Bempton

 I live in yorkshire and so is bempton so it’s local!!🥳

Didn’t chance the car park as the website says it’s closed? 

So parked at north landing £1.80 all day not bad 

Headed north 

Bloody windy

Usual stuff after an hour crossed Danes dyke which has always fascinated me what was it built for?? 

Reaching the southern part of bempton i was cold and tired and fed up of the wind 

But the birds put on a great display the wind helping them to wheel about the sky effortlessly stunning 

Black necked grebes

In over nearly 40 years of birding I’ve only seen a few black necked grebes all in winter plumage 

Today I saw 8 all in breeding plumage stunning birds 

Also 3 Cetti’s warblers and a sand martin 

Great place swillington 

Weekend

 Well after fridays news I went up green withens yesterday morning not a bad visit 

Raven 1

Goosander 3

Tufted duck male

Mallard 6 

Canada goose nc

Reed bunting 1

Wren 3

M pipits nc

Skylark nc

Curlew 1 

Then on to swilly 

Bittern 2 booming 

Black necked grebe 2 displaying

Slavonian grebe 1 

Little egret 1

Cetti’s warbler 3 

The with this morning much the same though 12 twite looking great as usual 

Strange day

 My father in law passed away yesterday of COVID he was a great man so full of life always happy never a bad word about anyone 

 

Swilly again

 What a place 

I’ve been coming here occasionally for over 25 years 

It’s got to be one of the best sites in yorkshire 

Anyway 

This morning 

6 Cetti’s warblers inc 3 seen 

Slavonian Grebe 1

Bittern 1 booming 

Plus loads of the usual birds 

Swillington

 Apart from work not really been anyway so a 25 minute drive 

Nice spot but always busy but big enough to get space 

The shocking thing is when I started birding in 85 Cetti’s warbler was a really rare bird had to go to Norfolk to see them, now there 20 miles away! 

Heard 5 today also a very nice Slavonian grebe 

Got a new camera so nice to try it out 

Freezing

well first visit of the year and minus 2 the whole moor was covered in frost it was that cold even breathing hurt!! a dipper in the south drain was not unusual. the usual crows loafing around 16 twite by the pumphouse 40 pink feets went west 3 herring gulls flew east then went south then a peregrine flew fast towards the m62 with another coming in from the north 2 peregrines not bad, 6 wood pigeons headed over the m62 5 went into the plantation at the junction the other either brave or mad carried on, the 2 peregrines together now went high then suddenly headed straight for the wood pigeon, the one i presume was a first year bird just went ballistic like a rocket the speed was incredible that pigeon never stood a chance the peregrine just smashed into its back i even said "ouch" great sight