No Whinchats

.... but this was in a tree near home. A species I won't be seeing much of pretty soon.

A quick look on the moor found breeding Whitethroats and a Tree Pipit but the reliable Whinchat place proved not so reliable.

Seawatch

The northerly eventually got me out on to the Old Nab yesterday afternoon for a rather damp seawatch. Falling "a over t" down the "bad step" onto the end didn't help. It was always likely to rain and of course it did and I got damp. However, Manx Shearwater, 6; Arctic Skua 1 (adult dark phase); two small flocks of Common Scoter scurrying north, total 28; Razorbill carrying food (looked like sand eels); piles of Sandwich Terns feeding including at least one juvenile, Gannets, Kittiwakes made up a reasonably entertaining two hours.

Earlier at showery Scaling Dam a flock of 52 Mistle Thushes, feeding on bilberry on the moor perhaps, two Cuckoos, an adult and a juvenile, and the first Green Sandpiper of the autumn were fair recompense.

More Spot Fly

Working for much of the day put paid to any proper birding but an afternoon visit to Danby Moor Centre (not my favourite place it should be said but the cakes are good) produced two pairs of Sand Martins and a Spotted Flycatcher.

A Lesser Black-backed Gull sailed past the kitchen window early afternoon, narrowly missing air space (but it might be a tetrad tick). A Buzzard and the ever noisy Kestrels completed my day.

Small Heath was in the garden yesterday.

WhitbyBirding not RIP (yet) merely sleepy

A fortnight without a post, what will my ever dwindling readership be thinking?

Sadly neglected Scaling Dam continues to be sadly neglected. I've not even peeked at a seabird, indeed the only birding has taken place in the garden. This resulted in Lapwing being added to the garden list on Tuesday as one entered airspace, 71. The Garden Warbler and Blackcap have been absent since last weekend but the Chiffchaff still sings from the valley and a pair of Kestrels have at least two fledged chicks making their presence known by loud hunger calls.

An evening at the pub last Saturday started well as we had to stop the car to allow a Woodcock and her family to cross the road on Limber Hill. Later that evening Nightjar and roding Woodcock were heard at one of my regular spots. These were all rather good Atlas / Birdtrack data.

Yellowhammer fledglings have been ever present in the garden along with Coal Tits.

A social evening up the dale resulted in the discovery of three or four pairs of Swift breeding in a farmhouse roof and House Martins have been located at a number of places, although the village colony appears reduced this year.

An Atlas visit to a nearby square resulted in the discovery of Spotted Flycatchers, more House Martins and a local first for me a Kingfisher.

A Hummingbird Hawkmoth was a visitor to the garden again last Saturday. Butterflies are now everywhere in the garden with Ringlet and Meadow Brown being present in some numbers and two Small Skippers joining them. This is along with the ever increasing Red Admirals, Painted Ladies and Small Tortoiseshells which are feeding on the Valerian. The Budlia is about to bloom now providing additional feeding for the butterflies and moths.

Disaster of the week was Louise gripping me off severely by seeing the Graemeshall Loch Great White Egret whilst house hunting up north as I was stuck here working and looking after the offspring. Those who aided and abetted in this dastardly deed (which included a mobile call whilst she was actually looking at the bird) will receive their comeuppance in due course. GWE is a species I have failed to connect with in UK (largely, it should be said, through a slack attitude to twitching one), so salt has now been rubbed vigorously into the wound.

Slightly ameliorating this has been Voda's generosity in providing me with a Blackberry. A picking error resulting in a rather fine bit of kit arriving through my door. (I did own up and they told me I could keep it). This may result in mobile blogging, although my current rate of learning to use this tool is likely to result in that event occurring in 2023. At the moment I am severely challenged to get it to operate on my WiFi - I thought I'd cracked it but then it dropped the connection and I couldn't get it back, maybe low battery?

Spotted Flycatcher calling (with Jackdaw and Chiffchaff in the background)

Garden Warbler

Part of the Open Gardens involves "scarecrow" making and displaying, this year ours was the life cycle of a butterfly.

A Garden Warbler has been singing from all around the garden and once briefly from within it this weekend. The Blackcap is now largely silent but very occasional bursts of sing indicate it is still about, possibly breeding. Over the weekend three young Goldfinch fed on a thistle in "the meadow" and the juvenile Tree Sparrow is appearing regularly with a parent. The House Sparrows seem to have gone.

The first Ringlet of the year was flying on Saturday.

Open Gardens

Our "Open Gardens" leaflet can be found here.

Rather madly, considering our circumstances, we've agreed to do this. The garden is open to visitors today and tomorrow, 11:00a.m. to 4:00p.m. At the moment it's rather foggy and very wet, not ideal.

Tree Sparrows

A juvenile Tree Sparrow was under the kitchen feeder with an adult this morning, they have clearly bred somewhere very close by.

Mothing

Small Elephant Hawkmoth

Elephant Hawkmoth

Elephant Hawkmoth

Probably two Small Elephant Hawks in total and at one point had three Elephant Hawks around the light at once Also plenty of other moths, which will take me a while to id because I'm no great shakes at them.

Sunny Runswick Bay

Dad's Day treat - go to Runswick Bay and have a pub lunch. I'm very fond of the Royal Hotel which serves a good pint of Black Sheep and decent enough grub (fish and chips recommended if you're hungry). You can sit out overlooking the bay and casually bird whilst enjoying these refreshments. This Wood Mouse was in the garden.

On the way down the first Herring Gull chick of the season was on a roof.

House Martins were very active collecting nest material and seven nests were located on the usual building (House Martins seem ok in this neck of the woods). Lesser Whitethroat was singing in the top car park.

Earlier in the morning at home a Cuckoo, cuckooed repeatedly from the plantation beside the garden, didn't make airspace though, the two male House Sparrows were present again, the Blackcap seems to have been joined by a competitor and in the afternoon a veritable flock of three Grey Herons flew past.

The cut field that was sprayed with cow shit now holds a goodly flock of Curlew and plenty of gulls were following the silage cutting tractors including about 60 Black-headed Gulls and 30 Herring Gulls.

Out hunting for more moths for the garden moth recording week, click here for info.

Hummingbird Hawk

Hhhhmmmmmmmm.... Hummingbird Hawkmoth in the garden this evening (very blurry pix in the gloaming). Rather early in the season methinks.

Bees, butterflies and night noises

So the Painted Lady invasion finally reached here with one early in the week in the garden and one in Whitby and then four in the garden yesterday and at least six today.

Bombus hortorum

The bumblebee photos are from last weekend when I had a surprising lack of enthusiasm for birding and stayed at home mooching about.

Bombus pascuorum (also saw B. pratorum)

Up and about early on Saturday morning my wander around the feeders to fill them brought a garden first - the sound of Redstart singing. The bird was in our neighbour's trees about 200 metres away but a nice record none the less. Redstart is much more common on the other side of the dale around the organic farm. The farm which is our neighbour is not organic, it may of course be micro-climate that dictates Redstart ditribution but I do suspect land management practices have something to do with the paucity of breeding Redstart on our side of the dale comparing dismally to the plenty across the beck. Also of note was the Blackcap which has greeted our awakening each morning since last Sunday - I'll upload some song later. A male House Sparrow joined the much more regular Tree Sparrow at the feeders along with the usual gang of Yellowhammers, Greenfinches, Siskins and Goldfinches. Stock Doves are early morning regulars from the kitchen window feeding on the fallen seed from the feeder.

Moody moor

An Atlas visit took up the rest of Saturday morning, bringing few surprises but good numbers of Tree Pipits and proving breeding, two different Cuckoos still cuckooing, Redstart singing and the discovery of some very lovely meadows in a part of the tetrad where I had previously not ventured.

Nice fields

Back home a low flying Buzzard entered airspace and Kestrel was displaying, Sparrowhawk hunting.

Evening arrived and I wondered about moth trapping, Elephant Hawk ought to be on the wing but the birds won, as they usually do and I headed to one of my favourite places. Out of the car and straight away the familiar creaking gate greeted me - LEO hunger calling. The Long-eared Owls had used the same spot as last year. I wanted to check a new spot for Nightjar so didn't linger with the owls and set off tramping. Roe Deer were but shadows in the lower fields, their barks pierced the dusk. On the way to the selected spot I heard Nightjar behind me, from where I had just been .... however, I carried on. The so called promising spot had clearly looked good to my eyes but not to a Nightjar's. Lots of churring was coming from a way away and from a closer but different spot. Eventually, having tramped more I arrived at a territory. Fortunately my midge protection was at least partially effective and over half an hour a male bird flew around me five or six times just 10 feet or so away. An unseen Woodcock roded overhead. I headed home.

Garden today and Orkney report

Today both House Sparrow and Tree Sparrow in the garden, the House Sparrow female feeding two young by the feeders. This is the first sighting of this species, common 400 metres away, in the garden for about a year. Also plenty of Siskin and Goldfinch. Willow Warbler are now whoeeeting in the trees. A Blackcap sang briefly from behind the feeders.

I managed to repair the pond which had sprung a leak, it's now full again.

Orkney report is on my other blog - Literate herring this way It's a very brief account of a very busy week.

Birding time

Awoke early and for the first time in a while felt sprightly before five so ... Initially headed for an Atlas site but it was shrouded in thick cloud so gave up and decided to play hunt the Dotterel again, encouraged by Dave's comments from yesterday. However, Dotterel were laying low, with good reason a male Marsh Harrier was cruising for a bruising. Curlews going beserk, Lapwings distracting like mad ... Plenty of waders up around the Beacon (so Dotterel hunters please tread with care). Also one or two Wheatear up ther but much reduced on a week or so ago. Cuckoo was singing.Tromping around failed to find the quarry (a glimpse of a distant "maybe" in flight, could have been a Goldie though, so a sprightly visit to fresh Scaling Dam found Garden Warbler singing near the hide and the Icelandic Blackwit continuing to feed vigorously in the rapidly shrinking flash.

LRP

Work.

Another attempt for the Dotterel in the late afternoon. Failed.

Birding interrupted

Various things conspired and combined to prevent much birding taking place .... Dotterel turned up at Danby the day I didn't go, Scaling Dam continued to hold the Icelandic Blackwit on Saturday when three Ringed Plover appeared with a Garden Warbler.

On the coast Bonxie cruised past Saltwick and there was much hirundine confusion with small parties of House Martins heading north whilst Swallows gathered and then dispersed south.

Looking south to RHB

In the last couple of days there have been six Dotterel at Danby Beacon but too much work for me to get there .... tomorrow maybe.

Proof of breeding, the young are now very noisy

Tree Rat deterrent - I have an inkling there's something awry with this plan ...

Black Tern time ....

...but not at gloomy Scaling Dam. Met by a birder leaving the hide who indicated a no Black Tern situation I persevered. A Great Crested Grebe was new, 4 Teal fed in the corner and a very odd looking "Herring Gull" didn't fit anything other than an out of season argentatus.

Even at this range the gull with the darker, bluer mantle can be picked out - great pic eh?

I drove up to the beacon to have another hunt around for Dotterel but it was a no Dotterel situation at Danby yet again.

Back down and a hunt around some favoured spots produced little. However, dropping back into rewarding Scaling Dam at the Yorkshire end a Black-tailed Godwit of the Icelandic race was found feeding energetically on the flash.

Another great pic - Icelandic Blackwit

Some owling diversions on the way back found a Long-eared Owl which I didn't see on the fence post until it flew unfortunately, quite decent views though.

Owl time

The early morning outing was somewhat curtailed due to slight over indulgence of the Sauvignon Blanc the night before - drowning the misery of one of the worst movies I have had the misfortune to not watch all of (Anchorman - just don't bother). In any case the Dotterel were nowhere to be found despite careful searching.

This evening there was a Short-eared Owl where I expected a L-eO and an unidentified but very likely L-eO where I expected a S-eO. Tea and chocolate may allow an early expedition tomorrow.

Garganey and gull

Nice pair of Garganey at damp Scaling Dam this afternoon.

A colour ringed gull was amongst the large gulls and when it finally emerged it was a little problematic. The colour ring was a long orange ring with dark numbers/letters (too far away) on the tarsus and there was a metal ring (that perhaps looked too narrow for a BTO) on the left leg. It was a first winter/summer bird. The tertials were almost entirely dark with just a little pale fringing. Bill was all black but not especially heavy. Size was argenteus size. Breast and belly were not especially clean white, although that feature did not show well due to angle. In flight the tail had quite a broad subterminal dark band and there was an obvious pale window in the 2aries. Overall the bird was quite dark with a paler head, white behind the eye and on rear crown. Didn't really seem to fit Yellow-legged Gull but the tertials were odd for argenteus .... Not sure really.

Sand Martins and House Martins were present but little else of note. The Garganey were nice though.

Dotterel time report

It's probably a bit early I guess. I searched Danby Beacon carefully yesterday, no Dotterel were to be found. If you do check this site please be aware that Golden Plover breed near the Beacon, try to look from the road or the car park / Beacon area or at least wander with an awareness of breeding birds.

At the Beacon there were good numbers of Wheatear, suspect these were migrants as at least one seemed to show the characteristics of Ieucorrhoa. Plenty of Kestrel at this site also.

Nearly the best bird yesterday were a pair of Grey Partridge that wandered along the road by my route to sunny Scaling Dam. It is a long time since I have seen this species which four years ago I was seeing more frequently. I have a rant to do about this species but I'll save it for now ....

A Swift was new for the year at Egton Banks and snatches of Lesser Whitethroat were detected there amongst Whitethroat, Redstart, Blackcap, Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff. Still no Garden Warbler though.

Costa Scaling produced Cuckoo but Whinchat and Garden Warbler were elusive. The usual waders were present with Oystercatcher displaying and Herring Gull also undertaking nuptials.

Annoying sound bite off

I've adjusted Spock so he/I've shut up now.

Dotterel time

Tomorrow or Sunday may well be the days to look at high places, I'll be venturing a look at a nearby hill for the smart plover.