bluebirder blog

2009 Highlights

noreply@blogger.com (bluebirder...) — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 09:13:00 +0000

With only 67 species recorded at Bretton this year it's not been a classic for me but surpassing the one hundred mark with the addition of Woodcock & Eurasian Wigeon was very satisfying. My inability to find my favourite park resident in 2009 was thankfully made less frustrating by the news of a breeding pair of Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers near Meltham.

The hide at Bretton provided my best shots to date of the park's Kingfishers, with July to September now firmly established as the optimal time for close encounters.

The feeding station there has been especially popular with Great Spotted Woodpeckers again but the absence of Willow Tit for much of the year has been a worry. A rather disappointing summer locally failed to produce many photographic opportunities but as ever it was short-lived with little of the promised sun.

Away from the park, news of a White Stork at Ossett Sewage Farm in March was always likely to refer to one of the Harewood wanderers. But let's not forget the wild pair that came so close to breeding at Horbury just five years ago - a reminder that each and everyone of these fabulous birds should at least be afforded the courtesy of a thorough study.

On a kite-watching picnic to Drewton Manor in April, this inquisitive Marsh Tit was an unexpected bonus. A migrating Osprey that day was another, and only my third county record. That same month a visit to the Strines for a wintering Great Grey Shrike yielded this handsome Black Grouse warming down beneath the trees after a tiring lek.

Five Dotterels appeared in sheep fields at Blackmoorfoot in May. This traditional staging post for the species has been a little hit and miss recently so this trip was greatly appreciated by local and visiting birders alike.

2009 has been my best year for new species in a while with three additions to my UK life list. Without doubt this Eastern Crowned Warbler in October was the pick of the crop. Present for just three days in Co. Durham I was delighted to manage a few record shots of this first for Britain.

Just a week earlier I had travelled to London for distant views of what has since become a very popular and long-staying Brown Shrike - in fact the bird has only just recently moved on. The return journey through Oxfordshire afforded a somewhat closer encounter with this Azorean Gull near Didcot - and I even had this shot published in Birdwatch & Dutch Birding magazines, another first!

The on-set of what looks like being another proper winter brought several Great Northern Divers to the region at the beginning of December. This Ferruginous Duck was a welcome visitor that's been absent for far too long in this region. And with recently arrived Ring-necked Duck joining Red-breasted Merganser and Smew in the Calder Wetlands area there will be plenty of photo challenges to meet during the first few days of 2010.

Happy New Year!

Blackcap Evolution

noreply@blogger.com (bluebirder...) — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 21:40:00 +0000

According to recent research, Blackcaps wintering in the UK are showing signs of accelerated evolution due to their shorter migration and altered diet. Scientists studying German bred birds here in Britain have noted rounder wings and longer bills than those of their counterparts making the journey to Africa - early indicators on the long road to becoming a new species perhaps?

Nothing, however, has been mentioned about larger stomachs. Ours (one male & one female thus far) have already developed a taste for great quantities of suet, apples and peanuts this winter - and often all at one sitting! Perhaps once the birds have become sufficiently different to be separable in the field, we could name them Fatcaps!

Barn Owl

noreply@blogger.com (bluebirder...) — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 19:51:00 +0000

Watching Barn Owls during daylight hours is normally a summer privilege, so this brief encounter was something of a surprise. In the arable and pasture land around home it's the Little Owl that's most often seen, usually hunting from telegraph poles at dusk or snoozing by day in the crook of an ancient tree - but they just don't compare.

I've no idea how numerous Barn Owls are in these parts but I can count my sightings on one hand in the five years since I arrived. I'm told there was a time when these ghostly apparitions could be found quartering any suitable habitat, but whilst numbers are slowly recovering in many parts of the county, they're still very much that rare and beautiful thing on my patch.

Grey Partridge

noreply@blogger.com (bluebirder...) — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 12:54:00 +0000

Inherently English but increasingly rare, the Grey Partridge is like a good village pub or an honest MP - indeed you can go a long time without even hearing of one let alone actually having an encounter.

Then suddenly, whilst skirting some field on a crisp winter's morning, they erupt out of a hole in the ground, sending heart-rate rocketing and expletives flying. By the time calm is restored the birds are long gone, but not before their whirring wings and creaking calls have identified them. And this is as much as most of us get to see of our only native farmland game bird - but just occasionally this happens.

Bretton has often been a happy hunting-ground for me where this species is concerned (not literally I hasten to add!) but only rarely have I been able to observe them for any length of time at such close quarters. Normally foraging and roosting in parties (coveys), it's unusual to find one out on it's own - whether this accounts for the bird's apparent fearlessness I've no idea - but what a moment to savour!

Second Great Northern Diver at Blackmoorfoot

noreply@blogger.com (bluebirder...) — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 14:40:00 +0000

Better weather and a second diver at the reservoir were excuse enough to make another trip up the hill this morning. One bird (the newer one I think), was keen to see what the Mallards were up to at the feeding area and was certainly quite approachable for a while.

The sunshine had also bought the dog walkers, joggers, equestrian types and god-knows what else to Blackmoorfoot, so getting these shots was not as straightforward as I'd hoped it would be. The reservoir has a habit of hanging on to it's rarer visitors though and I have a feeling even better opportunities may yet present themselves.

Ferruginous Duck in Wakefield

noreply@blogger.com (bluebirder...) — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 15:27:00 +0000

Determined not to be at the mercy of another piss-poor weekend of crappy wet weather, I was guilty of a little twagging this morning in order to bring you conclusive(ish) proof that the incumbent Ferruginous at Pugneys Country Park is a kosher, legitimate, bona fide ....... duck!

After a minor altercation involving the park's retarded male Sparrowhawk (he thinks trying to scare stuff twice his size is really the way to go - a Wakey thing no doubt), Mr. Fudge obligingly settled on the nearest island for a kip - but not without first displaying his credentials.

Ring-free, wary and aggresive towards the encroaching male Pochards should be enough to clinch his place in the record books, and surely one or two amorous approaches towards females of another species can be excused - it is Wakefield after all.

Birds Behaving Badly

No. 1 The Fabulous Flatulent Fudge Duck

Pheasant Demise

noreply@blogger.com (bluebirder...) — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 12:37:00 +0000

Stately homes throughout the UK have been endeavouring to enliven their parks and gardens for hundreds of years with imported flora and fauna, not always successfully but at least providing a legacy that would fascinate future generations. Indeed my first childhood visit to Harewood House undoubtedly sparked an interest that is still very much with me today.

Although only introduced to be shot at or gawped at, pheasants are so much a part of the British countryside now that it's hard to imagine it without them. For over 900 years we've been releasing them, with the Common (or Ring-necked) variety still going strong due to continued breeding for the gun. But what about the more exotic - those that really take the breath away? Well unfortunately it's not all been good news.

Sadly this Golden Pheasant was the last I saw at Bretton Park. As part of an ongoing but now abandoned release scheme (for one of the few breeds capable of maintaining a self-sustaining population), I believe this was the sole remaining individual surviving in the park in 2006 and, perhaps surprisingly, I still feel the loss. Not just because however often I glimpsed a bird like this it never failed to quicken the pulse, but more importantly, without my first Golden Pheasant over forty years ago - a larger, continually inspiring and forever fascinating world may never have opened up to me.

Pugneys Pair

noreply@blogger.com (bluebirder...) — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 18:40:00 +0000

I scored a 'double duck' at rain lashed Pugneys Country Park near Wakefield this morning, which included my first Ferruginous Duck in the county for nearly twenty years! Also in the company of the recently arrived 300+ Northern Pochard was a striking drake Red-crested Pochard.

Both were happy to sleep through the atrocious conditions, waking only when the wintering Bittern put in a brief appearance. Other birds on site included a singing Cetti's Warbler, now present for over a month, but proving typically difficult to see of course.

Great Northern Diver in Huddersfield

noreply@blogger.com (bluebirder...) — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 12:29:00 +0000

We experienced the first snows of winter this morning and with them a displaced Great Northern Diver at Blackmoorfoot. After a week of continual westerly gales it was odds-on the local reservoirs would produce something unusual, though unfortunately nothing quite as extraordinary as the Magnificent Frigatebird reported over Huddersfield last Tuesday!

The diver was certainly getting about the large reservoir but never got frame-fillingly close during an hour's visit - though anyone with a little more staying power than me in sub-zero temperatures could well be rewarded. A further GND was newly arrived at nearby Anglers Country Park today so the remnants of the storm may yet have a sting in their tail.

Missing!

noreply@blogger.com (bluebirder...) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 08:23:00 +0000

Has anyone seen our Stonechats? It's now late November and I'm yet to see a single one in the Huddersfield area this year. Our walks around Deer Hill, Meltham Cop and the Holmfirth reservoirs of Brownhill, Ramsden, Riding Wood & Digley have never failed to produce them in the past but something dramatic appears to have happened in 2009.

The general consensus amongst local birders is that the majority had become sedentary due to the string of mild winters and were caught out spectacularly during the prolonged cold spell earlier this year. If this is indeed what's happened then it could be a while yet before birds from further afield begin to move in and repopulate the desolated areas. In the meantime our Sunday morning strolls are all the poorer without this beautiful little bird.

Winter Warblers

noreply@blogger.com (bluebirder...) — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 20:13:00 +0000

Not good weather for getting out and about so it was gardenwatch time in central Huddersfield this weekend. With all the leaves finally off, it was almost a surprise to find the feeders still hanging there, but after a quick top-up we soon settled back to enjoy the freeloading hordes. What was really unexpected though, amongst the usual spuggies (the magnifcent seven as we affectionately refer to them on account of there's always exactly seven, year in year out), Collared Doves, Jays and Goldfinches was a pair of Blackcaps.

At the beginning of last year this female (below) hung around the garden for the better part of two months, getting well stuck into the fat-balls until she finally turned into one and disappeared. Whether or not this is the same bird we'll never know but we like to think she's come back, bringing her mate (from Germany or wherever these wintering birds originate) to show him our fine town and unrivalled cuisine! So far though they're not confident enough to pose, but I'm sure it won't be long.

The Jays must have forgotten where they buried all the walnuts last month as they too are engaged in fat-snatching. It's not easy for them being so shy, but they seem to be learning by watching the Magpies, who's trick is to use a little team work. One bird will hack away through the bars whilst the other stands underneath collecting the bits. It's all clever stuff of course but I really do need to get back to Bretton before I start writing letters to Birds magazine or something equally lame!

Raven at Meltham Cop

noreply@blogger.com (bluebirder...) — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 14:05:00 +0000

Not many photos from this morning's walk but a Raven at Meltham Cop (10am) is worthy of mention, as are the 80+ Pink-footed Geese that over-flew Blackmoorfoot reservoir going east an hour earlier.

This is my first record of Raven from the immediate Huddersfield area, where the species is just starting to get a toe-in. The bird had appeared from the direction of Deer Hill/West Nab but despite a swift interaction with a couple of mobbing Rooks, continued it's journey northwards without lingering.

I failed miserably to get any kind of decent shot despite being armed with a long lens and having the bird in view for a good minute at least. I really do need shooting sometimes!

Norfolk Weekend

noreply@blogger.com (bluebirder...) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 10:50:00 +0000

Snettisham RSPB reserve over high tide got the holiday off to a flier, so to speak, with tens of thousands of wintering Red Knot doing their thing over the Wash at daybreak. But whilst the huge flocks of waders provided the spectacle, it was a goose species that received the nomination for individual star turn.

Bar-headed Goose is a native species of Asia and holds the avian altitude record, with birds witnessed over the Himalayas during migration. In Britain a feral breeding population is slowly establishing itself whilst birds from the larger continental stock arrive regularly on our east coast in autumn. Surely it's only a matter of time before this handsome high-flier is officially added to the UK's list of wild fauna.

Holkham Hall is a must visit site at this time of year especially if the dawn breaks cold and clear. With the rut having just come to an end, stags of both Fallow & Red Deer begin to recover their strength and the views during sunrise can be quite stunning.

Another quality early morning walk can be had at Warham Greens just to the east of Holkham & Wells. Here the marshes provide fabulous encounters with Barn Owls and Little Egrets as they quarter the vast expanses in search of a meal.

The work to protect the fresh water lagoons at Titchwell is well under way with an enormous bank having been created this summer. As a consequence the Parrinder Hide has had to be demolished, though a replacement will be built once the sea defences are completed some time late next year.

This year's wild goose chase drew to a close with our number one target collecting all three points in a hard fought battle of cunning versus stamina. Despite putting in the hours on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, we were out-witted by north Norfolk's wintering Snow Goose which under normal circumstances would have been a bitter pill - but the beautiful weather this weekend was the real saviour. In fact just being able to get out and walk from dawn till dusk was reward enough, besides I'm sure the furtive fowl will still be about when we visit again next month.

Bretton Update

noreply@blogger.com (bluebirder...) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 18:36:00 +0000

After a couple of weeks of chasing up and down the country, it was great to be back at Bretton this morning. The weather was stunning - in fact classical for autumn, with beautiful light and colour - though unfortunately there was little in the way of non- arboreal subjects to 'tog'. Not that I was particularly bothered 'cos I've had a brilliant October, and whilst the pics have been - shall we say - not great, the experience did provide me with some flashbacks to those glorious twitchy days in the 90s when life was so much sweeter!

Black-headed Gulls occasionally make it down to Upper Lake, but whenever they do, it usually means trouble. This bird though seemed like it was practicing for a local gurning competition in the 'mirror'! It's not often they get anywhere near the hide but I'm so glad to have captured this jaw-stretching performance which actually lasted several minutes so wasn't just an impromptu yawn.

It's becoming apparent that the resident Dabchicks (all two of them) have adopted an unfathomable fascination for camera noise. The moment my (rather embarrassing) 20D gets firing, the little monkeys make a bee-line for the hide and won't leave until I'm spent. My theory is that being responsible for some of the daftest noises on the lake, they can't resist an even sillier sound! I wish the same applied to some of the more photogenic species at Bretton - but alas this female Teal was the best of the rest today!

Red-flanked Bluetail at Bempton Cliffs RSPB

noreply@blogger.com (bluebirder...) — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 18:49:00 +0000

Definitely not the best day to catch up with the latest in a seemingly endless stream of Flankers on the east coast of Britain. Having missed two at Spurn last week I was determined to add this latter-day mega to my stagnating Yorkshire list, but after celebrating Friday's ECW a little over-zealously (I always accompany a new tick with a soda or two), Saturday became something of a non-starter!

Saturday was the day though, despite the wind and rain. The little multi-coloured Asiatic tart had been dancing on lens hoods all afternoon but unfortunately wasn't in the mood for a repeat performance this morning. After going missing shortly before our arrival the bird was finally relocated three and a half wet and windy hours later in the bottom of a hedge two hundred yards back down the approach. This caused some rather typical twitching naughtiness on the very narrow road with some visiting puffin-botherers getting particularly riled (even more so when they found out all the puffins had disappeared - chased off no doubt by the rabid hordes!... :o/).

Anyways, to cut to the chase, the result is possibly the worst likeness of the critter you'll see - so bad in fact that I felt compeled to included a picture I made earlier (precisely twelve months earlier in fact) in north Norfolk, even though I didn't manage to capture the blue tail then either.

Never mind, the season will soon be over and I'll be back to stroking kingfishers before you know it!

Eastern Crowned Warbler in Co. Durham

noreply@blogger.com (bluebirder...) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 18:22:00 +0000

Having finally recovered from the excitement of last weekend I was anticipating a quiet stroll around Bretton today and getting back to a little underwhelming nuts and bolts patch-work. Never in a month of monkeys did I expect this! A first for Britain from my favourite genus and less than two hours drive away - the birding gods are certainly smiling on me right now, and it's about bloody time!

Identified only after the finder's photos were analysed, it was late last night before news of the UK's first recorded Eastern Crowned Warbler was released, giving birders planning the early morning dash to the north east plenty of organisational headaches. There were hundreds on site by the time we arrived early afternoon though and sunny conditions meant fantastic views of this stunning Asian sprite as it ceaselessly flitted around the Sycamores and Elders in a disused quarry on the outskirts of South Shields.

With another Red-flanked Bluetail at Bempton today and Dusky Warbler at Flamborough, what price a Siberian Rubythroat at Filey tomorrow - just to round off a truly remarkable week? Not that I'm greedy you understand!

2009 Duck Broken

noreply@blogger.com (bluebirder...) — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 17:24:00 +0000

A spot of twitching this weekend involved a 450 mile round trip that ended my 18 month barren streak. The Staines Moor Brown Shrike continued into a second week on the west London nature reserve and provided my first UK list addition since the Norfolk White-crowned Sparrow back in February last year.

The bird gave typically prolonged views as it hunted from the scattered hawthorn bushes but unfortunately never came close enough for a decent photo. Endless small flocks of Ring-necked Parakeets over-flew the site as did the worlds largest jet airliners. How on earth the residents of Stanwell Moor village (placed rather inconveniently at the end of Heathrow airport's main runway) can hear themselves think from dawn until dusk every day is a mystery but ninety minutes of it did for me!

Another recent split of the Yellow-legged Gull complex was all the excuse we needed to depart the noisy capital and head for the blissful serenity of the Oxfordshire countryside. At a waste disposal site (where else?) near the town of Didcot an adult Azorean Gull had been making regular visits. A small pit adjacent to the landfill was the best place to catch up with this brute of a bird as it performed it's daily ablutions alongside several hundred Lesser-black Backs and a handful of Western Yellow-legged and Caspian Gulls.

We only had an hour or so to wait, which was good going by all accounts, but had to be quick. Almost as soon as the bird had been picked out of the throng, it flew off over our heads and disappeared out on to inaccessible farmland. I did manage to grab these few flight shots as it did so which amply illustrate what a striking species this is. A real evil-looking heavyweight and not a bird you'd ever imagine overlooking!

Despite endless roadworks we were back in God's Own for five o'clock and straight to the pub for a quick celebratory. For the record my UK life list is now 483 and after this weekend I could seriously get back into this twitching lark - I could, I seriously could!

Andalucian Paradise (Updated)

noreply@blogger.com (bluebirder...) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 06:30:00 +0000

It will soon be time to start thinking about next spring's holiday destination, so I thought it might be a good idea to give one of my favourite European places another unsolicited plug!

Jaen is one region of Spain that few tourists would be able to point to on a map let alone say they've visited. Sandwiched between the Andalucian provinces of Granada and Cordoba (both a little more familiar sounding), Jaen (pronounced kha-yen) is around two to three hours drive inland from the Costas of Blanca in the east and del Sol to the south, making it accessible from a number of popular holiday destinations and their associated airports.

Beautiful landscapes are a feature of the Sierra de Segura (photo: J. Blackburn)

Dominated by high sierras and woodland, the scenery here can be both spectacularly dramatic and the epitome of beautiful rural serenity, all within a short distance - providing naturalists, photographers and artists with no end of wonderful subjects. But due to it's more limited habitat and lack of accommodation bases, the area has never proved particularly popular with birders, despite boasting some of the best raptor watching in southern Europe.

Olive grove specialities such as the Azure-winged Magpie are here too but are rarely documented, along with sought after passerines like Orphean Warbler and Rock Sparrow. But, with the exception of a few intrepid individuals and those stopping briefly en-route to the better known regions, this magnificent corner of Spain and it's wildlife have been largely ignored.

Griffons are a regular sight at Cortijo Rosa Blanca but all four vulture species can be encountered

Enter Mel & Wendy Squires from Yorkshire, armed with a well conceived business plan, a beautifully converted farmhouse and - most importantly of all - the language. Surviving in this remote mountain outpost without the ability to communicate would be quite impossible, as those who have tried will tell you - and it's not just a smattering - Wendy taught Spanish at college in the UK for many years before emigrating and indeed now finds herself, time permitting, teaching English to the village youngsters! Making sure they were accepted by the locals was an important part of ensuring this project got off to the best possible start.

Disused trout farm near Santiago de la Espada(photo:J.Blackburn)

Spending a week at Cortijo Rosa Blanca (white rose farmhouse) in the village of Los Teatinos (map), I was able to set about exploring the immediate area and was amazed by what it had to offer the visiting birder. The garden itself in April produces Western Bonellis and Melodious Warblers a-plenty with Serin, Spotless Starling, Hoopoe and Scops Owl breeding close by whilst a continual assortment of raptors soars overhead. Three of the four European vultures are present around the village whilst trips can be organised to the nearby Lammergeier recuperation centre between May and September where the reintroduction of these remarkable birds is underway.

Melodious Warblers are an abundant Spring migrant

A disused trout farm just a couple of miles away holds good numbers of Nightingales plus Cetti's, Western Subalpine, Sardinian and (the aforementioned) Orphean Warblers. Ancient cave paintings have also been found here and access can be arranged to view this fascinating discovery. Bee-eaters can be encountered just about anywhere whilst Black-eared Wheatears were the cause of regular roadside stops during my trip.

I suspect this is merely scratching the surface and that many more rewarding sites will be discovered by visiting birders. Indeed since my visit an even better area for the magpies has been located offering fantastic photo opportunities for those interested in this most charismatic of birds.

Embalse del Tranco - an Azure-winged Magpie stronghold photo: J.
Blackburn

The farmhouse itself is fitted out to a high standard and depending on the level of relaxation you're seeking can be used as a base for your own exploratory excursions or the hub for a fully guided package - indeed you can be met off the plane and taken to your target species by people-carrier if desired! Flexibility is what it's all about - if you need breakfast at six rather than eight, you've got it. Mel has even managed to get the local bar to stock a wider range of bottled beers to suit more northern European tastes (you've just got to love the man!)

Short-toed & Booted Eagles are resident in Sierra de Segura

As a birder this brief introduction to Cortijo Rosa Blanca obviously concentrates on the feathered attractions, but make no mistake this place has all sorts to recommend it. Any lover of the great outdoors is going to have a ball here!

For all the details and accommodation availability check out the website now.
Click here

Missed Opportunities

noreply@blogger.com (bluebirder...) — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 12:08:00 +0000

A truly beautiful autumn morning at Bretton Lakes deserved better pictures - but I overslept. Thirty minutes earlier and glorious shots of mist rising off the lakes during a fabulous sunrise would have been mine, all mine.

And if that wasn't hard enough to take I had to suffer further ignominy at the hide - a solitary Wren and sympathetic Dabchick were the only avian visitors during a three hour vigil!

Then finally, just after I'd finished packing up to go home, a Grey Squirrel jumped onto the Kingfisher perch, climbed right up to the top and threw itself into the water before performing the backstroke all the way out to the island! I sh*t you not! Well maybe not the backstroke but it might just as well have been. Some mornings are definately made for staying in bed!

Bretton Diary

noreply@blogger.com (bluebirder...) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 10:25:00 +0000

After a year or so using Wordpress to record my Bretton Lakes visits I've decided, for simplicity's sake, to unite the two blogs here. Can't say I ever got comfortable with WP and trying to remember how everything worked after a week or two's lay-off was frustrating. For those who didn't get around to looking, here are some highlights from the past twelve months.

Sunrise over a frozen Lower Lake

Kingfishers become a regular feature in front of the hide after the addition of one or two perches

The Great Crested Grebes reared four chicks this spring after a couple of barren years

Blue Bells in May at Bridge Royd Wood

Setting up a feeding station behind the hide last winter created some fantastic opportunities for photographing Great Spotted Woodpeckers

A couple of Cormorants spent most of the summer menacing the fish at Upper Lake

Meadow Pipits are an increasingly common sight around the sheep fields at the end of the breeding season

Dippers

noreply@blogger.com (bluebirder...) — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 17:58:00 +0000

Several young Dippers are currently being seen at Marsden between the Tunnel End pub and Eastergate Bridge (map). The birds will have moved down from the hills, away from their parents' territories, and be looking for suitable stretches of river to sustain them during the winter months. The scaly plumage is the best way of telling them apart from the adults.

These are two of three birds I encountered on a half hour walk and both were remarkably confiding. The adults are generally difficult to get close to but these youngsters were quite happy to sit and pose even where the river wasn't very wide - I shall certainly be giving them another go in better weather.

Deer Hill

noreply@blogger.com (bluebirder...) — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 17:06:00 +0000

The bleak moorland above Huddersfield is a favourite place to escape to. This morning at Deer Hill the leaden skies and rugged hillsides looked wonderfully mean and moody, and with just the whistling call of a solitary Whimbrel (a good bird round these parts!) as soundtrack, it was blissful - until the gun club opened for business that is! Still, we all need some place to unleash our latent aggression I guess and there's only so much room at the local football stadium.

The star attraction up here is the viable flock of Twite that gather for the handfuls of seed that a few of us are thoughtful enough to pack on our ramble. Over thirty of these hungry, rather nondescript finches were present but as ever were a real pain to get near. Of all the passerines in these parts, only Meadow Pipit, Ring Ouzel and Wheatear will venture to the high altitude realm of the Twite - hardy little souls indeed.

On the way back down we watched this Common Kestrel take forever to home in on it's prey only to emerge from the grass empty handed - or is that taloned?

Blacktoft Sands

noreply@blogger.com (bluebirder...) — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 14:34:00 +0000

Formally a favourite reserve of mine during the eighties and nineties, with it's guaranteed stream of good wading birds each July and August, Blacktoft has become a nightmare place to visit. Where once brilliant birder and chain-smoking pariah Andrew Grieve would host mouth-watering rarities such as Hudsonian Godwit and Red-necked Stint for armies of young enthusiasts to hone their skills on, the reserve now resembles a retirement camp for the bewildered and incontinent, where swapping recipes has replaced grilling calidrids.

Of course the RSPB can be proud of it's Avocets and it's Marsh Harriers, species that were always going to do well if enough habitat was made available, but what's happened to the extra magic that Blacktoft Sands had? My theory? Ever since the society's mantra started including the words 'For People' it's all gone tits up. In it's push for the million voices for nature, the RSPB has turned birdwatching at it's reserves into something akin to a mass gathering of the women's institute, whilst simultaneously running alfresco therapy sessions for the hard of thinking.

Only thirty minutes into my latest experience this weekend and the hide had to be abandoned as hearing myself think became impossible. Door-slamming, equipment-dropping, endless non-bird related gossiping, coughing, sneezing, farting and incessant mobile phone ringing (extra loud setting for the deaf of course) made any kind of concentration pointless. No sign of tomorrow's bird experts here then - the complete and utter lack of consideration for those who would want to study by those who should know better has made sure of that.

Although Blacktoft has had the monopoly on wader-watching in Yorkshire for many years, it's apparent lack of scarcities these days comes as no surprise to me anymore. It's not because they aren't there - indeed I'm convinced Britain's first Spoon-billed Sandpiper has already put in an appearance in front of Xerox. It's just that sadly there's no one left who would either know or care.

Photos from the top: Greenshank, Redshanks, Goldfinch & Southern Hawker

Holmfirth Reservoirs

noreply@blogger.com (bluebirder...) — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 10:41:00 +0000

Despite the on-going major overhaul of Brownhill, Ramsden & Riding Wood Reservoirs in the Holme Valley, the area remains one of the finest for local wildlife walks.

A glorious morning brought one or two surprises, most notably a decent sized flock of Common Crossbills. These birds could well be part of the on-going continental irruption that has seen some remarkable numbers of this capricious woodland bird everywhere from Shetland to Scilly.

Closer encounters today included this Spotted Flycatcher youngster. These birds seem increasingly rare and I no longer take them for granted. This individual was very confiding and provided my first images of the species for nearly twenty years, when a pair nested in a filing room where I worked.

Young Willow Warblers were in abundance this morning but were almost too quick for me whilst a fussy Meadow Pipit was a little more cooperative!

Whitewash the Crow

noreply@blogger.com (bluebirder...) — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 08:36:00 +0000

Dear Readers
The young Carrion Crow ‘Whitewash’ was at his usual patch of grass this morning, adjacent to the car park of not so notable chartered accountants Fcukworth Barsteward & Son in the lowlife parish of Loserbury.

This tragic creature, like so many of his human counterparts in this diocese, was the unfortunate product of closely related parents - in the case of Whitewash, a union of geriatric cripple and his own sister. The obvious outward deformities such as the lack of pigment and stunted growth will be just a fraction of the genetic defects little Whitewash has to cope with. Additionally, early signs of ‘problem’ behaviour have already manifested themselves in acts of stone throwing, milk stealing and picking cigarette butts from the gutter.

Like others before him that were supposed to be black and ended up white, there’s little hope of poorly Whitewash living a long and healthy life. But let’s not grieve. We know nature abhors perfection and out of this sorry existence may come triumph. For example the simple act of puncturing a plastic milk bottle on the doorstep of Fcukworth Barsteward & Son may just possibly lay low the employees of the not so notable chartered accountants in the lowlife parish of Loserbury – and surely that’s no bad thing!

THE END