Tuesday 15 May 2018

Fairburn Ings

We spent Sunday morning at Fairburn in hope of seeing a Cuckoo. It was still quiet when we got there around 9am, already the sun was shining but the breeze was cool especially on the Coal Tips!

This Pheasant by the feeders was missing it tail feathers. We were too early for the Mallard who were all sleeping!



Up to the Coal Tips seeing both Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler on the path up there, a quick look at the Kingfisher screen but all was quiet. At the Big Hole a few Black-headed Gulls, Tufted Ducks and a Canada Goose were on the water.


This was on a plant by the path, a beetle.
*Edit - it's an Alder Fly, thanks Louise!


My first Common Tern of the year was flying over the river as we walked up to the Coal Tips, in fact the first of several seen today. A Green Woodpecker flew overhead and a Whitethroat was singing at the top of a tree with Skylarks singing all around. The reeds on the Tips were full of birdsong, Reed and Sedge Warbler, I heard a Bittern booming too. There were quite a few Swifts flying around our heads, I could sit and watch these birds for hours!

Whitethroat


Skylark



Sedge Warbler


Jackdaw


As we were looking down towards Lin Dyke a Grasshopper Warbler kept reeling and a Heron flew past.



So far though no Cuckoo, we stopped to talk to a guy and he told us he'd seen them around Lin Dyke, he'd got some great photos. So after a cuppa at the visitors centre where we sat outside watching the feeders and listening to a Chiffchaff we went on to Lin Dyke.


Another Chiffchaff was calling by the gate and we saw several Tits on the walk towards the hide.  From the hide we could see things in the water, which took a few moments to figure out........very large fish, I don't know what sort but there was several popping up out of the water, i've never seen them there before! 


It was fairly quiet bird wise though a Tern flew over just before we left. We walked on past the bridge to look at the pools there and could hear a Cuckoo calling! A Tern and a Black-headed Gull were chasing each other around the water, the Gull eventually flew off and I watched the Tern swooping about. The Cuckoo called again and we spotted it in the trees at the far side of the water. It sat in the top of a tree calling for a while.


That black dot - a Cuckoo!


Happy that i'd managed to spot a Cuckoo we made our way back to the car. The path here is great for Butterflies including my favourite, the Brimstone, though we did see quite a few all over the reserve.

Orange-tip


Small White?


Speckled Wood


Small Tortoiseshell


Brimstone



Peacock


Small Tortoiseshell


Small White?


Large White


Holly Blue


Brimstone



12 comments:

  1. The male pheasant is such a handsome bird and I know that in the UK it is very common indeed. Here it is quite rare. As in most parts of the world it was introduced for hunting purposes and a few birds escaped the guns and became established. I suspect our harsh winters are a factor in keeping their number a down too.

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    1. Yes the poor bird does suffer hunters here but there are in abundance still, the female is quite smart too!

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  2. A very handsome bird even without his tail..Pheasants in the Dakota's are still quite plentiful, and I saw one in Brooklyn, NY right in a very busy area...so adaptability is important to their survival. SO glad you got your Cuckoo...back home in SC we have the Yellow Billed who occasionally come to get a drink.

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    1. He is! They've certainly adapted well here! It's a bit of a narrow window for seeing Cuckoos when they arrive back in the UK for breeding so you have to get out there!

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  3. I'm glad you spotted and heard a cuckoo. I love to hear them although I do that very rarely now, it must be a couple of eyars since I heard one. Their call reminds me of my childhood as do cowslips at this time of year:)

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    1. They aren't easy to find these days unfortunately!

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  4. Looks like a lovely day. The bug you thought may be a beetle is an alder fly.

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    1. Thanks Louise, I wasn't sure about the bug :)

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  5. Well done on the cuckoo sighting - I haven't managed to see one for a few years although have heard just one this year.
    A lovely selection of butterfly images :)

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    1. I only saw my first a couple of years back, they're not to easy to find these days are they. Thanks, there's something about butterflies.......they always make me smile!

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  6. Great job, I remember searching for ages here for the Cuckoo , we could hear it calling but never saw it sadly. Great set of images of the butterflies. Most of the birds are nesting now so it can be a quiet time. I am wondering if the Common Terns are back at the Dam in Yeadon ?
    Amanda xx

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    1. Yes, the call carries doesn't it, I don't think we'd have gone to Lin Dyke if we hadn't seen the chap on the Coal Tips! They may be, i've not seen many elsewhere yet. xx

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