It's Holiday-less Holiday time again, foreign travel is now allowed with the relaxing of COVID restrictions but with an ever changing maze of paperwork, rules and regulations and all the hassle and stress involved we decided to stay in the UK. We had looked at visiting Cornwall or Devon but the prices were absolutely ridiculous and so we headed off to York instead for a 4 night stay.
I visited York many years ago when I was around 10 years old, we travelled to York by train from Ipswich on a day trip so my Dad could see and travel on the then brand new Intercity 125 trains. It was a long day with most of it spent on the train journey there and back but I have always wanted to return for a proper visit.
We also travelled up to York by train for this visit, an enjoyable and hassle free journey via London. From the train a Great White Egret was seen feeding along a watery ditch somewhere in Somerset and just 3 Red Kites were seen flying overhead (2 near Reading and 1 near Peterborough).
The weather in York wasn't great with wind and rain and cool temperatures but we managed to get out and about and do all the things we wanted to do.
Our first day was spent wandering around the city and walking the city walls. We visited a small park by the River Ouse where Tansy Beetles have been introduced, a rare beetle only found near York and in The Fens but despite finding some Tansy in flower there was no sign of any Beetles.
The next day was spent in the National Railway Museum which was very interesting and enjoyable and it was great to see the steam locomotive Mallard. The weather was foul but at least the museum was all under cover.
Friday 1st October and the plan had been to visit nearby RSPB Bempton Cliffs by train to look for the summering Black-browed Albatross but unfortunately it had moved on and so I visited RSPB Blacktoft Sands by train instead where a White-tailed Lapwing has been residing for a while now.
The journey to Goole via Doncaster by train was easy and straight forward but a 50 minute wait in Goole for the bus to Blacktoft Sands was more than enough to enjoy the "delights" of Goole. The bus journey was around 30 minutes and the bus very handily stopped right outside the entrance to the reserve.
The White-tailed Lapwing (nicknamed Larry) had been seen that morning but on checking out the First Hide where it usually resides there was not a bird to be seen.
I decided to check out the rest of the reserve and the other 5 hides before returning back to the First Hide for a Larry stake-out and I managed to see a good range of birds on my walkabout.
A juvenile Gannet was a surprise sighting flying up the River Ouse, heading inland into the strong winds with 3 more already having been seen doing the same earlier in the morning.
Marsh Harrier were regularly seen quartering over the reed beds with a male and at least 2 juveniles seen.
Water Rails and Bearded Tits were heard amongst the reeds but I did eventually get good views of a Water Rail feeding along the edge of the reeds with a Bearded Tit feeding alongside it!
Redshank, Black-tailed Godwit, Dunlin, Lapwing, a Grey Plover, at least 2 Snipe and 8 Ruff were all seen but were very mobile and flighty around the reserve along with Little Egrets, a Grey Heron, Teal, Wigeon, Mallard and a pair of Shoveler.
Chiffchaff and Cettis Warbler were heard and at least 2 Swallows were hawking about overhead. A male Kestrel was seen perched on a fence post out of the wind and Meadow Pipits flew around overhead calling.
I returned to the First Hide and settled in on the upper floor amongst the assorted birders all hoping for a view of the elusive Lapwing. It had last been seen a while ago and had settled down in the grass in front of the hide but behind a bank where it was hidden from view although I did manage to get a few brief views of its head when it occasionally looked up.
Eventually it started to feed along the waters edge and gave some great views, a very charismatic looking bird with amazingly long and yellow legs. It was quite wary at times, hunkering down when Marsh Harriers quartered nearby or Teals and Little Egrets flew in or out of the pools of water.
Eventually it was time to leave to catch the bus back to Goole and while waiting at the reserve entrance for the bus to arrive I watched a small flock of around 20 Tree Sparrows feeding in a stubble field while a flock of around 20 Golden Plover flew overhead calling.
From the top deck of the bus on the journey back to Goole I also saw a group of 6 Whooper Swans out on the River Ouse, I had seen them feeding in the fields on the journey out to Blacktoft Sands and it was a nice end to an interesting birding day out.
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