Swillington Ings

I'd seen lots of photos the Short-eared Owls at St Aidan's over the Christmas holidays but the first time I could go was this past Saturday. Unfortunately they decided not to play and despite freezing ourselves to the bone for some time we decided to give up and go warm up!

Beforehand though we took a walk around some of the reserve, it was a little windy but quite sunny.

We saw plenty of birds though and made a nice start to my year list, Shovelers, Teal, Wigeon, Gadwall, calling Curlew, lots of Kestrel action and a whole load of noisy Greylag and Canada Geese.

Shoveler

Mute Swan

Tufted Duck

Kestrel

We also saw Rabbits and Hares on the hillside and Stock Doves on the dragline. 

Chevin Woods

After reading about the Crossbills at the Chevin Woods on Amanda's blog I decided to pay a visit on Sunday.

We got there just after 9 and right away I spotted a guy taking photos of something at the top of the tree - Crossbills and right where they'd been described! We chatted to the guy and watched both males and females at the top of the tree. They were a bit distant for the camera but perfect through the binoculars, it was a gorgeous day and they looked stunning in the sun, a lifer for me. They were there around 20 minutes or so before they were spooked and flew off - 8 altogether.

This Chaffinch called above our heads whilst we watched the Crossbills, probably miffed we weren't paying it any attention!

Lots of sheep in the surrounding fields

The sunlight in between the trees was beautiful, my photos don't do it justice. We walked around a big chunk of the woods.

Where the woods opened out the views across the valley are stunning

A Kestrel flew overhead 

Arncliffe Crag

There were quite a few birds in the trees, Goldcrest, Coal, Great, Blue Tits, Chaffinch, Blackbird, Song Thrush and Bullfinch, none however were willing to pose for a photo. A Red Kite flew over at one point too.

Bullfinch!

It's been years since i've been in these woods I think the last time was probably about twenty years ago and it was at night to watch shooting stars over the valley (I saw two!). It was well worth the visit, I need to make more of an effort to go more often.

Potteric Carr

On Sunday we spent the day at Potteric Carr, we haven't been since the new year and it was sunny and cold again but this time minus the frost/ice.

After picking up a bacon sandwich (to keep my hands warm obviously) we headed out into the reserve spotting Pheasant, Jackdaw and Goldfinch by the feeder.

In the woods I was the only one who spotted a deer, it popped it's head up in the distance and then leapt over a log and out of sight. A few Squirrels were overhead, Wrens, Goldcrest, Robins in the trees and bushes around.

There were lots of Common Darters around the reserve, mostly sunning themselves. A Red Admiral flew past at one point, it always surprises me to see a butterfly at this time of year.

My husband spotted a few Blue and Great Tits as we walked from the Cottage Drain hide by the railway track then spotted a a couple of other birds - Redwings, the first ones i've seen this Autumn! A few kept flying in with several Blackbirds too, they soon disappeared into the trees though.

Stopping for a bit of lunch by the east scrape - picnics in November! I was watching the scrape from the picnic bench when I caught a flash of colour - a Kingfisher, it landed briefly on a reed and called a couple of times before flying off towards the West Scrape.

From the hides looking out over the West Scrape and Hunter Marsh we saw lots of very noisy Black Headed Gulls, Shelduck, Lapwing, Great Crested Grebes, Wigeon, Heron, Little Egret amongst others.

Walking to the Tofield hide I was photographing the reeds there and heard a burst of song, then again - a Cetti's Warbler! A first for me, very pleased!

We stopped to watch a Kestrel hunting over the field.

Calling into each hide to look down onto the marsh we saw plenty of birds - Wigeon, Lapwing, Shoveler, Gadwall, Cormorant, Pochard....

Heading back to we stopped at the hides by the willow marsh and saw busy feeders and a Teal mostly bottom up in the water!

A few photos from around the reserve.

We didn't stop to see the Starlings gathering this time, a much needed cuppa in the cafe and we were on our way home.

Around the Patch

Things have been busy in the garden, lots of birds on the move and we've had more Willow Warblers, Chiffchaff and Goldcrest passing through. The Sparrow and Starling numbers have increased again after a few weeks dip. Blackbirds, Dunnocks, Robin, Woodpigeon and Goldfinch are back in the garden after mostly being absent through the summer. Lots of Tits are backwards and forwards from the feeder too.

The best bird so far though has been a Great Spotted Woodpecker which turned up last Saturday, it landed in our Laburnum, hopped around and flew off, it was lucky I was still sat by the window with my cuppa that I happened to see it. It's only the 2nd one i've seen in the garden in the 9 years we've lived here and the other was 8 years ago and landed in the same tree!

The squirrel and foxes are still daily visitors, a couple of weeks back my husband saw 5 of them (foxes) in an empty overgrown yard nearby. The foxes have just figured out if they stand up they can clean out the seed tray on the feeder and by clean I mean clean, not a scrap left in there!  Our regular Squirrel looks like she is nursing young at the moment and she tears through the nuts and sunflower hearts two or three times a day!

In Churwell Woods there were a couple of Chiffchaffs about this week, lots of different Tits and Woodpigeons galore. The fields where the fire was have been completely dug over. Makes for good pickings, lots of Woodpigeons and Magpies in the mud and from a pylon a Kestrel sat watching everything one morning, too far away for a decent photograph but we watched it a while.

These oak galls are all over one of the trees.

This nest had fallen out of the trees near the entrance to the woods, you can't quite tell but it was tiny.

A few butterflies are still on the wing, Comma, Speckled Wood and Red Admiral.

The morning walk to work has been full of birds recently too, lots more Gulls around, BH and Herring, Robins have started singing in the park, 4 of them one morning. A Chiffchaff was singing right above my head on Wednesday.

A Sparrowhawk was harassing a flock of pigeons that belong to one of the houses near Morrison, it flew right overhead as I walked through the car park. The farm by work has been ploughed it's fields and they've been covered in Gulls, Crows and Woodpigeons.

The trees are turning colour and the early mornings definitely have that autumn feel now, it makes for a beautiful walk to work!