Waxwing!!!!!!

This morning I was a little bored as I couldn't go out as my Dad was at work so instead I did some Garden birding which was pretty good. From my garden I saw:
Chaffinch
Goldfinch
Robin
Blackbird
Collard Dove
Wood Pigeon
Blue Tit
Coal Tit
Great Tit
Wren
Sparrow Hawk

After a little while I decided to go and check the big Rowan tree just outside my house hoping to spot a Fieldfare or Redwing. I had a quick scan of the tree and I quickly spotted a little blob at the top of the tree, I lifted my bins and I nearly dropped them, there was a Waxwing sitting at the top of the Rowan Tree!!!!!!!!! Superb!!!! This brightened up my day a lot! As you could probably imagine I was really excited, I sprinted to go and get my camera, I was a little worried it would fly of before I got there but thankfully it didn't. I put the news out on a few sites and fairly soon a couple of people arrived and saw the bird well. It showed very well right out in the open which allowed me to get some nice shots. My Dad was at work so he was very jealous and he said he would be back in about an hour but about 5 minutes before he arrived the Waxwing flew off! When I told him you could probably imagine how he felt. While I was watching it another 2 Waxwings flew over but those 2 didn't land.

   

Crackers at the Coast!!!

On Sunday morning me and my Dad took interest in a Black Bellied Dipper which was around a place called Harpham which was only about an hour from me. We also had a few other target species to see which were the Surf Scoter at Filey, the Rough Legged Buzzard at Grindale and the Greenland White Fronted Goose at Flamborough.

At around 9am we arrived at the right spot (surprisingly!!) for the Black Bellied Dipper but sadly we asked around and not a single person had seen it, No!!!! We searched for quite a while but we didn't manage to relocate it. After a while we headed of to Grindale for the Rough Legged Buzzard.

At Grindale there was a few people with scopes so we asked them if they had seen that to and they said no!! What a brilliant start..... We waited and waited hoping to catch a glimpse of the Buzzard but we had no luck. Someone then said who was waiting for the Buzzard that the Surf Scoter was showing well at Filey so with no news on the Greenland White Fronted Goose, Filey was our next destination. With high hopes we rushed over to Filey Brigg, thankfully as soon as we arrived some birders pointed it out to us, Finally!! What a little cracker, a superb bird. One of my best highlights this year so far, views were brilliant, it was feeding just of the rocks plus through the scope it looked awesome, the light wasn't to good for pics but here is some of the shots I took.

Surf Scoter

 

On the rocks on the Brigg we spotted some cracking Purple Sandpipers which showed very well also on the rocks there was Dunlin, Oystercatcher and lots of Turnstone.

 

Purple Sandpiper

 

After a good hour or so watching the Surf Scoter we headed to Flambrough in hope of seeing the Greenland White Fronted Goose, we had some news it was still there so that was good to hear. It was quite a walk round to see it but while we were walking around we spotted Guillemots, Razorbills, a Common Scoter and a Stonechat. Thankfully we saw the bird but sadly it was very distant but we had nice scope views. Afterwards we went in search of the Rough Legged Buzzard again and this time we saw it! This was also quite distant but still we had great scope views, the main thing is that we saw it.

 

Guillemots

 

We were about to go home when some people said there was a few Snow Buntings just down the road at Wold Newton so we had a quick look there before we went home, we managed to see at least one Snow Bunting which we only saw very clearly flying around the field in a mixed flock of Linnet, Yellowhammer and we also managed to spot a Corn Bunting in amongst them.

 

 

Snow Bunting

 

Cracking Cleveland!

Yesterday I woke up and we decided to have a trip to Hartlepool as there was a bird there which I have always wanted to see, the Shorelark! We dipped this bird 2 weeks ago which wasn't ideal as Hartlepool was over an hour away from our house so as you could imagine we weren't to happy but yesterday we decided to have another crack and just maybe see this superb little bird.

We parked on Old Cemetery road and walked down to the big piles of rubble next to the beach as this is where the Shorelark was most commonly seen. Our hopes began to go a little as there was not a birder in sight. All we could see was a Carrion Crow making its way along the piles of rubble, me and my dad then started scanning the area for the lark and within around about 5 minutes both of us spotted it at the same time! It quickly sprinted straight past us, it then hopped up onto a rock and gave superb views, It let us get very close only a few feet a times. A truly great bird! Plus to have it all to our selves was fantastic. I am very pleased to finally seen this superb bird. We stayed for around an hour and then headed of to Saltholme for a little walk round.

Shorelark

 

When we had parked up we firstly had a walk over to the Phil Stead Hide hoping for some Redpolls on the feeders but we had no luck but out on the scrapes we had a single Black Tailed Godwit, Teal and a Redshank. After we went into the visitor centre to see if much had been sighted around the reserve, 4 Red Breasted Mergansers caught my eye which were viewable from the Saltholme Pools hide so we would be going there fairly soon but before that we got a brilliant surprise, a Fox was feeding right under the visitor centre feeders! All of my pics were through the window but I weren't to bothered as it was an incredible sight!

   

Fox

 

When we arrived in the hide some very kind people put us onto the Red Breasted Mergansers which were quite far away but still very nice to see also a Little Egret walked straight in front of the hide where I probably got my best ever views of one.

 

Red Breasted Mergansers

Little Egret

 

On the way out of the reserve we saw presumably the same Fox which we saw at the feeders.