Fairburn Ings

The weather last weekend decided be typically bank holiday like and was wet and windy with few sunny spots in between. Of course we're out regardless!

We did try for the Night Heron that has been seen around the far end of the lake for some time now but it is quite elusive and stayed well hidden whilst we were there. We don't often explore that end of the reserve but it was full of birdsong - Wren, Blackbird, Whitethroat, Dunnock.....

Whitethroat 

We saw lots of beetles in the plants along the paths

Cardinal Beetle

Cormorant

The view from Charlies Hide

This Red Kite appeared above us over Cutt Lane

I didn't take too many photos as we walked around the main part of reserve, the rain over the Coal Tips was persistent and I kept the camera under cover. From the Pick up hide we watched Sand Martins fly in and out of the bank, a Pheasant was hunkered down doing the if I don't move they can't see me thing.... We could hear a Cuckoo calling up near the Coal Tips, we heard one (or maybe two) as we walked around but didn't manage to see one. We were surrounded by Swifts as we walked, being high up the Swifts are pretty much head height!

We ate lunch in the car at Lin Dyke and the rain stopped but it was dull and cloudy still. A Chiffchaff was calling by the entrance and then past the bridge a Willow Warbler was singing.

Chiffchaff

Willow Warbler

Damselflies

Little Egret

Little Ringed Plover

A Bufflehead duck was on the water at Lin Dyke, I believe it's been around a while and is no doubt from a private collection somewhere. You can just see it near the end of the spit here (if you use a magnifying glass)

Orange-tip Butterfly

My daughter took these two

I'm not sure what this bee is

Froghopper

And finally as we were about to leave the sun was shining!

Goldfinch

Fairburn Ings

Saturday morning we set out for Fairburn, they have set up a viewing point for the Spoonbills on the site and we thought we'd go have a look. We were there as it opened and saw young Tree Sparrows around the feeders.

The route to the viewing point is well sign posted and a lovely walk, we could hear a Cuckoo calling up near the Coal Tips.  

At the viewing point it didn't take long for us to spot the Spoonbills, one kept flying in and out of the trees to the second bird sat on the nest. We got talking to a couple of guys and they offered views through their scopes. The birds are stunning and the bills quite a work of art! I believe later that day they the eggs started to hatch, so here's hoping for successful 'teaspoons' again!

The viewpoint was getting busier so we moved on to let others take a look. One of the Spoonbills flew past us as we walked back across the field. From the pickup hide we could see Sand Martins are using the wall now, you can just see one on the photo.

Across the water we could see Gadwall and Moorhens with chicks. One came up to the edge of the water, which was also popular with the Pheasants and a Woodpigeon! A Green Woodpecker flew over. 

At the screen a couple of Squirrels were in and out of the undergrowth and all around we could hear the chirping of Great Tit fledgings, I think at least half a dozen but they were constantly on the move and quite well hidden in the trees.

We only walked as far a Big Hole as we were a little pushed for time today, we discovered (as is the norm!) we'd just missed a Bittern flying by about five minutes! We did see Lapwings, Little Grebe, Little Egret, Skylark and Swifts overhead. 

There were daisies all the way down the banking, beautiful to see. We found a Cinnabar Moth and a Blue-tailed Damselfly. My daughter has started taking her own photos of the flowers we find, she's getting quite good!

We saw a lot of Ladybirds all over the reserve

We walked down to the main bay before we left and saw the Avocets, the chicks were asleep on the mud and the parents were doing a good job of keeping away the Black-headed Gulls, a Shelduck was getting grumpy with the Mallards and behind us a Reed Bunting perched singing loudly. 

The guys we'd been speaking to earlier had mentioned about a Little Owl being seen just across the road from the reserve and my husband spotted it as we were driving off, a very nice little bonus!

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