BTO Bird Atlas - Square bashing

I'm pleased to say that I've requested, and been granted, a square for the BTO Bird Atlas. It's years since I've had the time or opportunity for some real survey work so I'm really looking forward to it. Shame I only have to visit 4 times a year really. For more information on the scheme please visit http://www.bto.org/birdatlas/index.htm
My patch includes land to the west of Stanton Under Bardon and parts of the Cliffe Hill Quarry area. The above map gives a rough overview.

Waxwing

Wouldn't it be nice to catch up with lots and lots of Waxwing again this winter. Today has seen birds in Cromer, Filey and Bempton Cliffs. Fingers crossed for a bumper year. I predict that Dave Gray will find the first in Western Park closely followed by Andy Mackay's auntie in Paington!!!! As Shaw Taylor used to say, Keep 'em peeled.......

Ferruginous Duck

I was just pulling out of the White Horse at Morcott when I had the text from Dave. I'd left Norfolk earlier in the morning and we had pulled in for a cracking lunch at a very nice pub indeed. Andy had found a drake Fudge Duck on Thornton Res ! When I finally got there it was showing well along from the church. What a cracker. Kingfisher was a pleasant surprise as were several Jays. Andy has reported good numbers of Redpoll earlier. Nice one.........

Norfolk

Norfolk at the weekend was great but all over too quickly. No real time for any birding but plenty of Pink Footed Geese in the fields around the cottage and passing over early morning. Wells beach had good numbers of Brent Geese, Curlew, Turnstone and Sanderling. Back to Norfolk again on Friday night.

Norfolk

Finally the plans for Rob Gill's 40th bash are in place. January weekend in Norfolk. Plenty of good birds (hopefully) and a night in Briarfields at Titchwell (quite posh for us). Plenty of good food and drink. Can't wait.............

Off to Norfolk this weekend but only for a night. The family are staying for the week and I'm back again the following weekend. In between will follow a very boring week on my own but it will give me an opportunity to input all this years moth trap records.

Blair's Shoulder Knot

As predicted two last night and together with my second Merville Du Jour. Nice one.

Blair's Shoulder Knot

I'm afraid to say that this moth is a glaring ommission from my garden list. However, tonight I intend to rectify this. Watch this space.........

Lunchtime at Belgrave

A sunny and rather pleasant afternoon with Speckled Wood, Large White and Peacock all on the wing. What was a surpise were two very fresh looking Anthophila fabriciana, or Nettle Tap, on a clump of bindweed flowers. These are normally active from May onwards so I assume they may have a second generation? Great Spotted Woodpecker was seen in the riverside willows near to Loughborough Road and a very smart male Migrant Hawker was watched for several minutes as well. Plenty of Goldcrest and Long Tailed Tit in Belgrave Gardens but who knoes what may have been hiding in amongst them.......

The Yanks are coming......

Blimey what a few days we've had. News today of an Alder/Willow Flycatcher at Nanjizal Valley in Cornwall is mega as is the Little Blue Heron in Galway. Empidonax flycatchers are a NIGHTMARE and these two are nigh on impossible to split. It can be done vocally but not this time of the year. I'm told that you cannot seperate even in the hand and the only sure fire way is DNA. Other recent goodies from across the pond include a first winter male Scarlet Tanager in Cork, Blackpoll Warbler on Scilly, A couple of American Buff Bellied Pipits, Grey Cheeked Thrush today on Portland and Common Nighthawk in Cornwall plus one on Scilly that I think was later found dead. Worth checking Beacon Hill this weekend for Black & White Warbler m'thinks...............

Spurn & Swinemoor 04/10/08

Leaving Thornton at 06.30 we headed north. Highlights en-route were 3 Roe Deer, flocks of Golden Plover and the veggie early starter breakfast at the Brough Little Chef....

On arrival at Spurn we duly paid our £3, parked up and had a snoop around the obs trapping area. Plenty of crests but little else. A Red Throated Diver from the sea watching hide was the only other thing of note. Here is a run down of the day.....

Canal Zone & Cliff Farm

Visible movements of Goldfinch, plenty of Meadow Pipit and a small flock of Linnet. Much more out on the Humber including lots and lots of immature Gannet that were making their way up and down the estuary. Little wonder that there were several inland records over the weekend. Plenty of waders on the mudflats. Bar-Tailed Godwit, Redshank, Grey Plover, Curlew, Turnstone and 2 Greenshank were amongst the highlights. We also had a hunting Peregrine, 3 Little Egret, Brent Geese and Shelduck.

Crown and Anchor and Kilnsea Churchyard

Plenty of Knot and Bar Tailed Godwit on the flats opposite the pub. In the pub car park were several more crests and Blue and Great Tit. In the churchyard, plenty more crests again and a superb Pied Flycatcher. Tree Sparrow was found in the private area that escapes my name before we were kicked out for not being 'Friends of Spurn'.

Southfield Farm

The immature Red Backed Shrike was showing but with strong winds and showers it made viewing less than ideal. Luckily we had better views later in the day.

Chalk Bank

Fleeting but good views of the Shore Lark that has been present since July. The first Redwing of the year and Stonechat.

Narrow Neck/Middle Camp

1 Wheatear and Pied Wagtail

Canal Scrape and Hide

Two (occasionally) very obliging and freshly arrived Jack Snipe were the stars. Also present were Little Grebe, Common Snipe and Redwing

Swinemoor

Flooded fields north east of Beverley that had been home to 3 immature Pectoral Sandpipers. We managed to get onto 1 very late on (we think!)plenty of Ruff, Dunlin, Wigeon and Teal.

Not quite the migrant fest we had hoped for but a cracking days birding nevertheless and big thanks to Dave Wright for driving.

National Moth Night 2009

A date has now been fixed for the next National Moth Night, the annual celebration of moths and moth recording run by Atropos and Butterfly Conservation. MNM09, the 11th such event will take place on the nights of Friday 18th and Saturday 19th September 2009. Two nights are included because of the eccentricities of the weather at that time of year. However, it also provides even more of an excuse to go mothing in new and exciting places. The theme of NMN09 will be migration and there will be no specific target species or habitats. More details about the migration theme will be circulated nearer the time, but please make a note of the dates in your diary. It is not too late to submit your records for NMN08, see www.nationalmothnight.info for details.

The Cramps

Slightly off topic for me but I'm quite new to this YouTube lark. I was very pleased to find a stack of Cramps footage the other night. The best f**king rock and roll band on the planet live....And I should know. I've seen them over 20 times, most recently at Rock City for the Fiends of Dope Island mini tour. Turn up and enjoy.....