Friday, 31 January 2025

Tetney Marsh

 It was a dry but gloomy day today; 6C with a 6 mph easterly wind. A walk with Dorothy, Steve, Brian and myself before returning Chez Pickwell for a curry night. Birding highlights included sper views of a hunting barn owl and a great white egret.

Barn Owl
 

Saturday, 25 January 2025

North Cave Wetlands

 Heather and I had gone to stay at Cave Castle Hotel for Heather's annual yoga retreat. I always use it as an opportunity to go birding at North Cave Wetlands as it is only just up the road. This year I was joined by my regular birding companion, Brian, who had driven up from home in Keelby. 

Fortified by a cup of coffee we set off for a circuit of the reserve. We were hoping for brambling at the maize field feeders, but, although, there was plenty of activity, we saw no bramblings. Apparently there was only one male and one female and they didn't show for us. We continued on our circuit taking in two new hides and the north end of the reseve as anoyher gravel pit has been worked out and is being rewilded. Highlights of the day were redwing, tree sparrow, siskin, goldeneye and six red kites in the air together.

Gadwall
Goldfinch
Siskin
Hazel Catkins
Hazel Catkins










Long Tailed Tit
Reed Bunting
Reed Bunting
Robin
Tree Sparrow
Tree Sparrow

Friday, 17 January 2025

Birding at Gib.

 Last night was a beautifully clear night spangial with a myriad stars. It was planets I was interested, though, especially Mars. Mars was in opposition to the sun and, therefore, at its brightest. The first of my planets to appear, as usual, was Venus, the Evening Star rising last night in the south. This was soon followed by Jupiter high in the sky slightly to the east but almost directly overhead. Through binoculars it was possible to see some of the planet's moons. Lower in the sky to the north east was mars, bright and through binoculars with a definite red glow to it. Slightly east of Venus, if I used my imagination was saturn. In a few days (21st January) we arrive at the date when all the planets are in line. I don't suppose we shall see all of them without an astronomical telescope but at least 5 should be seen with binoculars. We just need clear skies. I find looking at the night sky fascinating; the distances involved are beyond comprehension.

This morning Brian picked us up at 9.00 for a day's birdwatching at Gibraltar Point Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust's nature reserve, in fact the first designated nature reserve in the country. I have a long association with 'Gib'. When my parents first bought a car around 1960 we used to drive across the Wolds to visit at weekends and my brother and I loved climbing and jumping down the sand dunes. It would be frowned on today and, if we knew it, was then. Whilst in the 6th form I stayed there for biology field trips and have many times taken school pupils here for residential and day visits. I have also visited countless times for birdwatching over the last 60 years. 

We arrived today at 10.00 am just in time for the cafe opening for Biran's obligatory coffee. Once refreshed we set ot for the roadside hides, calling in first at the plantaion feeding station. This has been revamped since our last visit and now boasts a drinking pool along with a selection of perches for photography. There was a fair amount of activity and I managed a few photos despite the poor light. Next it was off to Jackson's Marsh Hide. There were plenty of birds on the lagoon and marsh. A little egret feeding in front of the hide allowed for some reasonable photography. Curlew and wigeon were bot calling; so evocative. Brent geese were present and kept wheeling into the sky with their usual deep, grumbling calls. Earlier, a skein of pink-footed geese had flown over, their contact calls reminiscent of a distant pack of yelping hounds.

From the next hide, Hardy's we had superb views of a hunting marsh harrier, hovering, moth-like, just above the reeds. Water levels were high in the Mere Hide on the freshwater marsh and a little grebe of dabchick gave exceptional close views as it fished for sticklebacks. By now it was time to wander back across the marsh to the visitor centre and the warmth of the cafe for lunch. Afterwards, there was just time to walk down the Lill's Hut and the Wash observation point. Here we had good views of grey seals, hauled out and resting on the banks of the Haven. A solitary roe deer was also out on the marsh.

It had been a raw, cold day, but an excellent one with 39 species. One to look back on whene we are here in shorts and T-shirts in the summer.

Blackbird
Chaffinch
Goldfinches
Little Egret
Little Egret
Little Egret
Little Egret
Little Grebe
Little Grebe
Little Grebe
Little Grebe

Friday, 3 January 2025

A Birding Walk at Cleethorpes and The Fitties.

 Another bright and sunny day. We decided on a change of scene today a parked at Buck Beck in Cleethorpes. It was a beautiful morning with plenty of birds about. We followed the usual route towards the yacht club and on to Tetney Marsh RSPB reserve. We stopped for our picnic overlooking the beach and the Haille Sand Fort with views across to Spurn. Today we had remebered the cheese and hula hoops. Our lunch had added excitement (for us) of watching two people being rescued by the coastguard. They had crossed the creek to the aid of their dog which had got stuck in the mud. One of the part had sung up to the top of his thighs in the mud. It must have been frightening. A salutory lesson to us all. We logged 32 bird species today and finished with a drink in the Rose and Crown on the way home.









Thursday, 2 January 2025

A Frosty Walk in the Lincolnshire Wolds

 A cold and cloudless day greeted us this morning. After breakfast, later in the morning, we headed out into the Wolds to Tealby. Parked up by the village hall, we were soon walking along the Viking Way towards the settlement of Risby, passing first the now derelict Castle Farm. Immediatley after walking through the edge of Bedlam Plantation we stopped at our regular place: a bench looking out over the valley towards the Lincoln Cathedral. Here we had our lunch of Christmas cake and, for me, tomato soup. Annoyingly we forgot the cheese and hula hoops. While we were sitting up here enjoying our picnic a raven flew out of the wood kronking loudly and a tawny owl hooted sleeply form inside the wood. As we moved on the crisp cold air up here tingled the nostrils. At Risby we turned uphill to the east and walked out to the narrow lane that leads up from Tealby. We walked along the road for a while before crossing fields and then down to Tealby.

A short but excellent walk topped off by a drink in the warm, cosy bar of the King's Head.