Whitewing

A trip to Wheldrake Ings YWT this afternoon produced a huge gull roost with the star being a smart first winter Glaucous Gull. Sadly the distance and dreary light by then prevented a good photo, but I tried anyway! Lots of Argentatus Herrings noted, and very few Lesser Black-backs, a noticeable difference from the gull roost at Grafham Water, Cambs, that I used to watch. Other birds c30 Pintail, 10 Goldeneye, 5 Shelduck.

Waxing and waning

Walking out of the door with Willow yesterday morning and I immediately heard Waxwings calling. I couldn't see them, but wondered if they had finally found the only berries left round here near the cycle track. We headed down there and sure enough 11 of the little beauts were sitting in a tree and dropping down on to a guelder rose bush. Later they moved into another tree adjacent to Keble Park South and started dropping on to rosehips on the cycle track. I went home and was pleased to find I could see them from the bedroom window. Today dawned bright, sunny and cold. I walked with Adelaide round there and was treated to fantastic close views of 25-30 Waxwings all flicking about in an ash tree fly-catching, before moving back to feed on rosehips. I was impressed to see that they could swallow big rosehips in one go. Quite often they would pick a hip then fly back to a bigger tree to consume the fruit. I managed a few photos:

Bringing the moustache back

Ive decided growing a moustache would be a good idea. Beards were like so 2010. My colleagues are a bit worried, and Vicky is thinking of divorce. They just don't understand...

LDV

Lots of birds in the Lower Derwent Valley now, though nothing out of the ordinary. Deeper water on Wheldrake Ings has led to more diving ducks, with a big mixed flock of Tufties and Pochard, with about 20 Goldeneye (see photo). A lot of gulls loafing around on Sunday morning, with this hooded Common Gull.


Down at North Duffield, a lot of ice still present, with 15 Curlew and 24 Shelduck. 53 Whooper Swans on the fields south of the road near Bubwith bridge. No sign of a Great Grey Shrike reported near Thorganby.

If ever you needed a reason to keep birding...

This is out there somewhere....
What a bird. Dusky Thrush in Manchester, 8 December 2010 (pic borrowed from Manchester Birding.com)

Happy New Year

So, finally got online at home. Only took BT 8 weeks. Not much birding been happening, mainly due to lots of domestic activities. Recent notable sightings inc 60 Waxwings in Fulford, one of which was colour-ringed in Aberdeen in November, 98 Pink-footed Geese at Thorganby, plus 2 Goldeneye on the floods. Otherwise, little birding done really so far.