11th May: As I mentioned in an earlier May post, I had visited Scampston Hall on the 6th May to look for Spotted Flycatcher but had no luck…. another 5 days had gone when my Birding Mate Alf and I decided to go and give Scampston another go!! Well, the stars must have aligned because after half an hour of intense searching I noticed a movement in some bare branches of a young Ash tree and there was the flycatcher….. what a brilliant little bird. I was even more pleased because it was in the same area where I originally found two birds late last July. This finding actually prompted me to come in Spring this year and see if I could find them again- there is no way of knowing they were the same birds or first year birds that had returned to their nesting place … but it would be nice to think so.
Our next port of call was Brompton Carrs east along the A64 towards Scarborough where we had heard that a pair of Garganey were in residence – but unfortunately no luck the duck had flown!! However, there were some other nice year ticks; including some very vocal Garden Warbler,Sedge and Reed Warbler were also singing too!! However even to see these birds was frustrating never mind photographing them ; to be honest in the end I gave up!! Also on the flooded areas of the Carrs were 2 Shelduck and 6 Ringed Plover.
The 13th of May saw us out again this time looking for Corn Bunting ; once a regular bird in the lowlands of Pickering; Corn Buntings have now all but gone. Except for some movements in Winter from the Wolds, Corn Bunting on our local patch is very rare. So this morning we criss- crossed the Wolds north of Malton looking for this elusive bunting. No sign at all and it was getting on for 12 o’clock we had been searching for about 3 hours; so one last fling of the dice … White Gate Hill; which is the B road leading to Humanby just off the main A1039 outside of Flixton. Within 5 minutes we had a singing Corn Bunting in the bag!! A great result after so much searching!!
As luck was with us and we weren’t too far away we decided to visit Potter Brompton again for the Garganey. Would we be lucky this time …. YESSS!! One male Garganey with a beautiful white head-stripe and female in attendance too!! Both birds gave cracking ‘scope views … but no chance of a photo – too far away.
What a great few days; May always has surprises!!
