Skylarks Galore!!

Spent most of yesterday watching first two Coal tits systematically devouring my bird seed in the garden and then second watching a great tit trying to dodge 3 cats as it fed its young in a nest it had made in a stone greek wine vessel which was actually on the floor!!!  Why do they build nests in the most inappropriate places?

Today I stayed local and came across these two enjoying themselves on a local pond..

Linnets were well happy calling in the trees and then i noticed a huge number of Skylarks there must have been over 50 birds in one field it was amazing to see and so vocal.Also ran into 70-80 greylag goslings it must be a bumper year for them and then two of the biggest Hares I have ever seen (greyhound size) Honest!

Onto the NDC.

Its hard to believe how the North Duffield Carrs have recovered after the hit it took this winter.

 I cant believe this is the same spot that was under water less than 3 months ago.And then onto a real heinz 57 duck god knows what this is a hybrid of?

 Not the same pic it was just nice to see the Terns in the background.

Spent the last hour in the GS hide at north duff and was rewarded with Snipe, Blackcap, Shelduck,Marsh harrier,Curlew,Sedge Warbler and Redshank.

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.

Boxing Day Out..

Started out with a trip to the local hide (GS at North Duffield) was greeted by a familiar face..

POP Goes the Weasel
Then went down to the hide and watched a Weasel trying to catch a Wren !! Brilliant!!

A slight increase in Water levels and the water is now on the road (passable at the moment) Loads of Teal and Wigeon and 100+ Swans distant in the valley.Two Buzzards soaring kept the local pigeon population on its toes then a high speed flypast by a large Sparrowhawk within 20 feet of the hide, Ketrel was struggling to find food but the local Robins were as vocal as ever.

Five Pintail (4male 1 female) were showing well but distant.

 

 

 

A stunning flock of 50+ Dunlin put on a fine show, as did the huge Lapwing flock.

 

Very strange to see what looked like a Dunlin (cheers Tim) leading the flock of Lapwing.

 

 

 

 

Boxing Day Crackers ...12 Long Tailed Tits were looking for food outside the hide.

 







 

Then a stunning distant flypast by a Male Marsh Harrier incredible in the sun. The swans at the far end of the valley were too much of a temptation so I decided to up sticks and head off, Not much at Thorganby so i moved on to be rewarded by a bird i have seen once this year and twice last year good to see its doing well..





 

Four distant Whoopers and at least 2 Bewicks in a line of 30-40 Mutes taking shelter from the wind.

 

2pm and the weather taking a turn for the worse so i headed off home and noted a large flock of Finches flying across the road Chaffinch and Brambling hope to catch up with them tomorrow,

 

Also had 150+ Rooks,Blackbird,and over 1000 gulls mainly Black headed and common Tufted Duck and Gadwal were also noted .