Stewchat...

Above - Top - View from Eglingham towards Cheviots.
Second - Branton GP.
Third - Hepburn Woods.
Bottom - Jane and Bunty, Hepburn Woods.

Very mild today, with a light SW 1 increasing to W5 and dropping off again. Dull and cloudy this morning but bright and sunny by mid morning.

Started off the day by wandering the front fields and hedges at Boulmer. A couple of hours turned up one or two interesting birds but they were all fly-by's. At sea, 1 Red throated Diver and a pair of Red breasted Mergansers were in the haven, while 3 Lessr black backed Gulls flew south, but otherwise the sea was very quiet.

Siskins, again, were noteworthy with 9, 1 and 38 all south with many more heard but unseen, 3 Twite flew north, 8 Skylarks and 2 Meadow Pipits flew S as did 88 Pink footed Geese. In the fileds and hedges, 5 Stonechats, 7 Grey Partridges, 10+ Blackbirds, 6 Redwings, 3 Song Thrushes, 19 Tree Sparrows and a Snow Bunting was flushed from the now defunct bean field.

As the sun was now shining I decided to head off inland for a change and visit Branton Gravel Pits, near Powburn. They were alive with birds, 600+ Greylags, 100+ Canada Geese, 31 Goosander, 53 Tufted Duck, 3 Pochard, 6+ Goldeneye, 30+ Teal, 30+ Wigeon, 1 Shoveler and 1 Gadwall. Siskins and Redpolls were heard calling and 30 Fieldfares and 1 Redwing were in the hedges. A Buzzard soared overhead and a male Sparrowhawk hunted the pond edges.

A late Red Admiral was near the car.

Off home for lunch to be met by ST in my garden after he had delivered a garden centre full of plants for my garden! (Ooh my back)...

After this Jane, Bunts and I went to Hepburn Woods for a wander. The autumn scenery was spectacular. We had 8 Crossbills, hundreds of Siskins, a Green Woodpecker calling and several Buzzards. A nice bright fresh Comma butterfly was good but too active to photograph.