Fulmars Incoming!

 Around about the patch this week.. An odd Snow Bunting or two seems to be hanging on in the Bathing House field with birds heard last weekend and this morning first thing but I couldn't see them in the dawn light. 

The undoubted highlight of the week goes to a Marsh Tit on Valentines Day in the Arboretum. This is my first on site since one visited my bird table in 2018 . This weeks bird was doing a chattery sub song and showed well in some taller Lime Trees beside a birch planting called Red Wells. Just across the track is the wild wood, a wet bit of wood behind the pond that gets no management at all so should be ideal for them.

Last year one or two Marsh Tits were seen all down the Arboretum to the coast by three different good observers but I couldn't find them. Lets hope this might be the start of a re-colonisation here.

Spring gets closer with the first local Toads crossing the road and Coltsfoot in flower.

For the garden year list, a Sparrowhawk was causing much pandemonium in the local Sparrows at the feeders yesterday plu,s in true garden list fashion, I was lying in bed on Sunday morning when an unusual call outside clicked me awake. It was the guck-guck-guck of Fulmars! Peering out of the window three birds were chasing around overhead, close enough to take a phone shot. These are not rare even in a garden context here in early spring but when I am taking special notice this year they do seem an unusual garden bird I suppose.

 

First light Fulmars from the bedroom window.

 Today's lunchtime walk was along the lane where the 70+ wintering Chaffinches have suddenly gone up to 110+ and in with them 2 Brambling, a male and a female. No good for the garden (yet) but a patch year first so that will do nicely. 

2024 Garden List - 48

A cold but sunny weekend, with a sharp northerly wind.

This morning we had another visit to Low Newton to try for an early Wheatear on the point, but first of all we looked at the Tin Church, Village, Scrape, Pool and shore.

Low Newton

A few migrant Chiffchaffs were around with 4+ singing, mainly near the church. On the scrapes, 2 Ringed Plovers were checked for their summer cousins, but I suppose the most interesting bird was a nice drake Goosander on the main pool, the first I've seen here I think.

Down on the beach, Jimmy, Gary, Chris and Mike were woosh netting pipits on the seaweed, looking for those littoralis, but most of the well marked birds had moved on. There were still good numbers of 'duller' Rock Pipits present with a few Pied Wagtails. 5 birds were ringed, mostly of indeterminate race. A pair of Stonechats were on the fence line.

Out on the headland, it was very nippy, and there were no summer visitors. The air was full of skylark and meadow pipit song though as compensation.

Stonechat

Rock Pipit

Back home, our first Kittiwakes were back on the Howick cliffs on Friday, but I thought I would wait until they were nicely established before I closed in for some pics, however these Fulmars don't mind being investigated.

Yesterday morning our first garden Siskin of the year, a nice male, was on our feeders with a big count [these days] of 3 Greenfinches for company.

This evening, a Goldcrest and a Chiffchaff were in the back hedge, one on its way out, the other just arriving...

Fulmar

Siskin through the kitchen window

A right off!

Its not often the full day is a birding right off, but yesterday was that day. Nothing went into the notebook and we sat in the car chatting for ages to see if the showers would pass. A short jaunt down to Lynemouth saw us dip the Glossy Ibis just to add insult to injury.

Well, at least I am off work today. I've been getting some camera practice on garden residents...

Please click on them for a better resolution. I don't think I have ever been so pleased with a Dunnock! 

And a snatched Fulmar from the coast path this afternoon...

Day off yesterday. It was generally fine and dry, if a little cold. Still not much doing but 124 Curlew, with some singing, in the coast field was a good number here.

Just along the road from the 'dry arch' I found this chap. In immaculate condition he was still warm when I picked him up to bury in the garden...

YOU WERE GOING TOO FAST. SLOW DOWN!

Later on, along the coast path, some Fulmars were right next to the cliff top making a right old racket. Not the most inspiring of species, they are quite comical in appearance and can be very inquisitive. They especially like to have a close look at the dog by doing regular close fly-bys. I once had one come in off the sea at Hauxley beach to check out our previous dog. He was running around while this Fulmar passed time and again only a metre or so above his back, cocking its head, to have a look....next time you are near some cliff edges just stand and watch them come to check you out...

Its not that funny....

   

Although there are 40 (not) breeding pairs of Fulmars, no Kitti's yet. Any day now....