A Day Out in NE Lincolnshire
Today (Sun), I decided to follow up 2 recent Spotted Flycatcher reports from NE Lincs.
a. Anthony Bentley - 13 Aug...Hatcliffe area
Further to Anthony's directions (incl map), I arrived at the Hatcliffe site ( SW of Waltham ) just after 11.00 this morning. The actual stakeout required a 10 - 15 minute walk but....bad luck

...just before I reached the stated pond area, blocking my path was a group of 4 massive Highland Cattle (incl. a Bull), all with mega-horns...you never mentioned those, Anthony, but perhaps they weren't around on your visit. While I was contemplating a Plan B to access the stakeout who should arrive, as it turned out, no other than the young farmer's wife (or the farmer's young wife ?), accompanied by 2 large Hungarian Vizla dogs.....apparently one of only 7 recognised breeds that hunt, point and retrieve (HPR) - we all learn something new every day.

She assured me that the Cattle were docile and accompanied me to the pond area, where she continued her walk as a Buzzard circled overhead and a Red-legged Partridge happened to appear just ahead - the dogs froze and went into their pointer mode.
I stayed around the pond area for 30 minutes or so but for some time no Spot Fly showed. However, eventually, a blob of 'white' appeared on a branch towards the bottom of a tree by the pond......a juvenile Spot Fly, which then spent some 5 minutes preening in the sun. Anthony had seen a family but I saw just the one juvenile. As I edged a little closer, it suddenly retreated back into the branches, unlike an adult which would have flown.
On the way back to my car, I passed the young farmer's wife/dogs plus the (definitely) young farmer himself plus a co-worker, standing next to their Range Rover and discussing the nearby Highland Cattle. Whilst briefly chatting to them, the subject of vicious dogs arose and they were all intrigued as, at their request, I demonstrated the usefulness of my Dog Dazer/Repeller on their 2 Hungarian Vizlas.....an immediate cringing stance accompanied by a deep growling. (I never walk in the countryside without my trusty Dog Dazer.) Anyway, it was enough of such pleasantries and time to move on to the next stakeout.
Thanks to Anthony for the lead and directions.....it was a most pleasant morning.
b. Dave Bradbeer - 13 Aug...an area c 2 Kms walk W of Tetney
Dave had forewarned me about the longish walk W from Tetney village to the Spot Fly site. However, checking my Ordnance Survey Map, I noticed that a much shorter route (c. 500m) was possible by parking at the Disused Railway Line on the road which runs E from the A16 to Tetney and walking along the roadtrack running S next to the disused line. In the event, I was able to park (c. 1.30pm) on the metalled road pull-over opposite Station House.
The whole 500m stretch from Station House running alongside the disused line to the Spot Fly site consisted of horse paddocks to the left and tall, mainly Hawthorn and Elderberry to the right. In the very first paddock there were
5 Yellow Wagtails
3 Pied Wagtails
among the horses.
Arriving at the stakeout area at the junction of the Tetney roadtrack and the disused line roadtrack, I had immediate views of an adult Spot Fly flycatching amongst the Hawthorns and the Elderberry bushes. Occasionally it would fly over the trees/bushes to the far side of the disused line where perhaps it was feeding a youngster ( Dave had seen an adult feeding one young on Aug 13). Unfortunately, heavy cloud cover now arrived and the Spot Fly disappeared. I used a nearby old tunnel underpass to access the far side but there was nothing to report there.
Also noted
1 Hobby flew over
Charm of 6-8 Goldfinches
Thanks to Dave for the lead and location details.
All in all, a most pleasant and interesting day out in NE LIncolnshire, including 2 more Spotted Flycatcher sightings in totally different settings.
Freddy