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.

Review of the week.

Started to get itchy feet this week as it was the first real break since Christmas.So decide to head out to the coast on Tuesday more for the scenery rather than the birding.But I suppose the two go hand in hand on the Yorkshire Coast.

A nice start was this tufted on the LDV before I set off. Then onto the coast.

Kittiwake in good number.

As were Fulmar.

Plenty of Redshank looking for a meal with the gulls

and over 50  curlew helping themselves in the seaweed.

Sadly a dead bottle nosed dolphin on the beach was less pleasant but then spent the next half hour watching a grey seal of the cliffs at flamborough.  Brilliant!

Yorkshires mount Fuji!!

This was not mount Fuji but the view from Angram reservoir just before the bad weather hit this afternoon.
Got a nice Bullfinch in a local carpark.

Then moved onto Roundhill reservoir and was greeted by 20+Whooper swans.Red grouse in big numbers.

Had a superb Goldeneye (but no pic!) but made up for that miss with a nice Goosander.

Loads of Curlew and Lapwing,and Crows and Jackdaw very vocal and busy.Another cracking day!

Groundhog day!

Had to go off patch today but managed a quick detour around Pately Bridge, and was in for a treat. Arrived at Gouthwaite reservoir only to be told that I had just missed the long tailed duck!

 Bit of a pattern here as I used to specialize in missing grade "A" birds but did manage to get a cracking haul for just a couple of hours effort. I had Curlew,Goldeneye,Lapwing,Great crested grebe,Slovanian grebe,Teal,Wigeon,Mistle Thrush,Grey lag,Canada geese,Black grouse,Kestrel,Willow Tit, and a superb peregrine.

Slav grebe showed well and the pair of great crested grebes.

Nice to see some of the common stuff up close too.

Back to the LDV this week and awaiting waders!!

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....