My FOY today at Castle Howard Lake.

1st @bbs-birds.bsky.social completed today at Menethorpe.
Notables 9 Oycs (4,3,2) in different transects, a Nuthatch calling in flight, 10 Sand Martins through direct on mig, 4 Kites(2,1,1) in diff transects & 110 Common Gulls in one flock SW along Derwent at 0820hrs.
@yorkbirding.bsky.social

1 of the (4) Egrets tried to take an MA duckling, hovering over it. The female flew up successfully several times chest-bumping it away.
93 Godwits on Swantail.
nfy Lesser Whitethroat
2 GBBB's briefly dropped in.
Late Common Gulls moving N c.50
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Some ominous footage gathered a few days ago from one of the Willow Tit nests we are monitoring. GSW are the most common predator of WT nests in Britain, and having increased by ~400% since the late 60s, it's not a threat that's going away. Let's hope this one has amnesia... #UKBirding #Yikes

2/2. One of the Scaup seems to have buddied up with a Tufted Duck. @ldvnnr.bsky.social @yorkbirding.bsky.social

1/2 A great Spring morning @ldvnnr.bsky.social after the iced car & mist.
Wheldrake full of warbler & wader song. nfr Whitethroat, the newly arrived Sand Martins (100s) are a sight to see feeding & resting, 6 Whoopers, Godwits in colour, Scaup, Marsh Harrier pr displaying.
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Stamford Bridge Flash.
5 years since last record so in context a rare bird here - Pr Tufted Ducks. 2 pr Gadwall, 3 Teal and a new in drake Shoveler.
CHL fairly quiet, 49 Tufted remain and a GWE.
Hanging Grimston Wold, windy for songsters, no Redstart yet. A Yaffle calling.
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Snow Bunting - Cairngorm, one of about 20 birds in the car park.

Didn't expect that one, or maybe I should have at this time of year, a F Common Scoter on the Derwent at SB Flash and a new patch record.
CHL this morning, rained off but did see a GWE, now developing some aigrettes ready for courtship.
A little storm damage above the weir.
@yorkbirding.bsky.social

Pleasant morning at Wheldrake Ings partly with @birdingdad.bsky.social
110 Pinks N at 0750, my FOY's Swallow & W Warbler, F Scaup (pic), Marsh Harrier pair, 20 Whoopers dropped in 0830, 6 Pochard and Water Rail squealing.
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@birdtrack.bsky.social

Stamford Bridge Flash.
A v unusual aberrant Moorhen with a complete yellow bill drew my attention today. Also foy 3 Mandarin again for 2nd year gradually occupying this section of the Derwent.
@yorkbirding.bsky.social

Enjoying your Duffbirder blog reports on your trip Alan, keep up the good work.

CHL. Great to see some migration in action. Common Scoter stopped off here, W to E and 6 Whoopers (1 juv) resting, en route N to Iceland. Common Redshank on the shoreline also, an unusual sighting here.
@yorkbirding.bsky.social

SB Flash. Beautiful Spring morning.
Saw Mutes and Teal pairs copulating in my short visit. Red Kite, from the poolside above Ellers Wood a rare sight here. 6 Herons came together above in mid-air, 3 of which landed here, drake Shoveler. 41 species @birdtrack.bsky.social @yorkbirding.bsky.social

I witnessed a similar incident with a f Goosander v Little Grebe on 14/01 this year at Castle Howard. The sawbill over a prolonged period trying to drown it which looked doomed until another Dabchick dive bombed the GD causing release and the LG managed to escape grogerly. @birdguides.bsky.social

Nice to see a drake Scoter on CHL this morning, stopped of on its overland migration.
@yorkbirding.bsky.social

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.
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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.