A number of recent survey jobs have required me to undertake nocturnal surveys in order to check for the presence of flocks of nocturnally active bird species such as owls or feeding flocks of Lapwing, Golden Plover and other waders. Such work is aided by the use of thermal imager. I've been using a Helion 2 XP50 Pro thermal imaging monocular and have been thoroughly impressed by this excellent piece of kit. So, here are just a few images taken with the XP50.
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So, it has been quite a while since I've blogged here, but in the last post I was signposting the fact that I hoped to make my birding greener. In the intervening period I have been extremely busy with professional survey work, which due to the need to be at often obscure locations at or around dawn is usually not compatible with a low carbon mode of transport. However, reducing the carbon footprint of my recreational birding has been something I have been aspiring to achieve over the past three years or so. In order to provide some incentive to achieve this, I have been keeping a 'green' or 'shank-cycle' (on foot / pushbike) year list since 2020. I do still use the car for some recreational birding, but the twitching has mostly lapsed and on the rare occasions I stray from the Scarborough area to see rare or scarce species, it is still undertaken mostly fairly locally. I'm also trying to use public transport if practical and not too costly. For example the long-staying Red-tailed Shrike at Bempton in July/August was easily accessible by rail and I enjoyed my visit to see it in early August. Birding by foot and by bike ended up with a reasonable total of 155 species in 2023. Up on totals of 150 in 2020 and a paltry 111 in 2021 (work and a very poor autumn locally to blame for such a poor total!). At the time of writing in 2023, the 'shank-cycle' list has only just breached 50, so its been a slow start!
I am lucky in being able to walk / cycle to good sea-watching / visible migration spots and places to search for migrant passerines. In addition the bike can get me to locations where a good variety of woodland species can be found and the lakes at Wykeham. 2022 highlights included Great Northern Diver, Sooty and Manx Shearwaters, Common Crane, Long-tailed, Arctic and Great Skuas, Waxwing, Black Redstart, Grasshopper and Yellow-browed Warblers and Pied Flycatcher. In 2022, I also tracked birds I had seen using public transport to bring a combined 'shank-cycle / public transport' total of 162, with a trip to Norfolk by train and birding sites accessed by bus adding Wood Lark and the Snettisham Great Reed Warbler amongst at range of other otherwise difficult species for me to see using the 'shank-cycle' options. In reality it ought to be possible to crack 180 or more if I were a little more focussed. Over 200 species are regularly seen by individual keen birders in the Scarborough area each year. So surely a total closer to that should be achievable? For me, as a not exactly fit 50something, the idea of getting on the bike or walking that half hour to get to see something, is not always appealing. Poor weather, busy roads, steep hills are all disincentives to take the greenest option. Buses aren't usually convenient for my most regular birding spots. As a result the car does still get used. However, greening my birding is something I will continue to work on in 2023! Since 1999 I've been lucky enough to earn a significant part of my income leading birding tours around the world. As a result I have spent a lot of time getting on and off aircraft in the course of pursuing the birds I and my clients want to see. For much of this time, I have been either ignorant of or unwilling to acknowledge the damage flying causes to the climate. Clearly there is much to be done throughout society in order to address the climate crisis, and one which most people (including myself) are not yet facing up to fully. Obviously I still have to earn a living, and the occasional tour will doubtless continue to be included in my work-mix, but there is a modest step I can begin to take. Whilst not giving up flying completely at this point - although in the absence of technological breakthroughs I expect that will come - I have decided to significantly reduce the number of flights I take. Over the past 30 years, a typical year has seen me undertaking 10, 20 or even 30, frequently long haul, flights. In 2018 I reduced that to a single return trip to India, whilst in 2019 trips to both Portugal and Spain saw me taking the lowest number of flights in my adult life. I'll readily accept that some people will say its not enough, but it is a start!
In addition to reducing my flying, I am also trying to address the amount of driving I do for recreational birding. Giving up the car for work is not practical. I've yet to find too many survey sites blessed with a railway station or that are well served by public transport. However, I can reduce my recreational birding carbon footprint, and in the process maybe lose a bit of weight and improve my fitness! I am sure I will still indulge in the occasional twitch and certainly there are locations I'll want to bird that will require me to get in the car. But at least I can begin to reduce the carbon footprint of my birding. So, in an effort to motivate myself, I've embarked on a 'green / low carbon' year list. Thus far this has involved increased walking around Scarborough to look for birds and even getting back on a bicycle for the first time in over 30 years. In time I also plan to use the train to visit birding sites. Not revolutionary stuff I know, but it is a start and it should do me and hopefully the planet a little bit of good. At the time of writing the 'Green' year-list stands at a modest 65, seen mostly around town of Scarborough, but including cycle trips up to Long Nab and to the northern edges of town. That total includes this Waxwing which was within 20 minutes walk from home, but which I would previously have just jumped in the car to go and have a look at. It is a very, very small step, but hopefully I will motivate me to begin to developing some better habits. I'll post an update on how I am getting on later in the year. It has been too long since I last updated the website here, so in an effort to pay this blog a little more attention here are a few images of highlight birds in 2019. 2016 has once again provided me with some wonderful encounters with birds. The autumn in particular has been especially memorable with some incredible rarities along the Yorkshire coast. As we head towards the close of the year, here is a small selection of photographs of some memorable birds (and a mammal or two!) from 2016. There has been a truly amazing spell of birding along the Yorkshire coast over the past couple of weeks. A sustained spell of easterly winds has brought a deluge of exciting birds from the heart of Asia and it has been a joy to be in amongst such a fantastic array of Asian waifs and strays.
One of my tour groups was lucky enough to have their visit during the early part of this spell and had an amazing time with Britain's fourth Eastern Crowned Warbler amongst a list of mouth-watering species that also included Arctic and Pallas's Warblers, Red-breasted Flycatcher, Great Grey Shrike, Jack Snipe and many many common migrants. A short trip report for this tour can be found at www.birdwatchingbreaks.com/2011Trip%20Reports/NEW_Yorkshire2016_TripRep.htm . Of course like many other birders across the country, the opportunity to make the trip to Easington to see Britain's second Siberian Accentor could not be missed and is undeniably the highlight of the whole autumn. If you fancy joining me on a tour along the Yorkshire coast, then why not get in touch. I can't promise such an amazing spell of birding, but there are always some quality birds on offer. so do drop me a line. Here are a few photographic highlights from recent weeks. In my last blog posting I suggested that my survey workload would be reduced this spring. This has turned out to be true, but the birding has been pretty exciting at times and I have been fortunate to be involved with some nice finds. On 18th April, I visited Long Nab with pretty low expectations, but stumbled into a Short-toed Lark! A find I was delighted with. More details can be found at my Long Nabber blog, but here is a photograph of the bird. Following not long after that was an even better find in the form of a second calendar year Pallid Harrier that Micky and I saw heading North at Long Nab during a ringing session in early May. I didn't get any photos, but remarkably this bird had been seen by Terry Hobson and Graham Jackson at Wykeham South Lake just 25 minutes earlier. Photographs can be found on the Scarborough Birders website. In addition to undertaking some regular survey work I have enjoyed the company of two birding groups in May. Both groups enjoyed some fine birding. A short report on the experiences of the first group can be found below, whilst the second group was for Birdwatching Breaks, and a short report on that trip can be found here. If you are interested in day trips or short break guided birding in the Scarborough and North York Moors area, then do get in touch. After the work with the tour groups, I have continued with some surveying jobs in various parts of Yorkshire, with a site in Ayrshire and some work in other parts of Scotland in the pipeline. So, life remains busy! Private Birding Tour in Yorkshire & Teesside - Tour Report.This private group tour was planned several months in advance and an itinerary had been carefully drafted in order to ensure that we covered the best of the many wonderful birding sites that this part of Yorkshire has to offer. Of course weather has a significant role to play in what migrant birds might be around and thus a certain level of flexibility is always required. This could hardly have been more clearly demonstrated than with this short break. The itinerary had been significantly modifed within minutes of the group arriving, and it was two days into the trip before we got back to something resembling the original plan! However, there were some very memorable birds and a wonderful few days of quality birding was enjoyed by all. A mouth-watering array of rare and scarce species were on offer during the course of the trip and we were fortunate to see many of the interesting birds present in the region. A superb group of migrant Dotterel were most obliging at Danby Beacon and a smart male Bluethroat posed in the open on short grass at Hartlepool. Two Whiskered Terns, a drake Garganey and five Spoonbills were seen at Saltholme, whilst the long-staying Surf Scoter was seen (eventually!) at Filey. A female Red-backed Shrike at Ravenscar and an Osprey cruising just below the cliffs at Bempton completed the rare and scarce bonanza. All of this was in addition to more expected fayre in the form of two Goshawks, male Ring Ouzel, Whinchat, Turtle Dove, a scattering of commoner passage waders, breeding waders of the North York Moors such as Golden Plover, Lapwing and Curlew and, of course the stunning spectacle that is the seabird colony at Bempton Cliffs with its Gannets, Kittiwakes and auks including the ever-popular Puffins. This was an exceptional spell of birding which, despite some strong winds from the NE (responsible in part for the birds we enjoyed), was enjoyed by all group member and guide alike. I would also like to thank Nick Addey, Steve Wignill and Tony Clarke for sending texts and calling me to make sure that I hadn’t missed any snippets of breaking bird news during the course of this trip. May 12th: Potter Brompton Carr, Filey, Flamborough. Weather: Bright and sunny, but with an increasingly strong NE wind. The pickup point for the group was Seamer train station. Arrival was delayed by an hour, but after arrival we were soon on our way into the field. I had found a few passage waders at Potter Brompton Carr prior to the group’s arrival, so we headed directly there. A walk produced some nice views of Greenshank, Black-tailed Godwit, two Ringed Plover, Curlew and Lapwing. A Sedge Warbler posed nicely in the brambles beside a ditch. Unfortunately there was no sign of the Wood Sandpiper I had seen just two hours earlier. We then headed for Filey for our first look for the long-staying Surf Scoter. We couldn’t find it, but saw good numbers of Kittiwakes, and a couple of Gannets. News that there was a Bluethroat at Flamborough caused a quick rethink of plans, so we checked into the B&B in the village of Hunmanby and quickly headed off. While we were doing this, news of a Dotterel also at Flamborough filtered through. Excellent! Less than half an hour later we were arriving at Flamborough only to be greeted with the disappointing news that the Dotterel had flown off just five minutes earlier. We therefore hot-footed it to the hedge where the Bluethroat had been seen. It was being similarly difficult and not showing in the extremely windy conditions. After an hour or so of seeing little other than Linnets, we headed off for dinner at a pub-restaurant in Flamborough, somewhat chilled and a little disappointed with the start to proceedings. May 13th: Danby Beacon, Hartlepool Headland, Saltholme RSPB, Filey. Weather: Generally overcast with a moderate NE wind and some light drizzle at Danby. The day began grey and rather windy again and I was again reconsidering what the best plan would be. A small flock of Dotterel had arrived at Danby Beacon the previous day, and news that they were still present gave me all the information I required. So we drove deep into the North York Moors National Park. On arrival at Danby we saw a most obliging Golden Plover and some Red Grouse before enjoying wonderful views of the Dotterel as they fed amongst heather close to the road. Eventually we decided we’d enjoyed enough and with news of a male Bluethroat at Hartlepool, we decided we couldn’t turn down the opportunity, and with the itinerary now ditched entirely for the day we headed directly there. On arrival there was no sign of the bird, but after some waiting around and the odd false alarm (not to mention a visit to the local chippy for one participant) the bird reappeared and we enjoyed excellent views of this gorgeous species. The disappointment of the previous afternoon was now ebbing away somewhat! The next stop on our revised agenda was a visit to Saltholme RSPB reserve. Here we saw Tree Sparrows in the car park and then from the visitor centre we enjoyed excellent views of two Whiskered Terns hawking over the lake. Yet another rare species under the belt. Common Terns were also in good numbers on the islands just outside the window, whilst on the feeders, Stock Dove, Greenfinch and Goldfinch were noted. Leaving the visitor centre we had a breezy walk that added five Spoonbills, two Little Egrets, a smart drake Garganey, Pochard, Gadwall, Wigeon, Shoveler, some commoner waders, Pink-footed Goose and Barnacle Goose. A more than satisfactory haul! With time getting on we headed back to base in Hunmanby, with a short and largely unsuccessful visit to Filey en-route. May 14th: Troutsdale, Ebberston, Wykeham South Lake, Potter Brompton Carr, Filey, Ravenscar. Weather: Sunny and bright with variable cloud, but chilly with a strong NNE wind. After the excitement of the previous day we got back to something approaching the planned itinerary. In addition despite the continuing cold NNE wind we had another productive day. A visit to the Forge Valley feeders was quiet, but our walk amongst the delightful surroundings of Troutsdale was rather better. Spotted Flycatcher, Grey Wagtail, a brief sighting of a pair of Mandarin were most welcome as was the Dipper that posed for some time by a bridge. A bird of prey flying quickly along the ridge proved to be a Hobby; a scarce species in this area. A Blackcap showed nicely in a bush by the roadside. Further along the valley we paused for a male Redstart that flew high into the sky over its territory. A warming cup of coffee/tea was enjoyed whilst watching for raptors that included both Sparrowhawk and Goshawk. Moving on we had an unsuccessful search for Turtle Dove near Ebberston and then visited a windswept Wykeham South Lake, locating a Yellow Wagtail on the way. However the visit did not yield a great deal else. A return visit to Potter Brompton Carr allowed us to enjoy more views of Greenshank and Black-tailed Godwit, plus a Grey Plover was new for the list. Filey was next up and we headed out onto Carr Naze where at last we connected with the Surf Scoter which was loosely associating with a flock of four Common Scoter. We had distant views of the scoter, but we could see all the pertinent features (eventually!) and a Greenland Wheatear posed briefly on the walk back to the car. News of a female Red-backed Shrike up the coast at Ravenscar soon had us heading in that direction and it was not long before we were enjoying nice views of this smart species. Returning to Scarborough we had a good dinner in a local Italian restaurant. May 15th: Rosedale, Egton Road, Wykeham Raptor Viewpoint. Weather: Cool, but light winds and partly cloudy skies. At long last the winds abated and we were able to enjoy a less windswept day. After leaving the B&B we made a couple of largely unsuccessful stops before arriving in Rosedale, where we began our search for Ring Ouzel. This proved to be less straightforward than hoped, but after much patient scanning we were able to enjoy nice, if distant views of a smart male. A short drive took us up onto the nearby moors along the road to Egton. A smart Golden Plover was on a grouse butt. A stop by a stream yielded Stonechat and the hoped-for singing male Whinchat. After spending some time optimistically scanning for Merlins, we opted for a change of scene and visited the Wykeham Raptor Viewpoint. Here we saw several Buzzards and a distant Goshawk, but little else of note. Nearby Wykeham Forest Nursery hosted a Wheatear, but we called it a day and headed back to base. After dinner we tried for Nightjars. The early date made me wonder if we’d see or hear any, but in the event a single bird was flying about calling, although it did elude most of the group. May 16th: Bempton Cliffs RSPB, Wykeham South Lake, Ebberston. Weather: Sunny with pleasant temperatures and light winds. The day began at Bempton Cliffs RSPB, where we enjoyed some warming sunshine, light winds and the fantastic spectacle that is the seabird breeding colony here. Teeming with life we had wonderful views of Gannets, Kittiwakes, Razorbills, Guillemots and of course small numbers of Puffins. Other species included numerous Tree Sparrows, Linnets and Whitethroats plus a singing Corn Bunting and an unexpected brief fly through by an Osprey! With the trip drawing to a close we decided to try for better views of Yellow Wagtail at Wykeham South Lake. This was duly achieved along with a surprise Marsh Harrier on the way and a flock of five Eider on the lake. The latter were of particular interest for my Patchwork Challenge yearlist! Our final stop was at Ebberston where we connected with a beautiful Turtle Dove sat on an open branch, a Willow Warbler and we heard a singing Garden Warbler. After doing the final bird list we headed to the railway station where the tour concluded My spring survey workload is looking likely to be somewhat reduced when compared with previous years, so it has been a treat to spend some time in the local area, birding on the coast at Long Nab, on farmland in The Carrs, Wykeham South Lake and in the forests. This Dipper was showing nicely along the River Derwent. An obliging Marsh Tit was busy proclaiming its territory. This morning I had an enjoyable visit to Troutsdale where I spent a bit of time checking out a few species in preparation for forthcoming tours in the area later in the spring Goshawks have been in evidence on a number of days over the past few weeks, whilst a walk in Wykeham Forest afforded some nice views of Crossbills today. Chiffchaffs are now widespread in the area and I heard my first singing Blackcap of the spring this morning. Troustdale produced nice views of Dipper (photo above), plus territorial Marsh Tits (photo above). Searches at a number of locations for Willow Tit have been fruitful with a couple of territories in The Carrs. At Wykeham South Lake a House Martin was with the Sand Martins, whilst a migrant flock of 10 Goldeneye were new in. Little Ringed Plovers have been present here for a week or so now, whilst over the surrounding woods and copses good numbers of Common Buzzards were circling over their territories. I have some availability for tailored birding tours in the North York Moors and along the coast, so if you are interested in a day trip or a short break, then please get in touch. Here is a selection of memorable photos from another busy year. A Glaucous Gull on a beach along the Kintyre peninsula in January. An Iceland Gull on a beach along the Kintyre peninsula in March. A Lapwing on the North York Moors in April. Red Grouse on the North York Moors in April A Wood Sandpiper on one of my survey sites in May. An obliging juvenile Ruff at Johnson's Marsh, Scarborough in July. An approachable Black-tailed Godwit on one of my survey sites in August. Short-eared Owl at Long Nab. One of several individuals seen during an excellent influx in the autumn. A Grey Junglefowl at Nagarhole in Southern India. The stunning White-bellied Blue Robin in Southern India. More Southern India photos in the gallery.
This blog has been neglected for many months, so here is a selection of photographic highlights from the memorable year that was 2014.
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AuthorFreelance ornithologist and tour leader based in Scarborough, N Yorkshire. Archives
January 2023
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