Last Post of 2024

 

It has been an interesting end to the year, with continuing illness, now cleared-up thankfully, with only a little bit of birding squeezed in. Leading a YCN trip around the Lower Derwent Valley on the 13th was great, with a fab bunch of clients, the highlight being a first-winter Little Gull at Bank Island first thing, which is a real rarity in the York area at this time of year. High water levels prevented us doing our usual route, but we adapted and had a good day, with lots of wintering wildfowl, waders etc. 

Following a short trip to Athens with the family (Goshawk, Sardinian Warblers, Black Redstarts), we had a good Christmas, and then I have birded every day since returning to York, in preparation for Sunday's Yorkshire Bird Race. 

 

|Red Kite, Caspian Gull, Black-tailed Godwits and Curlews. All Wheldrake Ings, 30-31st Dec 2024.

Imm female Peregrine. A very large bird, heavily streaked underneath - pure Peregrine?

The weather is looking ominous but the water levels have fallen in the valley and it is stuffed with birds, including the lingering American Wigeon and Little Gull. The last few days have yielded a fine first-winter Caspian Gull in the Wheldrake roost, an unusual winter-count of 28 Black-tailed Godwits, a fabulous big immature female Peregrine, our old friend D3 the tagged female Marsh Harrier, and lots more besides. It should be a good day, if the weather doesn't have other ideas!

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To all my friends, and readers of this blog, thanks for your support, Happy New Year and I hope 2025 brings you lots of birding and wildlife adventures!

Escape

It was good to escape from home today after feeling rough for about ten days. I only managed a few hours before tiredness overcame me and I was forced back indoors. A walk along the Derwent bank at Bubwith was a joy, with thousands of Teal and Wigeon scattered across the ings, occasionally lifting in a cloud as a Marsh Harrier cruised overhead. I was pleased to pick out the drake American Wigeon which had been hanging out at the north end of the valley; it hadn't been seen this week, so had clearly moved south to where it spent most of last winter. He is looking handsome now, having finished moulting, and was cavorting with a group of male Euro Wigeons, displaying to a couple of rufous females. Several Barnacle Geese were present with Pinkfeet and Greylags north of Aughton Church, though I was looking distantly from North Duffield, so couldn't be sure how many there were (eleven, it turned out). I headed up to Thorganby, which yielded little water and 35 Dunlins, and then finished at Tower Hide, Wheldrake, where 480 Golden Plovers were loafing in the meadows, when they weren't being flushed by low-flying aircraft.