Swift sp

Richard wandered past my lounge window mid-afternoon. Something was going on! I didn't know because my phone was on silent (never a good move), so I wasn't aware of his message. Turned out a Swift had been seen in Withernsea. He was heading down to the cliff hoping for a Holmpton tick. I decided to head for With'.

I received a text from Gavin saying he was on his way. When I arrived and parked up, I couldn't see any other Birders. I decided to get as high as I could by the Pier Towers. Then Gavin appeared and we scanned for the bird. Eventually, we picked it up in the distance. The bird was mobile along the seafront but was never close except on one occasion, when it shot past us low at great speed! Some photos were obtained, so maybe a definitive ID can be made. PALLID is always a consideration at this date. Whatever the outcome to see a Swift locally on NOVEMBER FIFTEENTH was...quite unusual!!

The quick peep I got suggested Common...

LEO

Just before we left for Scilly I was made aware by a local birder of a Long-eared Owl. He kindly agreed to show me the area he'd seen the bird in and I crossed my fingers it was still present. I can safely say I wouldn't have found the area myself. Anyway, we met at his house and made our way to the site. The weather was poor but the bird was still present! However, it was mainly obscured deep in a bush. Still, I had decent views and we left it in peace.

The next morning was brighter, so I decided to have another attempt. This time I was alone. I retraced my steps to the same area but the Owl wasn't there? I checked the next bush...and WOW!!!

P.142

I think I can safely say it was "showing well".

I'm posting the pic now, as the bird is "long gone". Suppresion? Not really. I prefer protection. The site wasn't easily accessed and...as we all know...not everyone behaves in a responsible manner. I'll leave it there!

Winter Birding on the Patch

Yet another superb Winter's day here. Today's exercise was a family occasion excluding the cat! We made the short drive to Skeffling, parked up on the flood bank and headed West towards Welwick. This walk is a nice change from the usual ones around the Village, giving great views of the Humber Estuary and...there are more...BIRDS! Having said that the tide was way out so birds were widely dispersed on the mud. The view inland was also impressive...

Kestrels were active with at least 8 birds hunting over the fields. Then a Harrier...adult male Marsh...

4 birds were seen in total. Then a ringtail Hen Harrier...

 Adult Female

 

...then another...

Juvenile

Love the underwing patterning and the russet body

So lucky to have such quality on my Patch...

Winter Swans

As you know I like Wildfowl, hence my attraction to NDC I guess! Locally things are more sporadic. Sure we get birds passing the Village but hardly anything sticks for any length of time. Down the road fares better (as always) but even here birds can be scarce at times.

News of a decent herd of Whooper Swans around Sammy's Point, Easington yesterday got me interested, especially when it was mentioned there were 2/3 Bewick's with them. My exercise walk was decided. As I approached the car park I could see a Birder on the flood Bank looking out onto the Estuary. It was Tony from Patrington. I could see a decent number of Swans in the fields to the South, so I was curious as to what he was looking at? I had my boisterous friend with me, so I walked up onto the bank some distance away after giving him "the nod". There were some Swans out on the mud...and they were on the move.

I grabbed my camera and fired off a few pics through the gloom, as they came over the bank giving fantastic close views before they continued inland. An exhilerating experience. I then started to wonder about Tony's interest in these particular birds. He confirmed that indeed there were Bewick's amonst them! Time to check my pictures...

The initial take off...

Whooper Swan nearest and 3 Bewick's

2 Bewick's 

The area was alive with noise and activity. The Swans were particularly active with groups flying to various fields at regular intervals...

We had a walk South to view the main group...

Noble Birds

Plenty of Brents around also...

...but the star bird today was the Bewick's...a rare bird in Yorkshire these days...

I prefer Whoopers though!

Visible Migration

Amiss of me not to mention the 2 SEO's I had together on Sunday on the Humber...

...at dusk

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'Twas a bit misty this morning with a drop of rain...that wasn't forecast. Luckily, it had stopped earlier than the updated forecast!?

I decided to walk up to the farm then head North along the hedge to "the Runnel"...for a change. It was obvious (even to me) that there had been a "fall" of Blackbirds. Great birds but much overlooked due to their abundance. As with Robins (and others) our resident birds are supplimented by migrants flooding across the North Sea at this time of year. Holmpton is a great palce to experience this phenomenon. This photo makes the point nicely I feel...

A conservitive estimate would be 70 during my walk. As I approached the Runnel I could see some thrushes in a tall tree...these weren't Blackbirds...

Fieldfares (8)

I walked to the main road to enable me to walk down the other side of the ditch. As I started to walk towards the sea I heard a familiar call, not one  I was expecting. There in a lone bush, was a Bullfinch...

A nice surprise. It soon took flight and was joined by a second! They both disappeared high over the main road. The day was still dull but VERY mild for the time of year. A real bonus in my least favourite month. I treated Bud to a swim and I managed a lone Dunlin South...plus 3 Mallards!

After returning home for lunch and to do a few jobs around the house I had a ride up to Cliff Farm for another walk (without Bud). After checking the sea I walked down the hill towards Old Hive. On the way I made my way around the small pool and "lo and behold" I flushed a Snipe, only my second record this year...the bird exploded out of the pool in typical style and headed off North at great height...

I also heard a Curlew.

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Ireland doing well at the moment!!!

BELTED KINGFISHER

Lesser Kestrel

Little Swift

Forster's Tern

American Herring Gull

Pine Bunting

Be nice to get a chance for a BK. Maybe one day?

Sloooow Weekend

Brief update:

Not much to report but I've been trying...between jobs! The weather has gone a bit more...Novemberish...but that's OK. "Mists and mellow fruitfulness"...and all that. The weather last week was fantastic. Birds are still turning up...just not here.

I've had a good run lately...so no complaints...

Patch Exercise

An early walk up Seaside didn't reveal anything significant...until I reached the Farm. A lone bird in the top of an isolted tree looked...unusual...

It didn't hang around...

A walk down to the sea revealed an early skein of Pinkfeet (25)..heading West?

After returning home we decided to have our walk at Skeffling. My better half informed me that Lockdown 2 rules are slightly more relaxed than Lockdown 1 in that you are able to drive short distances to exercise. 4 miles is definitely local in my book.

It was a beautiful day...again. Blue skies and no wind. We parked up on the flood bank and started to walk towards Welwick. Almost immediately a Short-eared Owl drifted west along the saltmarsh...

One of three Little Egrets in close proximity in the first field over the drain...

Richard had a couple of sightings at Holmpton today, both birds heading North. Maybe I'll catch up with one before the year's end? As we approached the entrance gate to Welwick Marsh I noticed a bird resting in the long grass on the flood bank. It was a Stock Dove...

Gentle expression

Then it was gone...

A Stonechat sneaked in with a couple of Reed Buntings...

Scanning further West I picked up a distant male Marsh Harrier...

then a youngster...

...and then...the icing on the cake...

Hen Harrier

4 Buzzards were also noted. A change of scene paid off...

Garden Tick - Treecreeper!

Lazy Garden tick (70) first thing (H.129)...

The most remarkable aspect of this photo (obviously not the quality) is the fact that I managed to grab it at all! Not the sharpest (me that is) first thing and the bird was only in view briefly but nice to get a "record shot" through the window.

...appeared in the one decent trunk viewable from my armchair!! Not a bad start to Lockdown 2...not that there's anything good about it! Got to keep the old chin up though...right? You've probably noticed I've not dwelt on COVID...we all know it's there and has to be dealt with, hopefully responsibly BUT this isn't the place for pontification...again hopefully!

An early walk was curtailed by doggy walking circumstances...he's not very friendly to other dogs...I'll leave it there! After a coffee, Louise joined me for a second attempt. The sun had broken through and it was another fine late Autumn day. After yesterday's "air show" I wasn't expecting a repeat... I was wrong. At the risk of "over-egging" this, the next hour consisted of more Pink-footed Geese migration...

144 at 12.35

40 at 12.37

39 at 12.40

124 at 12.53

Four skeins in roughly 20 minutes totalling (give or take one or two) 347 birds. I was being spoilt.

A distant Mediterranean Gull over the sea was noteworthy...

...but I'd gladly have swapped it for the Glaucous Gull seen flying North at Spurn earlier!

The Wild Geese

Early dog walk at Cliff Farm on a crisp sunny morning revealed 2 Stonechats...

A total of NINE birds were seen by Richard and I. While viewing one at the Sewage I just managed to catch 4 Whooper Swans silently drifting South along the cliff top...

As you can see from my header pic...I love Pink-footed Geese! Tough, powerful, smart...and noisy! Having been on Scilly, I hoped I hadn't missed my annual skein fix. I didn't connect with any significant numbers before leaving but this morning I fared much better...that's two on the trot. A constant stream of birds passed South totalling over 1000...

10.55

12.51

13.05

13.55

Fantastic!!! The last skein was seen from my back garden...for an overdue Garden tick (68). Speaking of garden ticks...

An unusual call alerted me to this lone Redwing (69) sunning itself in a tree by the back fence. Funny how retirement helps increase your lists! It was turning out to be quite a day!

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Still buzzing for yesterday's visit to NDC. I forgot to mention I bumped into Barry Bishop (not literally) in the Geoff Smith hide. It was good to see him again and catch up. I also got a message off Tim Dixon, commenting on the close views obtained of the Pinkfeet. We agreed it was probably a "one-off" situation. Just to bring me back down to earth, news came through today of a singing Cetti's Warbler by the Geoff Smith hide! My hearing isn't what it used to be...

So to Lockdown 2. Plenty of walking from the house...