Swine Moor

I've been to Swine Moor on the last couple of days on the lookout for another rare wader.
last night it was quite still and there was millions of flies, I walked round towards the stone bridge and almost immediately I saw a flock of about 100 golden plover, some extremely smart in their summer plumage.
Further towards the bridge there was quite a few snipe and a couple of ruff.
I then walked all the way round to the river Hull, not much on the way roud apart from plenty of willow warblers and a singing yellowhammer.
walking back along the riverbank I saw a single little ringed plover,grey heron and a couple of redshank.
Almost oppossite the stone bridge I saw a small wader on the edge of the biggest pool, speckled back and yellow legs- a wood sandpiper, my first of the year.Not quite a mega but very nice all the same.
On the way back there was a pair of little egrets a few pied wagtails, 6 yellow wagtails a pair of whimbrel and 2 singing reed warblers.
When I went back today I went the same way as yesterday, but on the bank of barmston drain, there was a nice sight of swallows and housemartins gathering mud or nestbuilding.
I watched them come back and forth for about an hour along with a single yellow wagtail and a noisy kingfisher flitting up and down the drain.
The wind was much stronger today so I didn't go all the way round, but the wood sandpiper was on the same pool again.
Not much else about.

Easter Week

Its been quite a busy week during easter and I thought I would summarise it in one post.
Starting with Easter Saturday, I went down to Patrington Haven for a walk with the dog and saw some decent birds including a marsh harrier,small flock of twite,my first yellow wagtail of the year and my first swallow of the year.
On the Sunday I went to Spurn and saw a blue headed wagtail,a very smart male redstart a few more yellow wagtails along with another first for the year-a white Wagtail.
On the Monday I went out with a couple of friends to try to amass a big list.
We fell short of our target of 100 species, but we did manage some good birds including a common buzzard,litle owl,marsh harrier,kingfisher and ring ouzel.
Then down to Spurn again on Friday night in decent light I managed a few shots of a black redstart and went back again on the saturday.However the weatherhad changed it was very cloudy and very cold.
I did manage to see a hawfich, a couple of bramblings and siskins also some half decent vies of a subalpine warbler and a spectacular hunting merlin on the way home.
Another good week, although we could now do with some decent weather to get the Spring migrants properly moving.
Black Redstart

White Wagtail

Blue Headed Wagtail

Siskin

Blue Headed Wagtail

Blue Headed wagtail

Twite

Twite

Heffalumps and Wouzels

I managed a couple of hours out with the scope at the weekend.
I thought I would check out sammy's Point which usually produces something of interest at this time of year.I had a walk along the riverbank without much success (not even a wheatear)then as I went back to the car I spotted what I thought was a rather pale looking blackbird, sure enough it was this ring ouzel and whilst it was a little skittish, I was pleased with these pics.
I then went up to Tophill Low and managed some shots of the reported Jack Snipe.
It was showing very well but kept its distance, this shot was about the best of it.