Watched By A Flaming Red Eye

The past week was varied in weather, locations and species observed. On Tuesday we went to North Duffield Carrs in only light winds and fairly bright weather. The best sighting, even though it was distant was a Peregrine playing with a hunting Marsh Harrier. Other birds seen included: Whooper Swans, Pintail, Shoveler, Wigeon, Teal, Bullfinch, Yellowhammer, Reed Bunting, Linnet, Redwing, Fieldfare, Goldcrest, Wren, Lapwing, Ruff, etc. Most of these were too distant to be photographed.

Water Rail

Buzzard

Whooper Swans [Mute right]

Whooper Swans

Ditto

The weather forecast on Wednesday messed thing up royally. The rain was supposed to be guaranteed to stop at 10 am, which should have made the morning session quite pleasant, but the rain continued until noon, so the morning group were quite wet and bedraggled when they eventually got back to the car park. So far this term every Wednesday planned location has had to be changed because of the lousy weather! However, they enjoyed good views of a Great Crested Grebe, a Heron, Cormorants, Snipe, and a Kingfisher. The rain didn't return, so the afternoon session was a different matter....

Snipe (c) 2018 Tony Robinson
Following photos of Great Crested Grebe, Heron and Kingfisher all taken by Tony Robinson

Other birds seen included: Bullfinch, Pochard, Shoveler, Teal, Gadwall, Heron, Wigeon, Snipe, GBB & Herring Gull. Heard Cetti's Warbler & distant Water Rail.

The Wednesday afternoon session was definitely enlivened when Deborah spotted a Bittern moving in the right-hand channel. the sighting was only brief and not everyone saw it, but 5 minutes later it appeared in the left-hand channel, and this time everyone got good views. It was a "lifer" for approximately 33% of participants, and for those who had seen one before it was the first they had seen for quite some time. Other birds seen on Wednesday include: Bullfinch, Pochard, Shoveler, Teal, Gadwall, Heron, Wigeon, Snipe, GBB & Herring Gull. Heard Cetti's Warbler & distant Water Rail.

Bittern

Ditto

Snipe

Great Crested Grebe

Ditto

Pochard

Dog driving a car!

Butterbur

Ear Fungus

One Wednesday afternoon participant was so enamoured with the view of the Bittern that he returned with his bridge camera on another day and was rewarded with these shots below. A Friday afternoon couple were so jealous of the view of the Bittern seen by the Ossett couple that they returned and sat in the Ness End hide for 2 hours until they had a view similar to that below!

Ditto

The Thursday weather was a lot more benign, so the East Park session was able to go ahead as planned. The first surprise was a Great Crested Grebe almost in breeding plumage, which was a marked contrast to the individual seen the previous day, pictures above. The morning session enjoyed good views of a Grey Wagtail, Tufted Ducks and Pochard, but at first it seemed that we wouldn't see the Kingfisher or Goosanders, but they were sheltering behind the last island we checked. However, there was no sign on either session of last year's Jays, last week's parakeet, or the Pink-footed Goose.

Great Crested Grebe

Ditto

Grey Wagtail

Yellow under the tail

Ditto

Treecreeper

Ditto

Winkling out an insect

Ditto

Tufted Duck

Ditto

Long-tailed Tit - in the same tree as the Treecreeper

Mistle Thrush

an aggressive Moorhen

Ditto

A confiding Pochard

Gosanders

Ditto

Other birds seen on Thursday include: Little Grebe, Goldcrest, G S Woodpecker, and Mistle Thrush, etc

Black-headed Gull

Black-headed Gulls

Common Gull

1st-winter Common Gull

Herring Gull [right] and 1st-winter Black-headed Gull

Record shot of Kingfisher

Pink-footed Goose [front] and Greylag Goose

Carrion Crow

Calling

Open wide

Carrion Crow

Having a 'larf

The best weather of the week was saved up for the Friday class, with the result that not quite so many species were seen as during the fouler weather from last week. Both morning and afternoon sessions had good views of two battling Water Rails mostly concealed by the reeds in South Marsh West. Many parts of the reserve were quiet as various conservation projects meant that heavy machinery was being utilised.

Water Rail

A steady Red Eye

Water Rails top right and bottom left

Ditto

Back View

Ditto

One of the most rewarding locations was Watton Borrow Pits. Here, there were a myriad of species including Curlews, Redshank, Little Egret, Heron, Wigeon, Teal, Gadwall, Canada and Greylag Geese. Both groups even saw good views of a Fox in bright sunlight. in the morning it was upsetting a gaggle of geese, whilst in the afternoon it was sunbathing under a bush, before it started off on another patrol.

Curlew

Ditto

Fox

Ditto

Wigeon and Teal

A chap photographing the Fox from another hide

Goosander

Heron - in the guano tree

The other most rewarding location was D reservoir, where both sessions saw their first ever Glaucous Gull.

Ditto

2 Friday participants went to Castle Howard on Tuesday and were shown how to observe and photograph the Hawfginches by an obliging top Yorkshire birder. A Nuthatch also provided some diversion.