A visit today by 'Oldham Birders Plus' as part of a larger Manchester Birders recce (Messrs Smallwood and Ousey and respective friends also visiting).
An initial scan of the sea from the car park produced 3 Great Skuas and a Red-throated Diver among the usual sea birds, with a steady passage of Gannets. A circuit south to Old Fall Hedge gave us good views of Siberian Stonechat, Great Grey Shrike and a solitary Velvet Scoter. A fall of Goldcrests and a Short-eared Owl being mobbed by gulls were the other highlights before we spent half an hour or so tracking a very mobile Dusky Warbler up and down (and up again!) Old Fall Hedge. The bird called regularly but showed less frequently, providing one or two good (if brief) views as it was fly-catching from the top of the brambles; however most views were of it flitting round yet another bit of vegetation. Several Redwing and a good number of Brambling came in off the sea while we were trailing Indian file though the thistles.
Sea watching after lunch was marginally less exciting than the morning, the highlight being the location of Karen's 'dirty buoy' - which turned out not to be the dirtiest buoy out there after all , so we headed down to South Landing in the hope of seeing the Firecrest reported earlier. We found a good selection of commoner passerines, heard a Yellow-browed Warbler and had a good look at a very grey (but eventually 'normal') Chiffchaff, but failed to relocate the Firecrest. A Rock Pipit and an interestingly marked Eider were the best of the shore birds. A good day out with a total of 70 species seen, including a Bittern to the south of the M62 between junctions 31 and 32 and a Red Kite north of Howden.
Other wildlife: Grey Squirrel 4-spot Orb Weaver Spider
-- Edited by Mike Chorley on Monday 19th of October 2015 10:21:01 AM
Made an early start today to Flamborough North Landing with John Barber. Unfortunately not early enough as we missed the Crag Martin by about half an hour. During the day we had a good look around for it, we were not alone, I have never seen as many birders in one place before. Even with all of the searching the bird was, as far as I am aware, not reported again. Despite that disappointment we were rewarded with excellent close up views of our other target bird, the Tawny Pipit in an area of gorse south of the lighthouse. Also of interest big numbers of Gannets, Razorbills and Guillemots as well as Kittiwakes and Fulmar. A Wheatear and Peregrine were other birds of note.
-- Edited by sid ashton on Monday 14th of April 2014 08:26:48 PM
as part of a larger Manchester Birders recce (Messrs Smallwood and Ousey and respective friends also visiting).
, so we headed down to South Landing in the hope of seeing the Firecrest reported earlier. We found a good selection of commoner passerines, heard a Yellow-browed Warbler and had a good look at a very grey (but eventually 'normal') Chiffchaff, but failed to relocate the Firecrest. A Rock Pipit and an interestingly marked Eider were the best of the shore birds. A good day out with a total of 70 species seen, including a Bittern to the south of the M62 between junctions 31 and 32 and a Red Kite north of Howden.