After finally getting back on the road in autumn of 2022 I got out regularly this year until the end of September but although I had “more material” it meant I had less time to actually blog not helped by family issues in summer. Also due to a difficulty with long car journeys, apart from a few butterfly trips to Lincolnshire, I only left Yorkshire once for the Northumberland Grey-headed Lapwing. Because of this I haven’t taken many rare bird pictures. However because of the above many pictures are new to the blog.
January After not seeing Brambling in Cottingham for many years for the second year I managed to see one twice in late January in KGV Rec by the BMX track.
Brambling-Cottingham KGV Rec-20/1/23
February This month’s bird is a Whooper Swan at High Eske NR the 5th.
Whooper Swan-High Eske NR-5/2/23
March 2023 was a great year for me locally for Bittern. One was seen at Tophill Low NR throughout the year, on 3rd May I hear one calling by Leven Canal, my first for the High Eske/Pulfin/Leven Carr super patch, I had one several times over Brough Airfield Marsh spring/summer suggesting nesting then on 11th September I had one at North Cave Wetlands.
Bittern-Tophill Low NR on South Marsh West-22/3/23
April This month again Tophill Low NR this my only Whimbrel of the year on South Marsh East on the 26th.
Whimbrel-Tophill Low NR on South Marsh East-26/4/23
May As mentioned above the Grey-headed Lapwing, which I saw on the 2nd, was my only rarity outside Yorkshire. However the pictures is rubbish and I aren’t yet convinced of it’s credentials. Therefore my picture is my first Slow Worm in Pickering Woods on the 18th. I also ticked two butterfly species that day. The full story here.
Slow Worm-Pickering Woods-18/5/23
June This month I go for a butterfly. Again in North Yorkshire at Farnham near Harrogate where the only [disclosed?] colony of Small Blue Butterfly in the county is. Being just on the outskirts of the village, a strange place to see such a rare insect. Full details here.
Small Blue butterfly-Farnham-16/6/23
July This month my second butterfly, a surprise find in Cottingham near Badger’s Wood, a White-letter Hairstreak on the 25th. Also seen the other known site in the village, on Snuff Mill Lane [see here] but I never got to see see them this year.
White-letter Hairstreak-Cottingham near Badger’s Wood-25/7/23
August On the 23rd I found the 2nd Blue-winged Teal for Tophill Low NR joined by the 3rd on following morning, but as I saw the first, this months picture is Willow Emerald Damselfly at the visitors centre pond, a site tick for me. Thanks to Pat Hoggarth for pointing at out for me. Considering the effort put in recording Odonata Tophill Low NR was late to the game.
Willow Emerald Damselfly-Tophill Low NR-21/7/23
September The month of the Yorkshire Brown Booby twitch but my photos were poor and it was only a county tick having seen one in Cornwall in September 2019. Even then it would take something very special to top my Clifden Nonpareil on the 14th. I had actually finished emptying the trap when I noticed a very large grey moth on the summer house railings. There was a good influx of this otherwise very rare moth but still something magic, the holy grail for moth enthusiasts.
Clifden Nonpareil-Cottingham-14/9/23
October What in the past would often be my best month was quiet with my bike laid up and not being up to long car journeys but a small flock of Egyptian Geese on my “green patch” at Carr Farm, Willerby on the 29th were a “Carrs” tick for my friends who saw them. I had seen the species at Tophill Low NR on the 16th February and there seems to be a feral population in East Yorkshire but whether from local non-self sustaining escapes or expansion from the population originating in East Anglia I can’t say. I personally witnessed the first wild breeding of Egyptian Geese at High Eske NR in the summer of 2004.
Egyptian Geese-Carr Farm, Willerby-29/10/23
November was very quiet for me and the best I can do is a Lesser Redpoll in Cottingham on the 29th at Millbeck Wildlife area where I had seen them in January.
Lesser Redpoll-Millbeck Wildlife Area, Cottingham-29/11/23
At least December brought a true rarity with a Black-throated Thrush being found at Tophill Low NR on the 10th which I saw the next day [full story here]. Not surprisingly new for the site list and although it could be elusive, not helped by poor weather, it remained into the start of 2024 by which time all who wanted will have added it.
Male Black-throated Thrush-Tophill Low NR-11/12/23-hopefully get the chance for a better image.
Ten most viewed posts of 2023
My highlights of 2022
The Black-throated Thrush at Tophill Low NR
Two days in April at High Eske NR
A trip to North Lincolnshire
A rare butterfly in Lincolnshire
A rare butterfly in North Yorkshire.
An updated version of my views on wildfowl being considered for addition to the British List.
A trip to North Yorkshire for rare butterflies
My first visit to Tophill Low NR after the shut down in 2022.
Erich's birding and biking blog 