Tuesday 13th November 2012

Sightings today included the following;

Castle Lake - 2 Goldeneye, 2 Little Grebe, 6 Cormorant, Sparrowhawk, 40 Curlew, 3 Redshank, Great Spotted Woodpecker.

Low Hardwick - Buzzard, Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, 25 Snipe, Jay.

A1 Flashes/River Skerne - Green Sandpiper, Kingfisher, Song Thrush.

Hardwick Hall CP - 3 Goosander, Little Grebe, GS Woodpecker, Mistle Thrush, Goldcrest, Willow Tit on feeders.

Stoneybeck Lake - Sparrowhawk, 7 Redshank.

A few pictures from today;

Wigeon pair on Hardwick Hall Lake

3 drake Goosander also at Hardwick Hall

Greylag and Canada Geese near Castle Lake.

Monday 5th November 2012

A decent selection of birds were seen today including the following;

Castle Lake - Sparrowhawk, 40 Snipe, 4 Redshank, Green Sandpiper, Little Owl & 7 Corn Bunting.

Mediocre picture of a partially obscured Little Owl at Castle Lake this morning.

Low Hardwick - Bar-headed Goose in with 400 Greylag Geese, 250 Canada Geese, Kestrel, 25 Golden Plover, 50 Curlew, GS Woodpecker, 30 Fieldfare, 15 Redwing, Willow Tit, Jay & 18 Lesser Redpoll.

The wandering Bar-headed Goose was back in the area again today.

Stoneybeck Lake - 3 Whooper Swan (pictured below), 4 Redshank but the Long-tailed Duck wasn't seen.

Autumn Wader's

Delayed today's birding until the afternoon, purely to check for any Owl activity over Low Hardwick although there hasn't been any reports yet and it wasn't until mid-November last year that the sightings began. Sure enough nothing seen today but hopefully there will be Short-eared Owl's to be seen again this winter.

Earlier it was a couple of unexpected wader species that took my attention, firstly three Dunlin were at Stoneybeck Lake, this being the third November running I've now seen them at Bishop Middleham even though it seems a little late for Dunlin to be seen inland.
Then Castle Lake produced a single Black-tailed Godwit, definately the latest I've seen this species at BM.

The Long-tailed Duck was still present on Stoneybeck Lake.

Also some better access to the hide has been completed.

Wednesday 31st October 2012

The Long-tailed Duck was reported still on Stoneybeck Lake this morning (DM).

Just realised during the blog's hiatus I havn't posted any pictures of the floods in late September when the A1 flashes turned into the A1 lake.

At Last

At last a blog update and what's more a new bird species for Bishop Middleham, a female/immature Long-tailed Duck was found on Stoneybeck Lake this morning.

A full list of sightings from today;

Stoneybeck Lake; Female/Immature Long-tailed Duck (first site record for BM), 300 Lapwing, 150 Golden Plover, 6 Redshank, 6 Snipe, 18 Curlew, 11 Shoveler, Little Grebe. Castle Lake; Green Sandpiper, 4 Redshank, 250 Golden Plover, 50+ Snipe, 6 Little Grebe, 6 Pochard, 200 Canada Geese, 4 Cormorant, plus good numbers of Teal, Wigeon, Shoveler & Gadwall. Low Hardwick/River Stell; 40 Fieldfare, Willow Tit, Kingfisher.

Red-crested Pochard

A single Red-crested Pochard was found on Castle Lake by Andrew Kinghorn yesterday (22nd) afternoon and was confirmed as still present today (JO).

Red-crested Pochard on Castle Lake (photo by Andrew Kinghorn) only the second record of this species at Bishop Middleham.
Andrew also found and photographed this Mediterranean Gull.

Sunday 5th August 2012

Today's sightings;

Castle Lake;
juv. Dunlin, Greenshank, 10 Snipe, Common Sandpiper, GC Grebe carrying 3 recently hatched chicks, 500 Greylag Geese, 100 BH Gull, Corn Bunting. 
A1 Flashes;
juv. Shelduck, Oystercatcher, 3 Common Sandpiper, Peregrine over high south. 
No sign of Pec Sand between 12:00-15:00.

juvenile Dunlin at Castle Lake this afternoon.

Greenshank.

Great Crested Grebe carrying three chicks.