Monday 25 February 2019

25th February


I planned an early morning walk along the river today but the fog was too thick so I didn’t get down there until lunchtime. Almost the first birds I had were a skein of nine Whooper Swans. This would have been a nice picture of them if I had remembered to zoom!


Nine birds flew north from Wheldrake Ings earlier in the day so I suspect these are the same birds. I will have to find out what time they left and work out the flight speed. There seems to be a very early movement of the species this year, perhaps not surprising in this stunning weather.
Otherwise it was very quiet, there were two pairs of Oystercatchers (both looking pretty settled rather than the usual February birds which just pass through) plus a single drake Teal, Green Sandpiper and three Common Gulls.


Earlier in the week the Bottom Fields held a flock of 31 Corn Buntings, the highest count for quite a few years, and sixteen Curlew. A pair of Buzzards were displaying over the Magic Garden and the regularity of sightings here mean there must be a good chance of nesting this year.



Sunday 10 February 2019

10th February


I left the trail camera in the Magic Garden last week, pick of the shots was this one of a pair of Jays. Being normally so wary this is better than any I’ve taken of the species!!


A bit of floodwater in the bottom fields today so a quick walk down there turned up three new bird’s for the year with five Canada Geese, three Shelduck  and a big female Sparrowhawk (surprisingly sending the Black-headed Gulls into a mass panic). Three Buzzards here too.

Carrying on down Greenhills Lane the beet field had a number of birds feeding around the sheeps’ feet. Expecting the usual wagtails and pipits I was surprised to see nearly all the birds were Redwing with about 40 in total in this field.  

In the avenue there were four Treecreepers, mainly feeding low down in the hedgerow, and in the end fields a group of 35 Lapwing, fifty plus Fieldfares and a cracking flock of over 100 Linnets. The first big numbers I have had of this finch for quite a few years.

Sunday 3 February 2019

3rd February


A nice smattering of snow yesterday morning so I went down the river in the hope of birds driven off the local lakes….


No real sign of this but I saw my first Redshank of the year with other year ticks including Little Grebe, a pair of Mute Swans, two Snipe and a Golden Plover. Other birds seen included five Goosander, two Kingfishers and a pair of Teal.
This Great Spotted Woodpecker decided trees were too analogue and has been using the mobile mast again for its drumming post


Best sightings of the day though were hares with at least 15 seen on the walk. Nearly all concentrated in three big open arable fields along Potter Lane...




Last week the Greylags started to disperse from the fields at the end of Greenhills Lane but the last flock did attract a single Pinkfoot. Very poor picture in foggy conditions but only the second one I have seen on the ground in Ainderby.