Monthly Archives: April 2022

My first port of call was onto the Broadstones Res Heath, which was on my way to Langsett. In the short space of time I was here managed to see Stonechat, Meadow Pipits and a Common Whitethroat.

On then to Langsett Res, parking in the barns car park. Plenty of action in the car park with numerous Blackbirds, Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush, Chaffinch, Blue Tit, Collard Doves, Woodpigeons and Blackcaps

Venturing down to the dam wall, Pied Wagtails, Oystercatchers and three Common Sandpipers were seen and in one of the nearby trees a single Treecreeper. I came back up to the car park and wondered along the pathway until I could find a place to over look the reservoir and the nearby moor. Greylag Geese, Great crested Grebe and Black headed Gulls were on the water. Looking out over the moors I manged to pick up a Common Buzzard which had settled in a tree, a Cuckoo was calling and I also managed to find a Red Grouse and Curlew. Behind me a Great Spotted Woodpecker was contact calling and a Coal Tit was seen.

I headed back towards the car park but decided looking over a nearby ploughed field, here I saw Woodpigeon, Stock Dove, Pied Wagtail, Mistle Thrush, Song Thrush and the surprise of the night a pair of Little Ringed Plovers.

Venturing further a field, friend had joined me at this point, Goldfinch, Linnet, Siskin, Chiffchaff and Willow Warbers but no Pied Flycatchers or Redstarts.

Bird List :- Blackbird, Blackcap, Black headed Gull, Blue Tit, Buzzard, Canada Goose, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Coal Tit, Collard Dove, Common Sandpiper, Cuckoo, Curlew, Dunnock, Goldfinch, Great Crested Grebe, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Grey Heron, Greylag Goose, Lapwing, Linnet, Little Ringed Plover, Magpie, Mallard, Meadow Pipit, Mistle Thrush, Nuthatch, Oystercatcher, Pheasant, Red Grouse, Robin, Siskin, Skylark, Song Thrush, Starling, Stock Dove, Stonechat, Treecreeper, Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, Woodpigeon, Wren. (44)

Time out at Pugneys Black headed and Herring Gulls were sitting out on the jetty’s , having a look thru them I picked up five Common Terns, new for the year a nice start. Out on the water were Coot, Mute Swan, Lesser Black backed Gulls, I could hear Blackcaps close by in the nearby bushes.

Walked around then to the hide where I picked up Blue Tit, Wren, Chiffchaff, and more Blackcaps. From the hide Cormorants, Shoveler, Gadwall, Mallard, Oystercatchers, Great Crested Grebes

Bird List :- Blackcap, Black headed Gull, Blue Tit, |Canada Goose, Carrion Crow, Chiffchaff, Common Tern, Coot, Gadwall, Great Crested Grebe, Herring Gull, Lesser Black backed Gull, Magpie, Mallard, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Shoveler, Stock Dove, Tufted Duck, Wren

Why Bempton Cliffs, wasn’t to try and see the Black browed Albatross was it? yes it was, the bird had returned, did I see it this time? NO 😢 , he/she had decided to go out to sea the evening before and didn’t return the day I was there, but the day after he/she did, that’s birding (still frustrating). After 8 hours of waiting watching the cliffs, taking photos of the usual residences of Bempton, I gave in.

So the highlights around the cliffs in those 8 hours, Gannet, Fulmar, Kittiwake, Razorbill, Guillemot, Puffin, Herring Gull, Rock Dove, Shag, Cormorant and a first for me a pod of Bottle-nose Dolphins, a group of about 5 made their way slowly north, a Peregrine flew thru.

To break the day up around the nearby by fields a single Wheatear and Ring Ouzel were found. Around the visitor centre were the usual Tree Sparrows, Skylark overhead, a Barn Owl near the old blocks, Meadow Pipits nearby. Towards the end of our vigil on the Albatross news broke of a Great spotted Cuckoo seen coming in off the sea and had landed around the visitor centre. The decision was quickly made to go for the Cuckoo, so making our way rather quickly we arrived at the said point, to the news that it hadn’t been seen for a while, it was never seen again, we were rewarded with a single male Stonechat for our relocation.

That really ended our day at Bempton which resulted once again in the Albatross not been seen by these eyes.

The days Bird List :- Barn Owl, Blackbird, Blue Tit, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Cormorant, Fulmar, Gannet, Goldfinch, Great Black backed Gull, Great Tit, Greylag Goose, Guillemot, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Kestrel, Kittiwake, Linnet, Magpie, Meadow Pipit, Moorhen, Peregrine, Pheasant, Puffin, Razorbill, Reed Bunting, Ring Ouzel, Rock Dove, rook, Shag, Skylark, Stonechat, Tree Sparrow, Wheatear, Woodpigen, Wren

Decided on a quick visit to Blacktoft Sands in the vain hope of seeing the reported Spoonbill there, it had gone when I arrived, looking like another Albie syndrome.

Decided on going thru the farmland area as an approach to Blacktoft, quickly picking up on a Corn Bunting in doing so, along with Tree Sparrows.

On arrival at Blacktoft the news was the Spoonbill or the Bitterns hadn’t been seen that day, there’s always hope. First hide and Xerox hides were the first where I picked up a few species like Woodpigeon, Black headed Gull, Marsh Harrier and a Buzzard.

Wasn’t long before I moved up tp Marshland hide where I knew the wader action was, Avocets, Black tailed Godwits, Dunlin, Snipe, Redshank and Lapwings were all here. Teal, Wigeon, Gadwall were the main widfowl present.

Last on the list and a long walk was the ousefleet hide where I found Pied Wagtail, Curlew plenty of Teal, Meadow Pipit

No Spoonbill or Bitterns today

Bird List :- Avocet, Black headed Gull, Black tailed Godwit, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Cettis Warbler, Coot, Corn Bunting, Curlew, Dunlin, Gadwall, Grey Heron, Greylag Goose, lapwing, Little Grebe, Magpie, Mallard, Marsh Harrier, Meadow Pipit, Pheasant, Pied Wagtail, Redshank, Robin, Shoveler, Snipe, Teal, Tree Sparrow, Tufted Duck, Wigeon, Woodpigeon, Wren