More Spring Migrants

A disappointing day at Spurn today although a male Black Redstart did restore something to the days birding. Other sightings were a smart Lesser Whitethroat and a White Wagtail. Several Grey Plover with one in almost complete summer plumage and a Knot again in glorious summer feathers

Blue headed Wagtail or possible Channel Wagtail

Spotted an interesting Yellow Wagtail at Audenshaw today.Initial thoughts were it was a Blue Headed Wagtail but the head is on the pale side and with this amount of white on the throat it could be a hybrid between Yellow wagtail and Blue headed wagtail- A so-called Channel Wagtail. Also present were nominate British Yellow wagtail, White Wagtail, Wheatear the first Swifts of the year, Great Crested Grebe and  Common Sandpiper

Wagtails and Plovers

Some great local birds today at the rough ground at Kingsway Business Park Rochdale. Three Yellow Wagtails, several White and Pied Wagtail and a good selection of plovers. More Little Ringed Plover than Ringed Plover. Also present were Lapwing and many Meadow Pipits, Skylark, 2 Dunlin and a Redshank.
Back at home some Lesser Redpoll are enjoying the free seed as well as a Treecreeper who I have seen several times over the last weeks feeding on the ground

Yellow Wagtail and Great Whie Egret

Went over to Burton Mere in hope of the Black-winged pratincole but no sign when I arrived. Still some interesting birds to see including lots of Black-tailed Godwits, Avocets, hundreds of sand, house martins swift and swallows and a White wagtail. Best birds though was a rather smart looking Yellow wagtail and a Great White Egret  being mobbed by Lapwings.  And yes the picture quality is rubbish as the birds were distant and had to be digiscoped!

Kielder Goshawk

Had a fantastic bright and sunny Saturday 17th. March at Kielder Forest. The target were Goshawk  and we were not to be disappointed. We arrived before 9 and saw none for the first couple of hours. We did see enormous numbers of Crossbill though and it was great watching them feed and get good experience in listening to their calls. We saw several soaring Common Buzzards before a brief drive in the car to get some refreshments. As we drove out onto the main road we watches a male Goshawk fly over the road and circle back several times before disappearing ofcourse before I got to the camera! We then returned to the Bakethin area and watched at least 2 Goshawk sky dancing, climbing high then diving with folded wings and shooting back up still with closed wings like a roller coaster. It was quite spectacular.
On the way home we stopped off at a service station just before Carlisle ob the M6 and was at least 200 Pied Wagtails on the car park area and in the trees getting ready to roost. We picked out one White wagtail amongst them. Kielder is a fabulous remote area and I look forward to returning again.