Redcar Tarn

Friday 31st March p.m.
 A good afternoon with some sunny spells but a blustery wind and a temperature of 14°C, there were plenty of birds to see as usual although the Gull numbers were down.Still there were BH,Common, Herring and LBB Gulls here along with the usual Canadas,Tufteds ,Muscovy,Pied Wagtail and other common species.Lapwings were in the surrounding field as was an Oystercatcher and a Curlew flew past but the highlight of the visit was two Redshanks.One of these came close to the road so I was able to get some decent pictures.I also spotted a Meadow Pipit which I took a few pictures of just in case it was a different kind of Pipit, but I think it was the old favourite.
Nigel.

Redshank

Common Gull

Muscovy

Tufted Duck

Meadow Pipit

Redshank

Redcar Tarn 31/3/2017

Yeadon Tarn

Sunday 26th March a.m.
 Another frosty start with sunshine and a temperature of 7°C at Yeadon Tarn where I was greeted with a singing Chiffchaff and soon after I saw a second bird.There was a team rowing on the water so all the Tufted Ducks had been pushed to the airport end I counted 35 of them.Then I spotted a male Shoveler which came quite close looking wonderful in the morning sunshine. There were nine Mute Swans, I spotted three Tags Yellow 232 and 437 and a Red Tag 511Y. Others seen were Mallards, Coots, Greenfinch,LT Tit and other common species.
Nigel.

Chiffchaff

male Shoveler

Shoveler and Tufted Duck

Mallards

Mute Swan and Tufted Ducks

male Shoveler

Yeadon Tarn 26/3/2017

Leeshaw Reservoir

Saturday 25th March a.m.
A frosty morning with a temperature of 4°C but with bright sunshine for a change there was a real feeling of spring in the air.I started off at Paul Clough looking for Wheatear but didn't see any, there was a distant Red-legged Partridge, a couple of Snipe flew past as well as seeing Lapwing,Curlew and Meadow Pipits.
 On arrival at Leeshaw there was the usual Canadas and Greylags and good numbers of displaying Lapwings in the surrounding fields.It was good to see a couple of Redshanks fly past and I counted six Oystercatchers.A Mistle Thrush was singing high in a tree and there was a couple of distant Pied Wagtails and Curlew.
 I then moved the short distance to the Golden Plover field where I got a count of 120 birds with Lapwing,Mipit,Pied Wagtail and a Reed Bunting also present.
Nigel.

Lapwing

Oystercatcher

distant Red-legged Partridge

Golden Plover

Greylag

Mipit

Pied Wagtail

Reed Bunting

Golden Plover moving around

Leeshaw Reservoir 25/3/17

Harold Park and Park Dam

Saturday 18th March a.m.
A blustery dull morning with intermittent drizzle made conditions difficult as I made an early start at Harold Park with a temperature of 10°C.It was good to see a Great Crested Grebe here again and there were a couple of Mute Swans (Red 222Y & Yellow 468), also four Herring Gulls with the BH Gulls.Apart from the other usual species that were down in numbers that was my lot here.

     Down the road at Park Dam I didn't do much better again with low numbers of birds the highlights being a Goosander, a Great Crested Grebe, 4 Common Gulls and 8 Tufteds with a few other common species.
Nigel.

Great Crested Grebe

Herring Gull

Mute Swan

Great Crested Grebe at Harold Park 18/3/17

Redcar Tarn

Sunday 12th March
A lunch time visit up to Redcar Tarn with sunshine and a temperature of 12°C and hopes of spotting the Iceland Gull which is still being seen sporadically.There were a couple of other birders hoping to see it and another bird that was reported here yesterday but we were unlucky today, which is how it goes sometimes.There were still plenty other Gulls around along with Oystercatcher,Tufted Ducks, Lapwings,Pied Wagtail and other common species.A number of Coots were fighting as the mating season is upon us and migrants should soon be coming through.
Nigel.

Lapwing

Dunnock

Coots fighting

Herring Gull

Different ages of Herring Gull and BH Gulls

Redcar Tarn 12/3/2017