Pectoral Sandpiper at Blacktoft and Smew at Hornsea Mere

My wife and daughter were having a baking day at home - a perfect opportunity to bugger off and have a day's birding and walking. So I did.

The weather was cool as I set off but it developed into a cracking day with 16 degrees the high temperature. I was glad I decided to stay in shorts!

I drove over to Blacktoft Sands RSPB first and spent a happy few hours there, seeing Pectoral Sandpiper, 18 Ruff, lots of Snipe, 6 Dunlin, 2 Spotted Redshank, several Redshank, Bearded Tits or Reedlings or whatever the latest name is, Marsh Harrier, Pink Footed Geese overhead and a Water Rail. Took plenty of pics but only one or two are reasonable enough to post here.

Pint Footed Geese

Cream crown Marsh Harrier

I set off towards Hornsea and stopped for lunch at The Wild Bird at North Cave Wetlands (it has to be done, it just has to be done!) then had a wander round the reserve afterwards.

The sun was out and was really warm on my legs, though it looked strange with almost everyone else wrapped up with coats, jumpers and hats - one chap even had gloves on?!?

There wasn't anything outstanding about but there were plenty of birds and dragonflies.

Common Darter

The highlight was a low fly-over by a Common Buzzard.

Buzzard over North Cave Wetlands

The sun was still shining brightly when I left and headed off to Hornsea. Should I go to Kirkholm Point first or to the hide at Wassand? Kirkholm then as the sun would be lower if I left it too late.

There were lots of people at Kirkholm but nothing was showing other than the usual suspects so I drove back to Wassand and walked round to the hide. I was the only occupant so I settled down to watch the comings and goings.

Cormorants were the most numerous and noisiest. They flew in, bathed for a while perhaps getting the salt off their non-waterproof feathers (?) by splashing about energetically, then flew off to their evening roost in the Cormorant Trees.

Great Crested Grebes joined numerous Wigeon, Coot, Tufted Duck and Mute Swan feeding and preening on the calm water. A small flock of Black Headed Gulls flew in and made a racket for a few minutes before leaving towards Swan Island. A Grey Heron drifted over and landed in the field next to the hide. All very lazy summer afternoon really. Then I saw something different - a small duck! It turned out to be a redhead Smew, my first here on the The Mere. It stayed in view for a few minutes giving good views through the bins, but it dived too often to get the scope onto it.

 

 

 

Shoveler and Smew

There were a few pairs of Shoveler swimming about too:

So a really good day around and about East Yorkshire. I could have gone on to a coastal site to see even more birds but I was hungry and in need of a long drink, so I went to the caravan to eat and drink my fill and to spend a lovely quiet evening.