After a morning out on the Alnwick moors with JWR all we had to show was a multitude of
Crossbills including several post breeding flocks (yes, already!) and a pair of
Ravens.
When I got home, Ian Fisher sent me a text to say that there was a male
Black headed Wagtail at Cresswell Pond. After missing last years bird on Holy Island, I decided to have the half hour drive south...
The bird was still present in the increasing rain, and showing very well indeed alongside 6 Yellow Wagtails and a White Wagtail for company. What this bird must be feeling in a cold NE4 with rain when it should be in Yugoslavia, Greece or Turkey we can only guess, indeed the last time I saw this race of Yellow Wagtail was in central Turkey feeding along the roadsides over 10 years ago.
This is only the third Northumberland record and the first to be really twitchable. A really cracking bird too!
Around the patch, two new species turned up - a pair of
Gadwall on the pond and the first
Willow Warblers about a week late. 7
Crossbills flew E over Village Wood while 3
Redpolls flew N ( a one and a two). The
Green Woodpecker was finally seen at the Lane End briefly.
Moth trapping last night didnt produce any new species but it was another century...
Diurnea fagella 1
Shoulder Stripe 1
Water Carpet 2
Double striped Pug 1
Powdered Quaker 4
Common Quaker 34
Clouded Drab 17
Hebrew Character 43
Chestnut 2
Total 105 moths of 9 species. And that was after releasing Friday nights catch into the woods a good way off to prevent duplication / retrapping.
OFFH List
116
