Work at Aykley Heads yesterday gave an opportunity to return north via Ch-le-St and the chance of a Scaup and Mandarin. Guided in by my birding sat-nav (Foghorn), the car park was easily located, but the sum of my clearly hole-ridden pockets was a meager 50p and 60p was required. When you get to my age, 'living on the edge' entails leaving your car without a ticket for 20 minutes!! Sad or what?
Anyway, 50% success as below:
I would have posted a Scaup photo here, and a pretty good one, but since yesterday the blogging system throws it out!
The Mandarin lived to fight another day!
En route home, popped in to the Burton House PH again, the Waxwings still there, first two, then up to about 15 and very mobile in the apple tree. Male Blackcap was in the conifer next to the fruit and darted in, fed, and quickly went back to hide.
Wednesday, 26 January 2011
Saturday, 22 January 2011
GGS
Shrike 1:Take 2 - Harwood Forest at dawn; cool, damp and generally unpleasant, although better than last year's Great Grey Shrike-quest when it was three hours in the rain and completely sodden (29/3/10). I had a go yesterday afternoon and dipped so this morning, up the forest path and off right towards Redpath so as to cover the east side of the plantation looking west towards the wee, towery thing. No joy!
Off to Tutehill Moss, scene of last year's success, just on the off-chance. Walking north, there is a bit of summit before the road drops down and the Moss is on the left. 150 yds ahead, on the right of the road, is a plantation of 12' conifers in front of a set of much larger pines.
On scanning the shorter trees, voila, the quarry, facing away from me but visible and not photographable. I tried to get nearer, but it dropped down and out of sight, never to be seen again.
But it's there, and waiting for more attention (I was the only one, but two other hopefuls were walking north as I entered the village (it should be a hamlet as it doesn't appear to have a church)).
The path through the woods was alive with Coal Tits, Goldcrests, Chaffinches and Crossbills.
Off to Whittle Dene next for a spot of Smew action (so far, it's G for Great, G for Goldcrest and hopefully S for Smew making this entry's title doubly clever?!?!).
The bird was pretty easily located on the reservoir opposite the Western one, which appears not to be called the Eastern but the Lower Northern. Anyway, the bird flew west and when I left at 12:20 was on the Western Reservoir.
And in the field to the north of the Great Northern Reservoir, a dozen Stock Dove, nicely complementing three Goosanders (2M:1F) and innumerable Teal and Mallard on the water.
Off to Tutehill Moss, scene of last year's success, just on the off-chance. Walking north, there is a bit of summit before the road drops down and the Moss is on the left. 150 yds ahead, on the right of the road, is a plantation of 12' conifers in front of a set of much larger pines.
On scanning the shorter trees, voila, the quarry, facing away from me but visible and not photographable. I tried to get nearer, but it dropped down and out of sight, never to be seen again.
But it's there, and waiting for more attention (I was the only one, but two other hopefuls were walking north as I entered the village (it should be a hamlet as it doesn't appear to have a church)).
The path through the woods was alive with Coal Tits, Goldcrests, Chaffinches and Crossbills.
Off to Whittle Dene next for a spot of Smew action (so far, it's G for Great, G for Goldcrest and hopefully S for Smew making this entry's title doubly clever?!?!).
The bird was pretty easily located on the reservoir opposite the Western one, which appears not to be called the Eastern but the Lower Northern. Anyway, the bird flew west and when I left at 12:20 was on the Western Reservoir.
And in the field to the north of the Great Northern Reservoir, a dozen Stock Dove, nicely complementing three Goosanders (2M:1F) and innumerable Teal and Mallard on the water.
Tuesday, 18 January 2011
More Haw
The just-about-tickable Hawfinch activity yesterday could not be the only exposure to an absolute stonker of a bird and, like the R-n Duck before it, one that I have invested a reasonable amount of time over the last four years seeking (without success). Freezing hours outside Hulne Park, Sizergh Castle and Croxdale too, and zilch!
So back today and arriving just after 9:00, Sir McLevy of Morpeth was already there and a guy with a camera lens that looked like a cooling tower on its side. So far, no joy.
Yesterday's activity started at 9:37, and today, half an hour of ornithological bliss commenced at 9:34. Thirty minutes of watching what is probably one of my birding highlights so far, feeding on the beech mast not too far from the south end of the east hedge.
Then it was off high and west and over the west hedge and out of sight. Boo! Hiss!
Mr Meadows arrived (nice to put a face to the blog - PC Wanderings, have you ticked Abbey Meadows off your list yet?) and he spotted the bird overhead and landing in a tree close by. As usual, camera out and bird off east.
And then a few other arrived inc. Sir Cowell of Kingston and having eventually got my eye in, I spotted the little (or not so little) blighter in the middle of the east hedge. Camera already out, some shitty-shotties follow.
So back today and arriving just after 9:00, Sir McLevy of Morpeth was already there and a guy with a camera lens that looked like a cooling tower on its side. So far, no joy.
Yesterday's activity started at 9:37, and today, half an hour of ornithological bliss commenced at 9:34. Thirty minutes of watching what is probably one of my birding highlights so far, feeding on the beech mast not too far from the south end of the east hedge.
Then it was off high and west and over the west hedge and out of sight. Boo! Hiss!
Mr Meadows arrived (nice to put a face to the blog - PC Wanderings, have you ticked Abbey Meadows off your list yet?) and he spotted the bird overhead and landing in a tree close by. As usual, camera out and bird off east.
And then a few other arrived inc. Sir Cowell of Kingston and having eventually got my eye in, I spotted the little (or not so little) blighter in the middle of the east hedge. Camera already out, some shitty-shotties follow.
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