Blog

20th January 2024, 18 members attended

A well-attended trip visiting two reserves that many members had not been to previously. The weather was dry and cool but wet underfoot due to the recent rain. Both reserves are Yorkshire Wildlife sites with a warden in attendance in the carpark at Stavely.

Stavely has an extensive reedbed with a number of hides, two smaller hides where we had to split into two groups in the morning, and a larger hide where we had our lunch. There were a good number of waterbird species on the reserve. After lunch we travelled to Ripon City Wetland (next to the racecourse). The wind picked up and it felt a lot colder as the afternoon wore on. There were similar species to those seen at Stavely. As the light faded we were treated to a starling murmuration of about 30,000 birds.

An enjoyable trip with 56 species in all, the highlights being the water rail and bittern at Stavely, and the starlings at Ripon.

Species seen:

• Canada Goose
• Mute Swan
• Shelduck
• Shoveler
• Gadwall
• Wigeon
• Mallard
• Teal
• Tufted Duck
• Goldeneye
• Pheasant
• Woodpigeon
• Water Rail
• Moorhen
• Coot
• Oystercatcher
• Lapwing
• Curlew
• Snipe
• Black-headed Gull
• Common Gull
• Herring Gull
• Cormorant
• Bittern
• Grey Heron
• Little Egret
• Sparrowhawk
• Red Kite
• Buzzard
• Barn Owl
• Kestrel
• Magpie
• Jackdaw
• Rook
• Carrion Crow
• Coal Tit
• Marsh Tit
• Blue Tit
• Great Tit
• Cetti’s Warbler
• Long-tailed Tit
• Wren
• Starling
• Mistle Thrush
• Redwing
• Blackbird
• Fieldfare
• Robin
• Stonechat
• Tree Sparrow
• Dunnock
• Pied Wagtail
• Chaffinch
• Bullfinch
• Greenfinch
• Reed Bunting

Please note the Website is being updated over the weekend of 20 /21 January, 2024. You may experience some disruption to service over these two days but hopefully this will be minimal. If you have any records to add and are experiencing difficulty please try again later in the day. Thank you for your patience.

Happy New Year and I wish you a great birding year in 2024.

It’s that time of year again when we start compiling the ELOC Bird Report for the previous year. If you have any records from 2023 can you enter them to the Club’s website or send them to Ian Lancaster (Recorder) as soon as possible please?

Andy Powell

Please note there has been a change to the date and location of the September Field Trip due to the closure of Lunt Meadows flooding. Please see the Field trip page for details or check Facebook or Whatsapp. Apologies for the inconvenience.

First club trip of the year to Conder Pool, Cockerham, Eagland Hill and finally Knott End was held on Saturday 7th of January. 15 members attended at the new early start time of 8am. 59 species seen including Black Redstarts, Hen Harrier, Bewick Swan a good selection waders and 2 viewable Barn Owls before full light on the morning. A great outing despite the poor weather conditions

Thanks to Nigel Leeming our new travel rep and trip advisor. Trip Report by Glenn Higgins.

The Long Preston Bird Report for 2020 is an interesting read for an area just outside the ELOC recording area but often visited by members. A copy can be viewed by clicking here

The ELOC 2022 Bird Report is now available as a paper copy or a PDF. Either version can be ordered by contacting David Chew or Andy Powell for payment and delivery information.

Cost – Members £4 paper copy, £2 PDF. Non members £6 paper copy, £4 PDF. If you have already let us know that you require a copy we will contact you.

Chairman

Due to the increasing numbers of attendees at our indoor meetings we will be moving venue to Higham Village Hall from January 2022. Initially the venue has been booked until May 2022.

The first meeting in February proved to be a successful one with plenty of room and good facilities.

The new venue is Higham Village Hall, Higham Hall Road. BB12 9EU. Next to St. John the Evangelist Church.