28th February 2010

A super day! I was walking along Fulford Hall Road during the morning when I heard a call that sounded somewhat familiar and I thought "no it can't be", but it was - a male Yellowhammer singing from the top of a tree at Fulford Heath! This is only my second sighting of this species in the Earlswood area, since I saw 3 birds together one morning last year, so I was really pleased!

I'd hoped to meet Clowes Wood warden Ron Hill for some volunteer work, but I was a bit late (due partly to the yellow bird!) and it turned out he wasn't there, and as I was late and a newcomer I didn't want to bother the volunteers (who were busy with the good work they do) anymore than I had already. So I went on to the lakes, where my day got even better! Approaching Terry's Pool, I had a poor view of two ducks flying over the water/trees, and something about them made me think they weren't Mallards, so I made sure I kept an eye on the airspace in case they flew over again (the Gadwalls I saw last year were rather flighty). Sure enough, they flew over a little later and with better views I realised they were a pair of Mandarin Ducks! Later still they landed on Terry's distantly and so I hurried back to get closer views, which I got but these birds were wary - the male was the first I'd seen at the lakes. Terry's Pool also held 2 Shovelers (patch year tick!), a male Pochard and up to 19 Goosanders, so I guess there'd been some duck movement in the night; and the usual Kingfisher. Great Crested Grebe numbers had risen to 10, and 4+ Mute Swans were also at the lakes.

I texted a couple of birders, and John Yardley came out to see the Mandarin Ducks during early afternoon. They showed for him, whilst I had better views of them than before. At Windmill Pool, the 2 Shovelers had relocated there, and the Muscovy Duck also showed - wonder how long this bird will stay?

John Sheppard photographed these beauties today:

Great Crested Grebes (© John Sheppard)

M.P. Griffiths