Lighter Nights

Thought I'd start with a positive.

Here's a negative...I HATE Winter! The endless evenings are grim indeed. I hate it more with every Year and if my circumstances were different I wouldn't be in England from mid-November through mid-April...so there! Hopefully I'll be around long enough to put this plan into operation in the coming Years?

However, I AM in England and I try to make the most of it. I'll qualify this statement by saying I love living in Holmpton and trudging the East Coast and surrounds, trying to eek out any jewels I can find. In an effort to drop some Christmas stodge I've been clocking up the miles whilst Birding and Dog walking of course. I've dropped 10lbs and will try to drop the same again. It's doable.

Enough of my pipe dreams..what about the Birds? 

Saturday morning I tried a few field ditches on Snakey hoping to find a certain species...I was eventually successful with Bud's help...Snipe (P.71, H.

Onto Sunday afternoon when a lone Redwing on School Lane at 4.20 was notable...

...as was the Sunset...

Still plenty on Snakey but unusual around the Clifftop. Context. To back this statement up I had a flock of around 50 on Snakey Monday morning....as well as c150 Fieldfares.

Yesterday I made the trip to Duff as it was foggy here and I gambled on it burning off by the time I got there...it didn't!

From the viewing Platform

As I returned from the Platform a few cars had arrived (which didn't go down well with my mate). Turned out they were there to repair the Geoff Smith Hide which had been vandalised over the Weekend. Thankfully this is a rare event but depressing none the less. Hopefully they'll repair Garganey Hide also.

View from Garganey Hide

It was a fresh 4C as I set my stall out. You could just about see over the "Bund" and thankfully there were plenty of Birds viewable. Hundreds of Teal were tucked up along it. I checked them all for a Green-winged...alas no. I could make out a few Whooper Swans and I could hear many more through the fog. A few Pintail came into view...

With limited visibility it was hard going and it wasn't "lifting". Still you never know what might show up...

A couple have been present all Winter. The other bird kept its distance...

I decided on an early lunch hoping it would clear later. Unfortunately it wasn't to be and the Vale of York micro-climate won the day. This was rubbed in somewhat as it was a blue sky day in Howden on my way home. I'll be back...tomorrow!

Trying to salvage something from the day I detoured via Stone Creek on my way home for the last hour. This turned out to be a good decision as it was a lovely evening and I scored with a Short-eared Owl, Merlin, Marsh Harrier (5) and Barn Owl (3).

The forecast for today was favourable so I left the Cottage at 7.30. As I turned onto Seaside Rd I could see a group of small birds (6) in a bush by The Rowans...

Greenfinch (P. 73, H.66)

I hadn't been walking North long when 4 Brent Geese (H.67) headed South...

Still plenty of Red-throated Divers offshore...

The sun was rising now and things were warming up. Skylarks seemed to be everywhere all of a sudden. Lots of squabbling was noticed combined with low level flights and hovering. Many were in sub-song. An extremely uplifting scene after some drab days...

During my 3 mile walk I estimated at least 30 birds present...

There were also some Meadow Pipits present, some of which were also briefly displaying and making short flights out over the sea. The Llama Farm was devoid of Birds...not even a Sparrow (haven't seen House or Tree this Year!)...

 A lone Curlew was just to the North...

As I approached the Sewage I could see a couple of fishermen (so did Bud) so I diverted to the fence around it. As already stated, it is completely demolished now and they even filled the ditch in...unfortunately. However, the bushes and "rough stuff" are still present, so there is some habitat remaining.

As I turned the corner I heard a weak Sparrow-like call. Moving further round...there it was...my FOY...

Tree Sparrow (P.75, H.68)

Just a single bird...BUT as good a find as any this Year...a jewel of a sighting in my book. Around 3 I had a stroll along the lane, heading up the dead end around the corner. I managed to connect with a couple of "Richard's" Siskins (P.76, H.69) when they perched briefly in the treetops. A Great Spotted Woodpecker lingered longer...

Lucky to have them in the Village. Half-a-dozen Long-tailed Tits added to the interest. 

I finished off at Skeffling for the last hour. No Harriers or SEO but close views of a couple of Barn Owls over the car park was ample compensation...

Another "through the windscreen" classic!

Decent day. Maybe I don't hate Winter so much after all!!