Scrapping Spars!

Searching the Yorkshire coast again for passage migrant birds last week brought us precious few ... a smattering of Redstarts,  'WillowChaffs', Whitethroats and a Lesser Whitethroat but the undoubted highlight was a couple of scrapping Sparrowhawks at Buckton. Quite why they were being so aggressive to one another I'm not sure - maybe they were looking for the same prey as us and similarly frustrated took it out on each other! More than likely though one of these birds is just an intruder on the others patch; whatever the reason it was great drama, went on for a good 5 minutes and I'm reasonably pleased with these captures....

All started out quite tame ... just a couple of Spars out a hunting




Sparrowhawk wars, Buckton, 11/09/15



Sparrowhawk wars, Buckton, 11/09/15



Sparrowhawk wars, Buckton, 11/09/15

..... all going so well and then it got kinda nasty!



Sparrowhawk wars, Buckton, 11/09/15

Sparrowhawk wars, Buckton, 11/09/15



Sparrowhawk wars, Buckton, 11/09/15

Sparrowhawk wars, Buckton, 11/09/15

 
 

Sparrowhawk wars, Buckton, 11/09/15

 Not sure if this was the winner or the loser but with normal service resumed after all the commotion it was the sharpest pic!

Sparrowhawk wars, Buckton, 11/09/15

I've never seen Sparrowhawks being so aggressive with one another, in fact not common to see this much interaction between birds that are more often than not seen as lone hunters.

Flamborough for the first proper 'fall' of the year .. Honey Buzzard the star amongst many migrants

It was just 'one of those days' we birders dream about ... late August, persistent easterly winds and a forecast of fog rolling in off the sea and all this after a weekend of sultry storms in these 'ere parts ... there had to be a 'fall' in the offing!!

Red Backed Shrike, Old Fall, Flamborough, 24/08/15

I toyed with the idea of Spurn Point but decided it was just too far and that Flamborough Head would be just as good for the first proper migrant 'fall' of the Autumn - birds migrating South and getting caught by the wind and forced to make landfall on the nearest coast.

Often spectacular and always the chance of a rarity or two, and there were indeed a couple of rarities knocking about - a Red Backed Shrike that didn't look quite as good in the mist and through a fellow birder's scope as this superb pic by Tony Dixon, who if its the same TD, is an old pal of mine going years back ... get in touch Tony!



The other rarity was Icterine Warbler, 2 of them, neither of which I was lucky enough to see but I did manage a splendid Wood Warbler in the Old Fall wood and then a lucky rarity of my own.





Honey Buzzard, Flamborough, 24/08/15

Walking over to the headland from Old Fall hedge I spotted a big hawk coming out of the mist and gliding towards me at cliff top height. It never looked quite right for a Common Buzzard ... jizz was all wrong, long wings, long tail and a well sticky out head .. could it be a Honey Buzzard?











Still to be confirmed by whoever needs to confirm such things but it sure looks like one to me - 




Honey Buzzard, Flamborough, 24/08/15



Honey Buzzard, Flamborough, 24/08/15



Honey Buzzard, Spurn, 24/08/15

A similar bird was seen later on in the day at Spurn and highly likely that these are one and the same judging by the obvious damage to some of its flight feathers. Here's the Spurn pic (courtesy of Nigel Glen) - different light and aspect. Judge for yourself but its the same bird for me!













What a cracking start ... I'd already bagged a Wood Warbler, several Pied & Spotted Flycatchers, a couple of Redstarts, Garden Warbler, dozens of Willow Warblers and then a probable Honey Buzzard - all before 9.00am!




Red Admiral, Flamborough, 24/08/15

Only downside was the poor visibility and with intermittent fog making photography less than easy it was a bit frustrating, especially on the headland, but when the mist cleared it was warm and in addition to the many migrant birds about there were also hundreds of butterflies on the wing - many Wall Browns and Red Admirals plus the occasional Painted Lady.





Wall Brown, Flamborough, 24/08/15



Painted Lady, Flamborough, 24/08/15

..... even managed a half decent 'dragonfly in flight' pic, an Emperor no less

Emperor Dragonfly, Flamborough, 24/08/15

Redstart, Flamborough, 24/08/15

Back amongst the birdies I had mixed fortunes with photographing the common migrants on show. Still lots of leaves on both tree and bush makes it difficult enough without errant twigs spoiling the shot!

And then there are the predators that seem to show up at such times .. I had at least 3 Sparrowhawks on the Headland, all looking for an easy lunch making the migrants skulk even further back into the bushes!











Sparrowhawk, Flamborough, 24/08/15

This Spotted Flycatcher escaped after a frantic chase and will hopefully learn not to choose such a prominent perch next time there are Spars about in numbers!

Spotted Flycatcher, Flamborough, 24/08/15

This is where he should have been, out of sight like this juv Pied Flycatcher, out of sight and learning well!

Pied Flycatcher, Flamborough, 24/08/15



 

 

a late Common Swift was one of half a dozen on the headland



Common Swift (with a House Martin), Flamborough, 24/08/15



 

 A stroll up Hoddy Cow's Lane at Buckton in a vain search for 2 reported Wrynecks also saw the return of mist and fog in the late afternoon but it was not a wasted journey - yet more Pied Flycatchers, Redstarts, various common warblers and a Cuckoo that had surely just made landfall made for nice if less than sharp image

 



Cuckoo, Buckton, 24/08/15



There's a Heligoland trap and bird ringing station up there and sure enough Mark Thomas, otherwise known as the Buckton Birder was hard at work ..... 'birds everywhere' he said simply, and he was right. It seemed as if almost every available perching post was in occupation!

 



Pied Flycatcher, Buckton, 24/08/15







 

 

 

.... and here's my favourite Wheatear pic of the day, it would have been perfect to photograph one on an actual 'wheat ear' but the next best thing - a barley ear was perfect enough!

Wheatear, Buckton, 24/08/15



 

Top day and the first of many more this Autumn I hope. That Honey Buzzard was a new UK bird for me and I'm on the hunt for 2 or 3 more in the next couple of months. If I'd gone to Spurn I would have picked up Red Footed Falcon but lets not be greedy!





Early Summer snippets from North Yorkshire - Pied Flycatchers & Redstarts at Strid, Chimney Moths & Mandarin at Jefrey Bog plus lots of flowers!

Pied Flycatcher (male) pic courtesy of D.Cookson

Out with the lads at Strid Woods (nr Bolton Abbey) recently I was thrilled to see up to 15 or so Pied Flycatchers. One of my favourite 'small birds', they bring back happy memories of my first forays into birding during family holidays in the Lake District when used to wander off into the woods for hours on end and cause my parents much anxiety!

Smart birds, they seemed quite numerous back then and still hold their own there and in Wales but in common with so many insect eating birds habitat loss both here and in their sub Saharan wintering grounds due to de-forestation has seen their numbers decline by 25 - 50% in last few decades. To my knowledge, Strid Wood is about the only place in Yorkshire where they breed nowadays.

Redstart (male) Strid Wood. 8/06/15

To my chagrin I didn't manage a single decent shot.. poor light down I the gorge is barely half an excuse, but we all marvelled at their aerial prowess as they darted hither and thither over the river catching Damselflies. Plenty of Spotted Flycatchers there too along with Redstarts, Grey and Pied Wagtails all feasting on as many winged insects as I've seen this year so far.

Redstart (male) Strid Wood. 8/06/15

Strid Wood itself is a smashing and invigorating walk. The path meanders through the woods and along a section of the River Wharfe that has narrowed and deepened into some dramatic gorges, and eventually ends up at Bolton Abbey. The tea rooms at Strid and the usual tourist trappings of the Abbey have made it a popular place even on weekdays so my to would be to go early!



Strid Wood & River Wharfe

Dipper, Strid. 08/06/15

Kingfisher, Strid. 08/06/15

Meadow Crane's Bill, Strid, 08/06/15

The lads (Mikey & Nick), Strid. 08/06/15

At some point along the walk there's some stepping stones across the river to negotiate and I was devilishly looking forward to taking a pic of Mikey trying to cross with his dodgy knee but we took a detour so it never happened ... but this young Curlew with legs akimbo reminds me now of that missed photo op!

 

Curlew, Strid, 08/06/15

 
 


Same Mikey was after a Mandarin Duck for his UK list, and he got several, but he needn't have gone so far -  a couple of days later I spotted this female on the River Derwent at YWT reserve Jefrey Bog!

Yet another YWT reserve ticked off and visited (that's 62 out of 98 now).










A tranquil place this one and for once the sun shone and there was warmth. Should have brought the butterflies out but it was late in the day so I had to settle for some reasonable pics of Chimney Moths amongst the Ragged Robins, Yellow Flag Iris and Marsh Marigolds .....

Chimney Moth, Jefrey Bog, 09/06/15



Chimney Moth, Jefrey Bog, 09/06/15

Ragged Robin ... interestingly backlit, Jefrey Bog, 09/06/15

Marsh Marigold, Jefrey Bog, 09/06/15

 A few more early Summer snippets from round and about and in no particular order to round things off before the Solstice tomorrow - I'll be on Hatfield Moor again and praying for good light!

Red Campions, River Seven at Normanby, 20/05/15



Speedwell, River Seven at Normanby, 20/05/15

Dog Rose, Askham Bog, 14/06/15

Lastingham with the NY moors beyond, from Normaby, 20/05/15

Marsh Orchid, Askham Bog, 13/06/15

Marsh Thistle, Askham Bog, 13/06/15

Singing Yellowhammer, Wykeham, 10/06/15



Chilling out on Hatfield Moor, a possible new breeder, dashing Hobbies and singing Tree Pipits.

Some more good news for Hatfield Moor / Humberhead Peatlands, a couple of Marsh Harriers look like they're going to breed there this year. Its likely that this is overspill from nearby Potteric Carr where there are at least 3 pairs or even Blacktoft Sands where they're also doing well. With so many of our native birds in decline its heartening to witness the continuing expansion of these graceful raptors and it surely can't be long before a pair nest in the Lower Derwent Valley.



Marsh Harrier, Hatfield Moor, 28/05/15

Not the best of pics because of the distance we were away from the nest site but I don't believe anyone else has managed to photographically record this success story and that was my mission on the day. This is the male, a very pale, relatively small individual that could almost be mistaken for a Montagues Harrier from a distance.





Marsh Harrier, Hatfield Moor, 28/05/15

We'll have to wait and see if they breed successfully but the omens are good.





Hobby, Hatfield Moor, 28/05/15

Hobbies have been doing ok on Hatfield for some time now and along with nearby Thorne Moor, its one of the easiest of places to catch up with these dashing, colourful falcons. This one came out of nowhere as we were waiting for the Marsh Harrier to return, caught a dragonfly and in typical fashion ate it on the wing... all over in a flash and I had to be quick to get these pics!



















Hobby devouring a dragonfly, Hatfield Moor, 28/05/15



Hobby, Hatfield Moor, 28/05/15



Hobby2, Hatfield Moor, 28/05/15

We caught up with another Hobby later in the day, just cruising around, easier to photograph and  perhaps a more 'typical' view but to my mind not as exciting a capture as the previous one ..red trousers on view though!






















Even easier was this nice Tree Pipit, one of several singing birds on the moor. To the untrained eye its just another small brown bird; not as exciting as a dashing Hobby or as colourful as say a Redstart but hey they're just as fascinating. They too migrate 1000s of miles from Africa to breed here and they sing better than Hobbies! Holding their own here I'd say but getting scarcer around my vicinity in the Vale of York.



Singing Tree Pipit, Hatfield Moor, 28/05/15



Tree Pipit, Hatfield Moor, 28/05/15

Bright, warm sunshiny days have been few and far between this May in the UK and this wasn't one of them but biking around Hatfield with me old mucker Mark was as enjoyable as ever .. we got the record shots of a potentially new breeding bird for the reserve (mission accomplished), got plenty of other stuff too - disturbed a few Adders, heard a couple of Garden Warblers and many Cuckoos, and just chilled!



Chilled out on Hatfield

Hatfield Moor



Hatfield Moor

Check out the blog for recent sightings here - Hatfield Moor Blog Red Necked Phalarope over this past w/e ..where was my lens!