saturday M62 birding

 green withens 6am 

nothing better than to be on the tops early 

good waders around the res 

little ringed plover 2

common sandpiper 3

dunlin 1

curlew 4

snipe 2 

little ringed plover 

curlew

short eared owls are always nice, so 2 over the moors was great 

also 

twite 2

red grouse 1

lbb gull 2

b h gull 3

30 minutes later St Aidens 

bittern is always great to hear,so 1 booming very close by was so close the bass hit my chest, within an hour heard 3 booming...........amazing sound 

black headed gulls went mad then.................

bittern 

got lucky 

some nice common terns flying around the channels 

a nice stock dove calling on the dragline 

lunch in selby then a short drive to Blacktoft 

marsh harrier 

little egret

avocet

best of both

 started at ringstone edge res just before 0630 on saturday morning 

nice male common scoter 

2 common sandpiper 

oystercstcher 

2 little ringed plover 

2 great crested grebe 

cragg road 

1 short eared owl 

2 buzzards 

then from mytholmroyd we headed to buxton after a lovely breakfast at The Hydro we visted the Thomas Theyer Foundation charity shop which just sell outdoors and sports stuff..........great little shop an aladdins cave for outdoor people spent £18 and came away with a North Face fleece and a Camelback day pack 

then on to Bakewell colette wanted to try some bakewell tart luckily a shop had just opened so they were giving away samples very nice and free

we stayed at the devonshire arms in the peak forest nice site for a pub toilets shower etc 

had a walk to eldon hole a few beers at the van then pub for tea 

jessie bear 

eldon hole 

robin 

the gammon was never ending but tasty 

a nice chilled out weekend 

ringstone res

 pleasant hour at ringstone this morning with dave f , quiet but a good chat 

little ringed plover 3

oystercatcher 3

curlew 1 

lapwing 5

great crested grebe 2

mallard 1

lesser black backed gull 2 east 

wheatear 1

then on to Elton res in Bury well it was only 30 minutes away 

2 birders from leeds were enjoying a beer in the car park at 9am hardcore☝

10 minutes later a very nice spotted sandpiper 

copyright 

paul wilson

a nice spot reminds me of redcar tarn very popular with everyone but gets good birds 

but ive been before back in 96 when i worked with a bricklayer peter johnson who showed me long eared owls roosting 

met some great local birders very nice morning 

seen a few spotted sandpipers 

cumbria barrow in furness 1989 

elland gravel pits 1990 1991

wakefield 1990

skelton 2007

spurn

swallow 

 a slow but nice visit and great weather 

started at the wetlands 

dunlin 1 

common sandpiper 2 

little egret 2 

brent goose 4

yellow wagtail 1 

beacon ponds had 1 temmincks stint my first for many years and 6 dunlin 

sammys point was quiet with 3 whimbrel and a dozen brent geese and what could have been a "headed" wagtail flew past, back at the van i checked my birdguides app............"BROWN SHRIKE" triangle so bombed it down and yep a male Brown Shrike distant but a very smart bird, only my second after the one in pontefract a few years ago 

brown shrike 

copyright 

john hewitt 

also in the triangle 1 male wheatear and male cuckoo 

work little gull and a magical wood

 saturday

back to selby to parents new house to fit a loft hatch and ladder by 1 job done with some great bacon butties 

so 20 minutes later st aidens 

re found the little gull in black pipe bay cracking bird in a plumage ive not seen before a 2nd winter / cycle looked beautiful flying 

2 black tailed godwits 

the weather got colder and dark skies on the horizon so left 

reed warbler

reed bunting 

 

on the way back to the van 2 grey partridge on the hillside 

very happy with 2 year ticks so 180  for 2022 not bad 

back to the royd for decking and fire 

takeaway pizza from hammads we shared a donner and a korma pizza very tasty got a good fire going a few beers and by 10 bed 

by 5am i was awake spring in the air 

a few coffees and me and jessie set off for a walk 

to broadhead clough 

a misty morning the higher we got 

now broadhead clough is magical and nearly everytime i visit i never see another person........the further up the path it becomes harder but its worth it 

this is a special woodland 

a wood warbler was singing and a cuckoo singing away 

we got higher up 

words cannot do it justice..........its a beautiful wood 

reaching the top........just moors 

not the easiest walk but worth it 

back after 2 hours jessie was knackered 

a st aidens weekend

 back from scotland so just st aidens 

saturday 

a nice male lesser whitethroat singing at the fleet lane car park 

a garden warbler showed well near the old lock 

common tern 4 over main lake 

black necked grebe 1 on lemonroyd 

monday 

little owl in the compound 

1 bar tailed godwit in full summer plumage on north ings 

3 avocets main lake 

3 black tailed godwits black pipe bay 

2 greenshanks main lake

1 wood sandpiper main lake 

1 wheatear middle ings 

1 cuckoo caroline bridge 

sedge warbler by bowers 

22 - 29 april scotland

 so much to see

great shearwater kingsbarns 

white billed diver 1 adult summer portsoy 3 portknockie

whimbrel 1 rosehearty

black throated diver 1 cruden bay

red throated diver 4 cruden bay 2 gruinard bay

great northern diver 18 gruinard bay 

wood sandpiper 2 gruinard bay 

black guillemot 8 bow fiddle 

white tailed eagle 4 gruinard bay 

sandwich tern cruden bay, portsoy

arctic tern gruinard bay

great skua gruinard bay 

very dissapointed to miss crested tit but a reason to go back 

gruinard bay 

greenshank gruinard bay