Saturday 29 December 2018

Review of 2018

Another enjoyable birding year with a total of over 100 species of local birds which is a reasonable number for me.It was good  to add two new birds to my lifers list these being Bittern and Garganey and getting some new birds in the local area such as Pintail.
 I've produced my top ten below, hope you like them and lets hope 2019 brings some returning favourites and a couple of new birds as well.
Happy New Year.
Nigel.
10. Green Woodpecker. This bird I'm always pleased to see as it is elusive and often you only hear it so to see it and be close enough for a good picture on Harden Moor was great.
Green Woodpecker - Harden Moor 19/5/2018
9. Treecreeper. This is a fairly common bird but not always easy to see and because it moves quickly up a tree trunk is difficult to get a photo of.I was fortunate to find one at Lister Park which was seemingly having a shower in a small waterfall.
Treecreeper - Lister Park 4/11/2018
8. Common Tern. This bird returns regularly to the area but it was on a visit to Swillington Ings that I caught up with this one posing well for some pictures.
Common Tern - Swillington Ings 19/4/2018
7. Goosander with chicks. I see Goosanders regularly through Autumn and Winter but this was the first time I have seen one with some chicks at Bolton Abbey which was brilliant.
Goosander with chicks - Bolton Abbey 21/5/2018
6. Mandarin with chicks. This was the first time I've seen a Mandarin with chicks also at Bolton Abbey and again wonderful to see.
Mandarin with chicks - Bolton Abbey 21/5/2018
5. Kingfisher. This I think is my favourite bird which you can see flying past on rivers and canals in the local area.Sometimes you are lucky enough to see them perched looking for fish and at Dowley Gap I got some good pictures recently.However the one I've chosen is from Rodley Nature Reserve where I saw this one with a fish.
Kingfisher - Rodley NR 9/12/2018
4. Wigeon & Pintail. On a visit to Doe Park Reservoir I saw some Wigeon on the water and got a couple of pictures, they took to the air soon after circling above enabling me to get a few more photos.It wasn't until I got home that I could see from the pictures that there was a Pintail with them my first in the local area.
Wigeon & Pintail - Doe Park Reservoir 29/9/2018
 3. Pied Flycatcher. This is a fairly rare returning visitor so I was pleased to get a picture of this one at Bolton Abbey.
Pied Flycatcher - Bolton Abbey 21/5/2018
2. Garganey. Delighted to get this lifer on a visit to Swillington Ings.
Garganey - Swillington Ings 19/4/2018
1. Bittern. I've heard the booming of the Bittern during several visits to Swillington Ings but on this occasion some BH Gulls made a commotion as this bird flew past.I was delighted to see and get a few pictures of the elusive Bittern, a lifer for me.
Bittern - Swillington Ings 19/4/2018





Thursday 27 December 2018

Cullingworth and Goit Stock Wood

Thursday 27th December a.m.
A walk from home through Goit Stock Wood alongside Hallas Beck and back home with overcast conditions but mild at 8°C.The path through the wood was muddy,I saw plenty people out walking probably with the same thing in mind, walking off some of the Christmas dinners and puddings.The highlight of the walk was seeing some good views of a Dipper sporting a ring number A50. Also two Grey Herons were seen,three Robins and other usual species, fairly quiet on the whole but a good walk never the less.
Nigel.
Dipper






Ring number A50

Grey Heron


Robins were singing

Waterfall at Goit Stock Wood

Monday 24 December 2018

Redcar Tarn

Monday 24th December p.m.
 At last some sunshine so I payed a visit up to Redcar Tarn this afternoon where the temperature was 5°C.It was good to see two Goosanders and there were 13 Tufted Ducks with c150 BH Gulls along with Common,Herring and LBB Gulls.In a distant field there were 20 Lapwings,several Rooks and Jackdaws,Pied Wagtail as well as the usual species.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Nigel.
Tufted Duck



Goosander



Pied Wagtail

Rook


Common Gull



Common,Herring and BH Gull 

Herring Gull

LBB Gull getting bored


BH Gull


Redcar Tarn 24/12/2018

Sunday 23 December 2018

Dowley Gap Kingfisher

Sunday 23rd December
A day of rain and fog so no birding today, but what better way to brighten up a miserable day than to look at some more Kingfisher pictures taken yesterday at Dowley Gap.
Nigel.
Always a ray of sunshine, The Kingfisher










The canal at Dowley Gap taken 22/12/2018