After the holiday in Malaysia it was interesting getting my feet back on the ground and instead of listening for barbets, bee-eaters or sunbirds it was getting used to picking the calls up of Redwing, Golden Plover and far off skeins of Pink-footed Geese and of course putting on loads more layers!! Mind you the weather has not been that bad it could be a lot colder !! I decided to have a look down Westgate Carr just west of Pickering on the 5th of Feb…. and wasn’t disappointed. I clocked up about 15 new species for the year including both Little and Great White Egret. A Great White Egret has now wintered in this area for the last 4 years. Usually from the 2nd Week in November until late February/early March. Whether it is the same bird or not it is hard to say as the bird[s] have no colour rings or wing tags to distinguish individuals.
Mon 6th Feb: the weather was really bright and sunny today … and at this time of year it means only 1 thing Goshawks!!!So I headed to Cropton forest … but after 3 hours watching no luck!! But I did hear my first Green Woodpecker echoing around the forest … however seeing it let alone photographing it – you have a better chance of seeing a purple unicorn …. The morning got better when a Roe Deer came out of the forest edge and began to feed right in front of where I was standing, amazing!!! I think by accident I was down wind and therefore the deer was oblivious to my presence … or it was just been bloody cheeky!!! To cap the morning a couple of Buzzards were flying about … calling very loudly which was great to hear.
Tues 6th Feb: saw me heading up to Trousedale; a brilliant picturesque drive … so I set the scope up … got the camera ready and then I heard the distinct sound of a Goshawk calling .. then again but no sign. Literally the calling went on for at least half an hour and probably involved 2 or maybe 3 birds. Then about 11:30 an unmistakable shape came across the valley; a very nice immature Goshawk then it drifted off … then another one … a mature female … and then a male giving its characteristic slow motion wingbeats …. then disappearing …. and so it went on for 20 brilliant minutes …. But no switch back unfortunately – well beggars can’t be choosers .. I’ll gladly take that!! As a side show a pair of Buzzards started to enjoy the sunshine calling as they circled in the warming air.
8th Feb: York Arboretum had re-opened after the the winter closure, so it was great to get out for a long winter walk. Even though there were not many birds to see it was still nice to get out. Then suddenly everything changed as a sharp and guttural KRONK cut through the still air – and then again!! A Raven was passing through. Frantically I tried to find it but no chance and then another call – this time much fainter. First record for me on the low lying areas of Ryedale. It is always very encouraging to get records of Raven – especially in Ryedale’s lowland areas, as I traditionally associate these birds with the high moors- and up until now this is where I have seen them most.
9th February: I had a trip to Dalby Forest and it was great to catch up with some common birds such as Buzzard, Mistle thrush, Nuthatch, a very photogenic Robin and 30+ Brambling and Crossbills being seen really well at Adderstone Fields.
11th Feb: on a ride out north of Pickering I came across a huge flock of nearly 1000 Lapwing and it was great to see an early afternoon Barn Owl hunting along the hedgerows.
15th Feb: It was great to get out to the coast and I had ride over to Whitby today. I always find a winter visit to Whitby is much better than the summer – as in the summer there is hardly anywhere to park and the place is packed. It was nice to pick up a real Whitby speciality ….Purple Sandpiper and this time it didn’t take too long to find 20 birds in small flocks down by the breakwater – a great sight to see. On the way back to the car park, an added bonus a drake eider in full plumage !! A great day!!
19th Feb: I had another walk down Westgate Carr today, it was the usual suspects nothing out of the ordinary until I crossed over to a stile – then there was a flurry of wings and I couldn’t believe it I had flushed a Woodcock!! Again a first lowland record in Ryedale for me .. !!
20th Feb: with Birding, you never know what you will turn up with that bit of luck involved too. At the weekend, a birder had been checking some winter thrushes near to the Raptor View Point at Wykeham when he discovered a first winter Black -throated Thrush!!! Needless to say when the news hit Birdline the forest was inundated with telephoto lenses, twitchers and a lot of anticipation!! I travelled on the Monday and got some pretty good views. But getting a photo – no chance!! Its a shame as the bird remained faithful to its initial location and therefore I couldn’t put the bird on the local database.
23rd Feb Scarborough and Holbeck: a bracing walk along Marine Drive at Scarborough produced a very nice Peregrine ‘fly-by’ but the light was rubbish for any good pictures and then a traditional drive over to Holbeck on the southern side of Scarborough for some Mediterranean Gulls. And the gulls put on a great show, great to see birds in their winter plumage: interestingly all the birds were immatures.
The month concluded with a ‘hooting’ Tawny Owl heard in Pickering on the 27th.
Another great month and we are now getting into Spring!!
