Waders at last....

 Freezing cold day but it was well worth it. Bewicks and whoopers showing well but the real highlight was the mass influx of waders.Huge numbers of Dunlin, Ruff, Lapwing,Curlew, Golden Plovers, Shelduck, Gadwall,Wigeon,Teal, and a massive gull roost building up.

Will be back out tomorrow....

Here we go again!!!!!!!!!!!

Snow gone but guess what happens when snow melts.

The Derwent has well and truly burst its banks and the wind is making the temperature feel 3-4 degrees lower,
Plenty of birds around all the usual suspects Lapwing,Wigeon,Teal etc
Had a quick look around the local paths and came across a large flock of mixed birds (100+) consisted of mixed sparrows Dunnock, Chaffinch, Redpoll, Siskin, Brambling, Yellowhammer, Linnet, Corn Bunting,Greenfinch, High above a female sparrow hawk was giving as good as it got with a single corvid.

Fieldfare in good numbers as were Redwing.

20+ Long tailed tits were busy in the hedgerows and a single GSW was calling from the top of a telegraph pole.

A huge flock of golden plover and lapwings were noted at least 150 birds in the local fields.Rooks numerous as were the local pheasant and partridge populations. (over spill from the shoots??)

Will be back out tomorrow for more.

Over 1000 Wood Pigeon,100+Pintails,Bewicks,Whoopers,Marsh Harriers Mipits

Had a cracking lunchtime early afternoon session on the LDV we actually got some half decent light for a few hours!!! I the great man upstairs was a birder!

Had a walk around and came across a huge flock of Wood Pigeon easily over 1000 birds then had a walk on the usual path other than the run of the mill tits,wrens robins etc there was not a great deal so I moved on lots of rooks and crows about but again nothing of any great interest. A lone kestrel flew across the fields and my usual gaggle of 25+ moorehen were as comical as ever.

Decided to head back when I took a detour as I could see even more woodpigeon flying around, came across this heap of whatever and noticed in the ditch to the left a good size flock of reed bunting 10-15 back at the heap and I noticed upto 30 little birds scurrying about obviously eating something in the heap, I tried to get closer.....

Moved onto the bridge and noted 1000's of teal and wigeon very upset by something in the area (no not me!) more on that later.

 Bloomin Twig (Doh!)

Sorry but could not resist the above two....
Still could not work out why there were so few birds around.
Finally made it to North Duff Carrs came across a lovely thrush and a tiny goldcrest on the way in I then  met up with a stranger to these parts Arnie I think he said his name was!!!

It then dawned on me why there were so few birds out and about there must have been at least three open shoots going on and all the birds had assembled on the carrs. 1000's of birds!!!!!

Pintail coming out of our earholes easily 100+ also brilliant views of Goldeneye, Pochard, Wigeon, Teal, Golden Plover, Lapwing,100's of Tufteds Greylags Mutes Whoopers and at least two Bewicks.

Wildfowl on the river getting seriously spooked......heres why....

 

then this.........

 

and finally this....

 

 

In fairness there were two Buzzard's and Two Marsh Harriers Patrolling the river.

 

Most of the bird action was in front of the farm in the corner where the male scaup put in an appearance so I couldn't resist a peek...

 

Decided to get back to the flock of meadow pipits and skylarks as the light was fading fast had one barn owl and stacks of skylarks in the fields barn owl put in a late show but he was distant and by 3pm the light was so bad I gave it up for the day even my mate below had thrown in the towel,,,,

 

 

 



 

Cold and misty day..

Had a look at to see how much white stuff had landed overnight 2-3 inches was the answer and I quickly realised that the bird feeders were totally empty!!!

Having filled all the feeders and the water trough I returned to the warmth of the house,straight away a single fieldfare flew in and started to tuck into the feast I had laid out in the garden.He/She was quickly joined by two dunnocks a robin and several blackbirds,then the starlings arrived to help clear the bread on the snow.

I decided to have a walk around the village and noticed several bullfinch rummaging around in the shrubs,what was obvious was the huge number of fieldfare in the hedgerows (100+) GSW flew over and a large flock of long tailed tits were observed desperately trying to find food in the shrubs.

I then spotted something moving around in the shrubs turned out to be a dunnock.

walked a bit further flushing out dozens of fieldfare in the process they really are very vocal and hungry.

I decided to move on and see if any barn owls were about found one but sadly he refused to come out of his box obviously much warmer where he was I decided to leave him alone and move on.On arrival at Bubwith bridge it was clear that the river had dropped by a significant amount and visible to all was a huge number of waders golden plover,redshank and snipe in number.wigeon and teal also in big numbers.

Again more fieldfare and several redwing were observed.

I must admit the poor lapwings looked frozen but they were very vocal and were seen to be flying high and then dive bombing other members of the group.

Back at the bridge no sign of the otter that had been seen earlier in the week but there was a small lock of what looked like meadow pipits (6)

Snipe were now all over the place hunting and probing for food in the mud.

I then decided to move onto the GS hide at north duff carrs the light had not been great all day and the mist was descending fast so int the hide stacks of lapwings and a huge flock of Whooper swans (80+) mutes around as well as the usual teal and wigeon,wrens foraging outside the hide and at one point 7 yes 7 robins were seen outside the hide fighting and looking for food, two bewicks flew in late on and as usual the huge gull roost was building up nicely I hope we get some better visibility tomorrow.