Location
I was out early again this morning (5:20am - 7:10am) and this time it was off to Blakehill Farm Nature Reserve in the hope of spotting the Short-eared Owl and Ring Ouzel, seen yesterday evening. Alas I saw neither. But did come across 4 Whimbrel, 1 Curlew, a Stonechat and a fly-by Oystercatcher and Cormorant
Sunrise at 5:55am
The sun is well up now and this is the view across the reserve
One of 3 Roe Deer feeding on the grassland
3 Whimbrel fly past
And a Cormorant
This Skylark has damaged its tail feathers.........
......and opted to sing from the ground.
I know its just a bunny, but it does look cute.
And now the serious look as I walk on by.
3 Whimbrel come into land.
(Apologies for the noise of the wind. Might need to turn the volume down!)
This Skylark has damaged its tail feathers and preferred to sing from the ground rather than in the sky above.
Birds Recorded: 1 Cormorant, Buzzard, Pheasant, 1 Oystercatcher, 4 Whimbrel, 1 Curlew, 2 Lesser Black-backed Gull, Stock Dove, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, 1 Green Woodpecker, 12+ Skylark, Meadow Pipit, Dunnock, Robin, 1 Stonechat, 3 Blackbird, Song Thrush, Common Whitethroat, 2 Lesser Whitethroat, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Wren, Magpie, Rook, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Chaffinch, 12+ Linnet, Goldfinch, Bullfinch and 2 Reed Bunting.
Also 3 Roe Deer, 4 Hare and 6 Rabbits
Cleveland Lakes Nature Reserve
Location
Having left Blakehill I headed off to Twitchers Gate (7:20am - 8:30am) for the Nightingale and the possibility of seeing the female Marsh Harrier I found 2 days ago. No sign of the harrier but the Nightingale burst into song at 8:20am.
Other highlights here was a Stoat running across the garden lawn to the right of the screen, which not only got my notice but also scared the jeepers out a Chaffinch, Robin and Song Thrush feeding there.
Across towards the scrape there were 5 Bar-tailed Godwits, 3 Oystercatchers and 3 Lapwing. On one of the floating rafts a Raven attempted to raid a Black-headed Gulls nest, which caused a right commotion, with several of the gulls mobbing it before it gave up.
The view across the reserve from Twitchers Gate
One of the rafts on Pit 74, occupied by Cormorants sunning themselves.
A Song Thrush was busy collecting worms on this lawn.
And a Robin is also collecting food.
This Wren was very vocal and there's a recording just below
A Common Whitethroat......
.......takes to the air......
This Wren really belt it out to let others know that this was his territory.
Viewed from Twitchers Gate: Great Crested Grebe, 1 Little Grebe, 5 Cormorant, Mute Swan, 5 Greylag Geese, Canada Geese, Mallard, 1 Gadwall, 4 Shoveler, 5 Red-crested Pochard, Tufted Duck, 1 Buzzard, Moorhen, Coot, 3 Oystercatcher, 3 Lapwing, 1 Common Sandpiper, Black-headed Gull, Herring Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, 1 adult Great Black-backed Gull, Stock Dove, Wood Pigeon, 1 Cuckoo, 1 Green Woodpecker, Sand Martin, House Martin, Swallow, Meadow Pipit, Pied Wagtail, Dunnock, 1 Nightingale, Robin, Blackbird, 2 Song Thrush, Sedge Warbler, Cetti's Warbler, Common Whitethroat, 2 Lesser Whitethroat, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Long-tailed Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Rook, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, 1 Raven, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Bullfinch and Reed Bunting.
Also seen 1 Rabbit and a Stoat