Winter is a good time to find Hen Harriers that have come down from their moorland habitats, searching the surrounding fields for small mammals and birds. Today, I was able to watch four Hen Harriers in two locations bordering the estuary. One was clearly a juvenile by its smaller size and the others females. They spent much time on the ground, but when flying performed articulate flights with hovers and dives, in pursuit of prey. Other raptors seen in the area included - 1 Marsh Harrier, 1 Common Buzzard, 2 Peregrine, 1 Sparrowhawk and 3 Kestrels. 4 Short-eared Owls were found in one field!
A favourite venue of mine in the winter months, Scarborough harbour provides an excellent opportunity for close photography of any sheltering seabirds. Divers, Grebes and White-winged Gulls can all be found here with a little luck and the right conditions. Today was another day of 'black and white' photography in rather poor light for much of the day - I can't wait to get back to the Algarve next month and find some daylight! Hiding away in the small yacht harbour, a Great Northern Diver in winter plumage was an impressive bird with its dagger-like bill held out horizontally. After watching the Diver for a few minutes, it was clear that small crabs were being devoured at an amazing rate, in fact on each dive. The crab legs appeared to be either bitten off, or eaten, before the body was swallowed whole! The Great Northern Diver watching a Great Black-backed Gull overhead. In contrast, a much slimmer Red-throated Diver was asleep, outside the harbour early on and later, was seen in the main harbour. A winter plumaged Guillemot was resting in the harbour. Still present was the long-staying Black-necked Grebe. I spent a couple of hours back at Crook Ness, looking for the Shore Larks and maybe a Lapland Bunting. Unfortunately, I didn't see either but was pleased to see a calling flock of around 30 Snow Buntings pass over the fields. Back in Scarborough, a flock of 30 Waxwings were in the centre of town, stripping berries from a solitary tree.
This extensive wetland and flood plain, controlled by the Environment Agency is not one of my regular sites. It does produce excellent birds and there, I have seen Green-winged Teal, Broad-billed Sandpiper and Wilson's Phalarope in 2008 and Semi-palmated Sandpiper in 2010. It is also a site favoured by Spoonbills in the summer months. With the recent storm finally dying down, I ventured out on a still dark, drizzly morning and soon found a huge number of birds across the site. At least five Marsh Harriers in the air constantly put up the wintering flocks of waders and wildfowl. Hundreds of Lapwings accompanied by a few Golden Plover, swirled in huge flocks, attempting to settle on the mud. From the first hide (and out of the rain), it wasn't long before a Water Rail emerged from the near reedbed. Looking out from the hide, Teal in the hundreds accounted for most of the wildfowl. Good numbers of Shoveler, Mallard and Shelduck were widespread and six Gadwall were seen, together with four Pintail. Three Whooper Swans came from the North and passed over the reserve before heading East downriver. Waders consisted of Redshank, Black-tailed Godwits, Dunlin, Snipe, 4 Ruff were seen and 3 Spotted Redshank in their winter plumage were the nearest waders. Spotted Redshanks. This Little Egret dropped in front of the hide and stayed to feed. Along the reeds, 2 Cetti's Warblers called, Wrens and Reed Buntings flitted about and when the rain finally stopped, the Bearded Tits began to show well. With some time to spare this afternoon and a glimmer of winter sunshine, I popped over to nearby Pickering Park in West Hull. Last year I found this normally uneventful park was the winter home for a reasonable number of Goosanders and some have returned again already. There were eight birds altogether - five females and three males, one of which looked as though it was still coming out of eclipse plumage and was rather scruffy! The lake at Pickering Park in winter sun. Most of the birds that were present. The autumn leaves on the surrounding trees cast a golden glow on the water. There appeared to be some rivalry already among the males, when coming too close to a particular female! The female Goosanders below. Also around the lake were 2 Moorhen, 6 Coot, a small number of Mallard, 1 Little Grebe and a pair of Tufted Duck. I was quite surprised to see a male Shoveler on the far side of the lake. The park playing field attracts some geese in winter and 30 Canada Geese with 75 Greylags were present today.
A real surprise from the kitchen window this morning was the sight of a Brambling near my feeders. This is a very scarce winter visitor in the garden and I have only one other record, four years ago. A female Brambling in this case, it spent a while sitting in the shrubs before dropping to the feeders for some sunflower seeds. A lovely little bird to have in the garden, it stayed for around half an hour before moving on.
It's been quiet in the garden this week, although I do have a pair of Stock Doves daily and two Goldcrests keep appearing briefly, with the tit flock. Last week, five Waxwings called as they flew over the garden but I can't find any locally. It seems they are all North of Scarborough at the moment! My visit to Spurn today did have a certain plan in mind. Given the onset of wintry weather, the search for particular species or target birds sometimes works well. Possibilities that sprung to mind were - Shore Lark, Lapland Bunting, Little Auk, Waxwing and perhaps, yesterday's juvenile Pallid Harrier.
I decided to pass Welwick early on and head for the coast at Easington where I might come across the aforementioned shore birds and leave the Harrier for later on. Well, that was mistake number one as, the harrier showed early at Welwick and then disappeared for some hours! The sea was rough at Easington and although I saw a few Red-throated Divers, one Great Northern Diver and small flocks of Common Scoter, I didn't see a Little Auk. The lagoons at Easington looked a good sheltered spot and I'd soon found a Snow Bunting, followed by a second one, a few minutes later. Two Grey Plover and three Sanderling were on the side of the lagoon. On the beach were more Sanderling and three Twite dropped in briefly before flying North. No sign of any shore larks on the ground I covered. I went to Sammy's Point and watched the latest thrushes, mostly Blackbirds and Fieldfares now. I thought it would be a good spot for a certain harrier to glide past too! On leaving Sammy's, I heard the Pallid Harrier had evaded all watchers between Welwick and Kilnsea and was now heading South at Spurn itself. I thought the closest I would get, would be to drive to the Crown&Anchor corner in Kilnsea, and scan the peninsula. Through my bins, I picked up a 'dot' which was flying South and generally conforming to the observations I was hearing on the radio. By the time it reached the lighthouse, I was looking through Lance's scope and was making out a certain harrier! The question is - was that sighting worth a Life List tick? Through my bins it was a dot, through a scope it was a dot with wings! The fact remains, it was a Pallid Harrier and I was watching it, albeit three and a half miles away, as it headed for Lincolnshire!! |
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