Today provided a welcome break in the dull, dismal weather this week and I took a much needed walk to Eske, near Beverley. Walking along the river I saw very little; at this time of the year the vegetation is very low and the few bushes along here are bare and offer little shelter, although I saw a flock of 26 Golden Plover heading south to Swinemoor.

Almost at the lake 2 noisy Fieldfares burst out of a bush, but with the hawthorns now stripped of berries the large flocks of Redwings, Fieldfares and Blackbirds of recent weeks were absent. However, on the lake a huge number of wildfowl were present despite a couple of fishermen by the lakeside. A flock of over 200 Greylag Geese were swimming around along with a Greylag x Canada Goose hybrid. A total of 15 Mute Swans were also gliding about, but when I tried to count the ducks I had some difficulty due to their flightiness, with groups of Wigeon taking off at the slightest disturbance and then being followed by other species. Perhaps they are used to being shot at? Around 120 Wigeon were on the lake with about 150 Mallard, 25 Tufted Duck, 1 male Pochard, 1 male Pintail, about 20 Shoveler and 1 male Gadwall. Also present were 16 Cormorants, 30+ Coot, a few Moorhens and just a couple of Great Crested Grebes.

Some people from the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust were doing something with the Highland Cattle that are supposedly there to manage the grassland but all they seem to do is turn the path into a mudbath whilst other parts of the reserve are becoming covered in hawthorn scrub.

Wandering around to some pools behind the main lake I came across 3 Teal and 9 Gadwall as well as a Kingfisher. In the trees a lone Goldcrest was busy foraging for insects and as I watched it I heard the call of a Green Woodpecker. This species is not common around here and I have seen it on just three occasions at this location. Today I wasn’t able to get a view of it but heard it as it flew away. However, I did find a small flock of birds feeding: a flock which included a Wren, 2 Robins, a Great Tit, a few Blue Tits, a party of Long-tailed Tits, 4 Chaffinches and a Great Spotted Woodpecker.

Not a bad selection of species for a chilly day and as I walked back a flock of 150+ Lapwings flew south as well as a few Common Gulls and a Black-headed Gull. Just before leaving the lake a female Sparrowhawk came cruising over the bushes, searching for prey, oblivious to my presence.

The only birds on the walk back to the car were a small group of Fieldfares, a Song Thrush and a single Meadow Pipit which flushed out from my feet.

birds, birding, nature