Today was cold and wet with some heavy sleet showers, but then, spring burst through at tea time to leave a nice bright sunny calm evening.
A short afternoon diversion saw me pop in to Bothal Pond then to Longhirst Flash. At the flash the first bird seen was a very white juvenile Iceland Gull walking around eating stuff from the wet grass. My second this year after the adult at Linton. Trev Blake turned up and told me that someone had put this bird on the information services earlier, but I hadn't seen the message. I was lucky just to dip-in on it. Good eh.
Out with Bunty at 6pm around Seaton Point at high tide I was suprised by a new flush of waders. There were 21 Purple Sandpipers ( a record at this site, 5 is the norm), 13 Grey Plover, 4 Knot, 29 Sanderling ( there may have been 59 but I'm not sure if I had duplicated the count by having one mobile flock or two seperate ones)50 Turnstone and a scattering of Dunlin.
Best of all though, on the way home a Barn Owl was hunting the roadside between the two caravan sites near Boulmer. A patch tick for me, and a long expected one...
85. Barn Owl ( 188 at Boulmer for me)
11 comments:
Is barn Owl a Patch 'year' tick or a full patch tick? If it is the latter, I am surprised too that you haven't had one before now, I wouldn't dare go near Boulmer after dark, but I have seen them between longhoughton and the RAF Base (ops) in the past. Still need it for the year at Dru!
Is the longhirst flash the water next to the wood that you pass if you turn off the Pegswood \ Ashington straight, sign posted Linton?
Roppa - For me Barn Owl is a full patch tick. I have had them same spot as you but not at Boulmer.I've had millions this year so far...
Zappa - Yes it is. Just park on the roadside and scan from the car to stop flushing the birds. if they seem settled then its ok to get out...
I stumbled upon it last week and walked through the wood to get closer and returned last night. Cheers
There's nothing really to be gained by going into the woods other than disturbing the pond and getting the farmers back up. The whole thing can be seen from the road ( unless a Little Bittern drops in of course!).
COOOOOL !! Patch ticks are the best !
Love your sketches.
your sketch reminds me of the castle island bird nice one
Thanks OC. Funny you should say that Chris, a few people who saw the Castle Island bird think that they are one and the same.
I thought the iceland was the same bird, when i have seen it at the flash and linton.
Seen more Barn Owls these past few weeks than I saw in the whole of 2007.....and 2006 put together probably.
The lanes around SE North'd/North Tynside are lifting with them.
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