Common Scoter at Castle Howard!

Many local birders (and those far further afield) have had a pretty upsetting week with news of Russ' death, and I really didn't have the urge to go birding this weekend, let alone write about it, but knowing Russ he'd not have wanted me to miss today...

Russ had always told me to keep an eye on Castle Howard as it has a good track record of decent sea ducks, grebes, divers etc... and today it delivered with a nice female-type Common Scoter - a nice York Area tick for me! Also present there were 2 Whooper Swans, before they flew North, 'the' female Greater Scaup and another female-type Scaup hybrid. Also a few 'new' birds in such as 5+ Oystercatcher, 1 Curlew and 7+ Lapwing.

I stopped off at Wheldrake on the way home to take in the view for a few moments and enjoyed female Peregrine terrorising everything, two drake Scaup and two Iceland Gulls and a Woodcock!

Common Scoter taking a dive

Common Scoter

Common Scoter 

Whooer Swans

Whooper Swans - checking for darvics!

Yesterday the Bewick's Swans showed nicely at Bubwith Ings.