Saturday, September 05, 2009

On Holiday....

Thats us now on hols for a week. 'Stay-cationing' they call it now. I like this holiday cottage, comfy sofas and bed and a great TV!

So much for the seawatch prediction. The wind pattern forecast last week just didnt materialise, unless you were facing west that is.

Today started fine, warmish and breezy with a WNW 5.

A half hour walk around the coast path this morning had some reasonable viz migging with 185 Hirundines, 23 Meadow Pipits, 1 Skylark and 2 Linnets all South, but more unusually a Jay flew from the coast path, over the road and into the village copse,before leaving over our garden. What that was doing on the shore I have no idea.

Still some butterflies on the remaining knapweed - 15+ Painted Lady, 1 Wall, 2 Small Tortoiseshell and a Silver Y moth.

This afternoon / evening at 5pm I had an hour seawatch, even though I knew full well what the result would be. After nodding off into my scope eyepiece I woke to count

Pale bellied Brent Geese 28 N
Manx Shearwater 31 N
Bonxie 4 N
Sandwich Tern 29
Common Tern 3.

Roll on some northerlies I say.

Back home and as the sun was shining we sat out the back overlooking the field. Here 100+ assorted hirundines were feeding, then 2 Swifts joined them. Any Swift in September in Northumberland is a good record, so these will almost surely be my last until May 2010...

If the rain and wind holds off this evening I might get the moth trap fired up...

4 comments:

Ipin said...

I agree, roll on the northerlies, I'm itching for a good seawatch!

Kingsdowner said...

Glad you got your September swifts.

I should point out that the haul of manxies, bonxies etc would please many people....
however, enjoy your holiday!

Anonymous said...

I haven`t seen how long we`re stuck with the Westerlies for, Stewart. But i`m more than ready for a change in direcion. These last couple of weeks have been more akin to October, rather than Sept.

Well done with the Swifts, btw.

Warren Baker said...

A whole weeks birding then stewart ( and mothing!)