Wednesday 20 January 2016

Wheldrake Ings & Fairburn Ings

          Took a trip down to Wheldrake Ings near York has I had heard
          a lot of good things about the place but alas it turned out to be
          a total washout, it was still under lots of floodwater and the car
          went for a swim up a dirt track but was getting deeper and deeper
          so caution took the place of valour and we wisely bottled it, so then
          on to Skipwith Common but got stopped because there was a shoot
          on and the snobs didn't want to be disturbed from being big brave
          men shooting birds, lots of Tree Sparrows were seen a harrier type
          bird dived at a duck in a pond, a Yellowhammer showed up but was
          too quick for my camera and a Merlin flew over, lots of noisy Teal,
         Wigeon, Tufted Duck and tons of Gulls especially Great Black Backed
         Gulls, we then decided to head nearer home and called to Fairburn Ings.






                 Fairburn Ings was a bit of a better choice for the day even though the
                 lighting was very poor, there was plenty of action at the feeders with
                 Long Tailed Tits, Tree Sparrows, Pheasant, Nuthatch, Green, Gold, Coal,
                 Great and Blue Tits, Blackbirds and a lifer for me a Willow Tit and what a
                 beautiful bird they are, Snipe, Shelduck, Moorhen and Coot were on the first
                 lake but just Gulls on the big lake and no Kingfisher seen on the river, 4 Heron
                 and 6 Cormorant flyover, Grey Partridge reported in fields and Red Breasted
                Pochard reported but neither seen by me, next port of call was lin Dike for a
                look on that lake.














                      Lin Dike had a lot of birds but all at the other side of the lake but
                      a nice sight of 300+ Canada and Greylag fly-in and 8 Shovelers on
                      the lake with a few Wigeon but no Pintail which I was hoping for.
















3 comments:

Bradshaw Rambler said...

Nice pics as usual Dave.
Like the calling Heron.
John

Brian Sumner . said...

Cracking report Dave, shame about Wheldrake. I used to do Wheldrake and Bubwith every February but its all down to the water level. Too much flooding and the wildfowl are spread over miles of farmland. If the water is right its absolutely amazing with a vast variety of wildfowl and waders. Also good for Whooper and Bewick Swan. Worth another shot at in late Feb if you get the chance.

Dave Brotherton said...

Whoopers were there the day before so we were told and a Bewick, just my luck. All the birds were miles away anyway, like you said spread out all over.