16/12/22 Tophill Low NR On Friday afternoon I got my first chance to bird away from Cottingham this month when I went to Tophill Low NR with Roy. No surprise that the reserve was mostly frozen although there was some open water on D Reservoir.
Partly frozen D reservoir
After scrutinising some strangely marked female Pochard close in and discounting anything more interesting I located the drake Smew further up the reservoir. Walking past the lagoons we flushed a Woodcock.
A trench dug as part of the North Lagoon excavation which if it goes to plan should turn it back to one of the best sites to get close to passage waders.
Had my first chance to walk beyond back-2-back hides path and see the mound for the new South Marsh West/O reservoir hide close up.
The mound awaiting the new South Marsh West/O Reservoir Hide
The path through South Scrub to Watton NR hide now takes a different route.
The more accessible Watton NR hide. My first view from the back.
The view from the Watton NR hide is fine my only concern being the reduced screening necessitated by the lower position increasing disturbance by walkers along the drain. Only a small area of water was free so little to see today.
Watton Borrow Pit largely iced over.
A quick walk in South Scrub produced no Woodcock or Long-eared Owls. Next was South Marsh West which was also solid and no sign of the Bittern I saw late November although it hasn’t been reported since anyway, Did hear Water Rail and Cetti’s Warbler. Looking from the other back-2-back hide we had a male Marsh Harrier coming into roost.
19/12/22 High Eske NR Finally the freeze that had kept me off my bike so far this month broke and as isn’t unusual in the Uk it went from ice to spring. Admittedly overcast with some chance of rain and quite windy but I hurried the dog’s morning walk and was at High Eske NR late morning. Still largely frozen but as it is connected to the river it has some movement and thus some open water when other areas are fully frozen.
High Eske NR from the east bank with open water on the west side.
My last visit was on the 30th November when I had a Great White Egret, my first on the reserve proper with all previous being along the river to the north, and later two redhead Goosander.
Great White Egret and Goosander-High Eske NR-30/11/22
Looking through the duck I soon located possibly one of last month’s Goosander. I briefly saw a drake Smew but took a while to relocate it and was beginning think I had just seen a Black-headed Gull. I suspect this is the original Smew seen at Tophill Low NR that arrived as a redhead before moulting. It was originally on D reservoir but later moved to Watton NR to be replace by an adult drake then disappeared when the borrow pit freeze over.
Drake Smew-High Eske NR
Also along with the usual flock of Redshank was a Dunlin. Walked north to view the fields north of Leven Canal. Had a couple of distance female-type Marsh Harrier on Leven Carr as well as a decent flock of Lapwing and two Little Egret but again I failed to locate any Cattle Egret. The flock of c40 Mute Swan were still in fields west of the river and eventually I located the Whooper Swan. Also a few Curlew and a large Greylag flock but couldn’t find any other geese.
20/12/22 Greenshank on Willerby and Derringham Flood Prevention Scheme I’ve neglected Willerby Carrs recently as I’ve got into the habit of letting the dog pick the route but on Tuesday I headed that way with out any reluctance. Started from The Garth. I have recently seen this path labelled “Abbots Walk” on a map, which is the address of the two houses at the started of the path, so will use this in future. You wouldn’t think that two days ago the ground was frozen as it had reverted to the default winter setting of mud. Little doing as far as Haltemprice Farm except a small flock of Skylark. I walked the damp scrub to the north of the farm building but didn’t flush any Snipe. Also no wintering Stonechat yet. However with the amount of water in the “moat” I had hope that the flood lagoon might be interesting.
Water flowing well in Haltemprice Farm “moat”.
Not full but there was some water in the northeast corner and as I got near a pale long legged wader flew in. Approached with care and my initial suspicion, Greenshank, proved right.
Greenshank with Teal and Mallard-Willerby and Derringham Flood Prevention Scheme
My first in the area although Marc Rotherham heard one nearby in August. Got close enough to get a reasonable picture then after contacting Roy I back tracked.
Greenshank is a spring and autumn passage wader at similar sites to my recent Cottingham tick, Black-tailed Godwit, {see here] but in smaller numbers. It does also winter in small numbers, although can’t recall having one in Yorkshire, as well as a “less scarce” breeder in Scotland [1080 pairs-Hancock et al 1997].
I had hoped to continue on to check the wet paddocks at Willerby Carr Farm but the dog thought otherwise. Had a few Fieldfare just before I got back to The Garth.
Fieldfare-Abbots Walk, Cottingham
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