Spring, and I wanted to get out and take a friend of mine birding.  In Fact a friend of a friend, who was an international student from Pakistan.  I took Mr T to Martin Mere back in January and managed to see many birds for the first time.  He wasn't a regular birder but still enjoys it.  He had helped the friend with important bird survey's in Pakistan.

Our first first stop was RSPB Blacktoft Sands where we hoped for passage waders in summer plumage and some reedbed specialists.  Blacktoft Sands is a haven for migrating birds, breeding birds and vagrants.  It has recorded over 50 species of waders.  Blacktoft Sands is on the South banks of the River Ouse. It is the largest tidal reedbed in England and the second largest reedbed in England!  There are of course reed beds, shallow lagoons, marshes, scrub and tidal mudflats.  

Our first stop was the Ousefleet hide on the Western side of the reserve.  Garganey and Wood Sandpiper were reported here.  Along the way we managed to see common British breeding birds such as Chaffinch, Wren, Dunnock, Blackbird and Robin to name but a few.  One thing I wanted to show Mr T was Britain's singing warblers and along the way we managed to see Chiffchaff and Blackcap.  Both of these were lifers.  I heard a Lesser Whitethroat which was the first record for Blacktoft for that year and also Whiethroat and Sedge Warbler but none showed.  At the Ousefleet hide we managed to see Yellow Wagtail, Avocet, Ringed Plover, Greenshank, Sand Martin and House Martin, a further six lifers.  School boy error on my side in the form of Redshank and Little Ringed Plover being present but forgetting to mention these as I assume Mr T had seen these in Pakistan.  Mr T belonged to the Swat Valley in the North West and certain species were scarcer than on the Indus Plains.  Both would have been lifers.  I managed to find the drake Garganey and pointed it out to the others in the hide and a Spoonbill came in.  Both of these were lifers for Mr T.  Marsh Harrier floated by, Little Egret, Lapwing, Black Tailed Godwit and Bearded Reedling pinged but did not show.  Cetti's Warbler, Reed Warbler also sang and a Bittern boomed but never showed.  We walked around the other hides and came across a Tree Sparrow.  The wind was cold and there was a general lack of waders.  The warblers were in hiding generally.   

We had our lunch in the form of kebab sandwiches and moved onto RSPB ST Aidan's near Leeds.   St Aidan's was an open cast coal mine situated close to the River Aire.  iT consists of wetland, meadows, reedbed, scrub and woodland.  Our first stop was the cafe of mcourse for coffee and cake.  Arriving after 2pm we did not have much choice so I chose the mint choc blondie and Mr T the banana and cinnamon slice.  The coffee didn't taste all that sadly but onwards we went.  As we sat on the verandah enjoying the view, a Red Kite flew over the 11th lifer of Mr T's day.  We made our way to the dragline named "oddball" and a Western Barn Owl was pointed out to us.  The Little Owl sadly was in hiding.   I managed to pick up a Lesser Whitethroat and it showed almost very well.  I thought we would struggle with this species but we struck lucky and a 13th lifer of the day.    We walked around the reserve and heard many Whitethroats and Willow Warblers but none showing!  We moved on and picked up Common Tern and then a Sedge Warbler that showed eventually.  It scratched and song flighted and provided an interesting spectacle for Mr T.  We picked up Linnet and then a Cetti's Warbler.  The Cetti's was hard work but eventually it showed quite well.  That was 7 lifers in.  It took a while for a Reed Warbler to show but when it did we saw it beautifully.  We searched for Black Necked Grebes but nothing, they were on  eggs probably.  We heard Water Rail and Bitterns boomed from even closer.  The Bittern booming was an unusual sound for Mr T.  Something very unexpected.  A surprise was the hundreds of Swifts feeding low, just over our heads.    A Cuckoo calling was new for the year but not a lifer for Mr T.  Time  was running out and we had to walk back.    We really struggled with Whitethroat and Willow Warbler which I felt would be the easiest of the warblers.  The latter did not even sing at Blacktoft Sands.  We managed to bag both at the end, 10 lifers each at both reserves.   

Mr T enjoyed St Aidan's and wanted to visit again.  Our next stop was for food where we ordered a ginger and garlic infused Shinwari lamb Karahi (curry) and a Kabuli Pilau followed by a tea then home!

List of birds seen and heard

HO  Heard Only

BS  BLacktoft Sands only

SA  St Aidan's

LT lifer for   Mr T

Mute Swan     BS  /  SA

Greylag          BS / SA

Canada Geese    BS / SA

Shelduck     BS / SA 

Mallard    BS / SA

Gadwall  BS / SA

Wigeon   SA

Shoveler   BS / SA

Teal   BS

Pochard  BS/ SA

Tufted Duck   BS / SA

Garganey  LT   BS

Pheasant    BS

Little Grebe  BS / SA

Great Crested Grebe  BS / SA

Cormorant   BS /SA

Bittern  HO    BS/ SA

Grey heron   BS / SA

Little Egret   BS / SA

Spoonbill   LT    BS

Buzzard   BS / SA

Marsh Harrier  BS / SA

Kestrel  BS / SA

Red Kite  LT    SA

Water Rail    HO     SA

Coot    BS / SA

Moorhen    BS / SA

Oystercatcher   BS  / SA

Avocet    LT    BS

Little Ringed Plover    BS

Ringed Plover LT    BS

Lapwing

Green shank  LT     BS

Redshank  BS

Ruff BS

Black Tailed Godwit   BS

Great Balck Backed Gull   SA

Herring Gull BS / SA

Lesser Black Backed Gull  BS /SA

Black Headed Gull BS / SA

Common Tern     LT   SA

Woodpigeon

Feral Pigeon

Stock Dove     SA

Collared Dove   

Cuckoo  HO    SA

Barn Owl     LT      SA

Swift      SA

Skylark    BS  / SA

Meadow Pipit  BS / SA

Pied Wagtail   BS / SA

Yellow Wagtail LT       BS

Dunnock

Robin

Stonechat    SA

Blackbird

Song Thrush  HO

Chiffchaff    LT   BS / SA

Willow Warbler  LT      SA

Blackcap    LT     BS

Lesser Whitethroat   LT      SA

Whitethroat    LT     SA  /  BS

Reed Warbler    LT     SA /  BS

Sedge Warbler  LT    SA  /  BS

Cetti's Warbler    LT     SA / BS

Wren

Great Tit

Blue Tit

Long Tailed Tit

Magpie

Carrion Crow

Jackdaw

Rook   near BS

Starling   

House Sparrow  near BS

Tree Sparrow   BS

Chaffinch  

Goldfinch

Greenfinch  BS

Linnet

Reed Bunting

 All photos barring the last 4 taken at Blacktoft Sands.  The pale male Marsh Harrier is locally known as Blondie.  Atomic that!

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