Monthly Archives: December 2009

We stayed in Yorkshire for this coastal trip with the Brigg at Filey being the starting point it was still cold and still icey in the Country Park on our arrival at 9am.  We finally parked up and made our way to the Brigg adding the first birds of the day Rock Pipit and Fulmar before we got down to the sea watching hide. The tide was coming in so it would have to be quick, Red Throated Divers were added Common and 2-off Velvet Scoters, 1-off Long Tailed Duck, Eider, Oystercatcher and Turnstones, Guillemot, Razorbills and a couple of Gannets. We had to make our way back to the naze I didn’t fancy being stuck down here back on top to see more Rock Pipits and a couple of Stonechat, it whilst we were walking the footpaths that  a small bird flew up in front of us and settled a couple of feet away from us, yep Snow Bunting a first winter ♀ I believe , where’s that camera Doh! back at home another shot missed. There were quite a mixture of waders now in the Country Park car park Oystercatchers, Dunlins, Turnstones, Lapwing and what we were lead to believe by a local birder was a unusual bird at Filey Golden Plover.

On to Filey Dams reserve to add a few ducks and gulls Mallard, Teal, Black Headed Gull, Common Gull, Tree Sparrow, and Blue Tit few birds here due to the reserve being 75% frozen.

Bempton next for the hope of a few raptors Peregrine was about but we didn’t see it more Tree Sparrows, Blackbird, Greenfinch and Chaffinch around the feeders

On then to Bridlington harbour its here we caught up with some waders Redshank, Knot, Purple Sandpiper c15, Bar Tailed Godwit, Sanderling, Dunlin, Turnstone.

The day was getting on so it was to our final destination Barmston Beach hadn’t been here for a long time but it still delivered in the form of a Slavonian Grebe and a Black Throated Diver off shore. On the Beach Ringed Plover with a Grey Plover in the stubble field.

A great day out the first time to the coast this year so 17 year birds were added to this years tally with 57 for the day list, it was good to see Barmston Beach again and to see that it could still deliver in the form of Divers and Grebes, and I’m still kicking myself over leaving the camera.

Day List :-

Red Throated Diver, Black Throated Diver, Slavonian Grebe, Fulmar, Gannet, Shag, Mute Swan, Teal, Mallard, Eider, Long Tailed Duck, Common Scoter, Velvet Scoter, Kestrel, Pheasant, Moorhen, Coot, Oystercatcher, Ringed Plover, Golden Plover, Grey Plover, Lapwing, Knot, Sanderling, Purple Sandpiper, Dunlin, Bar Tailed Godwit, Redshank, Turnstone, Black headed Gull, Common Gull, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Great Black Backed Gull,Guillemot, Razorbill, Rock Dove, Woodpigeon, Collard Dove, Rock Pipit, Pied Wagtail, Dunnock, Robin, Stonechat, Blackbird, Fieldfare, Song Thrush, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Magpie, Rook, Crow, Starling, House Sparrow, Tree Sparrow, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Snow Bunting

ROBIN

Three months to the day since I was last at Potteric Carr the main reason for today’s visit was to try and get a Bittern on picture. Arrived at 8:50am ready for the gates to open at 9:00am checking thro and getting the days permit at a cost of £3:00 I made my way down to the first hide, Decoy hide seeing Blue Tits  and Blackbirds on the way. Arriving at Decoy to be told that there was a Bittern showing and sure enough as I sat down he/she was making its way back into the reedbed and all I saw was the backside, so that was the Bittern shot for the day. I moved on to Old Eaa Marsh hide to see nothing, really, but I did hear the other bird I was hoping for Cetti’s Warbler it gave its unmistakable explosive call from the reedbed but was too far to get a view. Well I made my way down to the Willow Pool hide next seeing a Great Spotted Woodpecker, Chaffinch, Robin, Reed Bunting, Blue Tit, Coal Tit, Willow Tit, and Dunnock to name a few. On then to Piper Marsh hide to hopefully get that Bittern photo in one of the beat places to get close views. Birds about Pintail ♂, Shelduck, Gadwall, Mallard, Teal, Coot, Moorhen, Black Headed Gull but alas no Bittern, well there was about an hour before I arrived it wasn’t to be my day. I decided on a revisit to Willow Pool hide to take some more photos and may be get to see Water Rail that wasn’t to be either so I slowly made my way back to the car park adding Redwing and Bullfinch to the day list

Record Shot > Great Northern Diver

Last Month of the year and finishing on a high adding Great Northern Diver which is  the first Diver species to the Patch List, two Immature birds located at Blackmoorfoot Reservoir. I had been holding my breath for a good week before I could get out to see these birds, winter nights, but it was worth the wait even if they were distant. Along with the divers Goldeneye ♂, and Black Headed Gulls.

On then to Pugneys to try and add a couple of year birds for this years list, it wasn’t long before I found the first a Ferrruginous Duck and I had timed it just right, it had come out of its sleep and was swimming around in front of the hide. Then another hoped for bird in the form of a Bittern which was harder to find but just at the right moment creeping up the reeds enough to give its self away and then away from prying eyes once again. Other birds on show at Pugneys today Pochard, Shoveler, Mallard, Tufted Duck, Wigeon, Cormorant, Black Headed and Common Gulls, Kingfisher, Mistle Thrush, Great Crested Grebe, Mute Swan, Coot, Moorhen, Lapwing,

 Ferruginous Duck