Sunday 4 May 2008

Throne Moor Bf Meet

Up well before the lark at 3 am for an early morning walk on Thorne Moor via Crowle Moor. Still a little shell shocked after an Indian the previous evening experienced with a rubbish Sauvignon Blanc. Got to the service station at Goole listening to some good time Drum and Bass tracks because I was too confused as to how to change the channel. One track sounded like a Hoopoe calling. At the service station a Corn Bunting was calling away in the dark - felt positively Mediterranean. Got on site for 5 on the nail to look for Nightingales. Cut a short story long we failed on that score but manage on others.
Racing through Crowle Moor, there were a variety of Warblers including Grasshopper Warbler and Whitethroat which were both year ticks. Got views of lots of Whitethroats in the end and a few Groppers. Once in Yorkshire we cottoned onto 4 or 5 Turtle Doves which were a good find and a few Cuckoos (had about7 or 8 during the day). A Marsh Harrier passed overhead and other warbler year ticks were Reed Warbler and Garden Warbler. No Black Terns unfortunatly. Plenty of hirundines about and Swifts but no Hobbies to harass em - even though we tried to string Swifts, Cuckoos and Kestrels. The ten of us were on the moor for about 7 hours and nailed a few Tree Pipits and walked many many miles. Red Deer and Roe Deer were seen around the reserve and a special but unmentionable breeding bird was seen (but not one I knew about beforehand), so well done Lawts for that. A Willow Tit was a nice surprise. Once we had gathered ourselves we headed to North Cave.
No Black Terns as the reports flooded in form everywhere else. John (Hull City) and Lawts (Leicester City) were disappointed due to football matter but we made ample compensation with a male Kingfisher, displaying Little Ringed Plovers, breeding plumage Dunlin, Common Sandpiper and Lesser Whitethroat goiving nice scope views. As Keith cursed we noticed the Pied plague were amongst us with Avopigs everywhere. At one point I managed to string a Greylag as a Numenius sp. OOpps. No other real surprises here other than a Bacon Butty. We decided to press on to a secret loaction for a crack at Woodlark. None of those as the local bat group were out and about but another Cuckoo, numerous Red-legged Partridge were nice. After a few guys headed home a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker was seen before flying high in the canopy and then bounding away across a clearing. Fantastic! Probably missed loads of details but a cool day was had and 8 year birds added.

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