Saturday 18 February 2012

Bubwith Ings 18.02.12

Went for a quick look at Bubwith Ings late this afternoon to see if anything different had dropped in since my visit there on Thursday.

There seemed to be more Wigeon and Teal which made up the majority of the waterfowl present on the flood (which is rapidly decreasing in size unfortunately). Several pairs of Shoveler and three Tufted Duck were new. Pintail numbers appeared up with Mallard and Gadwall numbers similar to Thursdays totals. A dozen or so Greylag Goose were on the floods, as were similar numbers of Mute Swan.

A flock of 132 Lapwing held a single Golden Plover and seven Curlew. A single Heron was flying about while 2 Cormorant flew south along the river. A few dozen gulls (mainly common and black-headed) were present roosting with several Great Black-backed Gulls also present - though they seemed more intent on trying to catch Teal!

For a while the birds were showing fairly well, that was until a giant female Peregrine went low through, temporarily putting everything up! It didn't really make a major attempt to catch anything and carried on its way south. Kestrel and Buzzard were also noted flying about. Though no owls seen today - it was very windy mind.

On the way back to my car I had a (presumably the same) Little Grebe on the river near Bubwith Bridge. As darkness arrived several Whooper Swans flew in from the fields and just as I got back to my car several hundred Common and Black-headed Gull dropped in to roost/bathe. There was not many large gulls that I could see - just a handful of Herring and Great Black-backed Gull.

During the morning I made a quick trip over to Flamborough to check on my caravan ready for some spring visits up there - seemed fine after the recent bad weather. I made a quick stop at North Landing to show Jenny the sea where several Gannets were showing well.

Driving back home from Flamborough I had a giant Peregrine hunting the edge of Holme-on-Spalding-Moor tip - not sure if it was a 'proper' bird or if there was some falconers bits and pieces mixed in with it?

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