Welton waters

I had a couple of spare hours this afternoon so I headed up to Welton waters in the hope of a view of a red-breasted merganser.

I knew it had been sighted on the angling complex but didn't know where.

The walk down the lane was fairly uneventful with a few common species at the end the large angling lake was more viewable but there were only goldeneye, pochard and tufted duck.

there was one singing marsh tit also an an obliging wren and an even more obliging weasel.

As I went back up the lane the sun came out and I heard a singing chiff-chaff- my first of the year.

Just before I got back to the car I had one last glance at the angling complex and I managed to find the RBM.

Quite distant and the wrong light but at least I got half a decent view.

North Yorks Trip

I was at a bit of as loss as to where to go this morning-a bit too early in the year for spring migrants so I thought I would go up to Scarborough for the wigeon, iceland gull and mediterranean gull.

I managed the first 2 but there was only 1 med gull at Holbeck and it stayed up on the nearby house roof not even coming down to bread.

I then went to Barmston to try for sanderlings and was very lucky to have an all to brief encounter with a fast moving flock but still managed some decent shots.

Roll on Spring.

Beacon Ponds

I was in two minds as to where to go today-I knew the weather forecast wasn't great but I still wanted to get out and have a go at some shots.
I decided to head for Beacon Ponds with the prospect if nothing else of a record shot of the recently reported slavonian grebe-a bird I have yet to photograph.
I headed along the beach towards the hide and apart from a few fly by gulls, cormerants and oystercatchers I didn't see that much.
When I arrived at the hide I spooked some wigeon and then started to view what was on the lagoon.
The wind was howling making the water really rough.
There were a few wigeon, teal, pochard and a couple of distant goldeneye and little grebe.
From time to time the odd wader flew by as well as a few gulls but the gale force wind kept everything low.
After a while I saw a very distant slavonoan grebe and took some record shots that were next to useless.
The grebe kept disappearing from view until it appeared in the calm water directly opposite the hide. I thought I would try to get round the other side for a shot from the bank top.
Fortunately there were no other birders about along long bank and the grebe remained in about the same spot.
I crept to the top of the bank and there grebe was there about 50 yards out.
It kept coming closer then backing away feeding all the time on sticklebacks.
I stayed with it for a couple of hours until it started to swim further north along the edge of the bank.
There was a massive flock of brent geese with a few waders on the flooded field opposite the listening dish on the way back, but I didn't se a single bird down beacon lane.
In the end I was happy with these shots- just a shame the sun wasn't out.