Phil turned up and so did a Peregrine...

 

 

A great morning.

 

Blow the wind SOUTHERLY!!!

 

Things starting to Tern

Woke to the sound of the Pager alerting me to the fact that a Hooded Crow had been seen at Spurn. Have to admit I didn't dash down (I should have!). Ended up dipping. Ah well. A few turn up each Spring but are typically elusive and VERY mobile. Might be another yet or this one could linger (he says hopefully).

 

A quick look on Long Bank picked up a couple of Canada Geese...and what's that? A Black-tailed Godwit (P.120, S.96) in the background. Bonus!!

 

 

Even at extreme distance the pale supercilium is apparent.

 

Another showing the long bill and super...

 

 

A familiar voice came over the radio...it was Phil reporting a Ring Ouzel on his caravan site. Gone  by the time I arrived but he managed a pic...

 

 

After a chat we had a walk down to Beacon Ponds with Bud. It was like January with a strong, cold wind but thankfully no immediate sign of rain. Little Tern (P.121, S.97) was the target and we eventually saw a couple coming in off the sea. Again, Phil got a pic...

 

 

Great to see them back. 15 more reported later. Here's to another bumper breeding season.

 

We then spent a good hour searching for the Hooded Crow to no avail. The flock of Whimbrel were still showing well however...

 

 

Not to be under-estimated.

 

Forecast suggests the horrendous weather is finally on it's way out. Sunny tomorrow and SOUTHERLIES on Sunday. Bring it on!!!

 

MEGA - AMUR FALCON 1st for Cyprus!!!

Found yesterday at Anarita Park by Matt Smith. Check out these pics

They come with a health warning lol!

Kilnsea

Bright and breezy again this am. I ended up at Kilnsea and parked near Canal scrape. My luck was in, as I immediately spotted an SEO hunting along Big hedge. It soon disappeared however.

 

Meadow Pipits were active in the triangle...

 

 

After around 20 mins the SEO re-appeared, still distant but it stayed in view...

 

 

I spent another 20 minutes in the area watching the bird...

 

 

It remained distant and finally headed off along the Humber...

 

 

Always good value.

 

Cold and clear

Kilnsea Wetlands produced 26 Avocets this morning. An excellent showing...here's most of them...

 

 

Had a nice walk along Beacon Ponds bank and met the new Little Tern warden. Here's hoping for another bumper year! None back yet.

 

On my way back I scanned Holderness field. I managed 8 Whimbrel...

 

 

 

...and connected with my Gadwall (P.119, S.95) tick for the year...

 

A backlit pair. Smart ducks

 

Be thankful for what you get!

Another day...another dog walk. No matter what the weather it has to be done. It MAKES me go out...Birding!

After blowing the cobwebs (and most other things) away on Easington clifftop I moved on down to Canal Scrape. I decided to take some shelter from the cutting wind along Big Hedge. It's always, worth a look.

 

I noticed a group of Whimbrel (16) feeding distantly in the adjacent Holderness field. Unfortunately as I started to walk the path they had disappeared! I could still hear birds calling and I picked a few up circling high. Fortunately they some came close enough for a pic...

 

 

Always good to see and refresh ID!

 

The wind was cutting so I stayed behind the not so Big hedge. A Wheatear made a brief appearance...hardly surprising! A Dunnock stayed a touch longer...

 

Under-rated and overlooked

I then noticed a small bird trying to balance on the fence some 30m away. First impressions were Meadow Pipit but when I raised my glasses I was looking at a superb male Whinchat (P.118, S.94)...

 

 

It seemed to be feeding on caterpillars as it popped up and down from the fence. I decided to brave the elements and walk to the seaside path hoping for a better view. Typically the bird had disappeared, probably to shelter! I gave it a while longer and was rewarded with this view... 

 

 

Thanks Bud!

 

What a difference a Year makes!

Last Spring I accumulated SIX British ticks which was quite amazing for an old fart like me. Whilst realizing it's still early days we'd already seen the arrival of GREAT BLUE HERON (surely one of my best days out) and HUDSONIAN GODWIT. Key in the Northerly airflow and my law of diminishing returns and things at present don't look good.

Hope Springs (sorry) eternal however and the magic month of May is just around the corner...and...I can always look at Texas eBird to cheer myself up!

Migration on hold

Got up early at 5.45 yesterday and had a stroll down Sammy's...Budless! The target was Grasshopper Warbler, a species I've not had much luck with in recent years. The last one I saw (briefly) was a putative LANCEOLATED WARBLER claim at Spurn last Autumn...pity that!!!

I was down there 2 hours with the place all to myself but neither sight nor sound. I did inadvertently flush a SEO from the path. They look so much smaller close up? No sign of the skulking Ring Ouzels either. It was fresh but I enjoyed the early morning walk in the sunshine.

Unsurprisingly things seem to have ground to a halt on the migration front with the Northerly airflow. Still, plenty of time.

Last link to Texas. I noticed a couple of Birders had done a BIG DAY in the South of the State this week (Chorpus Christi to the border).

How many species?

220!!!

Mixed feelings...

As already stated my current strategy (as they say Stateside) is to be back in Blighty for migration. Trouble is you can't foresee the weather or bird movements and you definitely can't be in two places at one time.  I got stung badly April 1st 2005 when the joke was on me as a BELTED KINGFISHER turned up in Staffs at the aptly named Tixall! I was watching one at Anahuac when I got the MEGA alert on my phone!!! I've got a long memory. Don't get me wrong I wouldn't swap my Birding adventures for anything but a little planning can sometimes help. Sometimes.

 

I've been following the Texas migration on eBird as we don't seem to have much/any at the moment?

 

So, another couple of examples...

 

I still need Cape May Warbler for my Texas list. It's a scarce migrant throughout the State as the majority pass through Florida further East. It's also a late migrant usually passing in late April/early May hence the reason I haven't connected. Couple this with it being my number 1 British tick, I have a special affinity with this species. The pictures and dates give mixed feelings. I might have to re-consider. Only joking...I think?

 

 

Secondly, here's a day list from Galveston Island...yes ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY NINE SPECIES!!!

 

 

Mon Apr 18, 2016 8:00 AM

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9	Black-bellied Whistling-Duck
2	Fulvous Whistling-Duck
1	Mallard
6	Mottled Duck
15	Blue-winged Teal
11	Redhead in pond at lafittes
25	Common Loon
6	Pied-billed Grebe
4	Neotropic Cormorant
26	Double-crested Cormorant
25	Brown Pelican
2	Great Blue Heron
10	Great Egret
15	Snowy Egret
12	Tricolored Heron
3	Reddish Egret
100	Cattle Egret
5	Green Heron
7	Black-crowned Night-Heron
9	Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
5	White Ibis
1	Roseate Spoonbill
1	Osprey
4	White-tailed Kite
1	Swallow-tailed Kite
1	Cooper's Hawk
7	Clapper Rail
1	Sora
2	Common Gallinule
20	American Coot
35	Black-necked Stilt
450	American Avocet
7	American Oystercatcher
25	Black-bellied Plover
2	American Golden-Plover
4	Snowy Plover
4	Wilson's Plover
25	Semipalmated Plover
2	Piping Plover
15	Killdeer
1	Spotted Sandpiper
3	Solitary Sandpiper
5	Greater Yellowlegs
45	Willet
10	Lesser Yellowlegs
19	Whimbrel
25	Marbled Godwit
75	Ruddy Turnstone
6	Stilt Sandpiper
15	Sanderling
25	Dunlin
5	Least Sandpiper
1	White-rumped Sandpiper
1	Buff-breasted Sandpiper
1	Pectoral Sandpiper
2	Semipalmated Sandpiper
35	Western Sandpiper
200	Short-billed Dowitcher
25	Long-billed Dowitcher
250	Laughing Gull
2	Franklin's Gull
25	Ring-billed Gull
5	Herring Gull
45	Least Tern
2	Gull-billed Tern
5	Caspian Tern
10	Black Tern
1	Common Tern
45	Forster's Tern
35	Royal Tern
35	Sandwich Tern
100	Black Skimmer
X	Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)
3	Eurasian Collared-Dove
5	White-winged Dove
11	Mourning Dove
1	Black-billed Cuckoo
3	Common Nighthawk
4	Chimney Swift
7	Ruby-throated Hummingbird
2	Belted Kingfisher
3	Eastern Wood-Pewee
1	Acadian Flycatcher
1	Least Flycatcher
17	Eastern Kingbird
2	Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
4	Loggerhead Shrike
2	White-eyed Vireo
2	Yellow-throated Vireo
1	Warbling Vireo
3	Red-eyed Vireo
2	Blue Jay
5	Northern Rough-winged Swallow
35	Purple Martin
75	Barn Swallow
X	Cliff Swallow
X	Cave Swallow
5	Marsh Wren
3	Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
2	Gray-cheeked Thrush
5	Swainson's Thrush
15	Wood Thrush
12	Gray Catbird
2	Brown Thrasher
8	Northern Mockingbird
100	European Starling
3	Ovenbird
1	Worm-eating Warbler
2	Louisiana Waterthrush
3	Northern Waterthrush
1	Golden-winged Warbler
4	Blue-winged Warbler
9	Black-and-white Warbler
2	Prothonotary Warbler
5	Tennessee Warbler
11	Kentucky Warbler
7	Common Yellowthroat
23	Hooded Warbler
3	American Redstart
1	Bay-breasted Warbler
1	Blackburnian Warbler
12	Yellow Warbler 2 seen at ft travis, at least 10 in corps woods had 6 present in one flock.
6	Chestnut-sided Warbler
3	Palm Warbler
1	Yellow-rumped Warbler
1	Wilson's Warbler
1	Yellow-breasted Chat
2	Lark Sparrow
2	Lincoln's Sparrow
2	Swamp Sparrow
15	Summer Tanager
20	Scarlet Tanager
3	Northern Cardinal
17	Rose-breasted Grosbeak
20	Blue Grosbeak
350	Indigo Bunting
11	Painted Bunting
9	Dickcissel
7	Bobolink
35	Red-winged Blackbird
11	Eastern Meadowlark
10	Common Grackle
45	Great-tailed Grackle
1	Bronzed Cowbird
25	Brown-headed Cowbird
25	Orchard Oriole
10	Baltimore Oriole
1	House Finch
X	House Sparrow

 Goodnight...