Well, that wasn't the end to the great autumn of 2016 I had hoped for at all!
My last post was way back on the 13th October! I managed a couple of days in the fields there after but that pretty much marked the end of my birding for 2016. I was pretty much stuck in the house from about the 18th onward due to ill health!
Due to various health issues I stepped down as the recorder and report editor for Scarborough Birders before the end of October, passing the responsibility on to Tony Clarke, this was just one of the many changes I had to make, and indeed still am doing, to recover.
A few weeks off work kind of did the trick and by late November - early December I had managed a few short trips out locally and got involved in the mini Waxwing invasion as well as connecting with a few Jack Snipe and White-fronted Geese, the Great Northern Diver and a few of the other overwintering bits and pieces around Scarborough.
My last post was way back on the 13th October! I managed a couple of days in the fields there after but that pretty much marked the end of my birding for 2016. I was pretty much stuck in the house from about the 18th onward due to ill health!
Due to various health issues I stepped down as the recorder and report editor for Scarborough Birders before the end of October, passing the responsibility on to Tony Clarke, this was just one of the many changes I had to make, and indeed still am doing, to recover.
A few weeks off work kind of did the trick and by late November - early December I had managed a few short trips out locally and got involved in the mini Waxwing invasion as well as connecting with a few Jack Snipe and White-fronted Geese, the Great Northern Diver and a few of the other overwintering bits and pieces around Scarborough.
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| Waxwing outside the Police station in Town. Can't remember the last time I saw Waxwings and the sun on the same day! |
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| Black-necked Grebe catching plenty of small fish in the Harbour. |
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| The very approachable Red-throated Diver on Peasholm Park Lake. Sadly found dead today (Christmas eve!), it never did look too well! |
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| White-fronted Goose, Peasholm Park. |
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| Another one of the Peasholm White-front, probably my favourite of all Geese! |
2017 is now fast approaching so I have looked forward to that for inspiration and as previously planned I have taken the plunged into the world of Patch work challenge!
Hopefully this won't prove too stressful!
My area is mapped out, all I have to do is wait, get the festivities out the way, sing Auld Land Syne stay of the Sherry and away we go.
I have basically gone for the coastal strip, starting as far north as Hundale Point, taking in most of the productive hedges and fields southwards past Long Nab to Scalby Lodge Pond. A slight deviation here means Johnson's Marsh is in my area.
Scalby Beck, Scalby Mills (including the Old Scalby Mills PH) and the seafront of North Bay are all included with a kink that encompasses Peasholm Park Lake and surrounding area. Finally Castle Hill and the Harbour make up the southern end. All in just under the threshold of 3km squared by about 6 feet!
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| 2017 PWC area map. |
If all goes well, the few wintering species present now within that area stay put, the White-fronted Goose on Peasholm Park Lake would be very handy indeed and the Black Restart currently feeding along the sea defences in North Bay could take a little pressure off early spring.
