Sightings

Main sighting: Song thrushes

2 fledged song thrush chicks hopping about.

Main sighting: Red Grouse

One flushed from path heading SE from communication masts. Also 1 Wheatear on breeding territory, plus several Skylarks singing but Meadow Pipits curiously were not. Pair of Stonechats by base of masts. Glad to find all the species I was hoping for on my group walk.

Main sighting: Woodcock

Woodcock flushed from cover by a dog along side the steam. Also first sighting here this year of StoneChat and Willow Warbler. Lots of Linnets and Meadow Pipits plus 2 buzzards hanging on the up drafts.

Main sighting: Swallow

Swallow on overhead wire.

Main sighting: Cuckoo

One calling and calling for at least half an hour…with no reply from around the valley !

Main sighting: House Martin

Single house martin aerial feeding. 3 swallows seen also later on.

Main sighting: Cuckoo

Cuckoo called twice before moving on, Wheatear and Redstart having a spat over territory and male sprawk trying for and missing female Wheatear!

Main sighting: Black Tailed Godwit

An amazing number of Black’wits today.I counted 316 on the tidal mud and there was at least as many from the sea wall hide,with more out of sight hidden by the vegetation.Also a Greenshank from the sea wall hide.Couldn’t locate the Spotted Redshank.10h20-12h45.

Main sighting: Firecrest

Distinctive call heard in conifers by B4347 road. Also at least 2 singing Redstarts (one seen) 1 Willow Warbler, 6 Blackcaps, 3 Stock Doves, 1 Goldcrest between here and Grosmont. Firecrests no longer uncommon in this area.

Main sighting: Great White Egret

En-route to hides – pheasants, collard dove, wrens, herring gulls, chaffinch, blue tits, woodpigeons, starlings, mallards, blackcaps, heron, blackbirds, moorhen, whitethroat, chiffchaffs, robin and green woodpecker. Hide one – very active, lesser whitethroat feeding in bushes outside of the hide, linnets, skylarks, cettis, goldfinches, Canada geese, 4 lt egrets, 547 black-tailed godwit’s most in spectacular breeding plumage, meadow pipits, 42 shelduck, 23 avocet (one pair copulating), 6 teal, 24 redshanks, 2 wigeon, 2 oystercatchers, 1 ringed plover, coot, drake pintail, 4 gadwall, crows, ls black-backed gull, greylags, 2 lapwing, 7 shoveler, ravens, 2 cormorants, 2 sand martins, jackdaws, stonechat and 1 swallow. Hide two – marsh harrier and magpies. Snipe platform – 6 mute swans, reed buntings, gt white egret flying away from the reserve but returned around 0900 hrs, 2nd swallow, 2 pairs tufteds and a single male and gt tits. Seawall – 6 more swallows, 1 gt black-backed gull and the first ever for me, no curlew on the mudflats or saltmarsh. Hide three – 24 more avocet, 2 more drake pintail, 2 more cormorants, 4 more wigeon and a buzzard. Back at hide 1 – handsome bar-tailed godwit in with the black-tailed and a single curlew flying past.

Main sighting: Kestrel

Male kestrel, flew South over school uttering alarm call

Main sighting: Curlew

Call heard four times in earshot of my house (village centre) at 11.35am. Only third time in six years living here.