This weekend

I went to Blacktoft Sands RSPB in Yorkshire on saturday with SH and DMcK. After checking the reception hide and seeing that there were plenty of good birds to be seen around the reserve we started at the Xerox hide.

A Common Sandpiper, 2 Little Ringed Plover and 2 Ruff were the highlight of the waders on the islands. It didn’t take until the first of many Marsh Harriers rose from the reeds. At one point five birds were in the air over the reeds.

The Marshland hide was were most of the days action took place. Groups of waders were dotted around the different island and mud shore, most of them were asleep. 4 Avocets, 32 Black Tailed Godwits, 10 Spotted Redshank, 2 Greenshank, 1 Green Sandpiper and 8 Ruff were the waders on the islands. At least 2 of the Spotted Redshanks were in almost full summer plumage, the Ruff also impressed with their various patterns and plumages.
2 Barn Owls chicks were standing in the entrance to their box and a couple of juv Yellow Wagtails were feeding on the mud. Whilst scanning through the waders we spotted a juv Bearded Tit jumping around the bottom of the reed stems and then onto the mud. It was joined by another two juvs and we had prolonged views of them as they hopped their way across the mud and into the reeds. Later on another two Bearded Tits flew in front of the hide.
The waders which had all been fairly settled all took off at one point just as a Hobby swooped down low over the pool before disappearing as it got higher into the sky.

From the Singleton hide we got more close views of Marsh Harriers as they soared over reeds. Three Little Egrets were fishing in the channels and a Cuckoo flew across before landing in the hedgerow.

Yesterday morning I was out doing the webs count with SH at Castle Island where the highlights were a Greenshank amongst the Redshank and a Little Ringed Plover.

Next we had a quick trip to Hauxley were a Scaup was swimming next to a Tufted Duck. Also a Barnacle Goose was amongst the Greylags and Canadas on the main Island.

Our last stop was Arcot Pond were a Green Sandpiper was in the mud behind the island with a Common Sandpiper – Patch Tick.

This afternoon I got a call saying that Fridays Hobby had returned to West Hartford but this time it was sitting in a tree! When I arrived at WH the Hobby- Patch Tick, was still on its perch and I had over half an hours on and off views as it sat on various trees and flew around the dried out main pool.
Thats three Hobbys in two weeks for me!!!

109- Common Sandpiper
110- Hobby

Helping at Holywell

I was at Holywell Pond today to help Cain (Holywell Birder), with his planned scout event. My job was to help the scouts with bird and plant identification starting at the members hide and ending at the north pool whilst BM (Killy Birder), and the other leaders took the second group of scouts through and around Holywell Dene.

When the group got to the hide I had an initial scan where a drake Wigeon was the only highlight. I started looking more carefully at a group of Swifts, which appeared over the obelisk before getting closer to the pond.
MF soon spotted a raptor in the same area and it was identified as a 1st summer Hobby. Although it was close to the swifts it never made a real attempt to chase them and after hanging over the pond for a while disappeared towards the dene.

After walking down to the public hide and then down to the north pool we stopped for lunch before swapping groups. During the lunch break I walked down to the public hide, as there was plenty of exposed mud in front of it.
Half way down the track to the hide I looked left through the gap in the hedgerow and saw two Little Egret flying east before dropping down near the members hide.
I was then told that three Little Egrets had just dropped in front of the hide and had flown off.
Before going to check from the members hide I saw a pair of Common Sandpipers running along the shore of the small island.

There was no sign of any Egrets from the members hide when I got there but I did have a good chat with one of my old teachers from high school who has recently found the joys of birding since retiring. As I was about to leave he spotted one of the Egrets tucked away in the reeds just out of sight form where I had been sitting. It then took off and flew over the pond heading west.

I really enjoyed today and seeing the pleasure birding and nature in general can bring to people of every age is what made the day for me, along with the good birds and good weather of course. I was also pleased to see the genuine enthusiasm and willing to learn more about nature from some of the young scouts.