Wednesday, March 04, 2009

Raven crack...

Ash left this comment on the post below....

A pair of Ravens turned up on The Farnes in mid-October, they came out from the mainland and headed back after hanging around the Inner Group for about half an hour. They were displaying a bit so maybe looking to breed somewhere along the coast this year? Only the 5th record for the islands so a very pleasant surprise in an otherwise fairly dismal October!

And this one from Dave....

Aye just backing what Ashy said (he found the Farne birds) - the birds appeared on the Farnes and then onto Holy Island a few weeks later - so is it the same two birds? And will they linger and breed locally? Crickey, please not on the Farnes... I'm not sure if there scarce in the area, but had two Red-legged Partridge at Rock today

I'll be looking out for them...

Really I'm just hiding the Great Grey Shrike depression settling over our house just now...sob.

8 comments:

abbey meadows said...

A Raven sighting today would have been the icing on the cake. Seriously though I would like to see the birds breed locally. On the Heugh! in view of the cottage.

Blyth Birder said...

You must have had your fair share of GG Shrike BB, give someone else a go :)

Alan Tilmouth said...

There was two, you saw one, if they were breeding I wonder what the second bird might be up to?? I have read that they remain inconspicuous whilst the female is sitting.

Blyth Birder said...

I was up at Harwood last weekend and commented (off the cuff) to Bob Dack that there must be a GG Shrike in there somewhere, although I wasn't going to do the legwork to find it ;)

I suspect wintering birds must go unreported due to the size of area and relatively 'unwalked' parts of it?

And I'm sure I said something about having a funny buzzard with a white rump as well, or did I just dream that bit :)

Stewart said...

AM - Me an'all...
BB - A few BB, but you can never get enough of them, tremendous birds.
AT - Good point. I'm going to have a look.
BB - Not so much winterers Alan, GGS always seem to turn up in March and April on return passage. I think true winterers are very rare indeed up here.

Farnes said...

Na forget big Corvids (don't they nest early - like now!!) or GG Shrike. What you really want to find at the back end of this month is a nice male white-spot Bluethroat. That would start the spring...

Stewart said...

F - Aye, go on then, if you insist....

admc said...

Went up to Harwood on bike-dipped!
It"s a canny way.£ displaying Goshawks but not a single Crossbill despite doing the full circuit.