Stuart Rapson

Beautiful day and a grand round of Cotterdale. Ravens, Curlew and Peewits back for their season, dipped the Dipper.

Highlight from this morning a Med Gull at Feoffe Common, a good record for @yorkbirding.bsky.social recording area.
Noticeable movement of Shoveler in last couple of days witth extraordinary numbers of 12 at Stamford Bridge Flash and 18 here at Feoffe, 2 small local patches.
@birdtrack.bsky.social

2 tetrads surveyed today on our 4th and final @bbs-birds.bsky.social winter bird visits.
Spring sprung at Seaton Ross with our earliest singing male CB, 3 skeins of PG totalling 310 early on all heading back NW and a yaffling G calling several times.
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Slavonian Grebe showing well again this morning at Stamford Bridge Flash. up river from the village towards Buttercrambe on riverside path, first field that you come to. @yorkbirding.bsky.social

A new patch record at Feoffe Common this morning in the form of this solitary WF Goose resting and feeding on the grass margin.
The Slavonian Grebe present for its 3rd day at Stamford Bridge Flash great to see also feeding well.
40 species here @birdtrack.bsky.social @yorkbirding.bsky.social

Slavonian Grebe still on Stamford Bridge Flash this morning. Riverside footpath now available, with care, in wellingtons. First field outside the village towards Buttercrambe.
@yorkbirding.bsky.social

CHL. A pair of the loved-up Herons. Display flight with elongated neck, female on nest in Bittern posture, bill pointing to the sky. Both in great plumage and presumed male with red beak.
Pair Ravens in flight NE over Ray Wood.
46 species on @birdtrack.bsky.social @yorkbirding.bsky.social

Eyes popped out of my head this morning. Slavonian Grebe on Stamford Bridge Flash, just before mid-day. @yorkbirding.bsky.social

Useful summary of my UK birding activities during 2025, from @birdtrack.bsky.social
Different criteria but my top bird would be the CHL Bittern - not recorded here since 1877. Thanks to @pauldoherty.bsky.social for the research on this.
Male RB Shrike @ Spurn was special too.

North Duffield Carrs - Geoff Smith hide.
Rarely see 2 together - video.
3 Scaup distantly, 2 Ruff close. Yaffle flew across the valley, Kingfisher & Stonechat in front of the hide.
Feoffee.
4 Shelduck, 125 Common Gulls & 1 LBB.
@yorkbirding.bsky.social
@ldvnnr.bsky.social

Castle Howard Lake.
5 Shags remain on site after the incredible mid-week 17nr influx, seemingly feeding well.
Beautiful morning, 55 species on @birdtrack.bsky.social
@yorkbirding.bsky.social

10 flew off strongly SE David, at mid-day towards the coast so 🤞 for them all.

CHL.
Gulosus aristotelis. A truly amazing record for @yorkbirding.bsky.social area on this inland waterway of 17 multi-generational birds, found by @eborbirder.bsky.social late yesterday. 10 of which flew off SE over Ray Wood at 1155hrs.
Brought in by Storm Chandra two days ago.

CHL, one of the herons back at its nest site today and managed to capture the neck stretch which forms part of its display.
GC Grebe still here, 2 drake and 1 female Pochard, 31 Goldeneye and c.160 Tufted.
@yorkbirding.bsky.social

Castle Howard Lake. Podiceps christatus, once a regular breeder here until 2022, now quite scarce this being the first record here, this morning, since 4 records in first half of last year. 🤞 they resume breeding again here soon.
@yorkbirding.bsky.social
49 species @birdtrack.bsky.social

CHL, a v high count of 229 Teal in the freeze this afternoon, a greyish f Pochard, an uncommon sight here.
Witnessed a f Goosander trying to take a Dabchick, constantly dunking and pecking the poor thing over a prolonged period but amazingly it eventually escaped.
@yorkbirding.bsky.social

2/2. Called at N Duff Ings but no waders today, excepting a solitary Curlew.
An obliging Fieldfare though.
3 Goldies in with the Lapwing flock at Feoffe.
@ldvnnr.bsky.social @yorkbirding.bsky.social

1/1. Still a frozen wilderness at Wheldrake Ings this morning.
Surprised an Otter on the boardwalk as I was approaching the Swantail hide.
River level getting up to the brim.
@ldvnnr.bsky.social @yorkbirding.bsky.social

A great Bird Race with @yorkbirding.bsky.social colleagues, 9hrs in the field at Castle Howard Lake and a 5 mile round on the adjacent Estate.
A respectable 76 species incl. WS, PG, HW, RN & CR.
Lovely 20mins here at an off-path pond watching a male Kingfisher feeding & a Water Rail ice dancing.

Heard their call, in with the GLG's, as they flew into CHL this morning. Lovely to see a new record for me at this site of 7nr White-fronted Geese - a good start to the year.
@yorkbirding.bsky.social

Castle Howard Lake.
Finished the year on 120sp. & 125 cuml. over 2 years watching.
Undoubted highlight being the Bittern, seen in flight 04/09 and in open view feeding on 10/11. 1st record here since 1877 when one was recorded by shooting it!
RT Gavia nice too on 17/11, a much wished for species.

40 sp. up river from Stamford Bridge @footit.bsky.social
Lovely close view of a Chiff feeding in field/river margin. Early view of Raven pair mid-height flying down river, Goosander, 40+Siskin & a few Goldies on Alders, 5 Herons in a group feeding on Derwent, Pinks over.
@yorkbirding.bsky.social

A composite image of birds flying in front of fireworks, meant to depict fleeing birds.

Another NYE, another night of terror for millions of birds across the Netherlands (and around the world).

Last year we published in @ecologicalsociety.bsky.social Frontiers 🧪 about the massive impact of fireworks on birds 🦅.

Paper: doi.org/10.1002/fee....

Thread below 🧵👇

Here you go Lee, please let me know if you see any notable birds here.

Castle Howard Lake.
A still peaceful morning. A pair of Ravens quite high above the lake flew in direct flight heading W, prukking softly.
Goldeneye up to 30nr.
Re-counted 23 Goosanders on my way out plus saw 5 leave high S well before sunrise. 48sp. @birdtrack.bsky.social
@yorkbirding.bsky.social

North Duffield Ings
Lovely to hear the Curlew singing first thing this morning, 3 birds present.
17 Redshank, 10+Ruff, a good count for Dec of 40 Blackwits, half a doz Dunlin in view, small flock of 35 Goldies and a GWE.
@ldvnnr.bsky.social @yorkbirding.bsky.social

Part of the 58 flock of Golden Plover on Feoffee Common this morning. They're never seen here though on the weekend that we complete the GP survey in November each year!
@yorkbirding.bsky.social

Castle Howard Lake.
V high water, not many ducks.
10 MN, 14 SV, 25 GA, 6 WN, 27 T, 6 TU and 6 GD. No Goldeneye.
A GWE here and at Oulston Res.
@yorkbirding.bsky.social

Donate to Yorkshire Bird Race for Yorkshire Swifts, organized by Leeds Swifts Leeds Swifts and Sheffield Swift Network are excited to announce a new event to… Leeds Swifts needs your support for Yorkshire Bird Race for Yorkshire Swifts

The 30th Yorkshire Bird Race, this year, in support of Swifts conservation is taking place on 3rd or 4th January 2026.
I and several other @yorkbirding.bsky.social colleagues are participating again in this full day event. Any donations would be most gratefully received.
gofund.me/a41ab6152