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Friday 15 October 2021

St Aidan's RSPB, West Yorkshire and RSPB Blacktoft Sands in East Yorkshire. Britain.

A double Lifer day and the first in the UK for a While.
Trip to Uk, Day Thirteen.

Long-toed Stint (Correlimos dedilargo / Calidris subminuta).
I stayed the night at good friends Sharon and John so that we could get a decent start this morning as we were heading for a couple of good birds up in Yorkshire, the first was at St Aidan's RSPB reserve in West Yorkshire.
Long-toed Stint (Correlimos dedilargo / Calidris subminuta).
Long-toed Stint (Correlimos dedilargo / Calidris subminuta).
We arrived just before 08,00 and walked the 15 minutes or so out to the pool where a Long-toed Stint (Correlimos dedilargo / Calidris subminuta) had been for a couple of day, on the way we saw a few bits including Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea), Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Pied Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla yarrellii), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs),  Carrion Crow (Corneja Negraa / Corvus corone), Mute Swan (Cisne Vulgar / Cygnus olor), Canada Geese (Barnacla Canadiense /Branta canadensis), Eurasian Wigeon (Sibón Europeo / Anas penelope), Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca), Tufted Duck (Porrón Monudo / Aythya fuligula), Reed Bunting (Escribano Palustre / Emberiza schoeniclus) and Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus).
Long-toed Stint (Correlimos dedilargo / Calidris subminuta).
Long-toed Stint (Correlimos dedilargo / Calidris subminuta) and Northern Lapwings (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus).
We reached the pool and there were around 40 or so birders already there but it was  a nice open area so there was plenty of room for everyone so we set up the scopes and were soon watching Britains third Long-toed Stint which was a lifer for Sharon and myself but Johns second as he saw a bird back in 1982.
Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea).

Pink-footed Geese (Ánsar Piquicorto / Anser brachyrhynchus).

We spent a couple of hours watching the bird and during this time we also saw Red Kite (Milano Real / Milvus milvus), Eurasian Spoonbill (Espátula Común / Platalea leucorodia), Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta), Gadwall (Anade Friso / Anas strepera), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Northern Shoveler (Pato Cuchara / Anas clypeata), Greylag Geese (Ansar Común / Anser anser), large flocks of Pink-footed Geese (Ánsar Piquicorto / Anser brachyrhynchus) passing over head, Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Water Rail (Rascón Europeo / Rallus aquaticus), Snipe (Agachadiza Común / Gallinago gallinago), Northern Lapwing (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus), Dunlin (Correlimos Común / Calidris alpina), Black-tailed Godwit (Aguja Colinegra / Limosa limosa), Ruff (Combatiente / Philomachus pugnax), Bearded Tit (Reedling) (Bigotudo / Panurus biarmicus), Cetti's Warbler (Ruisenor Bastardo / Cettia cetti), Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis), Skylark (Alondra Común / Alauda arvensis), Common Stonechat (Tarabilla Común / Saxicola torquata), Raven (Cuervo / Corvus corax), Sparrowhawk (Gavilán Común / Accipiter nisus), Goldfinch (Jilguero / Carduelis carduelis), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Wren (Chochin / Troglodytes troglodytes), Black-headed (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus) and Lesser Black-backed Gull (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus) and as we walked back towards the car Sharon picked up a Stoat (Mustela erminea).
White-tailed Lapwing (Avefria coliblanca / Vanellus leucurus),

Once we were back at the car John drove us over into East Yorkshire and out to Blacktoft Sands where a White-tailed Lapwing (Avefria coliblanca / Vanellus leucurus), possibly only the 8th British record had been for a while. We arrived and walked straight out to the second hide along the track and were soon watching this cracking wader, a species I had long wanted to see.
White-tailed Lapwing (Avefria coliblanca / Vanellus leucurus).
We again spent quite a while watching this stunning bird befor it flew up to the next hide, so we followed it and again had good but more distant views and also added Common Redshank (Archibebe Común / Tringa totanus), Curlew Sandpiper (Correlimos Zarapitin / Calidris ferruginea), Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus) and Common Darter (Sympetrum striolatum) which were new for the day.
White-tailed Lapwing (Avefria coliblanca / Vanellus leucurus).

Again we returned to the car after a chat with the warden who recognised John from an old TV program he did with Bernard Cribbins about twitching on the Scilly Isles many years ago. 
Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula).
Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula).
I Can't thank Sharon and John enough for a great day out, their company and of course a couple of great Birds as well.
Common Darter (Sympetrum striolatum).


Wednesday 13 October 2021

Gailey Reservoir, Staffordshire, Britain.

A bit of birding on my way to see the Family.
Trip to UK, Day Eleven.
 
Great Crested Grebe (Somormujo Lavanco / Podiceps cristatus) with a small Perch.
I made a brief stop at Gailey Res on the way over to Lichfield to see my Son Alan, Becky and the three Grand kids Ryan, Zach and Finn.
Great Crested Grebe (Somormujo Lavanco / Podiceps cristatus) adult and juv.
I scanned the two Lakes but most of the birds were on the upper section as the lower part was busy with Kids in Canoe's and other boats.
Great Crested Grebe (Somormujo Lavanco / Podiceps cristatus).
On the top pool I found Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra), Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Tufted Duck (Porrón Monudo / Aythya fuligula), Mute Swan (Cisne Vulgar / Cygnus olor), Canada Geese (Barnacla Canadiense /Branta canadensis), Great Cormorant (Cormorán Grande / Phalacrocroax carbo), Grey Heron (Garza Real / Ardea cinerea) but the stars where adult and juvenile Great Crested Grebes (Somormujo Lavanco / Podiceps cristatus) which showed very well and gave me the chance of some nice shot, just a shame the light was so bad.
Great Crested Grebe (Somormujo Lavanco / Podiceps cristatus).

Great Crested Grebe (Somormujo Lavanco / Podiceps cristatus).

Along the pool margins I found good numbers of Migrant Hawkers (Aeshna mixta) and Common Darters (Sympetrum striolatum) even in the dull conditions.
Migrant Hawker (Aeshna mixta).

Other species seen included Black-headed Gull (Gaviota Riedora / Larus ridibundus), Pied Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla yarrellii), Wren (Chochin / Troglodytes troglodytes), Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone), House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus) and Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo).