No luck for the Fieldfare I'm afraid. It passed away through the night...

Todays road casualty is....

..after Badger, Woodpigeon, Bullfinch and Red Squirrel, Jane came in this morning with a Fieldfare. This one made it across the North Sea as far as our road and thats about I think. Only my third on the coast this autumn, it's now in a box in the outhouse not getting on too well. It looks fantastic. A feather perfect 1st winter bird, probably a female, but it has lost the use of its legs and wont fly.

I am going to give it until tomorrow to see if there is any improvement. If not then I'll do what needs to be done...

( Image courtesy of t'internet images. If you don't want people nicking 'em don't publish in the first place!)

Mists and...

...mellow fruitfulness. Thats how autumn is meant to be, and today was a classic.

Off work on a glorious sunny day, the morning was spent catching up on things at home, then I took a trip inland in the afternoon...





Great spotted Woodpecker, 2 Tree Sparrows and 5 Goldfinches were quite photogenic in the garden today. The good light helped. Also this morning a total of 500 Pink footed Geese flew S at home, flocks of 120, 140 and 240...

So I thought I would see what was going on up on the moors...



An eerie fog filled the valleys but it was crystal clear higher up.





The late afternoon sun was warm, encouraging the last of the midgies to dance around...



Wrens were all over in the heather, gorse and fence lines. The tiny things look lost in such a big landscape...



This Fox came up to me as I leant on a gate. He just turned an casually walked back the way he came...



At dusk, this Goshawk came in to roost with a full crop. It was a big hefty bird. Nice one...



Evening fog still in the valley....

PS edit - I forgot, while up there I also had a nice flock of Redpolls, maybe 30+, and a similar number of Fieldfares going to roost.

Get them where you can....

This week, a stunning montage of images from the wild. I can now confidently declare that this Snow Goose at Budle Bay today is a fully wild bird from the arctic wastes of Canada.

Why?

Because I've seen it. And I'm sick to death of pussy footing around them. I've seen about 8 Snow Geese in Northumberland now and not one has been deemed good enough ( by me) to grace my list.

Meanwhile every other birder in the county has Snow Goose on their totals ( some even have Ross's Goose too but we won't go there).

So If I can't beat them ( or even catch them) I might as well join them...





Cough, erm, er....British List 393 Northumberland List 320


Maybe no one will notice....Feel free to click on the images to see them in their finery, in all HD feather detailed perfection.

Right enough of that I'm glad thats off my chest, it was a bit like a confessional.

Back to today.

We started off at Stag Rocks near Bamburgh hoping to see the Black Guillemot that has been here for a while now. I was tempted yesterday by Alan Hall telling me it was relatively close in at digi scopeable distance. Well today it wasn't. Not a sniff in the hour we were there. The sea was calm and viewing good. Later on I see it had returned to loiter with the 2 Slavonian Grebes we had seen earlier. It must have been on the Farnes side when we were there...

Apart from the 2 grebes, 10 Long tailed Duck including 6 drakes were very nice to see plus half a dozen Red throated Divers and hundreds of Shags were off shore. A Porpoise showed briefly as did a lone Grey Seal.

Then it was off to Budle Bay for the Snow Goose. It flew in with about 100 or so Greylags just as we were getting out of the car. Massive numbers of birds here today included 340+ Shelduck and many waders including Grey Plover, Bar tailed Godwits, Knot, Dunlin, Redshank, Curlew and Lapwing. 1 Pale bellied Brent was out on the flats too.

Occasionally the birds were spooked and we knew who would be responsible but it took some time before we located the male Peregrine sitting in a tall tree distantly.

On the way home, a Merlin flew along the links in Seahouses only feet away from some visitors out for a walk.



Above - A more scenic shot of Budle Bay...

This afternoon I walked Bunty down the Long Walk to the Howick Dene and back by the coast. The whole place was very quiet but pleasant in the afternoon sunshine. In the wood Jay, Buzzard and Bullfinch were the only things of note.

I was nearly home on the main road when a flock of 30 or so Linnets lifted from the hay field and I was suprised to hear Twite calling in with them. This is probably the two birds I saw a few weeks ago...

As for last nights mothing, I was rained off by about 8pm. The only captive was a single Chestnut moth but it kicked off my November list. Maybe it will be the last...

Almost Winter...

In Natural History terms I feel that winter has arrived by about mid November (15th) and will stay with us until Valentines Day. By then frogs will be spawning, the birds will be singing, the snowdrops will be flowering and the days are getting longer.

But back to today. The last week of autumn.

A lovely crisp sunny morning, calm with a touch of frost in the shade. Bunty had me up and out by 7.30am but it was worth it on such a nice day. We walked up the village wood to the hall car park and back. Of note were -

Bullfinch 6+ scattered along the route.
Siskin 10+
Redwing 1
Buzzard 3
Jay 1+
Goldcrest 1
Treecreeper 1
Pink footed Goose 80 S
Greylag approx 50 S

That was about it really until dusk (4.45pm!) when a distant trumpeting put me on alert until 30 Whooper Swans flew low S over our village, viewed from the garden.

I have the moth trap on for the second time in November. The other night it was on was my first blank session, but it was very clear and cool so lets see if I can do better this time...

Moonlighting

Last night and again tonight I have been impressed by the clear white glow from the full moon.

I have walked Bunty twice each night without the need of a torch. Last night at 11pm a wander down our lane was fantastic. The silver ethereal glow lighting the road and pale leaves, tracing branches in foil. Redwings seeped over head to the sound of Tawny Owls in the woods. I scanned hard with night accustomed eyes for a Barn Owl without luck. Now that would have looked special.

Tonight at 7pm I walked over the hay field to the coast path, again only by moonlight. The moon was still quite low in the eastern sky, leaving a wide silvery shimmering reflection on the high tide. The only incandescent light was from shore anglers lamps on Cullernose and a cargo vessel offshore.The walk home, back to the moon, showed our village in a light that looked like a Dickensian Christmas Card or maybe a Watkins-Pitchford etching (google him).

If you can get out to a place without light polution for a stroll give it a shot, you wont be dissappointed. Now its 11.10pm I'm off with Bunts for another short breather before bed.

Good night all...

Halloween Moths...

Above - Tawny Pinion.

I had the trap on last night when we went out to my sisters Halloween Party. When I checked it just before midnight I was pleased to find that there had been a good turn out for the time of year.

Red Green Carpet 1
Rosy Rustic 1
Silver Y 11
December Moth 1 female, below, a new species for me and a great chunky little thing.

but best of all

Tawny Pinion 1. Above - Again a first for me but thats because this is only the 4th for Northumberland, and is the first for VC 68 North Northumberland. Its obviously worth trapping well into the late autumn to turn up oddities like this...



Above - December Moth

Calm before the storm...

Today was a lovely day, warm and sunny with a light southerly breeze.



First thing outside this morning I was pleased to get a garden tick in the form of a male Stonechat perched on the phone wires above our drive. I've never had this species on any of my garden lists so its a good record. They are usually down along the coast path at Howick Haven about half a mile away. It flushed before I could retrieve the camera.




After breakfast we had a walk to the pond to feed the swans and back by the hall. On the route were 2 Gadwall on the pond still, 64 Pinkfeet and 30 Greylags flew south, 3 Redpolls and a few Siskins were in the woods. Blackbirds and Song Thrushes have arrived in force over the past couple of days with large numbers in all hedgerows / woods etc. The sun even prompted 2 Song Thrushes into song. Later, 5 Skylarks and about 80 Lapwings flew south.

This Kestrel, above, spent a while in the village too later seen harassing the local Buzzard.



In the wood this Japanese Maple was stunning...



Two butterflies today, Peacock and Small Tortoiseshell. If the weather forecast is right they might well be the last...



Above - Shaggy Inkcaps or Lawyers Wig in varying stages of growth and decay.



Above - This is the moth I thought might be Autumnal Moth?

Later we went to Craster for lunch and I had to take the picture below. An Aston Martin Vantage on the drive of an ex-council elderly persons bungalow. Imagine them popping to the shops in it. Its a better class of pensioner in these parts you know... :)

Moths.

Caught on 26th...

Epirrita autumnata Autumnal Moth 1
Agrochola lota Red-line Quaker 1
Agrochola macilenta Yellow-line Quaker 1
Conistra vaccinii Chestnut 1
Chloroclysta siterata Red-green Carpet 2
Epirrita dilutata November Moth 2
Acleris sparsana Acleris sparsana 2

10 moths of 7 species.

Please note, the November / Autumnal Moths are nigh on impossible to seperate without extracting their 'nads under a microscope, so my identifications might be, er, less than perfect...

Basically I follow the text in the guides and take a punt from there...

Some must be right? But, as for Pale November Moth - thats just silly.

More thrushes arriving in the dark last night, Blackbirds and Redwings mainly but with the odd Song Thrush . Tawny Owls still in full hoot in our woods...

Black, its Black...

Home from work tonight, don the headlamp and take Bunty for a walk. Saw and heard nothing. Thats pretty much how it goes now until Saturday...

But. All is not lost.

On my way to work this morning I just rounded the corner at our lane end to see a Red Squirrel flopping along the path, a picture of russet in amongst glowing beech leaves and mast before clambering up the tree. Lovely.

I hope it doesn't get flattened by some rally driver wannabee...

Yes, its pretty black...

Oh and I've added some new links to my lists right. Tim Wooton is a proper artist in the blog list but the otheres are further down in 'other sites I like'...Enjoy.

All change...

The clocks went back an hour last night. That means no more daylight hours at home until the weekends. It's going to be a long four months...

As the wind was in the west today, I decided not to do very much at all and only had a couple of walks onto the patch morning and afternoon. As it happens there were a few birds to be seen...

In the garden, a Tree Sparrow was with 40+ House Sparrows at the feeders along with 7 Goldfinches.

We walked Bunty down to the pond where Jane fed the swans some breakfast. On here 3 imm type Goldeneye lifted and circled around before heading off east. This was the first time I've seen them on here. 2 Buzzards soared and called overhead, while Marsh Tit and Kingfisher were heard only. On the way back, 25 Redpolls and 8 Siskins were drinking from a ditch in the village wood and 3 Redwings flew over.

In the afternoon we were sorting through some stuff in the loft when a pager message came through about 2 Firecrests down the Howick Dene at the end of the Long Walk. I wonder if I missed them on Thursday or are they new in? Anyway, off I went for another walk down to see if I could add them to my list. Although they were elusive it didnt take too long to locate them both, cracking males too, in some bare srub where they showed well for 15 minutes before moving on. Thanks to the finder for putting the news out promptly.

Also here 1 Jay and 15+ Long tailed Tits.

The route home was via the coast path. This was largely uneventful with only 1 male Goldeneye, 1 female Stonechat and 2 Red throated Divers going into the notebook.

After the birding excitement of yesterday it was time to 'chillax' ( see I'm down with it) with some garden mothing...

Chestnut 4
Common Wainscot 1
Large Yellow Underwing 2
November Moth 3
Common Marbled Carpet 1
Autumnal Moth 1
Grey Pine Carpet 1
Red-green Carpet 2
Rush Veneer 3
Garden Rose Tortrix 2
Light Brown Apple Moth 2

A total of 22 moths of 11 species. The Autumnal Moth is a new one for the garden. I'll get a photo tomorrow.

It came from the East...

After my prediction of some birds arriving this week I took Thursday morning off and checked the coast from home to Howick Burn. And saw 1 Blackcap and 1 Kingfisher. Thats it. Hardly a thrush to be had. I also saw the only Goldcrest in Northumberland, but no Firecrests ( they are all at Newton).

So, imagine the shock last night at 10pm when the pager gave a shrill MEGA alert tone and I find that a first for Britain is about an hour away down the road. Problem was, I had to be at Newcastle today for an exam and there was no way out ( short of suicide).

Luckily I got through the exam and away by 2.30pm so it was straight off down to South Shields where the Eastern Crowned Warbler was showing very nicely indeed. What a bird too, quite an unusual phyllosc doing Red eyed Vireo impersonations as it clambered around the small scrubby area in Trow Quarry in front of 120+ visitors who had driven many miles for a meet and greet.

The twitch was even shown on BBC News tonight at 6pm!

So here it is -




Notes from me, photo from Ian Fisher...

A Brit Tick after a couple in China last spring, this takes me up to 392...
Oh, its a shame but a nice little Yellow browed Warbler in the same trees was hardly looked at. Two nice birds!

Well, well, well, some birds have arrived. Firecrests mostly. None for yours truly I'm afraid as the day was spent propping up the economy...

Gary rang me from Newton to say he had found 4 of the bobby dazzlers on his patch. 4! Firecrests aren't that common up here, its not Dungeness you know. After coming out of a lengthy retirement, 'The Blogger formerly known as The Grocer' got in on the act too with one at Newbiggin plus a Lap Bunt ;)

So, inspired by these successes, I might turn in late for work tomorrow, weather permitting, and check some local bushes...

Thursday pm or Friday might be the best after the foul weather dries up...Guess where I'll be. I'm not bitter. Not much.