Ornithological retribution. 26/5/2011.

One advantage of being based in South Yorkshire is that it is easy to reach a huge variety of nature reserves and other areas without travelling too far. Today we visited the Whisby Nature Park in Lincolnshire which, in relative terms, is not that far from Sheffield. I'd never been there before and , therefore, was eager to visit as I'm a sucker for taking in new areas and exploring. It's a reclaimed area of gravel pits whose various lagoons are regulated to support both recreation and conservation.

It's a really pleasant site to visit whose several claims to fame include the presence of a few pairs of Nightingale. In addition to hearing partial song ( given it was around 0800 hours by then ), we had a couple of birds buzzing around clearly feeding a nearby brood of young in woodland cover alongside the path. Given the recent reports of an ever reducing national population ( 90% in 40 years ) it was a pleasant relief to find birds in residence.

On various ones of the pools there are islands supporting breeding Black-headed Gulls and Common Terns.

A more recent aspect of interest at the site is the presence of visiting Yellow-legged Gulls, of which we recorded three. Sadly poor weather started to intervene , although it improved later, and interrupted our scrutiny of a number of other gulls present. All in all it was an interesting visit with a wide variety of species seen , be they duck, passerines, resident or summer visitors and somewhere I will certainly visit again.

With improving weather we moved on to Hatfield Moors where we had excellent views of Woodlark, Yellow Wagtail and Grey Partridge. This is a really enticing site , a National Nature Reserve and vast in extent but with huge potential and interest. Given the weather was holding up we went on to a site where 5 or 6 Black-necked Grebe are present. The site has little emergent vegetation, as far as we could ascertain from the point we viewed it, and one wonders whether these birds will suddenly move off and breed at a more suitable location in the nearby area despite the relatively late date. An intriguing species to say the least.

Moving on we called in at a well known site, which held our quarry, a male Ruddy Duck. I've never been truly comfortable with the policy being adopted by DEFRA towards the extermination of the species in the UK because of its alleged inter-breeding with White-headed Duck in Spain. Having travelled widely and regularly in Spain previously I've yet to see the species in that country and continue to have serious doubts on the subject. For that reason the location will remain undisclosed.

And so on to our final destination, Old Moor RSPB Reserve. Now , if I'm honest , we only really called in the main car park to see if Lesser Whitethroat was singing in the scrub nearby. But, at the very point of our departure, a pager message suggesting the presence of Temminck's Stint galvanised Matthew into remaining (given he's missed many of those occurring this spring.). Such was fortuitous in many other ways as I bumped into various friends I'd intended to visit , but hadn't due to not having transport. These latter suggested there was some debate ongoing about the ID of the bird and so we sped on to the hide with more than a little curiosity developing.

Such was no Temminck's Stint! The lack of any primary projection, the eye stripe , the back pattern , the rich colouration, the rusty ear coverts, the heavily streaked breast. It didn't look right for any number of considered alternatives and, eventually, all agreed it was a Least Sandpiper. The news was put out and people commenced to arrive in increasing numbers. After my exchanging greetings with a few more past friends we set off home feeling pleased and more than recompensed for the gut wrenching disappointment associated with the skua day! Given there's been less than 40 seen in Britain , and only about 4 in Yorkshire, this was a seriously worthwhile species to connect with. Sometimes there is justice in this world......

Return to the fray. 25/5/2011.

Despite the shattering disappointment of the day previous early morning saw us visiting Padley Gorge in the Peak District National Park on the Yorkshire-Derbyshire border. This mixed deciduous woodland abounds with birds and in improved weather we revelled in the songs of Wood Warbler, Redstart, Spotted Flycatcher, and Pied Flycatcher. Pairs of the latter were attending nest sites and besides these we also had Lesser Redpoll, Nuthatch and Green Woodpecker as well as a supporting cast of titmice species.

Out on the nearby open moor we had Whinchat and at least one pair of Stonechat with young. Transferring across to the nearby Burbage area our attempts to locate Ring Ousel where we have previously found them met with no success but, again, we had Stonechats, which was very encouraging given widespread reports of various local populations having suffered due to the bad winter. Our journey back to the car around 1300 hours saw a Red Kite flying high to the SW after possibly moving over Sheffield itself.

Further walks in the Stannage Edge area brought no success with Ring Ousel but tantalising views of a Weasel moving its kits, its swift bounding gait across a wide path swinging the small offspring to and fro in what must have been a scary transfer! Further in to urban Sheffield we stopped at Tyzack's Dam where we had 5 male Mandarin Duck tucked along one of the small feed channels. This put the single bird we saw last year to shame and raises expectations of a thriving breeding nucleus begining to form. A single Grey Wagtail overflew the site as we took in the gaudy colours and patterns of the ducks' plumage.

An examination of Sheffield's General Cemetery, ostensibly for Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, also generated the products of Matthew's humour with ribald references to prime viewing plots being available, good area to be in residence to start your year list and so on. I told him I'm much converted to the effects of haunting! Having survived all that (!) the area is actually good for birds. It's fully abandoned I believe, but maintained by volunteers with some Local Authority support, and presents some great swathes of dense cover out of which rise some magnificently mature trees, the canopy of which , for some , must be around 40 feet. Such areas must be a haven for birds in severe winters, to which the numbers of Blackbird, Song Thrush, Robin, Treecreeper and Wren lent some credibility separate from the attendant summer migrants which were present.

Long held dreams dashed. 24/5/2011.

I have long wished to visit the Solway Firth in spring, when there is an appropriate "big blow", to witness the passage of skuas eastwards along the Firth out of the Irish Sea, where they then rise abruptly in the farthest ,narrow confines and continue their journey overland to the North Sea and beyond. Matthew was similarly enthused by the prospect, given the right conditions appeared to be in play, and so we had decided to indulge in a very long day and , hopefully, witness the phenomenon.

An early start saw us call in first at the viewing point associated with the breeding OSPREY at Bassenthwaite. Unfortunately the birds have decided to choose a different nesting tree so views are a little distant and unsatisfactory. Things will improve once the pair are feeding young and more activity is in evidence.

Onward to the Solway where we stationed ourselves at the appointed spot and waited for the anticipated mixture of Arctic, Pomarine, Great and Long-tailed Skuas that must surely flood through given the previous and existing weather conditions. Reports of numbers of Long-tailed Skuas off the Ayr coast ensured our expectations and enthusiasm remained high. Seven hours later, and two ARCTIC SKUA, and we began to flag a little. Then a report of a Ross's Gull a couple of miles down the road came through which, given the lack of activity, obviously caught our interest. Arriving on site all that was to be seen were four LITTLE GULL, with no sign of the rather rarer relative! We fast concluded some mistake had arisen and returned to our previous spot only to discover a small party of Long-tailed Skua had gone through!! Mid evening saw us returning home, dreams and expectations dashed given the surrounding circumstances had been so perfect for not just a good day , but a truly exceptional day. Whether some future opportunity might arise when weather and convenience coincide is anybody's guess.........

The necessary palliative of an Indian take away did little to quell our disappointment, but it restored our energy levels after a rather long day.

Both Dipper and dipped. 23/5/2011.

Early morning showed the wind still to be somewhat fresh and blustery , even within the confines of urban Sheffield. Nonetheless we set off to look at some local areas. Whilst it was difficult to pick up any calls or song due to the breeze within the trees a local woodland near Wortley did produce a large party of Long tailed Tit and a Dipper along the stream. Examining other areas for known resident Little Owl brought no success and, in the time we had available ,we "dipped" on every initiative we took to locate birds. So, in the end, domestic needs took charge, and matters relating to cars ,the location of particular parts and so on took over, plus some necessary shopping. The day did allow time to catch up on things and to plot and plan for the rest of the week, taken by Matthew as holiday with the express intention of us intensively birding throughout.

Obvious change afoot. 22/5/2011.

Reports suggested it was worthwhile spending time at Cley given a couple of interesting birds had turned up. Our walk along the East Bank was wind blown to say the least with an ever increasing westerly impeding progress. None of the reported species could be found ( Little Gull and Little Stint )and so we left a very wind swept marsh behind.

Following this we spent quite some time attempting to see Montagu's Harrier, but without any success. Repeated glimpses of several Marsh Harriers at different places momentarily raised our hopes, but eventually we conceded defeat. The westerly wind was continuing to rise and we discovered that the interior of the car was beginning to gather a film of fine dust as opaque clouds of soil was lifted from the fields. Moving on to Titchwell and the safe confines of the various hides we did obtain good views of BITTERN, ,a pair of PINTAIL, and views of the female RED-CRESTED POCHARD who shortly afterwards flew off towards the reed bed and pool where the male had been loitering earlier in the week. Time and weather suggested we now start to head for home which we reached in the early evening after traversing a rather windy Fens!

End to end success! 21/5/2011

As had always been intended the day proved to be intense but extremely rewarding. Early morning saw us at the RSPB Lakenheath Reserve where we had exceptionally good views of a male GOLDEN ORIOLE, BITTERN, GARGANEY, HOBBY, CETTIS WARBLER, as well as of a Barn Owl repeatedly bringing back prey to its nesting site , including a Water Vole.

Moving on to Weeting Heath, a NWT reserve, we had reasonable views of a couple of STONE CURLEW and their youngster, all accompanied by information provided from an undoubted military gentleman complete with a spectacular moustache, "regulation" shorts, impeccable manners and a very useful commentary and background.

Calling in at Santon Downham we caught a party of 8 Common Crossbill in trees nearby to the bridge together with a Kingfisher, Green Woodpecker and Nuthatch. Farther north we scoured unsuccessfully a couple of areas for Montagu's Harrier before moving on to Burnham Norton so that Matthew could see the Red-necked Phalarope. Returning to the car , and after standing listening at various points , we encountered a single calling QUAIL at a point when we'd virtually abandoned hope! Later, near to Holkham, a single HOBBY floated through checked for a moment by a Kestrel risng from within its territory.

Moving on to Cley we managed to see one of the Shorelarks, and whilst looking, had a couple of adult MEDITERRANEAN GULL moving west above us. several sandwich Tern moved west along with a couple of Little Tern. Time then dictated that we report to our B and B accommodation, which we did before moving off to one of the nearby heaths located slightly inland. With the weather turning cool, and the wind rising, we soon came across one of the adult DARTFORD WARBLER which are present in the area. Surprisingly it was virtually the only bird we saw! In time honoured fashion we then returned to a nearby pub for a well earned meal and drink after a somewhat exhausting but very rewarding day.

One lost, one gained! 20/5/2011.

I spent the whole morning looking for Montagu's Harrier, unsuccessfully, and even took in a site where three birds had been seen displaying yesterday! Such is the variable pleasure of birdwatching and it's good to be confronted by the reality of things not always being handed across on a plate!

Having realised that time was creeping on and that it was already early afternoon, I decided to go to Burnham Norton where a RED-NECKED PHALAROPE had been seen yesterday and was being reported as still present. The pools concerned were located within what is the vast National Nature Reserve located along Norfolk's north coast and required a "walk in" towards the sea embankment. The area concerned in winter is wind swept and echoes to the call of geese , wildfowl and wading birds. By contrast was much quieter, although groups of Grey lag Geese ,odd Mallard and a few waders provided a fitting background to what was a sunny summer's day. The bird showed well and displayed its bright plumage to good effect. It was never still and either fed with frantic intensity or bathed and preened with equal verve and energy. Mallard, Gadwall, Shelduck, Tufted Duck, Avocet, Redshank also shared the pools and watching over the area in splendid weather was a real tonic.

A mistake on my part in missing the required footpath, and going out of my way along the sea wall by at least a couple of miles, produced little else of note other than excellent views of Stoat and a single Marsh Harrier! Given late afternoon had arrived I began to weave my way southwards towards Thetford where I was to rendezvous with Matthew at Ely railway station in the late evening. Checking in at the Travelodge, doing some shopping for "stores" we'd need over the weekend, 2200 hours soon came around and a successful meet up completed. On our way back we attempted to locate some Quail which had been reported, but were unsuccessful, if indeed we were ever at the right spot! Using a web based GPS system in Norfolk's agricultural countryside, or was it Cambridgeshire, is not without difficulty given the number of tracks, dead ends etc! Midnight soon arrived and we reminded ourselves that little time remained before we embarked on a busy weekend's birding!

Both pleasure and frustration. 19/5/2011.

On what was a really pleasant morning I set out to visit Sculthorpe Moor Reserve, a site run by the Hawk and Owl Trust ( www.sculthorpemoor.org ) and an area I'd never visited until a couple of winter's ago. It's one of those woodland/wetland areas that is just a joy to be within, even if you don't see very much. Justifiably it boasts the presence of both Marsh and Willow Tit complemented by a wide variety of other passerine species, breeding Marsh Harrier, Barn Owl and Golden Pheasant. Whatever the provenance of the latter the male bird is an absolute gem to behold, but very often proves elusive and demanding of a patient stake out at one of the hides. As previously I thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

After lunch I moved on to Cley on Norfolk's north coast, a site run by the Norfolk Wildlife Trust.
After calling in at the modern, self sustaining eco-friendly Centre to see a friend who works there, I set out along the East Bank adjacent to the vast reedbed.

A leisurely stroll provided views of a pair of BEARDED TITS and a further single male, always a species I enjoy catching up with. The paired birds were indulging in an energetic round of chasing, possibly a precursor to them settling down to breed.

Continuing on I reached the famed "North Bank", its shingle line extending as far as the eye can see in both directions.

An examination of the history of this area is spellbinding, indeed in the Three Swallows pub in the village there is a fascinating collection of old photographs of the area and its inhabitants. In the Middle Ages the Cley Marshes were covered by the sea at high tide and boats could navigate along channels into a harbour located near Cley Church. A series of banks were built in more recent times to protect the village from flooding, and to create more areas for grazing and such assisted in the establishment of what is now a premier reserve. Recent extreme weather events have seen the reserve flooded as the fury and force of the North Sea surged over and through the protective "North Bank". A simple visual assessment of how tenous is the permanence of the reserve can easily be arrived at by looking along the shingle embankment and imagining how circumstances must be in the midst of a winter storm.

Today, however, was pleasant, sunny and allowed full benefit to be taken by walking along the raised embankment, which I did all the way to Salthouse and back. My efforts were directed at seeing a couple of SHORELARK which have been in the area for some time. Usually a winter visitor these birds have hung on way beyond the usual time of departure. As can be seen from the photograph the landward side of the bank plays host to a variety of vegetation, squatting low as it does away from the force of the wind. Eventually the birds were pinned down within an area of this cover close to the access point from the East Bank showing that , somehow , I had initially walked past them! Whilst it had been a frustrating afternoon I suspect the bracing atmosphere had been of more than a little benefit and had acted as the prelude to the final reward.

Yet another good day!

Hectic, but successful, day. 18/5/2011.

A further visit to Titchwell RSPB Reserve provided much the same species but with markedly better views of 3 Temmincks Stints, the male Red-crested Pochard, several summer plumage Black-tailed Godwits and an absolutely resplendent Grey Plover in full summer plumage. The occasion also provided an opportunity to obtain photographs of the new, almost futuristic, Parrinder hide which has taken place alongside major habitat and flood protection work which was completed recently.

Very modern and poised , I suspect , to receive some recognition award from the architectural community. My only major gripe is that there is no longer a sill on which one might rest a telescope given the "big sky" viewing windows. It's now necessary to use a tripod ( not always easy in a packed hide ) or to have the piece of kit that clamps onto the shelf below the windows
( another bit of equipment to carry!).

Whilst there I received a call from my son, Matthew, advising a Gull-billed Tern had been picked up at Kelling flying in a westerly direction and that there was a good chance of it reaching Titchwell. Alerting other people I waited for well over an hour, but with no luck, only to find out later it had flown past ten minutes after my departure.

I'd moved elsewhere and had the benefit, somewhat deflated after receiving the news about the tern (!),of seeing several SPOONBILLS at a site where they were present last year too. A measure of compensation in some respects and an opportunity to have a chat with the warden as well. Other birds present were Little Egrets and Egyptian Goose, besides a variety of wetland and woodland species. On returning to the car I got a further call from my son, ably acting as Controller in far off Sheffield, that the tern had reappeared at Titchwell.

A somewhat focussed journey followed, together with a splendid response from the short, fat hairies as I negotiated the main footpath of the reserve at "retirement speed" and there it was, GULL-BILLED TERN, resting up on a small island and providing excellent views. The wholly black, stubby bill, shallow fork to the tail and stocky or robust appearance all came through well from a bird that was doubtless from one of the north European breeding colonies. And then , after only a few minutes, it flew off, disappeared , but then re-appeared and flew off to fields south of the reserve where it proceeded to systematically quarter the area. A narrow escape for me, as views were then somewhat distant and nothing approaching the magnificent lens filling images of the foregoing few minutes. Phew!

And so the return journey to "base" in the early evening was much more jubilant than had been that taken in the afternoon.

Perspectives on Frampton Marsh RSPB Reserve.

I was so taken with my visit to the above reserve that I thought it worth setting out a selection of photographic shots I took whilst I was there. It's certainly worth a visit!

This is just a general view across the site with the reserve Centre in the far background and an impression of the site's features.

Another general view of the site in a different part of the site which also shows the retining embankment giving prtection too from any incursion of the sea across this very flat and exposed landscape.

The site's drainage is managed by an intensive pattern of ditches, which also play host to species like Sedge Warbler and Reed Warbler and doubtless many others too during migration times.

One of the interesting features on this reserve is this artificial "wall" which provides breeding sites for a very thriving colony of Sand Martin.

The reserve itself is located in a very open landscape and every effort has been made to provide nesting sites for bird species not directly associated with the wetland habitat. This nestbox "city" obviously serves such a process and assists in widening the species diversity of the reserve.

All in all an interesting site in a fascinating part of the English countryside.