A long day in the local area today. Should have gone to the coast but the potential for Bonxie, Grey Phalarope and Stormies for my local list was too much to ignore! Needless to say I got none of the above!
The highlight today was a Jack Snipe, my first in the local area this autumn. Other highlights included 2 Mediterranean Gulls (1 adult and 1 1st winter), 1 Greenshank and 2 Green Sandpiper.
Not so many thrushes today, just Redwing (c300) and 1 obvious migrant Blackbird.
Had 1 House Martin heading west, first hirundine I've seen for a week.
See what tomorrow brings...
Showing posts with label Jack Snipe York Area. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jack Snipe York Area. Show all posts
Saturday, 12 October 2013
Sunday, 6 January 2013
Bird Race: What a day!!
It was the Michael Clegg Memorial Bird Race today (read about last years race here). The record up to 2011 was 86 species, last year (2012) the LDV birders team (that I was in), and the String Quartet team (Tim, Ollie, Chris and Jack) both beat the old record, drawing on 90 species! What would happen this year... well there was no LDV team this year, however the String Quartet (pictured below) were at it again...
I'll leave Tim to write up what happened, but it will be a great read...! not to give too much away but the records set last year have been well and truly thumped!!! Given better weather (i.e. from noon till dark was pretty thick fog) more probably would have been seen too!
I didn't fare too badly either locally today with some nice year-ticks:
Hen Harrier - A decent bird in the York Area, this appeared to be an juv female, though always distant it was a huge beast! Picture below provided by Tim. Although probably not that rare in the York Area on passage (satellite tracked birds have been recorded passing through) they have proved very difficult to connect with, e.g. Tim and Chris didn't manage to connect with one last year while they were doing their year-list thing and it's the first one I've seen in the York Area. This bird was at Strensall Common.
Stonechat - A pair of birds observed at Strensall Common, a bird that was much commoner before a series of cold/wet winters I gather.
Jack Snipe - One on a little pool at Heslington East.
Green Sandpiper - An overwintering bird at Heslington East.
Kingfisher - A bird on the main lake at Heslington East.
Peregrine Falcon - A pair of birds hunting Woodpigeon near Heslington - the male was whiskers away from nailing the pigeon but pulled out at the last minute to avoid flying into some oncoming traffic!
Pink-footed Goose - A flock of 600+ seen in the fog, with another one or two smaller flocks heard but not seen.
Other highlights included Green Woodpecker, Jay, Fieldfare, Redwing and a whole range of common species. Typically for a bird race Brambling, a species that I was tripping over yesterday was invisible and mute today!
I didn't get too many birdy pictures today but the following give an idea of what it was like...
I'll leave Tim to write up what happened, but it will be a great read...! not to give too much away but the records set last year have been well and truly thumped!!! Given better weather (i.e. from noon till dark was pretty thick fog) more probably would have been seen too!
I didn't fare too badly either locally today with some nice year-ticks:
Hen Harrier - A decent bird in the York Area, this appeared to be an juv female, though always distant it was a huge beast! Picture below provided by Tim. Although probably not that rare in the York Area on passage (satellite tracked birds have been recorded passing through) they have proved very difficult to connect with, e.g. Tim and Chris didn't manage to connect with one last year while they were doing their year-list thing and it's the first one I've seen in the York Area. This bird was at Strensall Common.
Ringtail Hen Harrier - photo Tim Jones
Stonechat - A pair of birds observed at Strensall Common, a bird that was much commoner before a series of cold/wet winters I gather.
Jack Snipe - One on a little pool at Heslington East.
Green Sandpiper - An overwintering bird at Heslington East.
Kingfisher - A bird on the main lake at Heslington East.
Peregrine Falcon - A pair of birds hunting Woodpigeon near Heslington - the male was whiskers away from nailing the pigeon but pulled out at the last minute to avoid flying into some oncoming traffic!
Pink-footed Goose - A flock of 600+ seen in the fog, with another one or two smaller flocks heard but not seen.
Other highlights included Green Woodpecker, Jay, Fieldfare, Redwing and a whole range of common species. Typically for a bird race Brambling, a species that I was tripping over yesterday was invisible and mute today!
I didn't get too many birdy pictures today but the following give an idea of what it was like...
What happens when you run through a bog after Hen Harrier...
What happens when you run through a building site for Jack Snipe....
What happens when it gets foggy! Spot the Pink-footed Geese! There was over 600 up there!
The String Quartet - What happens when pretty much everything falls into place!!
Well done guys!
Friday, 21 September 2012
Marsh Harrier Roost North Duffield (Friday)
I've just spent another couple of days in the office so I haven't been able to get out birding, however I've just heard from Chris who's been down to the North Duffield Carrs Marsh Harrier roost this evening. Apparently there was 8 birds in tonight. Hopefully I'll get chance to get out and check the roost over the weekend, though it does depends on the lure of the coast...
There was a few hundred Pink-footed Geese through the Lower Derwent Valley today and I've just heard that the first (as far as I'm aware) Jack Snipe of the autumn was a Bank Island this evening.
Inspired by Tims new camera and the pictures he's been getting in the week since he's had it I've decided to take the plunge and upgrade to the Panasonic Lumix FZ200 so that I can hopefully have some slightly less rubbish pictures on my blog! Though I can't guarantee it! Will hopefully get to try it out over the weekend with the aim of knowing what I'm doing before Dave and I hit the Scillies in a few weeks.
There was a few hundred Pink-footed Geese through the Lower Derwent Valley today and I've just heard that the first (as far as I'm aware) Jack Snipe of the autumn was a Bank Island this evening.
Inspired by Tims new camera and the pictures he's been getting in the week since he's had it I've decided to take the plunge and upgrade to the Panasonic Lumix FZ200 so that I can hopefully have some slightly less rubbish pictures on my blog! Though I can't guarantee it! Will hopefully get to try it out over the weekend with the aim of knowing what I'm doing before Dave and I hit the Scillies in a few weeks.
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