Trip reports

HAREWOOD ESTATE AND FAIRBURN INGS, Yorkshire

Monday, 29 September 2008

We first visited Harewood Estate where we had good views of Red Kites; some were perched in trees, grey head clearly standing out; some in flight and one so close to us we could see all the beautiful pattern on the underside of the wings. There are supposed to be up to 200 Red Kites in the area feeding on carrion. I tried to imagine enough dead bodies to feed 200 birds (the mind boggles). There were Swallows skimming around the trees and feeding young ones on a dead tree; a Buzzard wheeled high overhead and a flock of Curlews flew past. We could see 2 white birds perched at the top of a tree near Harewood House. On looking through Harry's scope held up by a bipod (one leg having broken off his tripod) they turned out to be 2 White Storks. They looked somewhat surreal in that landscape but I suppose they were part of their tropical collection.

We then moved on to the Fairburn Ings RSPB Reserve and ate lunch where we had a view of the bird feeders beside the Visitor Centre. Amongst other birds we saw Tree Sparrows and Willow Tits (identified by the white window in the wing coverts which the Marsh Tit does not have). There was also a bird which looked as if it had been half plucked by a Sparrowhawk which we could not decide whether it was a Chaffinch or a Robin. We heard Green Woodpeckers and looked up to see one flying past.

From the Centre Hide we had a good view of a couple of Green Sandpipers. A Kingfisher perched on a post in front of the hide and caught a couple of fish. The male has an all black beak; the female has a red lower mandible. We moved on to the Village Bay Hide where another Kingfisher flew round the corner. A Hobby flew past the hide. This had not been seen since the previous Thursday so was quite a thrill. Across from the hide in front of the island were 6 Red Crested Pochards which must have stopped for a rest on the flight path to wherever they were going. According to the Yorkshire County Recorder these were likely to be true vagrants. Swifts, Swallows, House Martins and Sand Martins were flying around. We returned to the Centre and all enjoyed a slice of Janet's homemade fruit cake. We saw a Black Swan (presumably an escapee) amongst all the birds being fed from the viewing platform.

On visiting Lin Dyke Hide the sun had come out and we saw a lone Sanderling in breeding plumage on the island. The Hobby flew over the hide. We saw a male and female Reed Bunting, Linnets, Goldfinches etc in the scrub.

We saw at least 56 species which was good for July.

By Anne Rogers
Library photograph: Red Kite