Friday, May 13, 2011

How the other half live ( bird)!

Just returned from three days with friends and former Calderdale birders Rita and David Crawshaw now living in Suffolk.
Imagine -no hills to climb,warm sunny weather, fantastic habitat thanks to the work of RSPB and National Trust producing 115 species in such a short time!
Highlights were golden oriole, Dartford Warbler, wood lark, common crane, grey plover, wood sandpiper,little and Temminck's stint, spoonbill cetti's warbler and nightingale not to mention the common stuff like greenshank and bearded tit as well as the view of three bitterns flying over a huge reed bed for several minutes together with marsh harriers and hobbies with a red kite and buzzard thrown in!
Oh well it's back to slogging up and down the old patch this next week- haven't seen a red grouse for a while!
It's good to have friends in the right( if not high) places!

4 comments:

Steve Cummings said...

What, no Red Grouse, Dipper, Golden Plover, Waxwings, Dunlin, Whinchat, Lesser Pecker, Wood Warbler, Pied Fly, Merlin, LRP, Curlew, Twite, Wheatear, Dotterel, Snow Bunting, Grasshopper Warbler .......?.......Yeah, ok Dave. You win, but they don't have everything down there. We still have a few specialities.

Jen Sutcliffe said...

Er that was my post not David's and those were all the common stuff. We did sit and admire your film of the grasshopper warbler during the evening.Who knows what might turn up now I know what I am looking for?

Brian Sumner . said...

Im afraid its back to Fly Flatts next week Jen where you may see a wader from 100yards away.
We once spoke to a couple whilst on holiday who lived in a bungalow overlooking Titchwell Marsh and they told us they would love to live in West Yorkshire with all the moors and reservoirs. I think they would soon change their mind !

Steve Cummings said...

Sorry Jen, I was speed reading....You're spoiling yourself. All those quality birds in such a short space of time...I'm jealous.

Before moving here, I did most of my birding in Cheshire and Lancs, and I found Calderdale a bit of a slog by comparison. What I miss most is being able to sit in a hide that overlooks some prime lowland wetland that's buzzing with waders and wildfowl. Leighton Moss, Marbury, Pennington, Inner Marsh Farm. The thing's you could do with a bit of water..........
Nevertheless, we have plenty of good stuff here that are scarce in the lowlands...and I console myself with the idea that climbing all these hills keeps me fitter. As for the weather.........looks like we're in for another wet weekend, unfortunately.
Glad you liked the Gr'opper....best view I've ever had of one, even if I did have to wait 7 hours or so.