23/10/2026
Another great day for Marc & our lovely guests Barry & Wendy….
Day 4 of our Birdwatching Trips Tour of Yorkshire for Two.
Two rare waders and a partridge (or 15!) in a pear tree…
After the excitement of the first three days, we decided to change tactics and take a slightly more relaxed approach, heading west from our lovely digs in Beverley. Relaxed, of course, is a relative term when you’re birding in Yorkshire’s
First stop: North Cave Wetlands LNR
We arrived just after sunrise to find the reserve devoid of people and the new lagoons absolutely buzzing with birds. Ducks, Lapwings, several Ruff and a marauding, cream-crowned Marsh Harrier were creating plenty of action as the raptor caused mayhem among the throngs of birds.
Then came our first real highlight: a gorgeous juvenile Pectoral Sandpiper, showing superbly in the beautiful early-morning light. What a way to start the day.
Things got even better when we met Gary, a true North Cave legend, who treated us to a fantastic four-hour guided tour of the reserve. New birds for the trip came thick and fast, including 24 migrating Whooper Swans, six of which actually made landfall on the lagoons, Green Sandpiper, Greenshank, flocks of Pink-footed Geese and a lovely group of Bearded T**s (sorry, I just can’t bring myself to call them Reedlings!).
But the biggest surprise of all? Fifteen Grey Partridge! We watched in disbelief as the whole covey fed right in front of us. Even Gary was buzzing, having not seen any on site for several months. An absolutely cracking encounter and a proper case of being in the right place at the right time.
With huge thanks to Gary, we headed west again, chuffed to bits with our morning’s birding.
Next stop: Nostell Priory, West Yorkshire
A Spotted Sandpiper had been discovered here earlier in the week, and as it was a new bird for Wendy, it was high on the target list. We hoped for a sighting but certainly weren’t expecting to see how well the bird was showing.
It showed ridiculously well, at times coming within just a few metres. The finer identification features of this American vagrant were there for all to see. Absolutely superb. Nuthatch also added to the list here.
With the bird safely in the bag, we celebrated in style with a golf buggy ride up to the stately home, complete with an unexpected historical tour of this National Trust property, followed by the essential tea and cake. Birding and cake — a winning combination.
Final stop: Old Moor RSPB, South Yorkshire
There was still time for more action before the day was done. Barry picked out a superb female Merlin, chasing small birds across the reserve, while the trip list continued to grow with Pochard, Great Crested Grebe and, to finish things off in style, a classy second-winter Caspian Gull.
What a way to round off a fantastic day of birding in inland Yorkshire!
Over a lovely Italian meal, we finally sat down to tot up the day’s sightings and update the checklist.
85 species in a single day (our most yet), with several more additions to the trip list — bringing our four-day total to an incredible 130 species!
Tomorrow, it’s back to the coast for one more day of magical Yorkshire migrant hunting. What else could possibly be waiting for us?
Great company. Great birds. A great county.
Yorkshire, you’re making it very difficult to leave! Roll on Day 5!
Wow! What a day. Superb work Marc.
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We look forward to enjoying amazing birds with you!
