A Lot To Catch Up On

With next weeks trip to Scotland rapidly approaching, I thought I'd better catch up on a few bits and pieces I've seen over the last few weeks.

Monday 18th April
Finally connected with 2 Corn Buntings on the way to North Cave, having managed to miss them everywhere else!!

Tuesday 19th April

Had my first, if a little brief, visit to Welton Waters today and was amazed how many birds were about, it had warmed up quite a lot so had probbaly helped. My only year tick of the afternoon was Whitethroat, but had my best ever views of 3+ Cetti's Warbler plus Marsh Harrier and a Great Spotted Woodpecker.

Cetti's Warbler (Listen until the end)

Friday 22nd April

With a few possible year ticks at Tophill, I headed up for a few hours. The first hide delivered  in the form of a Common Sandpiper, which was apparently the first of the year for the site, so was nice. Into South Marsh East Hide for the next, which had reportedly been elsuive. First bird in front of the hide, with the naked eye was the hoped for Red Crested Pochard!!

Drake Red Crested Pochard (unfortunately spent most of the time asleep!)

Next up was a bird that I'd been struggling with this year, having failed several times at North Cave, but finally caught up with Lesser Whitethroat. Again there were plenty of Cetti's Warblers, Willow Warblers and Chiffchaffs but didn't have time to try for the elusive Garganey at Hempholme.

Monday 25th April

The second Garden Mega of the year and again while I was putting the rubbish out...

Male Blackcap

Despite the awful weather yet again, I decided to go to North Cave and was rewarded with my first Reed Warbler of the year along with a patch tick in the form of Pink Footed Goose on Island Lake.

Pink Footed Goose

Despite the worsening weather conditions, I also managed another Lesser Whitethroat as well as a pair of Blackcap.

Tuesday 26th April

Having been gripped off by the stunning photos of the confiding Kentish Plover in Manchester yesterday, I decided to have a go for it once the kids had been picked up from school. Driving through heavy rain, snow showers, debris strewn across the motorway and football traffic, I thought it wasn't going to be my night and even more so when I arrived at Audenshaw Reservoir, to find the gate locked!!! Fortunately a couple of locals showed me the loose bars on the 6ft fence and I was able to squeeze through, ssshhhhh!!! The bird could be seen almost immediately but I was hoping for better views so joined the small crowd on the opposite bank. 

The twitch

My view

Male Kentish Plover, my first for 20 years and only my third ever

Friday 29th April

With several good birds on offer at North Cave yesterday, I had hoped some of them might have stuck around until today but with atrocious weather, I felt somewhat lucky to see my first Common Tern of the year on Main lake, along with a Common Sandpiper. Moving up to Crosslands hide, there were several Lesser Black backed Gulls along with, rather surprisingly, my first Knot for the reserve, a bit of a surprise!

Knot

British Year List: 159

Yorkshire Year List: 153

North Cave Year List: 95