Great Northern Diver and Grey Days

 The weather has been grim with thick cloud hiding the sun very successfully - apart from today when it broke through for about half an hour.

 

Yesterday a Great Northern Diver was on the Mere, but despite having a good look around I couldn't locate it. This morning though it appeared over towards KP as seen from first field, swimming west very quickly. I walked round to KP in the hope I'd get a decent view before it disappeared over the horizon.

 

 I found it about 100 yards west of KP in gloomy light as the sun hadn't come out to play yet.

Great Northern Diver in front of a buoy

Great Northern Diver

GND preening

 I went for a walk along the River Hull earlier in the week. I decided to go there rather than down to the Humber as the Easterly wind was very strong, and I thought going a few miles inland the wind would not be as strong. Mistake! The first mile or so was very exposed and it was damn cold up on the path level with the river. I dropped down out of the wind, which was warmer, but I couldn't see any birds - back up the banking then.

 

I had lots of Cormorants and Goldeneye along the length of the river and I could hear Redshank but didn't spot them for long enough. Once found I counted about 50, all along the far river bank. 

Redshanks along the River Hull

Great White Egret and Cormorants

Oystercatcher and Teal on the river

 

The water level is still very high and the path was pretty muddy, but not too bad really given the amount of rain we've had.

River Hull - a line of shrubs where the river bank usually is

As I approached High Esk lake I hoped the path was still OK and not underwater. It looked fine so I set off around the lake footpath.

High Esk lake on the right, River Hull on the left

Lots of Wigeon were on the lake along with a few more Goldeneye, a couple of Great Crested Grebes and a smattering of Tufties.

Wigeon

Great Crested Grebe

About 35 Redshank over the water

 

A few hundred yards round the lake I found that the footpath was underwater, with water flowing from the lake into the river. I couldn't go through as I had walking boots on  - wellies would probably have got me through but I planned on walking about 10 miles so wellies were not an option. 

A watery end to my route

I decided to go back to the car and spend the rest of the morning in Wassand Wood.

 

As a good friend of mine reminded me this week - 

Cheers Nick 🤣🤣

and there are more and more indicators that this is true. Song Thrushes are singing, Great Crested Grebes are displaying, woodpeckers are drumming and plants are bursting through the gloom. 

Hazel catkins

Winter Heliotrope flowering

A beautiful show of Snowdrops at Wassand

I live in hope that the sun is still up there and that we will eventually see it. The forecast could be better but at least it isn't freezing cold or raining (yet).

Red-throated Diver, Smew, Siskin and Blackcap

 A Red-throated Diver flew in and stayed a few days at the Mere, giving good views eventually. They don't normally hang around so this was a nice change for us.

Red-throated Diver on the Mere

On the same day that I got these photos of the diver, a male Smew appeared and stayed for a few hours. I had reasonable views of it off first field, but didn't manage to get any useable photos. The same went for a Velvet Scoter!

 

When I got home I spotted a female Blackcap in the garden, feeding on fat balls. We had a male Blackcap last year and I hope the trend for having over-wintering Blackcaps in the garden continues.

Female Blackcap in the garden

 Half a dozen Siskin were in the alders on KP with about 15 Long-tailed Tits. The morning was awful - grey, windy and drizzly and the light was grim so the images were too dark even after over-exposing. They look a little better after a bit of editting, but not much.

 

Siskin on KP

I went for a good long walk up Bewholme Lane this morning and really enjoyed having the sun out for the first time in what seemed like ages. Lots of birds singing and active - nothing particularly outstanding but good to see a few Red-legged Partridges and to hear two Skylarks up and singing.

Red-legged Partrige

Red-legged Partridges

Starlings

Two of five Greenfinch

About 100 Linnet

It was really great to see so many Linnet in the hedgerows, as the large flock we get each winter at the Mere set aside field has been absent this year. A break from the usual seed-rich planting there (replaced with a two year seed planting last year) is the cause and if I can manage to see him I'll ask the guy who does it if we can go back to the previous seed mix.

Quick Update with Repaired Camera

 It's good to have my camera back again, even though the opportunities to use it have been limited by the poor light. It seems to be working as well as before though so....back to normal 😊

 

Down at the sea front we had a large influx of Sanderling of over 170 birds. I walked along the following morning and found 35 still there, roosting on the beach as the tide came in.

35 Sanderling, well camouflaged on the beach

Closer shot of the snoozing Sanderling

 Further along the promenade, the long-staying pair of Stonechats were feeding in the undergrowth.

Female Stonechat enjoying the sea view

Male Stonechat

Things have quiet at the Mere which is normal at this time of year, although we have had a Ring-necked Duck and over 10 Scaup hanging around for several days. Photos have been an issue due to distance but hopefully they will approach to within camera range at some point.

Redwing are seen every morning and Great Spotted Woodpeckers have started drumming, making them easier to find and photograph.

Redwing showing its red underwing

Great Spotted Woodpecker at the Mere

In the garden we are seeing Long-tailed Tits every day now as they visit the sunflower seed and fat ball feeders. One of the LTs showed behaviour I haven't seen before when it hung from one leg and held a seed to eat it in the other. It reminded me of a parrot which I think is the only other bird I've seen doing this?! 

Long-tailed Tit holding a seed to eat it while hanging by one leg

The green wire is a hanging basket that I use in the cotoneaster bush to keep Wood Pigeons off the feeders. 

Long-tailed Tit

Also in the garden was the first Greenfinch I have seen visiting our garden. We've been here 18 months now so a Greenfinch is well overdue.

Greenfinch on a garden feeder

Greenfinch