Big day out on a vlog day hitting RSPB St Aidan’s and RSPB Fairburn Ings, St Aidan’s was first, hoping for Glossy Ibis, Stonechat and Little Owl.
I arrived at St Aidan’s at about 8:30am, got the gear together, then headed out to the dragline in search of the little Owl, which unfortunately was a no show, it wasn’t out on the sleepers around the back of the dragline, Stock Dove were about, so were Robin and Blue Tit in the nearby bushes.
Moving on then, I headed down onto the reserve and headed out towards the area I knew the Glossy Ibis and been hanging around in. I saw Kestrel, Red Kites, and Common Buzzards over the hill, on the lower slopes were a Male and Female Roe Deer. Arriving then at the Ibis location, I found out it hadn’t been seen for about a week now, so you say it had moved on, there were Moorhen, Canada Geese, Mallards, Shelduck, Cormorants in the area.
I walked on then down towards Lemonroyd and Main Lakes passing the eastern Reedbed. As I was passing the reedbed area, I had a quick look along the bottom of the reed edge and to my surprise I found a Water Rail, working its way along the edge, made up for the Ibis moving on. Other birds here were Shovelers, Tufted Ducks, Teal, Mallards, Coots, Moorhens, Greylag Geese, Mute Swans and Cormorants.
I moved on then hoping for Stonechat or linnets on the gorse bushes, alas not this time, down at the lakes I found a few Goldeneye Male and Female with many Black headed Gulls and a couple of Common Gulls, over on Lemonroyd Lake were Herring Gulls and Lapwings being the difference, I was surprised there were no Egret Species down here.
I made my way back up to the Glossy Ibis area again where there were more Common Buzzards over the hill, I took a seat to watch the Buzzards and in doing so a flock of Long tailed Tits came thru, then a pair of Stonechat popped up along the fence line. As I was walking back to café area, someone told me there had been two Short eared Owls seen that morning on the hill at about 8am, I missed that showing, but i may return later in the day around dusk time, they may come back.
Back up at the dragline the Little Owl had been located , apparently in one of its favourite hawthorn bushes, giving bad views, as it was right at the back of the area and it was obscured by all the branches, it was now coffee and cake time. I decided on sitting outside near the feeders watching Goldfinch, reed Bunting, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbirds, Woodpigeon, Great Tit, Blue Tit and Greenfinch, it was time now to move onto Fairburn Ings.
My first stop at Fairburn was down the Lin Dyke Area where there was a few Liottle Egret along with Shelduck, Teal, Mute Swans, and Tufted Duck but not the hoped for Cattle Egret, a nice surprise was a brief view of a Jay. I then moved on down to the Visitor Centre hoping for Willow Tit, which didn’t appear. The Visitor Centre feeders held Blue Tit, Great Tit, Chaffinch, and Dunnocks, the Pickup Hide feeders was the place lots of action here, with plenty of birds, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Chaffinch, Coal Tit, Dunnock, Blackbirds, Robin and Woodpigeon, no Willow Tit.
I then after spending sometime around to go back down to Lin Dyke, reports of Glossy Ibis here, after looking and failing I decided on moving back to RSPB St Aidan’s in the hope of finishing the day on some Short Eared Owls. On spending about an hour in waiting for the Owls, which didn’t show, only seeing Red Kite, Common Buzzard and Kestrel.
Video Vlog of the Day can be seen by pressing THIS
St Aidan’s Bird List : Bearded Tit, Blackbird, Black headed Gull, Blue Tit, Buzzard, Canada Goose, Crow, Cetti’s Warbler, Common Gull, Coot, Cormorant, Dunnock, Gadwall, Goldeneye, Goldfinch, Great Crested Grebe, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Grey Heron, Greylag Goose, Herring Gull, Kestrel, Lapwing, Lesser Black backed Gull, Little Grebe, Little Owl, Long tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Pheasant, Pink footed Goose, Pochard, Red Kite, Reed Bunting, Robin, Shelduck, Shoveler, Stock Dove, Stonechat, Teal, Tufted Duck, Water Rail, Woodpigeon (45)
Fairburn Ings Bird List : Blackbird, Black headed Gull, Blue Tit, Canada Goose, Crow, Chaffinch, Coal Tit, Dunnock, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Grey Heron, Greylag Goose, Herring Gull, Jay, Little Egret, Mallard, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Robin, Shelduck, Shoveler, Teal, Tufted Duck, Woodpigeon (24)
Huddsbirder 