The Birds Keep Coming!

The first two Curlews were back on Acaster Church Ings this morning, along with 12 Gadwall and two drake Wigeon.

With the southerly gale having abated overnight, I braved the ladder to install the pair of Swift nestboxes I had purchased from the RSPB under the eaves. I also put up a Starling nestbox I'd built as a present for our neighbour. Both of our neighbour's now have Starling boxes, so hopefully the local stinkers will be happy this spring!

This afternoon, I took my exercise strolling down to Wheldrake to do the roost. I had a quick look at four Smew nearby; a solitary redhead - possibly a first-winter male, and a party of three, a cracking drake and two females. The latter group flew off high south and seemed to land somewhere to the south of Aughton Church. 

 Smew. Honest!

The roost was collossal again, though I struggled to find anything beyond yesterday's white Black-headed Gull. A drake Scaup was with the Tufted Duck flock which was my first locally this year. Chris picked up an adult Mediterranean Gull flying in which conveniently landed at the front of the flock. We walked back to the sound of Curlews coming into roost and Song Thrushes singing. All in all, a pretty amazing weekend to be birding close to home!

Top: Scaup, with Tufted Ducks. Bottom and below, adult Med Gull, with Common and Black-headed Gulls.