Monday 3rd February 2014

A cloudy day with a brisk southerly wind making it feel cold.
Another day and another trudge through the mud of Bishop Middleham with a plodge across the swampland of Low Hardwick for good measure.
Started off down the East side of Castle Lake for a change, nothing out of the ordinary observed on the water but a good sized mixed flock of Tree Sparrow, Yellowhammer and Reed Bunting were flitting about the hedgerow in the south-east corner.

Castle Lake looking south-west.
Alan's Pool came into view with a Little Egret and an overflying Skylark the best on offer here. Turning East to skirt around Island Farm...

Walk this way, err no thanks.

...brings you onto Fishburn Lake which held 5 Mute Swan and presumably the same drake Goosander that's been doing the rounds of late.
With the wind being so strong I decided to adopt the 'find a sheltered spot and wait for the birds to come to me technique' and it worked a treat with a flock of 20 Siskin landing right next to me, followed by Coal Tit, Goldcrest and Long-tailed Tit all making it onto the year list.

Eeny Meeny Miny Moe.

At Low Hardwick I opted to go off piste, in search of the Scarlet Pimpernel of birds, the legendary, some say mythical Water Rail. Well I'm disappointed to report the legend lives on, Moorhen was all I connected with, but I know there in there somewhere.
Other birds around Low Hardwick included 2 Grey Heron, 4 Snipe, 155 Curlew, a female Great Spotted Woodpecker, 4 Meadow Pipit back on territory, a lone Mistle Thrush, 2 Lesser Redpoll and a compulsory Kestrel.
Next the A1 Flashes but not before the biggest surprise of the day, a new boardwalk has appeared almost overnight near the old sluice gate.

Nice one.

A good selection on the flashes; 137 Canada Geese (including four of dubious parentage), 2 Shelduck, a Little Egret, 3 Oystercatcher and 3 Redshank.
Finally an hour in the Castle Lake hide noted another Shelduck, 10 Goldeneye including two drakes (10 is almost certainly a new site record), the drake Goosander again, 4 Dunlin and a Grey Wagtail.

drake Goldeneye.

A flock of 75 Redwing along Foumarts Lane finished the day off. A pretty decent tally of 59 species seen today.

Checklist Notes

Some notes to accompany the Birds Of Bishop Middleham Checklist.
The most recent additions to the list have been Firecrest (Low Hardwick), Iceland Gull (Castle Lake), Ring-necked Duck (Castle Lake) and Yellow-browed Warbler (Fishburn Lake).
In addition two species classed as escapes have been recorded - Bar-headed Goose and Chiloe Wigeon.
Sightings of Red-legged Partridge and Goshawk have not been confirmed and have therefore been omitted from the list. Marsh Tit and Reed Warbler have been recorded as close as Hardwick Hall Country Park but this does not come under the recording area.
Predictions for the future? Mandarin Duck, Green-winged Teal, Glossy Ibis, Great White Egret, Kittiwake, Citrine Wagtail, Tree Pipit, who knows....
As usual any additions or corrections please get in touch.

The Birds Of Bishop Middleham Checklist (Part 2)

Part 2.
Common Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull, Iceland Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Little Tern, Black Tern, Common Tern, Arctic Tern, Feral Pigeon, Stock Dove, Woodpigeon, Collared Dove, Turtle Dove, Cuckoo, Barn Owl, Little Owl, Tawny Owl, Long-eared Owl, Short-eared Owl, Swift, Kingfisher, Bee-eater, Green Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Great Grey Shrike, Magpie, Jay, Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Raven, Waxwing, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Coal Tit, Willow Tit, Skylark, Sand Martin, Swallow, House Martin, Red-rumped Swallow, Long-tailed Tit, Yellow-browed Warbler, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Grasshopper Warbler, Blackcap, Garden Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Whitethroat, Goldcrest, Firecrest, Wren, Nuthatch, Treecreeper, Starling, Ring Ouzel, Blackbird, Fieldfare, Song Thrush, Redwing, Mistle Thrush, Spotted Flycatcher, Robin, Pied Flycatcher, Redstart, Whinchat, Stonechat, Wheatear, Dunnock, House Sparrow, Tree Sparrow, Yellow Wagtail, Grey Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, Meadow Pipit, Chaffinch, Brambling, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Siskin, Linnet, Twite, Lesser Redpoll, Crossbill, Bullfinch, Snow Bunting, Yellowhammer, Reed Bunting, Corn Bunting.

The Birds Of Bishop Middleham Checklist (Part 1)

As of 1st January 2014 a total of 186 different species have been recorded in the village of Bishop Middleham and its environs. Part 1.
Mute Swan, Bewick's Swan, Whooper Swan, Bean Goose, Pink-footed Goose, White-fronted Goose, Greylag Goose, Canada Goose, Barnacle Goose, Egyptian Goose, Shelduck, Wigeon, Gadwall, Teal, Mallard, Pintail, Garganey, Shoveler, Red-crested Pochard, Pochard, Ring-necked Duck, Tufted Duck, Scaup, Lesser Scaup, Long-tailed Duck, Common Scoter, Goldeneye, Smew, Goosander, Ruddy Duck, Grey Partridge, Quail, Pheasant, Little Grebe, Red-necked Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, Black-necked Grebe, White Stork, Spoonbill, Bittern, Grey Heron, Little Egret, Gannet, Cormorant, Honey Buzzard, Red Kite, Marsh Harrier, Hen Harrier, Sparrowhawk, Common Buzzard, Rough-legged Buzzard, Osprey, Kestrel, Merlin, Hobby, Peregrine, Water Rail, Moorhen, Coot, Common Crane, Oystercatcher, Avocet, Little Ringed Plover, Ringed Plover, Golden Plover, Grey Plover, Lapwing, Knot, Sanderling, Little Stint, Temminck's Stint, Pectoral Sandpiper, Curlew Sandpiper, Dunlin, Ruff, Jack Snipe, Snipe, Woodcock, Black-tailed Godwit, Bar-tailed Godwit, Whimbrel, Curlew, Common Sandpiper, Green Sandpiper, Spotted Redshank, Greenshank, Wood Sandpiper, Redshank, Turnstone, Wilson's Phalarope, Black-headed Gull, Little Gull, Mediterranean Gull.

Monday 27th January 2014

Sightings today from John Olley and myself.

Eleven Dunlin hiding amongst these Golden Plover.


Castle Lake - 2 Shelduck, 6 Pintail, 26 Shoveler, 18 Pochard, 8 Goldeneye, drake Goosander, 2 Little Egret, 2 Sparrowhawk, 3 Oystercatcher, 300 Golden Plover, 240 Lapwing, 11 Dunlin ( a new high count for January beating the previous record of 6), 10 Redshank, 2 Great Black-backed Gull, Great Spotted Woodpecker, 8 Pied Wagtail, Grey Wagtail, 4 Mistle Thrush, 40 Redwing.

Shelduck and friends.

Stoneybeck Lake - 160 Coot, 40 Tufted Duck, 2 Pintail and 6 Pochard.

Sunday 19th January 2014

A few sightings from yesterday;

On Stoneybeck Lake were 6 Pintail (4m2f), along Fourmarts Lane were 15 Tree Sparrow and a Little Owl, the A1 Flashes held 2 Grey Heron and singles of Shelduck, Little Egret & Oystercatcher, whilst Low Hardwick produced 2 Buzzard, 2 Kestrel, 150 Golden Plover, 500 Lapwing, 1 Snipe, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker & a Willow Tit.

Thursday 16th January 2014

Sightings from today with thanks to John Olley;

Castle Lake - 8 Pintail, 580 Teal, 400 Wigeon, 20 Pochard, 22 Shoveler, 120 Mallard, 7 Goldeneye, 130 Golden Plover, 820 Lapwing, 3 Oystercatcher, 14 Redshank, 40 Curlew, 2 Little Egret & 2 Sparrowhawk.

A1 Flashes/Low Hardwick/ Alan's Pool - 1 Buzzard, 1 Short-eared Owl, 5 Kestrel, 40 Teal & 50 Gadwall.