Saturday 9 November 2013

Filey Brigg 7-11-13

with a nice day forecast we Jacqui and myself decided on a trip to Filey brigg also to give Fred a good run to make sure everything was ok after the MOT.
We set off at 7.30 a bit later than planned making a short detour first at Carnaby for the Juvenile Common Rosefinch which I didn't expect to see being the third day,we arrived about 8.00 with a old Warwickshire birder Lee Johnson already on site before his shift but he said it only shown for about a minute before it flew off to the pine tree with the Chaffinch flock but had not returned,so he had to leave us to it and make his way off to work we searched the other berry trees but to no avail but did hear Waxwings calling but was unable to locate them,after a short while some other birders had arrived and with time getting on and the tide on it's was out we just got back in the car when a birder returned to his car for his camera and shouted over it's showing,so we quickly walked back and viewed it for a minute before it made off again.
We then decided to make our way to Filey and return later in the day,we parked up by the Naze and made our way down the bank and out onto the Brigg quickly picking up 3 Purple Sandpiper,Ringed Plover,Turnstone and the Oystercatchers.
A few Rock pipits knocking around the hut we walked out onto the brigg and sat down just watching what was going past a few Eider and Common Scoter at the very end of the brigg and a few Red-throated Diver flew past,plenty of Kittiwake out on the sea and a few Guillemot and Razorbill past,a few more Purple Sandpiper and Cormorants on the rocks but into the sun,a Shag was fishing very close allowing Jacqui to get her first shots of these bird.
With Mandy and Paul finally catching us up for a general catch and bit of birding a Red-throated Diver came in close allowing for us to view through the scope and a Grey Seal popping up,a couple of Gannets came over the Brigg and a Common Snipe came in off also a few Starling flocks came in off.
With time getting on and wanting to head back for the Rosefinch we started walking back when a Common Kestrel came hunting along the bank giving the opportunity for some photos.
We got back to the car for some coffee and food before making our way back to Carnaby,we arrived and with a few birders present and it was showing in the same tree as it was earlier this time it stayed for a good while.
A great day and some good birding along with good company.















Friday 1 November 2013

MOT and Snow Buntings 31-10-13

With Fred due for a MOT we headed off for Grimsby with the intention of spending the rest of the day at Cleethorpes.long story short,Fred you failed and got to spend £300 on having him put right with half the day gone Jacqui and myself headed off for Buck beck to see if we could find any Snow bunting even though there was no reports of them,we headed for the dunes and with in 2 minutes we located 2 on the edge of the dunes but they wasn't very confiding but with some fieldcraft skills we got there in the end.
We could see a linnet flock flying around the salt marsh but they proved harder to re-locate as the tide was coming in,making it impossible to get near them I noticed a small wader on the beach which I knew was a Sanderling never get tired of photographing these little waders as they never stop moving proving to be a bigger challenge than their actual size.
We then made our way to the boating lake photographing Curlew and Little Egret along the way and the flock of Barnacle geese made off east towards Humberston,we walked around the boating lake but not much on there apart from the usual hybrids,Tufted duck and a few Pochard,we then headed for the leisure centre while the tide came in and we watched the display of waders,including Knot,Sanderling,Curlew,Redshank,Grey Plover and Black-tailed Godwits.
A great afternoon with some nice sun in the end shame it didn't come out earlier.