Sneaking away or lagging behind when it seems nobody's noticing, with a notebook and camera in hand and a sharp set of eyes...
My wife frowns upon this obsessive behaviour when it's supposed to be a family holiday even though she's aware I'm a heavily addicted birder.
It's always a pleasure to venture north, my wife (being a lass of Yorkshire origins) likes to visit the land of flat caps at least once a year. This time it has been lovely but very wet.
It's always a pleasure to venture north, my wife (being a lass of Yorkshire origins) likes to visit the land of flat caps at least once a year. This time it has been lovely but very wet.
So Haworth, Leeds and Skipton (my personal favourite places) were all crossed off the to-do list, along with a foggy day up in Whitby. Weather conditions for the week were dominated by the heavy rain which led to some very fierce torrents bursting down hillsides, and at times the narrow roads through the Dales especially near Ribblehead demanded extreme caution as some of them turned into temporary rivers. (It was a real eye opener to see it in real life - I was following the news during the recent wave of named storms when the floods were going on, but I didn't really appreciate the severity and the potential for a natural disaster until I saw physically how the water literally takes over in a heartbeat).
There was a lengthy break in the adverse weather as we travelled the eleven miles between the Ribblehead Viaduct and Hawes, when we were able to stop in a lay-by which gave us a fine view across the expanse of rolling greenery and network of dry-stone walls. As my wife got the picnic ready, I grabbed my bins and scanned the area to see what was about. There were high numbers of Curlew and Oystercatcher spread around, plenty of Meadow Pipits, and Skylark song was the most abundant sound. A pair of Herons were stood like statues with one on the grass and the other above it on top of a dry-stone wall looking at the view. There were also a good few families of Greylag Geese occupying the lower fields which straddled the Beck along from Gayle. Gosling numbers were mostly four or five but I counted eight with one family.
Occupying more of the smaller villages we visited over the course of the week, were large numbers of busy Sparrows, Collared Doves, Wood Pigeon, Song Thrushes and quite a few Kestrels patrolling - seems they are doing well up there. We stopped for a break at Kilnsey Park, which is a lovely place to visit (part of the Kilnsey Estate which dates back to the 1200's) and a good location for on-the-plate freshwater angling if that's your thing.
There is a very healthy population of Tufted Duck on the spring-fed lakes. They were actually quite awkward to photograph, because they were always hastily dashing away from me whenever I pointed my camera. I spotted Coot and Moorhen in the same area of embankment, and more Curlews were dotted along the network of dry-stone walls. Pied Wagtails were surprisingly defensive: Distinctive pairs were doing the hover and parachute (seen elsewhere in the Motacillidae family) constantly making alarm noises, suggesting perhaps they have young around the car park, no doubt they are currently burning up a lot of energy attempting to chase people away.
There is a very healthy population of Tufted Duck on the spring-fed lakes. They were actually quite awkward to photograph, because they were always hastily dashing away from me whenever I pointed my camera. I spotted Coot and Moorhen in the same area of embankment, and more Curlews were dotted along the network of dry-stone walls. Pied Wagtails were surprisingly defensive: Distinctive pairs were doing the hover and parachute (seen elsewhere in the Motacillidae family) constantly making alarm noises, suggesting perhaps they have young around the car park, no doubt they are currently burning up a lot of energy attempting to chase people away.
It is always a pleasure to be in the midst of an aerobatic Swallow frenzy close to the ground, and this was the dominating feature in Malham village itself. They were literally everywhere and they were in fact so busy (not surprisingly since there swarms of flying treats available for them), that many were having to rest on walls and fences at surprisingly low levels, seemingly comfortable with the human interest they were attracting. I was able to get a fine shot of one individual which never even flinched as I stepped closer and closer with a noisy shutter on overdrive. Swallow nests occupied every available tree limb, gable end, window sill overhang and doorway. Great photography practice was to be had, if it wasn't for the overwhelming excitement causing my hands to shake so softening most of the shots.
As the week progressed I began to think I'd be coming home without adding even one species to my life list. But the day at Malham did produce something special...
We did the walk up to the cove, following a pathway surrounded by some stunning Yorkshire scenery. The RSPB were present on the day we visited, with members of Malham Peregrine Watch (@malhamperegrine) who had set up a few scopes for visitors to get a glimpse of a fine Peregrine fledgling which was sat proudly on a limb in front of the right-hand rock face. At the base of the Cove I spotted a Grey Wagtail, and then came the treat... listening to a distinct 'tsee tsee' I initially thought Kingfisher, which has been seen there on occasion. But then a small bird flew out of the embankment literally in front of my feet, and landed on a post the opposite side, it was a Spotted Flycatcher.
We did the walk up to the cove, following a pathway surrounded by some stunning Yorkshire scenery. The RSPB were present on the day we visited, with members of Malham Peregrine Watch (@malhamperegrine) who had set up a few scopes for visitors to get a glimpse of a fine Peregrine fledgling which was sat proudly on a limb in front of the right-hand rock face. At the base of the Cove I spotted a Grey Wagtail, and then came the treat... listening to a distinct 'tsee tsee' I initially thought Kingfisher, which has been seen there on occasion. But then a small bird flew out of the embankment literally in front of my feet, and landed on a post the opposite side, it was a Spotted Flycatcher.
I designated the final day when we went to Skipton (a lovely little town by the way well worth a visit), as a strictly family day.
On reflection, I have sometimes found birding inland more of a challenge because many species seem more spread out and can demand a sharper eye and a longer lens. I still feel that seabird and wader watching is more exciting. But I am glad I took the opportunity to enjoy birding in such a superb part of the UK (even though most species I spotted were the basics). I will be going again soon, but probably on my own so I can engage in a proper itinerary.
On reflection, I have sometimes found birding inland more of a challenge because many species seem more spread out and can demand a sharper eye and a longer lens. I still feel that seabird and wader watching is more exciting. But I am glad I took the opportunity to enjoy birding in such a superb part of the UK (even though most species I spotted were the basics). I will be going again soon, but probably on my own so I can engage in a proper itinerary.