Hoopoe









Got the news from Birdguides of a hoopoe in Dunnington near York on Monday.I couldn't make it then but fortunately it has hung around and was still there tonight.




I spent an hour and a half watching this delightful bird feeding in a small paddock.




beautiful bird, hope it hangs around as I might go back for some more shots in better light.

Spotted Flycatcher















I had a nice trip out to an undisclosed site in East Yorkshire and stumbled upon this breeding spotted flycatcher.





We watched them for about 20 minutes putting on a superb dispaly of aerobatics picking off flies from all angles.





I had a trip out to the Humber Bank after tea and saw this juvenile cuckoo and hunting barn owl.

Swinemoor

Wood sandpiper
Greenshank
Golden Plover
Golden Plover

I went for a look on Swinemoor last night in the hope of some waders.I parked up at Hull bridge and walked south along the river Hull.Not much on the way down but a family of newly fledged pied wagtails was nice and also a sparrowhawk flying over were nice.
It was my intention to head towards the stone bridge over barmston Drain but there has been some rather confrontational looking bullocks released onto the common just lately so not wanting to find out who could run the fastest I made an about turn when one was paying too much interest in me.
I went along the bank of the river and saw lots of meadow pipits and more pied wagtails.There was also a few reed warblers calling from the cover of the opposite bank.
Further along the meadow got increasingly wetter and it was here that there was most happening.
A decent sized flock of lapwings were accompanied by an even bigger flock of starlings, also a single golden plover looked stunning amongst the new grass.Near the waters edge was a skulking wood sandpiper and in the pools were a pair of greenshank.
There was also a snipe in the mud and plenty of swifts,housemartins and sand martins skirting over the pools.
Looks very promising and another rare wader is a distinct possibility.