Popped over to North Duffield this lunch time, had a couple of Peregrine and a Merlin which was nice. The river was pouring over the flood defences (again) and the Carrs were rapidly filling up with water. I bet by tomorrow we'll be back to where we were in November when if first came over properly this winter. Fairly disappointing in a way as it had finally dropped to a level where it was looking good! Nevermind, I guess it gives us a shot for divers/smew etc!
Bad news today was that a birders car was broken into at North Duffield this afternoon whilst they were in the hide so please be vigilant(e). It was highly likely that the person/people breaking into the car were in a small white/cream car so please be on the lookout.
Showing posts with label York Floods 2012. Show all posts
Showing posts with label York Floods 2012. Show all posts
Thursday, 31 January 2013
Saturday, 5 January 2013
LDV Birding
Spent the day round the south of the York recording area today. Tomorrow is the Bird Race which I can't take part in due to other commitments, but I figured I'd go out today and sell my sightings to Tim, Ollie, Jack and Chris' team - The String Quartet.... (Read about last year here)
Where to start... Morning walk with the dogs produced the standard 3 Barn Owl, including 2 that were hunting together just 10ft in front of me! There seemed to be more Fieldfare and Redwing about this morning, a few Tree Sparrows flew through and a small flock of Yellowhammer were noted, but little else really, though a flock of 8 Lesser Redpoll was nice.
I then headed over to Foggathorpe Pools where I had a very nice selection of birds including: over 500 Pink-footed Goose heading north (in 4 flocks of over 100 birds each), Snipe, 2 Crossbill, 10+ Brambling, 15+ Siskin, 20+ Lesser Redpoll, 2 Bullfinch, Yellowhammer, Reed Bunting, Goldcrest, Jay, Red-legged Partridge, 80 Teal, 8 Wigeon and then the usual common stuff... though this was a highlight in itself with 2,500 Wood Pigeon sounding like a train steaming through!
Next I decided to check out Aughton to see if the Bewick's Swans were still about, and they were. Had 3 of them in with about 9 Whooper Swans. They were a fair deal closer than the other day when I was viewing them at North Duffield. I got some shots, one of which you can actually read the darvic ring (yellow left leg 702) details of this bird here. On to Bubwith Bridge where I counted 70 Pochard, a new high-count for me here. The water is dropping, finally (picture below). There was also Pintail, Wigeon, Teal etc...
I decided to drive down to South Duffield to look for Corn Buntings and in doing so found an incredibly impressive mixed flock including: 200 Tree Sparrow, 120 Corn Bunting, 20 Yellowhammer, 20 Reed Bunting, 35+ Linnet, 15+ Chaffinch and several hundred Fieldfare and Redwing. A lone Sparrowhawk was patrolling but this area looks spot on for Merlin!
Back at North Duffield for lunch and another flock of Corn Bunting, 20 this time, with another 10 Lesser Redpoll and 500+ Fieldfare and Redwing. Also here Great Spotted Woodpecker, Long-tailed Tit, Kestrel and Sparrowhawk. A quick visit to Thorganby didn't produce too much though 148 Dunlin was good on recent numbers (and water levels) - thanks to Tim for counting!, Shelduck, Goldeneye and (another) a very showy Barn Owl was cool (though camera in car)! Finished the afternoon back in the Geoff Smith Hide but it was pretty quiet to be honest! A couple of youngish Lesser Black-backed Gull in with the gull roost, Pintail, and surprisingly no Barn Owl!
Looking forward to tomorrow now!
Where to start... Morning walk with the dogs produced the standard 3 Barn Owl, including 2 that were hunting together just 10ft in front of me! There seemed to be more Fieldfare and Redwing about this morning, a few Tree Sparrows flew through and a small flock of Yellowhammer were noted, but little else really, though a flock of 8 Lesser Redpoll was nice.
I then headed over to Foggathorpe Pools where I had a very nice selection of birds including: over 500 Pink-footed Goose heading north (in 4 flocks of over 100 birds each), Snipe, 2 Crossbill, 10+ Brambling, 15+ Siskin, 20+ Lesser Redpoll, 2 Bullfinch, Yellowhammer, Reed Bunting, Goldcrest, Jay, Red-legged Partridge, 80 Teal, 8 Wigeon and then the usual common stuff... though this was a highlight in itself with 2,500 Wood Pigeon sounding like a train steaming through!
Next I decided to check out Aughton to see if the Bewick's Swans were still about, and they were. Had 3 of them in with about 9 Whooper Swans. They were a fair deal closer than the other day when I was viewing them at North Duffield. I got some shots, one of which you can actually read the darvic ring (yellow left leg 702) details of this bird here. On to Bubwith Bridge where I counted 70 Pochard, a new high-count for me here. The water is dropping, finally (picture below). There was also Pintail, Wigeon, Teal etc...
I decided to drive down to South Duffield to look for Corn Buntings and in doing so found an incredibly impressive mixed flock including: 200 Tree Sparrow, 120 Corn Bunting, 20 Yellowhammer, 20 Reed Bunting, 35+ Linnet, 15+ Chaffinch and several hundred Fieldfare and Redwing. A lone Sparrowhawk was patrolling but this area looks spot on for Merlin!
Back at North Duffield for lunch and another flock of Corn Bunting, 20 this time, with another 10 Lesser Redpoll and 500+ Fieldfare and Redwing. Also here Great Spotted Woodpecker, Long-tailed Tit, Kestrel and Sparrowhawk. A quick visit to Thorganby didn't produce too much though 148 Dunlin was good on recent numbers (and water levels) - thanks to Tim for counting!, Shelduck, Goldeneye and (another) a very showy Barn Owl was cool (though camera in car)! Finished the afternoon back in the Geoff Smith Hide but it was pretty quiet to be honest! A couple of youngish Lesser Black-backed Gull in with the gull roost, Pintail, and surprisingly no Barn Owl!
Looking forward to tomorrow now!
Bewick Swan "Yellow left 702"
Bewick's Swan
3x Bewick's Swans and 3x Whooper Swans
3x Bewick's Swans + 2x Whooper Swans
Bewick's Swans
Bewick's Swans
Whooper Swans
The floods at Bubwith
Sunday, 30 December 2012
The River Derwent Floods (and some birds)
Popped out this afternoon to see if the floods had decreased much. Not a lot but they had gone down a bit! I also wanted to get some pictures of the floods from Bubwith Bridge as a gauge for future years to see how future floods compare to this one! Pictures below.
I started at Bubwith Bridge, there was a good 600+ Wigeon (and a few Teal, Mallard) here and a few Mute Swans. The ducks were all concentrated on the very tops of the flood banks that were just visible. A Kestrel was busy along the roadside
On to North Duffield Carrs. There was a flock of about 40 Whooper Swans in the field near the reserve (most had got their heads down so not really possible to check for Bewick's), also lots of Lapwing, Golden Plover and various gulls in the field. I may check it again tomorrow properly.
The North Duffiled Carrs were still well underwater, the flock of 50+ Pochard was still present, 2 drake Pintail showed nicely but were just out of range of the camera and there was a good 500 Wigeon, 300 Teal and a few Gadwall, Mallard, Canada Geese and Greylags. There was also a good 1500 Lapwing present and there was a single Redshank on the riverbank too. A flock of 30 Knot flew south through the valley with a single Dunlin (though I missed these as I was counting Pochard at the time!). As I reached the car park I had a very nice fly-past from a Barn owl. Unfortunately there was no sign of any Regulus sps.
Look out for my annual review of 2012 in the next day or so....
I started at Bubwith Bridge, there was a good 600+ Wigeon (and a few Teal, Mallard) here and a few Mute Swans. The ducks were all concentrated on the very tops of the flood banks that were just visible. A Kestrel was busy along the roadside
On to North Duffield Carrs. There was a flock of about 40 Whooper Swans in the field near the reserve (most had got their heads down so not really possible to check for Bewick's), also lots of Lapwing, Golden Plover and various gulls in the field. I may check it again tomorrow properly.
The North Duffiled Carrs were still well underwater, the flock of 50+ Pochard was still present, 2 drake Pintail showed nicely but were just out of range of the camera and there was a good 500 Wigeon, 300 Teal and a few Gadwall, Mallard, Canada Geese and Greylags. There was also a good 1500 Lapwing present and there was a single Redshank on the riverbank too. A flock of 30 Knot flew south through the valley with a single Dunlin (though I missed these as I was counting Pochard at the time!). As I reached the car park I had a very nice fly-past from a Barn owl. Unfortunately there was no sign of any Regulus sps.
Look out for my annual review of 2012 in the next day or so....
View to NW of Bubwith Bridge looking towards North Duffield Carrs
View to S from Bubwith Bridge of River Derwent
View to SW from Bubwith Bridge (Drax Power Station) looking into sun
Mute Swans on Bubwith Ings through a five-bar gate
Wigeon (and Teal) on the River Derwent S of Bubwith Bridge
Bubwith Bridge
Saturday, 29 December 2012
Owls in York
Had two Barn Owls and one Tawny Owl today, otherwise not a great deal.
The weather was, yet again, horrible. A very wet dog walk produced a dozen or so Fieldfare but not a great deal else to be honest!
Just as it was getting dark I got a message about a possible interesting Regulus sp. down at North Duffield Carrs, but by the time I got down there the bird, and flock it was in (Long-tailed Tit and Treecreeper) had gone beyond a flood and I wasn't able to follow them! Will have to see if it comes back tomorrow, whatever it was! Compensation in the form of 2 Barn Owl sat on fence posts was nice though I didn't hang about as it was still raining. A very brief glance out of the hide showed the water levels to have dropped by almost a foot and there was several Shoveler and lots of Lapwing and a few Ruff present. Will have a proper look tomorrow probably.
I went over to visit Rich in the Yorkshire Wolds this pm for my tea and had a very nice Tawny Owl sat in a roadside bush on my way home, presumably making the most of the near-full moon lighting up the country lanes.
The weather was, yet again, horrible. A very wet dog walk produced a dozen or so Fieldfare but not a great deal else to be honest!
Just as it was getting dark I got a message about a possible interesting Regulus sp. down at North Duffield Carrs, but by the time I got down there the bird, and flock it was in (Long-tailed Tit and Treecreeper) had gone beyond a flood and I wasn't able to follow them! Will have to see if it comes back tomorrow, whatever it was! Compensation in the form of 2 Barn Owl sat on fence posts was nice though I didn't hang about as it was still raining. A very brief glance out of the hide showed the water levels to have dropped by almost a foot and there was several Shoveler and lots of Lapwing and a few Ruff present. Will have a proper look tomorrow probably.
I went over to visit Rich in the Yorkshire Wolds this pm for my tea and had a very nice Tawny Owl sat in a roadside bush on my way home, presumably making the most of the near-full moon lighting up the country lanes.
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