2010 List

I had an absolutely cracking day's birding around East Yorkshire today.
I went with my mate Sam with a plan to record as many species as we could during the full day.
The list started with a sparrowhawk on Hedon Rd and a barn owl and kestrel on the way up to Filey.
Carr Naze didn't yeild much apart from a stonechat and skylark.
It was then down to the Brigg where we found purple sandpiper, common scoter, velvet scoter, long tailed duck, red throated diver, great northern diver, shag, rock pipit and eider.Also a nice bonus in the form of a woodcock flushed from the side of the cliff along with close views of common waders.
next it was on to Flamborough (North Landing) where almost immediately we had a fantastic view of a corn bunting. Further along we found lots of small birds in the subbole fields including some superb lapland buntings, snow buntings, twite another woodcock and more corn buntings.
Then off to Tophill Low where we found a smew (plus lots of common wildfowl)willow tit,siskin and bullfinch.
Finally we called in at Paull and added black tailed godwit (plus a couple more common species) to the list.
In total we finished with 89 species with notable exceptions being grey heron, little grebe,kingfisher,sanderling, brambling and pink footed goose.
All in all a superb day and a good marker set for a similar event next new year.

Allerthorpe Woods

Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without a trip to the car park at Allerthorpe for some close encounters with the common birds at the feeders.
This year the photos are given a festive feel with the recent weather making for some nice shots.
Some of the robins were coming as close as 2ft.
I had a walk around the reserve and elsewhere there was very little activity disappointingly there were no crossbills or bramblings.
In the trees around the car park was a shy jay and a great spotted woodpecker and a couple of fieldfare flying over.
Other than that it was very quiet.
















Winter Solstice

The shortest day of the year provided some superb opportunities to capture mid winter.
Allerthorpe woods was particularly spectacular and the birds (albeit only common species were very obliging some coming as close as 2ft.