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To get the New Year off to a start and to get the “scores on the doors ” we decided on Anglers CP and Pugneys CP for the afternoons birding on New Yers Day. We meet at my place getting the day off to a good start with a garden first in the shape of a Pied Wagtail. Arrived Anglers CP at about 12:30 in the afternoon adding Robin, Tree Sparrow, Chaffinch, Blue Tit, Great Tit and Goldfinch from around the bird feeders, in the fields Canada Goose and Lapwing then on to the boating lake adding wildfowl to the list Tufted Duck, Gadwall, Mallard, Goldeneye, Shoveler, Pochard, Coot, Moorhen, and a fly thru Kingfisher. Back on to the reserve part to get Scaup ♀ on the list along with Mute Swan, Great Crested and Little Grebes, and Wigeon.

The news was coming thru that things were happening at Pugneys so we made a 20 minute dash across town and landed at the Calder Wetlands part of Pugneys. It wasn’t long before we added Ring Necked Duck ♂ to the day list and then a 15 minute walk to add the ♂ Smew, Red Breasted Merganser and Goosander to the growing list. On then to the Nature Reserve at Pugneys to add Bittern with the Cettis Warbler and Water Rail only making it to the heard list and then to the boating lake to see once again the Ferruginous Duck

The day list ended at about 50 :-

Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, Cormorant, Bittern, Grey Heron, Mute Swan, Greylag Goose, Canada Goose, Wigeon, Gadwall, Teal, Mallard, Shoveler, Pochard, Ring Necked Duck ♂, Ferruginous Duck ♂, Tufted Duck, Scaup ♀, Goldeneye, Smew ♂, Red Breasted Merganser, Goosander, Kestrel, Water Rail, Moorhen, Coot, Redshank, Black Headed Gull, Common Gull, Lesser Blacked Backed Gull, Herring Gull, Great Black Backed Gull, Woodpigeon, Kingfisher, Pied Wagtail, Wren, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Cettis Warbler, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Jay, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Starling, Tree Sparrow, Chaffinch, Goldfinch,

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

Out to Old Moor again for a couple of hours with the new toy the Panasonic FZ38 [see  links page for review] to take a couple of pics and get used to the feel etc etc. Stopping around the bird feeder area watching Great Tit, Blue Tit, Long Tailed Tit, Willow Tit, Bullfinch, Robin, Greenfinch, Chaffinch, Tree Sparrow, Magpie, Pheasant and a couple of Grey Squirrels busy gathering food and buring it oh I did manage to grap a couple of pics as well even if it was poor light.

Tree Sparrow

Greenfinch

Grey Squirrel

A quick tour of a couple of the patch reservoirs in very windy conditions resulted in bird life being very absent. Broadstones gave me Blackbird, great flocks of Starling, Black Headed Gull and that was about it for Broadstones. Royd Moor was a bit more fruitful with Fieldfare, Redwing, Blackbird, Long Tailed Tit, Blue Tit, Bullfinch ♀ and ♂, Lesser Black Backed, Common and Black Headed Gulls and very much a fly thru Sparrowhawk that went that fast I nearly missed it.

Around the patch today and up to a reservoir I haven’t visited before Boshaw Whams at Hade Edge to see Scaup, this bird being a 1st winter ♂ and had settled in nicely with the other bird life on the reservoir Mallard, Coot, Moorhen and Black Headed Gull I did have also a fly thru Kestrel whilst I was admiring the Scaup. I moved on then down to Ingbirchworth to add Fieldfare, Blackbird, Mistle and Song Thrush to the afternoon list plus a calling Tawny Owl

JACK SNIPE

A few days away at our favourite Bed and Breakfast at Bridge Cottage in Woodnewton, great food, great host, and great location resulted in a days birding at Rutland Water. We arrived at Rutland Water on the 5th November in showery weather but not to be dishearted we  purchased our permits at £4 a time and then had a quick look at the birds from the Centre viewing area these were mostly wildfowl namely Mallard, Shoveler, Teal, Gadwall, Shelduck , and a couple of Ruddy Shelduck, Egyptian Goose, Canada Goose and 1 Little Egret. We decided on a walk to Gadwall hide before dinner seeing Slavonian, Little and Great Crested Grebes, Pintail, Mallard, Teal, and of course Gadwall from here. After a while we made our way to Goldeneye hide to find Black Necked Grebe, pity Red Necked wasn’t about. Back to the centre for dinner and then a move on to Redshank hide to see Jack Snipe and Water Rail both birds giving excellent views, a move then to the newer part of the reserve at the end of the day to see the gulls coming in Black Headed, Great Black Backed and Common were the only ones I picked out but I admit I’m no gull expert, other birds Little Egret, Pied Wagtail, Lapwing, Golden Plover, Coot, Moorhen

Rutland Water is a great place to bird watch and along with all the changes that are going on at the moment with new lagoons and flooded meadows this place will be awesome. See Sites tab for up to date news.

Bird List :-

Little Grebe plenty, Great Crested Grebe plenty, Slavonian Grebe (1), Black Necked Grebe (4 reported), Grey Heron, Cormorant, Mute Sawn, Canada Goose, Egyptian Goose, Greylag Goose, Shelduck, Wigeon, Gadwall, Teal, Mallard, Pintail, Shoveler, Pochard, Goldeneye, Goosander, Buzzard, Kestrel, Pheasant, Water Rail, Moorhen, Coot, Golden Plover, Lapwing, Herring Gull, Great Black Backed Gull, Black Headed Gull, Common Gull, Woodpigeon, Collard Dove, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Pied Wagtail, Wren, Dunnock, Robin, Redwing, Blackbird, Long Tailed Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Jackdaw, Crow, Magpie, Starling, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Goldfinch,Bullfinch, Tufted Duck, House Sparrow, Ruddy Shelduck, Jack Snipe, Red Kite (from the Motorway)

Once again out to Old Moor but this time it was quieter at Wath Ings hide as we settled in to the view the birds these included Green Sandpiper (5), Ruff (2), Redshank (2) hundreds of Golden Plover and Lapwing. The wildfowl numbers are also building up nicely with Teal and Wigeon being the numerous with Gadwall and Mallard in supporting roles, other birds about Grey Heron, Grey Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, Common Gull and Black Headed Gull. With reports of Kingfisher at the Family Hide giving good views we decided on a move there we had to wait for 15 minutes but the bird preformed well giving excellent views as it settled on to the branch provided near the hide, no photos I was quick enough. Other birds we saw here Great Crested Grebe, Little Grebe, Mute Swan, Canada Goose, Cormorant, Shoveler, Linnet and Goldfinch