What have you seen
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Walking alongside the north coast of Wirral yesterday there was the usual waders on the mudflats but also a new sighting for us as we saw a Black Scoter. We knew there had been one knocking about Liverpool Bay and Irish Sea area recently but didn't expect to be that lucky.
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Walking the North Lincs Wolds bridle paths today. A warm and cloudless sky. Finches and tits of many species in the hedgerows, hares playing in the fields and heard my first chiffchaff of the season. Lapwings about and blackbirds singing. Makes you glad to be alive. Spring is on the way.
Staying at the Mealand Hill CL, beautiful setting above Humberside Airport.
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We stayed there to attend the Caravan show at Cottingham one September. Exchanged our caravan for a new Coachman Amara 380 from Wandahome in Knottingley. I remember seeing a plane coming in to land at the airport which is out of sight in the valley. A bit startling as the plane looked low in the air but we hadn't realised the runway was in the valley.
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Lots of different sightings over the last few days; Buzzards, including 2 feeding on the ground with 4 others circling above them at Holkham then a Red Kite flew over, and a mother and young Munjac wandered across. Lots of Brent Geese, Egrets, Skylarks, a couple of Spoonbills and Marsh Harriers at Skiffkey and Blakeney. Here near Cromer there were 8 Hares on the same field and another Red Kite as well as more Skylarks this morning and a Barn Owl flew over the site last night. At Blickling, by the lake, there many Toads, both singles and couples😉yesterday and more again today at the Sheringham Estate. Quite a few butterflies about too including a Large Tortoiseshell.
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Peculiar goings on at home.
There is a male Blackbird that sits on our fence panel outside the kitchen window and I noticed him flying across to next doors window, disappearing from view then reappearing on the fence. He keeps flying at the window presumably thinking its a rival but there's no squawking, just flying at it. I've chased him away a few times mainly to stop him injuring himself but 5 minutes later he's back. We have noticed smaller birds picking up small insects around the windows but Blackbird isn't doing that.
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More collections of frogs &/or toads today in a small pond, The Pit, at Lower Southstrepps, making lots of noise. Greenfinches and Chiffchats vocalsing, GSWs hammering away, Brimstones, Large Tortoiseshell and a Comma butterflies on the daffodils, 3 Roe deer feeding on one of the fields we passed, and a Munjac in the woods during our walks today. Then this evening I saw about 10 Hares on the field above the site and there were two munjacs on the site itself.
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Well Spring has arrived the birds are singing and some are fighting each other, heard a few different Warblers around here, visited friends yesterday and saw 1 large bird of prey flying over when we stopped at local small supermarket and then saw another same size later on but not near enough for me to identify grr, a lot of buzzards about and the local toads are making their way to our local Lavoir but some did not make it across the roads, our friends have a Hare having a go at their plants in the garden.
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We had a good day on Horsey Windmill/Broad walk. On the way there I spotted what I think was a Peregrine as well as 30 or so Swans on a single field. Then during the walk we saw numerous Marsh Harriers, Lapwings, Skylarks, Buzzards, a Reed Bunting and a Chiffchaff, with many others calling from the scrub by the path. Then we heard the calls of a Common Crane. While we were having our lunch we were entertained by Long Tailed and Blue Tits and a pair of Cranes flew across in front of us.
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Good to hear that the Cranes are about and spreading their wings so to speak, nellie. Another reintroduction success, we’ve even had them circling near us recently. Who knows, possibly a future breeding occupant for the Humber region reserves?
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We were out today walking on the Marriott Trail and I have never heard, and seen so many Chiffchaffds, so much so they were nearly drowning out the other birds!! Saw our first Blackcaps too, and a fair number of Brimstone butterflies.
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Yes, travelling on the train yesterday I spied several egrets out of the carriage window. Although speeding past them I assumed cattle egrets as they were in the middle of fields with cows, couldn’t see their feet so I could be wrong. However, like those collared doves which are now everywhere, this species has found its own way to our shores and is not a reintroduction. Last year three young cattle egrets fledged last year at Fairburn, hopefully more this.
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@mickysf - How has the recent tanker/container collision affected the wildlife in the area? Seems to have disappeared from the news radar. We are thinking of having a couple of days over on the East coast in breeding season so any local news would be helpful. Thanks.
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@Wherenext - The boats themselves have been removed from the region. As for pollution, so far so good. The coast to the North of the Humber has been unaffected with long shore drift always meaning that the Lincolnshire, Norfolk coasts and the Wash were going to bare the brunt of any pollution. Thankfully it’s relatively reassuring to report that visible signs of pollution have been very few and far between in recent weeks although some flotsam from the container ship has been found and cleared from the beaches. Current news is generally pretty sparse now, I guess we will have to wait for the official reports in order to get the ‘true’ picture. Thankfully the birds have returned to Bempton and the numbers don’t seem to be reduced so a good and healthy breeding season will be a relief.
Totally unrelated I know, but we still haven’t heard the definitive story behind the mass shellfish die-offs which have blighted the areas of Cleveland and North Yorkshire. Theories abound with coverups and conspiracies out there, we just need to know the truth behind both events and learn from them as best we possibly can. Hope lives eternal but positive action is crucial to success.
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Many thanks @mickysf. Reassuring.
Had a walk along the coast path from Flint Castle today. Tide was out but we wanted to see if the nesting Sand Martins were back and thankfully they are, busy feeding up.
Came across a Dark Wing Bee Fly that was static for long enough to snap a photo.
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Drove down to Rutland Water to catch sight of the Ospreys there. The male, Blue 33, was on the roosting post above the nest while I could just catch a glimpse of Maya, who is now sitting their first egg, laid yesterday. I did spot one yesterday as we drove up past Burghley Estate around noon as we were heading to our site. It was good to see about 8 Created Grebes feeding close to our view point. We have again heard lots of Chiffchaffs and seen numerous Brimstone Butterflies. This evening during my walk out with Flyte though the Woodland Walk, by the site, I came across the bunch of Snakehead Fritillary, above.
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@nelliethehooker Great photo I have 1 of these flowers in a little raised bed.
Have heard the Hoopoe this morning and Blackcaps and a lot of birds singing as it is warmer today and sunny just heard the Cuckoo as well, friends have heard the golden Oriole where they live but not heard it here yet and the frogs have arrived in the next field not sure where the pond or water is there but they can be very noisy at times, plenty of butterflies as well.
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Thanks @RedKite , we saw a lot more today, especially at Woolsthorpe Manor, where Sir Isaac Newton was born and developed his theory of gravity when watching an Apple falling from it's tree. This is reputed to be the tree, or at least has grown from the original tree which crashed down following a storm.
I saw my first House Martin yesterday, flying over the gardens at Burghley, and today my first Orange Tip butterfly.
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Saw a Hare and then a Fox in same field, but thankfully for the Hare, going in the opposite direction!
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I forgot to mention that we saw our first Bluebells showing full colour in the woods at Rutland, and then passed another wood with them in flower today near Matlock.
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Currently enjoying the sounds of lots of chiffchaffs and blackcaps during the hot sunny days then last night the bizarre call of shearwaters circling above our heads in a cloudless starlit sky. What a strange sound they make, made us all smile, a first for us.
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@mickysf we had the sounds of Blackcaps and Chiffchats as we sat for lunch today during our walk down Lathkill Dale. Spotted a pair of Yellow or Grey Wagtails but they were too quick to identify properly, at least for me!
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Yesterday it was flocks of monk parakeets, African kestrels and several hoopoes. I also understand there has been a significant number of the latter arrive back home in the UK over the last few days. Hopefully some may establish nesting territories and successfully fledge young this year. I’m told a pair raised chicks last year mind.
I did hear a canary, well you would expect them here wouldn’t you. My Merlin app on my phone is fantastic for many aspects of bird recognition but the song indentation is just brilliant.
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Lots of different bird song today down Lathkill Dale, with the now usual Chiffchaffs, we heard Blackcaps, Nuthatches, GSW hammering away, and our first Garden Warblers and Ravens of the year.
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