First Good Bird!

Another day at the house with JWR 'piecing up' here and there.

At about 2 o'clock I had swept up so much plaster dust there was only one thing for it. A cuppa over looking the west fields. Earlier in the day there had been 20 odd Curlew and 4 Buzzards together. As we sat chatting a bird called 'Prukk' in a deep woody tone. I commented to John that if we had been on the moors we would be looking for a Raven making that sound. As we were on the coast though I just left it thinking it was a hoarse Carrion Crow taking exception to the local Buzzards.

We decided to have a stroll up the stubble field towards Hips Heugh and had only gone a few yards when the call came again, this time the more usual 'Cronk' making us stop and look around. Sure enough up on the line of pines on the ridge was an absolutely massive Raven being beaten up by the local Corbies!!! It managed to soar up high to avoid them and began circling around for a bit before heading off steadily to the south.

My very first coastal Raven in the county, and only a field from my house, what a start for the patch. The only downside was that it headed towards Boulmer and may have been visible from there too... Dusty Bins should keep a look out at Alnmouth...

Later this afternoon Bunty's walk took us to the Boulmer north end. The tide was very full and there were excellent numbers of waders on the high tide line - 100+ Oystercatchers, 120+ Turnstone, 30 Bar tailed Godwits, 41 Knot and 17 Purple Sandpipers plus the usual Grey Plovers, Redshanks and Dunlin etc...

Sorry no pics, didn't take the camera....

New spring look to the blog. Slideshow playing up, it keeps throwing in a photo of a bloke running into the sea. Its not mine, honest! This version, right, only shows 12 of the 18 pics for some reason? Ho hum...roll on some birding time, I'm getting bored....

Oarfish II and III...

Remember the Oarfish found at Hadston on Boxing Day that may have been a first for Northumberland? Well now there's a second and a third!

This email was sent to me by its finder, an Amble fisherman called Michael Bould -

Hello Stewart,

Just to let you know that my friends wife found another Oarfish - seemingly still alive - on Turnaway Sand, Amble Monday night. She photo'd it and with her son pushed it back into the water. When I came ashore from fishing on Tuesday lunchtime I took the dog for a walk with the outside chance of getting a glimpse. After walking to tide edge for about 1.5 miles south of the find site, and about to give up I saw a flash of silver half way up the beach and unfortunately the fish was there having died and washed up overnight. I will attach a photo but not too nice as they seem to deteriorate rapidly once dead. The Boxing day fish in your site was a sorry sight only 4 hours later when we took some shots.

One man that is happy at these strandings is David Whittaker from Scarborough. He has been desperate to get one for analysis and I have the latest one preserved in my freezer for him to pick up at weekend - Just heard another one came ashore at Tynemouth yesterday so he may get 2 for 1 special. The fish was 10'6" long and full of krill so has not starved to death.

Cheers - Michael Bould

Michael has done well to recover the fish so far from its original sighting. Its interesting to see that it was full of krill too. This might be a discovery in itself as so little is known about the biology of these fish.

Its great to get emails like this, cheers Michael, now if anyone out there gets a photo of a wild Northumberland Pine Marten or Polecat let me in on it too...

I have just 'borrowed this from the BBC News ...


An unusual deep sea fish has been washed up on a beach in North Tyneside.

The 3m (9ft 8ins) long oarfish was found by a member of the public near cliffs at Tynemouth Pier on Tuesday.

They normally live at depths of up to 3,000ft (1,000m) in the Mediteranean or eastern Atlantic. Since 1981 only four findings have been recorded in the UK.

The specimen, which was in a good condition, has been taken to nearby Blue Reef Aquarium where experts will try to determine how it died.

Oarfish are the world's longest species of bony fish, and can grow to up to 24ft (8m) long, although there have been reports of individuals more than double that length.

Their great size, bizarre appearance and strange undulating way of swimming is believed to have given rise to many "sea monster" sightings over the centuries.

Earlier in February, a decayed specimen was found near Amble in Northumberland.[ This is the Boxing Day fish..]

Blue Reef curator Zahra d'Aronville, said: "Very little is known about the life cycle of these truly magnificent creatures and it's a mystery why two of them should have washed up on our coastlines so close together.

"This particular individual is in really good condition and there are no obvious reasons why it should have died.

"At this stage it's impossible to tell whether it was alive when it stranded or whether the currents simply washed it ashore."

I'm glad this interested the Tynemouth Aquarium, because they didn't reply to my email about the one on Boxing Day. So only 4 UK records and now three in Northumberland in 2 months...

Today was generally bright and breezy. All day at the house, where the best sighting was of this male Great spotted Woodpecker on the peanuts. A Skylark was in full song out the back too but thats about it really. Jane tells me that the Treecreeper was on the nuts back at home. I had an email from Roger Forster who tells me that up to 5 Treecreepers come to feeders where he lives and have done since one started the ball rolling in 2006. Could they be the new Siskin?

Steve Gale of 'North Downs' blog has responded to my moth cry for help. He thinks that the moth I had is most probably a Dark Chestnut and goes on to say 'The forewing tip may be a little rounded, but not obviously so. The forewing shape otherwise looks good for Dark Chestnut, as does the colour. Status wise the species is recorded further north than where you are (ie local in southern Scotland, and commoner further south) although it may still be notable in your area.' So at least I get some support for my theory...

Some suggested that I take it as a specimen and get it disected to clinch the id, but I have thought about it, and have decided not to go down that road. It will just have to remain 'either/ or'...

Thanks again to everyone with their constructive comments, I am learning every day.

Blyth's Reed - A doddle compared to this...

Above - Chestnut Moths.



Above - Dark Chestnut Moths.



Above - My Moth.



Above - Mike Hodgson's Moth. See below...

Many thanks to the lads for their help -

Dean Stables - Suggests a dark form of Chestnut Moth, as Dark Chestnut rarely survive the winter.

Mike Hodgeson - Has caught one the same at Bamburgh, above, and thought the same as me until he was shot down by an expert who said it was a Chestnut.

Tom Tams - Asks if I have kept the moth. No, not yet but I might get it tomorrow. He says they are a very difficult pair to seperate. He would go for Chestnut.

So there, take a look at the stolen images above from t'internet and see what you think. Mike's moth looks the same as mine, no doubt about that, but it doesn't have the pointed tips to the wing and they are fresher and more rounded. There are no images of Chestnut Moth that look like ours on the Google Image search.

Three good insect observers all saying the same thing must have a point surely, but I am still frustrated and in the Dark Chestnut camp...I need someone in the field to explain the differences....

Another new moth...

Before going to 'work' this morning I found this moth on the Spar wall in Longhoughton. I didn't have a clue what it is, and, lets face it, its not the most inspiring insect you've seen, is it. A search of the guide didn't help me so I checked Keith Regans excellent website. On there, there is a search facility to see whats on the wing now, and I found the Dark Chestnut moth. Going back to the Waring, Townsend and Lewington Guide it does seem to be this species, though a dark individual. The shiny dark colour is a feature apparently. In Northumberland it is rare in the north and indeed may be unprecedented this far up having been recorded in Warkworth in 1974 and Acklington in 1983.

As I'm a moth novice, I have consulted some chaps with much more experience to see what they think. Watch this space.

This afternoon a Treecreeper was feeding for a while on our peanuts in the yard. I had never seen this until I saw one doing it at Insh, Speyside at the new year, but then the temperature was -6 and may be expected. Today was mild and spring like so I'm not sure why this bird has taken to hand outs?




It was there a good 20 minutes rooting around the feeder for scraps left by stronger birds...Have you seen this too? Let me know...

Lifer....

Taking a Tip from Dean at Mostly Macro found me checking out our local Spar shop this morning where Jane had noticed 'some moths' on the wall. There were 4 Pale Brindled Beauty easily seen roosting on painted pebble dashing. A first for me, probably because I have never looked for insects this early before. These moths are on the wing during the first quarter of the year only...



Above - Pale Brindled Beauty.

As it was a nice calm day, I had an early lunch at work and popped to Blyth to see if the Iceland Gulls were around. They were, and I was pleased to see not two, that are regularly reported, but three juveniles all visible from one spot, perched along the harbour staithes. Nice birds these and quite obliging...







Above - This Great Black Backed Gull dwarfed its northern relatives. An impressive beast...



Above - In the early spring sunshine these Eiders were defensive of the female with them..

A good day then, out of nothing...

At about 6.15 this evening, in the dark, there was such a commotion of yapping, flapping and honking only a short way over head as I walked Bunty up the main road in Longhouhton. What must have been 100+ Pink footed Geese were going north. As I looked up into the dark, the street lights just about lit up their bellies... An Oystercatcher called out in support, my first one of the spring moving west...

Waiting...

Above - Drifts of Snowdrops fill the woods at Howick Hall and there are odd small clumps at any bit of roadside...

A day off work today to wait for the kitchen delivery and an electrician.

While I waited I finished some wallpaper stripping then after the rain stopped did a bit of garden tidying. The new garden is much better than our current one. There is actually proper soil with worms in it as well as plants! Now, we have clay and hardcore in a nougat type consistency. I'll be able to do some planting again soon.

I had a visit from Nigel (Abbey Meadows) and the kids who were at a loose end on their school holidays. While we chatted, our attention was distracted by 3 Buzzards over the field behind the house as they 'mewed' and generally were belligerent with each other. 2 males and a female I think? The males squabbled as the female ran around like a pheasant looking for worms ( or moles) between the mole hills.

Two pairs of Mistle Thrushes were in dispute too, with one male doing a proper song flight over head. I cant recall ever seeing a thrush singing in flight for such a prolonged spell, it ws like a giant skylark in some ways...

Later on I walked Bunty over the fields up the hill called Hips Heugh where nice views over the farmland and sea can be had. We came back by the cliffs near Cullernose Point seing 35 Fulmars sat out on the grassy cliff ledges, while 40+ Curlews were feeding in the cliff top fields.

A pleasant day off work ...




Above - The view to our house from Hips Heugh. You can see the sea and Longhoughton Steel in the background...

Another Owl...

I was on my way home after dropping some plaster off at the house tonight when I noticed an owl on the fence, near Howick Hall, not far from the site of last nights Barn Owl. I slowed up, thinking that I'd seen the same bird, but as I got close I was pleased to see that this time my fence sitter was a nice Tawny Owl. It didn't linger like a Barn Owl would and flipped over into the trees and out of sight...

A flock of about 200 Pink footed Geese flew north over Longhoughton this morning.

The past couple of nights I've seen a moth or two flying around and they looked like proper macros. I wonder if they are Pale Brindled Beautys ? I don't think I've seen one before but I see some of the blogging chaps have been seeing them on the wing now (Mostly Macro and North Downs). I might leave an outside light on to see if I can attract one...

Garden Watch...

Above - from the Kitchen window. I love the wall, all covered in Ivy leaved Toadflax, Ivy and mosses...



Above - Tree Sparrow homes. More to come...

At the house from 08.30 until 4pm today. A rough list of what was seen from the windows or garden without bins and covered in plaster -

Fulmar 2 over the village.




Pink footed Geese 70+ N
Kestrel 1
Great spotted Woodpecker 1 male in the garden.
Yellowhammer 1
Reed Bunting 1
Curlew 1 feeding in stubble out the back
plus the usual 3 Tit species, Robin, Dunnock etc etc

A Song Thrush came to an unfortunate end when it flew into the living room window and broke its neck, possibly distracted by the fireplace (below)....

On the way home a Barn Owl was on a fence post next to the Hall entrance and a Buzzard flew overhead to roost.



Above - Its coming on nicely...? Just wait till the wood burner is in there and the sandstone is dressed and pointed. Lovely. Just ignore the carpet, right. An 'after' shot will follow in a (good) few weeks....

One for Newton Stringer...

My Stobswood bird table, April 05...I didn't believe it either! Witnessed and corroborated by NF (Abbey Meadows) as it ate sunflowers seeds. Only a one day bird...

The Exodus begins...

Working at the house all day today with JWR, so no time for proper birding. When I arrived a couple of Fulmars were soaring around over head and were added straight on to the 'from the garden' list.



A bit later and the familiar calls of Pink footed Geese encouraged me outside to see these going over. A few more groups passed during the day totalling about 300 birds. It just takes a mild day like today to set the ball rolling. These geese will be heading to Scotland on the first leg of their journey to the breeding grounds. In April they will head off over the sea to Iceland...

Quite a few birds reported in Northumberland today with several Iceland Gulls ( an adult in Amble Harbour is my nearest and may well tempt me to get the bins out...) a drake ( what else) Green winged Teal at Bothal Pond and a Smew at Bolam Lake. The Ring Ouzel is still up the coast at High Newton.

Slavonian Grebes and Long tailed Duck numbers are going up in the north of the county with 17 Slavs and 45 Long tailed Duck at Stag Rocks...

Ipin asked me if the coastal Fieldfares could have come from the continent at this time of year. I believe so, though most will already be here or in the south of Europe by now. When the cold weather on the continental side gets too harsh these powerful thrushes can just up and away westward to milder climes, to meet birds already wintering here, pushed to the coast by harder weather inland. Its the same weather system that brings the Grebes, LT Ducks and Smew... Weather induced movements are quite dynamic and can occur at any time, often well outside the usual migration periods.

Things are starting to happen...

Spring! No, not quite...

Another half day off work thanks to the weather. I came home after lunch because it had been snowing for several hours and the roads were looking tasty...This is the first 'proper' snowfall I've experienced at home since we have lived here, nearly 4 years. The close proximity of the coast generally means that when places only 5 miles inland are snow bound we are usually clear, but not today...

This afternoon I had a walk from home, down to the sea at Low Steads and back getting well soaked in the process.



The cattle looked fed up standing backs into the wind, but they did attract some birds....



There were 60+ Skylarks, 7 Snipe and 4 Meadow Pipits here while a bt further along the links were 120 Fieldfare and 20 Redwing. Grey Partridges stood out in the white and 15+ were seen mostly now paired up.



Only the farmer had been along the road....



Its not often the beach gets snow on it.

I didn't see any frogspawn, catkins or crocuses. I'll give it another few weeks....

The company we keep...

I found a letter today that I hadn't seen in a while so I thought I would tell you about it all. I may find someone out there in the English speaking world that I haven't already told...



Two years ago almost to the day, the bird club contacted me and asked if I was available the following Saturday morning. Intrigued, I said I was and asked why. 'Do you fancy taking someone out birding for a few hours?' I was asked. 'The Irish Ambassador to the United Kingdom is attending a civic reception at Alnwick castle after giving a lecture in Newcastle. He is a birder and has some time to kill.'

'His people' would be in touch to make arrangements.

The following Saturday saw me waiting at Seahouses when a black BMW complete with ensignia pulled up, the driver in a black suit, looking the part. The Ambassador, Mr O'Kelly ( O'Ceallaigh) was a very nice chap, who had previously been the ambassador in Finland. I took him in my car for a jaunt around Budle Bay and Stag Rocks where he enjoyed Long tailed Ducks, Scoter and Eiders. I even struck lucky on the day and found a drake Green winged Teal in Budle bay. We had a good chat and he left at lunchtime to continue with his duties.

Shortly after I recieved his letter above, he kindly donated to the Bird Club funds.

Now I have lead the odd walk around the county at places such as Cresswell and Kielder etc but that one will be the one to remember...

This is the view at first light this morning out the back of our house. More snow, covered in rabbit footprints. It was very cold too, -3 on the way to work.

Looking out into the garden on the other side, was this Fieldfare, looking quite weak. We put out some apples and it soon got stuck in. I hope we made a difference...This weather is starting to take its toll I think.




Pity the sun wasn't up , I could have taken some better photos an hour later, but work beckoned. Not only was it dark, but these ones were also taken through the bedroom window.

Web Page...

I have set up one of those new, free, Google web sites called ( oh what a suprise) The Boulmer Birder. Its over there, on the right.

I fancy it might be a type of introduction instead of the 'profile' on the blogger where new visitors can get an idea what has been going on, on the blog. I'm not sure if it will stay, but it shows a sample of photos and sketches that have appeared on here. There are pages for not only birds, but mammals, dragonflies, butterflies, plants etc.

Taking a new turn, I have added some field notebook pages because I think it is important to get the more recent converts to birding into the note taking habit. I mean, if people didnt take notes and submit descriptions there would be no lists at all!

Any constructive critiscism will be gratefully recieved. Is there anything I could add or change?

Two Bunty walks around our new house today. The first, early on, had very little other than a Roe Deer, a Buzzard and 3 Grey Partridges.

This afternoon a dusk stroll around was better. A nice Barn Owl was dozing at the entrance to its nestbox, a Heron flew north while this mornings Buzzard was seen going to roost. 30+ Golden Plover were swirling around and a female Sparrowhawk didn't waste any time crossing the field behind the house.

On my way home, a Woodcock had a near miss, lifting from the roadside verge, across the front of the car and off into nearby woodland.

I put two nest boxes up on the edge of my garden today. The first of a good few in the hope of attracting the resident Tree Sparrows to set up a colony.

Electrics this week, hopefully, in time for the Kitchen delivery...

By it was bleak today. Down at the house at 9 in the teeth of a NW wind with snow and sleet squalls just adding to the ambience. It was truly smashing, balanced on a 'heath robinson' scaffold, passing wet slates up to my mates ( to whome I'm forever in their debt) while they repaired the boiler house roof.

As hypothermia set in, a flock of 70+ Redwings pitched into the copse next to our garden, and we heard that a Barn Owl had been hunting at first light this morning, in view from our new kitchen window. I'm going to like it here. When its finished that is...

This afternoon I took Bunty down to Boulmer where a flock of 26 Bar tailed Godwits on the beach was a good count here, alongside 45 or so Redshanks...

A day of two halves...

Half past eight this morning was very poor indeed. It was almost dark with a strong SE7 blowing some sleet horizontally against the windows, but after lunch the wind dropped and the sun came out, making the day seem almost spring like.

Until 2pm we were working in our new house where I added to the garden list with a nice Reed Bunting calling from the buddleia on the drive. A couple of Yellowhammers were in the small copse next to the garden and a Grey Wagtail flew over.

As the weather was much better and our days work was done, I went to collect the dog and returned to have a stroll around the area.





Unlike Boulmer, there are some nice wooded areas here, though they are more parkland than wild wood there are still good numbers of woodland species to be seen. The small lake holds a few ducks on occasion too, but today all I could see were 1 Little Grebe, a Moorhen, and the resident Mute Swan pair. A Goldcrest called and displayed its crest in the willows nearby.

Further on, 4+ Bullfinches were feeding on dropped seeds and a Jay was mobbing something in the pines. Back in the village, near our house, a Marsh Tit showed but proved too elusive to photograph.

We then did a lap around the road edging the coastal fields and had 153 Curlew, 157 Golden Plover, 29 Lapwing, 4 Mistle Thrushes and 2 Fieldfares. I heard my first Skylark of the year, but I still haven't seen one yet...

So much for us getting a foot of snow...

Turned out nice again...

The weather today was quite, er, inclement. At first light there was about an inch of snow and the wind was a force 8 easterly. I headed off to work, after meeting an electrician about some wiring in our house, and by the time I got to Amble I could feel a day's holiday coming on. This was brought about by my car skidding across the Hipsburn roundabout into the path of an oncoming car and only narrowly missing disaster. The return home was just as bad, especially the RAF base bank, where two vans blocked the road as they slid back to the bottom. You wouldn't believe so little snow could cause so much trouble. I dread to think what would happen if we got a foot of snow like the south east. WHERE ARE THE GRITTERS!

Anyway, before leaving Amble I stopped in at the harbour to see the sea coming over the breakwater...






The Serbian-ringed Mediterranean Gull was loitering nearby.

Shortly after lunch I decided to brave the elements and have a wander around my new patch, the farmland viewable from our new house.




This is the view (above) from the trig point on the top of the Hips Heugh. Its only 58 metres above sea level but in the wind and hail it felt like a mountain top. In the distance, Dunstanburgh castle looks forboding...



Above - The only life at the top was a nice flock of about a hundred thrushes, consisting of equal numbers of Fieldfare and Redwing with one or two Mistle Thrushes and a few Starlings, trying to get out of the gale.




On the way down, a Kestrel was pointed into the teeth of the gale, while a Buzzard took the easier option and sheltered in the woods.



At the bottom, Cullernose point looking about as bleak as it can. The cliff with the waves breaking over the top are about 20 feet high at that point...

Off again tomorrow but will be working on some inside jobs at the new place.

Drive carefully now....

I managed to have a walk around Seaton Point with Bunty this morning ( DIY on hold until Tuesday). On the way down to Boulmer, 2 Mistle Thrushes on the hedge along the roadside looked to be a pair. It wont be long now before they are nest building, Mistlers are always one of the earliest.

The sea was rough today and a strong cold wind came in-off. The walk was very quiet, enlivened by a few Grey Plover, a pair of Shelduck, 25 Linnets and a Yellowhammer. I checked the gulls, from the car, in Boulmer haven but there were no white wings. The fishermen have lifted their boats on to the shore, so they must be expecting some even rougher seas...

I recieved an interesting email today from Dave Whittaker who is doing a study of marine life. He was enquiring about the Oarfish from the other week. Apparently they are rarer than I thought, with this fish being only the third in Britain for 30 years. The last ones being in 2003 and 1981! A great record for Northumberland.