Catch Up

A few proper pics from Wednesday following my Trip up to Wykeham. Very happy with the views I got of the Honey Buzzard on this occasion...

The Goshawk views were less satisfactory! 

2.5 hours at Bempton didn't produce the hoped for view of the Superstar. The Yorkshire Belle drifting by...

...reminded me of a rather good decision I made last July. More here. The Gannets are ALWAYS worth seeing though...

On Thursday I made the trip to the LDV. I started at Duff. Viewing was difficult now, with just a small patch of open water. The "resident" Whooper Swan seemed quite happy though...

Plenty of Swifts present (c50) which was nice to see, plus a scattering of Sand Martins (c20), House Martins (c10) and Swallows (c20). I also heard a very short blast from a Cuckoo. A brief view of a Sedge Warbler was a bonus.

I then made the short journey to Castle Howard to try for the Ferruginous Duck...but things never worked out as major  changes had taken place. No car park, no path...no chance!

Back to Bank Island to try for the Garganey. 4 had been reported the day before. I walked down to Cheesecake Hide and set my stall out. It was a beautiful Spring afternoon. This is my favourite time of Year, everything is lush, the trees are in bloom and the Birds are singing! I started to scan the water...

I saw 3 Drakes which is a record count for me. Yes, they were all on view at the same time, albeit distantly...

Yesterday was a slower day. Mid-afternoon I drove down to Kilnsea Wetlands to see if I could get a closer look at a Garganey (P.107). The bird was tucked in against the bank and awkward to view but eventually it gave itself away briefly, although the aspect wasn't great, closer though!

This morning I headed up to Cliff Farm and had a stroll down to Old Hive. I was curious to see if the local Rarity was still present. It was...

I spent a pleasant hour watching a very perky bird! Always good value this Species...active, nicely marked and noisy! You certainly know it's about. Very difficult to get a good pic but I got lucky in the end...

Sedge Warbler

No, not a stonking American Warbler...BUT still VERY special in the Context it falls into.

I then went Cuckoo hunting! I tried a few of the Village lanes ending up on Rysome Lane by the Bunker. I wound my window down...Cuc- koo!!! Love it when that happens...obviously! I spent the next 3 hours trying to get a glimpse, as it intermittently called. At one stage I was right by it but the  terrain of mature trees with few visible perches thwarted me. Frustrating. I'll have it as a Year Tick though (P.107, H.92).