My last diary blog covering 2023. A year in which Mrs Caley and I achieved our second successive "Big Year" and our highest ever year total of 315. Only nine months too late of course but at least my 2023 diary is now completed. It may never happen again.
Quite a short blog this time because once again, the best days are already blogged up.
Saturday 2nd December; Brrr! Icy & Snowy!
On a very cold day we drove up to the Derbyshire moors not far from where we saw the amazing Lammergeier in 2020. The roads around Baslow were treacherous with thick ice covering in shaded places. I was surprised when we reached the parking spot for access to the site of Ramsley Reservoir where a Great Grey Shrike had been showing, at just how many like-minded folk had managed to make it there. I was also surprised at how popular the bird was since they are hardly rare. Maybe the others were also chasing last minute year ticks for Christmas.
For two hours we basically froze our bits off as we checked every inch of the surrounding moor and forest edges with no sign of the Great Grey Shrike. We were driving off in defeat when a chap we'd been speaking to earlier, flagged us down as we approached him. Incredibly he shouted, 'I've found it!'. I ditched the car and looked through his scope at the Shrike perched up in the top of a small tree away over the moor in a spot that couldn't be seen from where we'd been before. I set my own scope and took a record shot. I reckon the Great Grey Shrike was half a mile away. A very not-so-great Shrike but identifiable so on the list!
 |
| Great Grey Shrike |
After taking lunch in Baslow, I noticed that a Snow Bunting had been reported from a country park near Loughborough which was conveniently on our way home. The weather was deteriorating and by the time we reached Beacon Country Park on the top of Beacon Hill, it varied between cold freezing rain and flecks of snow all carried along on a brisk and face numbing wind. In between the bouts of wintry stuff though the sun shone through illuminating everything in a warm glow.
Snow Buntings of course are made of much sterner stuff, and wilfully pick out the more inhospitable places and positively thrive in them. We found this one readily enough, less than fifty metres from where we parked. It was frequently disturbed by off-the-lead dogs and small children being forced to brave the elements by owners and parents who didn't care one jot for a small beige and white coloured bird or for us who were trying to watch and photograph it.
 |
| Snow Bunting |
In the quieter moments the Snow Bunting favoured the tarmac path to feed on rather than the photogenic rocks and frost covered grassy banks. I guess the hard surface resembled the mountain scree of its home ground. We retreated to the car after just half an hour leaving the Snow-bird alone to brave out the snow that was now falling quite briskly.
Saturday 16th December; Legging it!
We were at Frampton Marsh, that most excellent of RSPB reserves sited on the Lincolnshire side of The Wash. There was nothing in the country of note for us to chase and besides, with our "Big Year" total secured, we were birding once more and not rushing out for another tick. Having said that, the Lesser Yellowlegs that we saw at the start of October was still gracing the reserve and better still had taken to feeding on the flooded field right next to the carpark, and sometimes even in puddles in the carpark itself. It had to be worth a visit to see it again.
Fairly typical then, that when we arrived just after lunchtime there was no sign of the Lesser Yellowlegs anywhere near the carpark! It had been there apparently but had disappeared over a bund that separated the main flood from the strip of land (also flooded) nearest the cars, so it was still likely to be there but just out of view for a while. Frampton had recently opened a cafe so we headed to it for a coffee while we waited for the Lesser Yellowlegs to appear. The Flat White was excellent. We positioned next to a window from where we could watch the small pool to the east of the carpark where I knew the Yellowlegs would most likely appear.
I spotted a bird that looked like it fitted the bill. It was swimming in Phalarope style across the carpark! Unfortunately when I reached it the bill was too chunky and when it strode out onto the grass it had red legs, not yellow ones. One of those legs, belonging to a Redshank, was gammy too so the bird limped around. The Redshanks prowess in finding earthworms to eat wasn't impaired though.
 |
| Common Redshank |
A Kestrel hunting nearby provided entertainment while we waited for the Yellowlegs to appear, and a family group of Whooper Swans flew past on their way to feeding in a nearby field. Frampton Marsh will be at the top of our list for an early year visit in 2024 when all of the above birds will likely still be present.
 |
| Kestrel |
 |
| Whooper Swan |
After almost an hour of waiting, the Lesser Yellowlegs suddenly appeared as if by magic. It must have flown in while our attention was diverted by something else. We turned around and it was, well, it was just there! It was very close too, perhaps only five metres away so even the full on winter sun shining directly at us was going to spoil our views or my photos of the bird.
 |
| Lesser Yellowlegs |
For the next forty-five minutes I took frame after frame of the Lesser Yellowlegs, and a few of the accompanying Redshank, vastly improving on previous photos of the species in my portfolio. The pair of birds traversed the whole flood from the grassy areas on the left to the deeper floods to the right. I, and a couple of other photographers, followed the birds. Several times the Lesser Yellowlegs fed just the other side of the dividing fence, entirely unperturbed by anything.
The Lesser Yellowlegs was just as adept at catching worms as its friend. We saw it catch one that looked far too big to eat, and so it proved as the bird wrestled with it for quite a while before swallowing it in stages.
The clearest images were obtained when the Lesser Yellowlegs waded through open water, the extra light reflected from the water surface aiding in faster shutter speeds.
I waited, hoping that the Lesser Yellowlegs would fly at some point. When it did, it flew across to the bund, but was directly into the sun, so images were affected by that.
Tuesday 26th December; Christmas Waxwings
Boxing Day excursion to Higham Ferrers for a Waxwing fix. Blogged here.
Waxwing
Thursday 28th & Friday 29th December; Local Birds for Local Birders
A couple of visits to our local reserve in Bicester, also blogged here. Primarily to belatedly add Jack Snipe to our year list.
Jack Snipe
Year List addition;
314) Jack Snipe
Saturday 30th December; Good Bai to 2023!
Our last birding of our best ever year ended with our last year tick with a Baikal Teal at Greylake in Somerset. No doubts about the integrity of this one either so a confirmative life tick as well. Blogged up here.
 |
| Baikal Teal |
Year List addition;
315) Baikal Teal
No comments:
Post a Comment