The bird you are trying to guess is the bird to the left.
If you cant send me a message on the blog just DM me the answer on Twitter.
Thanks for having a go.
Saturday, 26 October 2013
Bird Quiz Week 1
Hi I am going to start a bird quiz on my blog. I will reveal the answer next Saturday. So here is the first picture.
The bird you are trying to guess is the bird to the left.
If you cant send me a message on the blog just DM me the answer on Twitter.
Thanks for having a go.
The bird you are trying to guess is the bird to the left.
If you cant send me a message on the blog just DM me the answer on Twitter.
Thanks for having a go.
200 Up
Today we set of to go to Spurn at around 8:00am and we arrived at about 9:30am. The weather at Spurn was great when we arrived there wasn't a single cloud in the sky.
When we arrived at Spurn we first stopped near the Crown and Anchor Pub to look over the sea. As soon as we looked we spotted about 6 Brent Geese really close in off shore also while we were watching them lots and lots of Golden Plover flew over our heads.
After we had a quick check in the sea watching hide were we almost straight away spotted 2 Red Breasted Mergansers flying past. After that we didn't see another bird on the sea. By then it was about 1:00pm so we had to start setting of to go home. On the way back to the car we had one last quick check on the Barred Warbler and it turned out to be showing very well eating berries on one of the bushes! Also on the scrapes just of the cliffs there was hundreds of waders which mostly included Knots, Redshanks, Dunlin, Turnstone, Sanderling and Ringed Plover also a big group of Brent Geese came in fairly close.
When we arrived at Spurn we first stopped near the Crown and Anchor Pub to look over the sea. As soon as we looked we spotted about 6 Brent Geese really close in off shore also while we were watching them lots and lots of Golden Plover flew over our heads.
Brent Geese
Afterwards we took a walk along the beach to get to the Canal Scrape Hide. On the way several more Brent Geese flew past. Also we got great views of Turnstone, Sanderling and Ringed Plover.
When we reached the hide all we could see was a few Juvenile Mute Swans. After a while a Robin came out of the reeds which then landed right next to the hide which was great to watch.
We left the hide to go to the Warren. When we arrived we saw lots of people standing outside the car park looking into some berry bushes. We asked a man to find out what they were watching and he replied 'Barred Warbler' so we kept our eyes focused on the bushes to see if he came out and after about 10mins of waiting we finally got our first views of a stunning Barred Warbler! He showed well for a few mins until diving back down into the bushes. This is my 200th bird on my life list!
Barred Warbler
After we had a quick check in the sea watching hide were we almost straight away spotted 2 Red Breasted Mergansers flying past. After that we didn't see another bird on the sea. By then it was about 1:00pm so we had to start setting of to go home. On the way back to the car we had one last quick check on the Barred Warbler and it turned out to be showing very well eating berries on one of the bushes! Also on the scrapes just of the cliffs there was hundreds of waders which mostly included Knots, Redshanks, Dunlin, Turnstone, Sanderling and Ringed Plover also a big group of Brent Geese came in fairly close.
Barred Warbler
Brent Geese
Lots of Waders
After a great day and getting my 200th Lifer we decided to go home!
Monday, 21 October 2013
Siberian Stonechat at Scalby Mills
Today we set of to go to Flamborough which was about an hours journey but the main road to go to Flamborough was closed so then that added a lot more time onto our journey. The weather looked good at Flamborough so that was great!
On the way there we stopped of at a Little Nature Reserve were they had some feeders. My Dad had previously seen Nuthatches and Jays on them so we decided to wait for about half an hour to see if anything turned up. The only birds which turned up were Chaffinches, Blue Tits and eventually a Siskin. Afterwards we continued our journey on to Flamborough.
As we were about 2mins away me and my Dad noticed lots of cars parked at the side of the road. We pulled up to see what was going on, we saw lots of birders walking through a wood with scopes and cameras so we decided to ask a birder what have they been looking at and one man replied 'Little Bunting' and then we asked is it still there and then the man said 'yes it is showing well'. So we finally got to the spot to were it was but it wasn't there we had just missed it by about 2mins. We waited for about 45mins to see if it returned but no luck. But while we were waiting we did see a flock of Redwing, a Sparrow Hawk and a Kestrel. As we were walking back this birder started talking to us about our gear and his gear and bits similar to that and right at the end of the wood he said 'have you been to see the Siberian Stonechat at Scalby Mills yet?' we said 'no' and then he said 'you should defiantly go and see it before the light goes it is showing very well' so then we said 'thanks we will go'.
It was about a 30min Journey from Flamborough but we eventually found the spot. We started walking up the hill to get to the bit it was sighted at. On the way lots of birders were walking back and they said to us 'it is still showing nicely at the top of bush about half way down'. So we started walking down but when we reached the bit there was no sign of it, we thought we could hear it calling but we couldn't find it. Just as about we were going to give up hope my Dad spotted it at the top of a bush about 4 metres away from were we were standing! The light was just good enough to get a few decent shots plus it didn't seem bothered we were even there!
On the way there we stopped of at a Little Nature Reserve were they had some feeders. My Dad had previously seen Nuthatches and Jays on them so we decided to wait for about half an hour to see if anything turned up. The only birds which turned up were Chaffinches, Blue Tits and eventually a Siskin. Afterwards we continued our journey on to Flamborough.
As we were about 2mins away me and my Dad noticed lots of cars parked at the side of the road. We pulled up to see what was going on, we saw lots of birders walking through a wood with scopes and cameras so we decided to ask a birder what have they been looking at and one man replied 'Little Bunting' and then we asked is it still there and then the man said 'yes it is showing well'. So we finally got to the spot to were it was but it wasn't there we had just missed it by about 2mins. We waited for about 45mins to see if it returned but no luck. But while we were waiting we did see a flock of Redwing, a Sparrow Hawk and a Kestrel. As we were walking back this birder started talking to us about our gear and his gear and bits similar to that and right at the end of the wood he said 'have you been to see the Siberian Stonechat at Scalby Mills yet?' we said 'no' and then he said 'you should defiantly go and see it before the light goes it is showing very well' so then we said 'thanks we will go'.
It was about a 30min Journey from Flamborough but we eventually found the spot. We started walking up the hill to get to the bit it was sighted at. On the way lots of birders were walking back and they said to us 'it is still showing nicely at the top of bush about half way down'. So we started walking down but when we reached the bit there was no sign of it, we thought we could hear it calling but we couldn't find it. Just as about we were going to give up hope my Dad spotted it at the top of a bush about 4 metres away from were we were standing! The light was just good enough to get a few decent shots plus it didn't seem bothered we were even there!
Siberian Stonechat
Saturday, 5 October 2013
Surprise Surprise
This morning we got up at 6:30am to go to revisit the Red Necked Phalarope at Fairburn Ings. As we set of it was still dark but as we were pulling into the reserve the sun came up.
We first made our way down to the Pickup Hide because that's were we'd heard the Great White Egret was yesterday. When we looked across the scrapes we couldn't see much apart from Teal, Mallard and a few Coots. As we were in there a man came in who was also looking for the Great White Egret due to missing it yesterday. The man left the hide after about 10mins to go to Oldmoor. Just as we were about to leave to I noticed an egret type bird lift up out of the reeds which was coming straight for the hide. As I took a few pictures I noticed that it was the Great White Egret! it got closer and closer until it almost flew within a few metres of us! It was absolutely brilliant.
We first made our way down to the Pickup Hide because that's were we'd heard the Great White Egret was yesterday. When we looked across the scrapes we couldn't see much apart from Teal, Mallard and a few Coots. As we were in there a man came in who was also looking for the Great White Egret due to missing it yesterday. The man left the hide after about 10mins to go to Oldmoor. Just as we were about to leave to I noticed an egret type bird lift up out of the reeds which was coming straight for the hide. As I took a few pictures I noticed that it was the Great White Egret! it got closer and closer until it almost flew within a few metres of us! It was absolutely brilliant.
Great White Egret
After that magic moment we went of to the New Flash to see the Red Necked Phalarope which was still giving decent views. At one point the bird came fairly close which gave us better views of it than we had yesterday. After we had a quick look in the Lin Dike Hide were we spotted the Great White Egret again but this time it was a long way out but it was still great to see it again.
Red Necked Phalarope
Afterwards we decided to have a visit to RSPB Oldmoor which was about a 30min drive from Fairburn. When we arrived we skipped a few hides because we didn't have much time. As we entered the first one we couldn't see much apart from 2 distant Little Grebes. After about 20mins of waiting the Little Grebes began to creep closer and closer until they were catching fish right in front of the hide. This is the closest we have ever seen Little Grebes so that made it even more exciting.
Little Grebe
After that we went to the Wath Ings hide where we saw about 300 Golden Plover which at one point got scared by a Sparrow Hawk which made them lift of into the sky with loads of Lapwing. Other birds included Teal, a very distant Curlew Sandpiper, Dunlin, 5 Green Sandpipers, Ruff and a very showy Black Tailed Godwit! We stayed in there for around an hour before heading off back home.
Black Tailed Godwit
Friday, 4 October 2013
Red Necked Phalarope At RSPB Fairburn Ings
Today a Red Necked Phalarope turned up at Fairburn Ings also a Great White Egret was there too. The weather turned out to be great at one point there wasn't hardly a cloud in the sky!
As we arrived we received news that the Great White Egret hadn't been seen for a while so we decided to go to the New Flash (a big lake at Fairburn) because that's were the Red Necked Phalarope had been sighted. As we arrived we saw around about 5 birders looking out onto the lake so we asked one of them if it was there and they replied 'Yes its in front of the family of Mute Swans' so we looked out onto the lake and then we spotted it! It was giving decent views which allowed us to get a good look at it also we managed a few shots of this cracking bird!
By this time the lighting started to go so we couldn't get as good shots.
As we arrived we received news that the Great White Egret hadn't been seen for a while so we decided to go to the New Flash (a big lake at Fairburn) because that's were the Red Necked Phalarope had been sighted. As we arrived we saw around about 5 birders looking out onto the lake so we asked one of them if it was there and they replied 'Yes its in front of the family of Mute Swans' so we looked out onto the lake and then we spotted it! It was giving decent views which allowed us to get a good look at it also we managed a few shots of this cracking bird!
By this time the lighting started to go so we couldn't get as good shots.
Red Necked Phalarope
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