A variety of wetlands! 25.1.2013.

Initially the weather seemed to be relenting, finally, but late afternoon saw it snowing again with temperatures not improving.

We decided to visit the lagoon at Mirfield, West Yorkshire where the adult Ring-billed Gull, present last year, had returned to once again. This is a rare bird in Yorkshire but this individual had been mobile of late, no doubt influenced by the drastic weather conditions. Having located the "favourite" lagoon frequented by the bird we found it more or less frozen over, other than a couple of open lenses of water. A group of gulls , mainly of Black-headed Gulls but with odd Common Gull too, held promise and so it was that a bird, initially facing away from us, turned around and proved itself to be the adult bird concerned. Thankfully it remained in situ and provided excellent views. A good start!

Our next visit was to the Calder Valley Wetlands near Wakefield, whose access I was keen to learn about. A great site, just off the M1, with a good variety of duck , all of which can be seen easily and well. As with the nearby Pugneys site, this water body would also appear to be one than freezes over later than others and ,therefore, attracts good numbers of duck in times of harsh weather. With the adjacent car park, pub serving meals, nearby large supermarket, this site lends itself to being used for family "introduction to waterbirds" events by some conservation body or the Local Authority.

A quick visit to the Anglers Country Park to take a look at the Long-tailed Ducks which were present. Both birds were feeding avidly and spent more time below the water surface than in view. Nonetheless, they were fairly close and gradually good views of them were obtained. Several other species were in evidence and, on the adjacent Wintersett Reservoir, both Smew and Greater Scaup were present. Whilst we didn't remain to witness the spectacle, the traditional gull roost has seen both Yellow-legged and Caspian Gulls in recent times and the late afternoon is also the period when one might gain a glimpse of a wintering Bittern. Apart from the more dramatic occurrences, the feeding station  immediately adjacent to the car park is a facility which shouldn't be ignored, with a wide variety of passerines on show, all of which can be enjoyed from the comfort of one's car whilst having a coffee! Coffee, convenience and conservation in action!!  Following a chat with Peter Smith and Angie Smith, and a "catch up" on absent friends and colleagues, we left to visit a new site near to Royston.

Rabbit Ings is a large site, formerly the location of a drift mine, a coal stacking facility and a spoil heap, whose transition into its current state bears little relation or connection to its former configuration. As with the expertise associated with Lakenheath, the capability nowadays to restore areas and convert them into sites of conservation value is quite remarkable.  The substrates associated with sites such as Rabbit Ings demand particular expertise and engineering competence and the site is a very apt example of how this has been executed in abundance. A large area which, despite the bitter temperatures and snow, was being enjoyed by walkers, joggers and birdwatchers alike. Large areas of rough grassland, a  small wetland, hawthorn and birch "copses", all contrive to present a collection of habitats  that so very often nowadays are dismissed, if not destroyed. And what of the birds?  Despite being a "new" site, since September,2011 up to six Short-eared Owls have been recorded, along with Kestrel, Buzzard and Long-eared Owl. Of particular interest,  thriving numbers of Grey Partridge are present, of which we saw a few birds, and from which hopefully a more widespread population will grow now that this important nucleus habitat is protected.  All in all a most welcome initiative and all concerned must be congratulated in bringing this to reality. For me, a particular joy was in meeting  past friends, Cliff Gorman  and, earlier, Keith Bannister, with whom I was in regular contact when living at home with my parents opposite to another favourite area, Carlton Marsh Reserve, many (!) years ago.  How quickly the years speed by!!

Birding on Borrowed Time! 24.1.2013.

No, not the book that Phoebe Snetsinger wrote about her birding exploits, but the fact that the three score years and ten have run out!! I suppose the day should have been dominated by concerns over "Sell By Date" banner headlines and Actuarial Statistics but , instead , we concentrated on trying to see Waxwings throughout most of the morning. We didn't and must , therefore, be the potential recipients of some award to birders that recognizes failure!  Sheffield, nowadays, seems to be the "Winter UK Capital" in many respects for Waxwings. Where were they for heaven's sake?

Next we did the full-on urban birding bit with heavy traffic moving immediately behind us whilst we scanned through endless gulls resting out on a warehouse roof.  Eventually we located our quarry, a fine adult Caspian Gull and discovered later that an immature too was present in the same area. I discovered later that we were also on the edge of Sheffield's Red Light District!!  Not a spot to be recognized on one's birthday I suggest, but the extremely low temperatures and snow underfoot did a thorough job and ensured any errant thoughts were  put to bed   dismissed !

The remaining part of the day was "birthday boy" orientated with a viewing of  "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy", and absolutely excellent film, ( make sure you see it )  and dinner out in the evening.

Return of the Natives. 23.1.2013.

This was our final day within Norfolk before returning to South Yorkshire so we headed down to what, for both of us , has become somewhat of a favourite RSPB reserve, Lakenheath Fen. This is a success story of a major kind and serves to show what conservation expertise can achieve and what it is clearly capable of.

The long trudge out in the snow to the Common Crane viewing point would have been applauded by a cardiologist, but didn't feel particularly rewarding in a personal sense!! A highlight was disturbing a Chinese Water Deer close by to the path, which afforded great views, even to our being able to see the small antlers it sported. Numbers of Blackbird, Redwing, Fieldfare and the odd Song Thrush foraged determinedly within the woodland plantations and a couple of flocks of Goldfinch were in evidence. Despite the harsh weather small birds here were more obvious than in several other places and a female Merlin hunted some hapless group in the distance.

However, with Grey lag Geese, Cormorant, Magpie, Reed Bunting, odd Blue Tits , several Marsh Harriers and even reasonable views of a single Bittern being on offer there was no sign of our quarry, and even with endless layers of clothing, the relentless, and renowned (!), coldness of the Fens finally begins to bite!

Disgruntled and in need of a lift, a Crane perhaps?

And so we sat, stamped our feet, took coffee, called on St. Jude......but to no avail, of Common Cranes there was no sign! However, and to prove we at least were in the right place, the information board in the hide served to stiffen our resolve to visit on another occasion. After all, on every previous visit we'd been lucky and, given the circumstances, it was hardly surprising the birds were moving around a little.

Click on the photograph to enlarge the size and enable you to read the print.

The journey back to Sheffield was uneventful, provided an opportunity to celebrate successes and commiserate over failure. The weather forecast even promised a gradual improvement,  well it would , wouldn't it, now that we'd survived the worst and seen some great birds in the process. In passing, thanks too to Matthew for the sterling work he'd put in doing all the driving ( rallying even! ) during the whole period and making the trip possible.

Golden moments! 22.1.2013.

It had snowed overnight, but only to a depth of 2" or so. Our first destination was Salthouse beach where we quickly found four obliging Snow Buntings. There was no sign of much else so we returned to Cley and walked east on the coastal bank , i.e. towards Salthouse, in an attempt to locate the Shorelarks seen previously, but to no avail. Various groups of Linnet and Goldfinch fed on the sparse vegetation and a good collection of duck and waders was on Arnold's Marsh. All in all the general spectacle was somewhat forlorn as a Little Egret aptly portrayed within a snow filled vista.

 
After calling in to see Patrick Dwyer at the Cley Centre we continued westwards to the Holkham area with the intention of having a good tramp around the Park to search for Lesser Spotted Woodpecker. Whilst, on one occasion, we had a single Green Woodpecker and three Great Spotted Woodpeckers in the same tree there was no sign of their smaller relative. Despite an extensive search we were out of luck although had some fine views of Redwing foraging below the grand tress that comprise the woodlands and of several Woodcock too.

With time creeping on we decided to go to Hunstanton to view the sea. Despite good sea conditions little was in evidence from either the cliffs, other than the odd Fulmar, or the Ski ramp site and so we reviewed what we might best recover from the day. Our decision to go to Wolferton Triangle and sit it out in an attempt to see Golden Pheasant took the vote and so we went even further west. So, imagine our  incredulity and delight when, at 1521 hours on a winter's afternoon, two magnificent male Golden Pheasants were feeding out on the grass "verge" running along the woodland. We'd usually relied on the advice of dawn and dusk visits being best, neither of which we'd found over the years was guaranteed , so mid-afternoon was a pleasant surprise. The colours on these birds has to be seen to be believed with contrast, vibrancy and sheer variation of colour being so extensive that it's difficult to retain a mental picture of what they're like!! This was more than an apt substitute for what we'd failed to see earlier!

And so, what to do now with a good hour or so of daylight remaining. Titchwell and the harrier roost took the vote and we took up station behind the new "blind" beyond the Fen hide which gives a good view of the reedbeds. A further surprise was in store as we had good views of the single female Red-crested Pochard before beginning to scan around in earnest for arriving harriers. As before 9/10 Marsh Harriers arrived to roost and a single ring tail Hen Harrier together with odd Little Egret. A couple of hunting  Sparrowhawk sped across the reedbeds and  a roost of Magpies noisily formed nearby until gradually the activity and noises of the day gave way to silence. Calling Cetti's Warbler and a couple of Water Rail brought the final Act to a close and we discovered that we were the last car left in the car park yet again!! Yet another rewarding day!

Service now resumed!

First of all, many apologies for the abrupt absence of "service" over past days.  I had supposedly made provision for WiFi access where I was staying, which worked for one evening only, as opposed to the whole week. Yours not impressed!  Waves will be made.

Talking of waves, I also changed my arrangements, sensibly I think, for my return to Islay. It meant setting aside a couple of commitments and visits in Lancashire and Dumfries, but I think it was well advised.  I was due to return today  Mon.4th , but if I say the wind has just whipped a large refuse bin across the yard you'll understand why I made the decision!  I managed to get back late on the 2nd (Sat) on a perfect sea.........

I have reports for the time I was away and will be catching up with their posting over the next couple of days.    

Spirits finally raised. 21.1.2013.

A mere 3-4 inches of snow thankfully ensured our plans remained intact as we headed across to the coast at Bacton.  A seawatch from a point opposite a now closed breakfast venue (!) produced Red-throated Divers offshore but nothing on the move, so we moved on northwards.  Sustained by a breakfast at Morrisons ( see the hopefully forthcoming and potentially best seller The Barnsley Boys Breakfast Book ) we then moved along the north coast with conditions certainly no worse.

Calling in at various sites our destination for the day was Titchwell RSPB  Reserve, although we paid a quick visit to the Choseley Barns site where we had a few Yellowhammers and a single Corn Bunting. Moving on to Titchwell the car park area provided a winter wonderland spectacle.

In the tangle of  bushes behind the Centre we had excellent views of a Chinese Water Deer that, despite its colour managed to "lose" itself very effectively. Within the same area, Chaffinch, Brambling, Greenfinch, Song Thrush, Blackbirds and endless Robins were confiding and feeding frantically. A single Jay seemed out of context and repeatedly called at us from an exposed tree.

Moving towards the sea a variety of duck and waders were on the various lagoons including Pintail, Gadwall, Shelduck, Spotted Redshank, Avocet, Black-tailed and Bar-tailed Godwit.  A flock of Barnacle Geese ( 60 ) posed a question as to origin as they fed adjacent to numbers of Dark-bellied Brent Geese. Eventually we reached the coast where an immense number of gulls was present all along the strand, mainly Herring and Black-headed Gull , but with Common and a single Mediterranean Gull. Various waders were noted including Grey Plover, Oystercatcher, Knot , Sanderling . Behind the dunes a flock of Skylark held a single male Lapland Bunting which provided excellent views, and within the nearby saltmarsh vegetation numbers of Meadow Pipit and Reed Bunting desperately foraged. Patient scrutinizing paid off as we eventually found one, possibly two Water Pipit. We decided to spend the last hour and a half watching the harrier roost within which time we also had Little Egret, heard both Cetti's Warbler and Water Rail and had some excellent close views of  feeding Bearded Tits before they went into roost. A small flock of 20+ Corn Bunting swiftly flew across the reed bed previous to their moving into roost.  Marsh Harriers had successively swept into view, circled over the main reed bed before dropping into roost together with a single ring tail Hen Harrier which took a little more time to decide on an acceptable location.  Finally, with the light beginning to fade, we made our way along the bank. On a section of open mud a couple of Common Snipe fed and were joined by a single Jack Snipe, which provided good views in silhouette showing its smaller size and shorter bill  before it settled and briefly afforded reasonable views as darkness descended. Moving back to the car park a single Muntjac deer stealthily crept across the path into deeper cover. Later, as we unloaded the car at our overnight accommodation in Cley a Tawny Owl called, providing a fitting end to what had been a successful day later celebrated by decidedly palatable Abbot Ale!

What's all this about climate change? 20.1.2013.

Up and out before dawn to arrive at Lynford Arboretum as early as possible. The light was just beginning to improve as we left the car park and headed down towards the lake, but not before two Common Crossbills had flown over our heads calling. A nice start!

Slowly we proceeded with birds appearing all the time, Goldcrest, Great, Blue and Marsh Tits, Treecreeper and Great Spotted Woodpecker, all seen amidst an almost fairy tale setting . Eventually we reached the lake and hung around hoping to see, or even hear, Hawfinch , but with no success.

The alders around the lake held a good flock of Siskin along with a few Lesser Redpoll and so we slowly retraced our steps back to the car park.

Striking off east we then visited Buckenham Marshes, but at the Cantley end, after being warned by the level crossing man that we'd probably get stuck as we didn't have 4WD!  Certainly the temperatures seemed lower as we went down to the edge of the huge marsh to look for Bean Geese. Whilst birds had been reported, our only sightings of geese related to a few Canadas with very little else being in evidence. Was this going to be one of those days where effort far surpassed any return, as it was beginning to feel that way!!

On to the coast at Great Yarmouth and a convenient car park where we could grab a bite to eat and watch Mediterranean Gulls in the process. This area provides such a great opportunity to see this species in different plumages and at close range too. Whilst watching out over the sea we had a 1st winter Little Gull moving along the coast in an ever freshening easterly wind. We later learnt that there had been other sightings along the coast of this species. It seemed our luck was turning at last!

On to the Haddiscoe area just inland to look for Rough-legged Buzzard and other birds from the various vantage points overlooking a vast swathe of grazing marsh. We cast around generally for a short while without much success and then "took up position" at Haddiscoe Bridge. I'd never been here before and can now understand the advice that , periodically, you can return to the car for respite!!. Easily the coldest place in Britain ( well , it felt like that! )  although the view is certainly impressive. Endless scanning produced no sign of  any buzzard species, but a Marsh Harrier and a hunting Barn Owl was some consolation. We moved to the other side of the bridge in a strong wind, darkening sky and plummeting temperatures!! It would not have been a surprise to see Sir Ranulph Fiennes trudging up the other side towards us such was the exposure on the top section!!!  Certainly the current and popular topic of increasing global temperatures appeared to have utterly ignored this part of the world!!  Bleak wasn't in it and it was nigh impossible to sustain any focussed attention over the marsh, particularly as it now started to snow!! And so we staged a tactical retreat to Acle and its Travelodge amidst more sustained snowfall that promised a possible challenge for the day beyond!

Eastward Ho! 19.1.2013.

Well, I suppose caution was the cornerstone of success, but we made Rutland Water early morning given the conditions hadn't worsened. It was good to be the first people onto parts of the Reserve and provided a real sense of exploration. Some water areas were frozen over , but others had good concentrations of waterbirds which provided great views ( Mallard, Teal, Wigeon, Pochard, Tufted Duck, Gadwall, Goldeneye, Goosander, Mute Swan and Great Crested Grebe.)  Odd Heron and Cormorant appeared to be stoically sitting out the conditions, but numbers of Coot were as active as ever. Whilst sitting in one of the hides we had the most superb views of Water Rail picking around and out in the open. It remained for ages and, given the conditions, we took care not to disturb it.  Excellent views were had of a  Red Fox hunting along  the edge of one of the lagoons, its progress marked by periodic "eruptions" of duck. As we returned on our first "leg"  ( there are 31 hides at Rutland! ) we had good views of a Kingfisher along a dyke, and various passerines began to be more in evidence.

Calling in to the Centre, a chat with Tim Appleton ( Manager of the Rutland Water Reserve complex) provided information on where Smew had been seen, so we trudged off in the other direction this time with conditions cold , but pleasant. Sightings of Bullfinch, various thrushes, and Common Snipe added to the ever-growing list before we arrived at the appropriate viewing point after what might best be described as an invigorating walk!!  Here many more duck were on show, including a male Smew. The majority were "packed" across the other side of the water body and undoubtedly included the female birds which had been reported.  And so the time arrived to depart and end what had been an absolutely delightful visit to a great area.

Now for the Fens. Now it has to be said, we didn't go off the beaten track and so we encountered no difficulties at all!!  To boot, we had great views of Whooper and Bewick Swans, saw a couple of large flocks of Skylark (400+ ) , several Kestrels and odd passerine species.  Our intention to visit Lakenheath RSPB Reserve and walk out to the watchpoint for Common Crane had to be abandoned as time was slipping away, so we went to the Santon Downham area instead. Strangely quiet, silent even in many respects , so the day ended on a subdued note, although our success at having reached our various venues far exceeded any disappointment.  

Change is in the air and on the ground! 18.12013.

Whilst no more snow had fallen it was very cold! The situation underfoot and on side roads was a bit iffy and the visibility was poor at best. In the screening woodland around the Travelodge Redwings and Blackbirds silently, and rather desperately, foraged for food which suggested the poor conditions were already begining to take effect. Having already altered or abandoned various intended plans I was left with a fairly easy day where I could respond to what were obviously going to be changing conditions.

 After a failed venture to see male Smew ( I later learned it had moved! ) and a couple of mini-adventures in "virgin car parks" at local reservoirs, I completed a few domestic tasks and then went to visit a couple of friends. This was always going to be a non-birding day, but conditions then suggested such circumstances might extend further than today!! Full of tea and trepidation I moved southwards to Sheffield, where snow began to fall in earnest but appeared to be making the travel situation no worse. Matthew and I decided to go for it and headed southwards down the A1, only to encounter a major diversion due to an accident which added at least an hour to our journey time. Conditions around Melton Mowbray were rough and deteriorating and it was with decided relief that we reached our Travelodge.  Lessons learned......many and several!!

Calm before the storm? 17.1.2013.

Dawn had not yet broken when I left home to travel to the ferry terminal. As I moved down off high ground a lone Woodcock fled its nightime feeding area and moved east to the conifer plantations in which it would spend the day. Later, as I wound my way northwards up the Rinns, a large Red Deer stag nonchalantly wandered out from a field gate in the half light  causing more than a little apprehension!!  They're more a nuisance at dawn than at night when they tend just to stare at you from the fields and all you see is "bright eyes"!  Their nightly movements from dense cover onto convenient farmland grazing is a regular feature and something to be vigilant about.

The sea looked grey and forbidding, with the early part of the voyage a little lumpy, although the final part was quite calm and even the sun broke through. The journey across Argyll was picture post card quality with the landscape bathed in weak sun and the snow capped uplands providing a backcloth to it all. Despite all the recent wintry weather Moles ( which we don't have on Islay ) had obviously been active with long lines of "hills"  along various stretches of the roadside verges.

The journey up the latter part of the Rest and Be Thankful Pass saw a brilliant wall of light appear between a couple of high interlocking spurs. It was bright and extensive and of sheer Hollywood quality, almost raising an expectation of some magical figure like Merlin suddenly emerging with stick in hand!!  Soon, with the potentially worst part of the journey completed, although with no snow and the landslide threat seemingly under control little disruption was likely anyway, all that remained was to address the long motorway  haul southwards down to West Yorkshire. Despite all the warnings I finally arrived safely to be greeted by a couple of inches of snow and freezing conditions.