Hawsker

Well here we are, on our holidays. Our location is a small village just south of Whitby, and we are sharing a cottage with two of Lyn's long-standing friends.

So today Lyn, Jan, and Carol have gone off on a search for bargains (last I heard they were in Middlesborough), while I set about exploring my new patch.

Having studied Google Earth over the last few weeks I decided my best bet was a place called Hawsker Bottoms. The other thing to come under close scrutiny was the weather forecast. Being on the east coast I was hoping for easterlies and rain (Lyn didn't share this wish), and this morning it seemed that the weather was holding its breath. No wind at all and complete cloud cover.

So I spent the late morning exploring Hawsker Bottoms, not as rude as it sounds. I was actually a little disappointed. The ravine leading down to the sea was certainly well vegetated, just too well vegetated. It was an impenetrable jungle of large trees and hawthorn. A ringer had been there all morning, and told me he had caught very little. Hardly any birds called, and my best small bird was a fly-over Siskin.

Never mind, at least the sea couldn't hide. It was like a mill pond, so the Gannets, Guillemots, and gulls were all far off shore. At least six Red-throated Divers flew south as I watched from the coastal path. My best discovery came from here as I heard geese calling and looked up to see four Barnacle Geese heading north. One or two Porpoises showed themselves occasionally well off shore.

Barnacle Geese

I returned to base for a cup of tea, and then set out on a marathon exploration of the fields around the cottage. No scarcities were found, but there were big differences from Morton Bagot. Tree Sparrows were regularly seen in small groups, the largest about 14. I counted 62 Collared Doves, 427 Starlings, 188 Lapwings, 146 Linnets, 260 Herring Gulls, and 140 Black-headed Gulls.

So a steady start, but if the wind goes easterly up here I may be in with a chance of a find.