We started off looking in the wood around the car park and the whole place was eerie in its absolute lack of anything resembling a migrant.
Next stop was to go over the road and follow the cover north behind the Heugh. JWR took the left lane and followed the sunny nicely grown hedgerow while I followed the main path in the shade.
It was from my slightly elevated position a saw a bird fly towards John, across a five bar gate opening and into the hedge about fifty yards ahead. Even this flight view looked different and I called to John to check the hedge. The bird was that in between size, smaller than thrush but bigger than Dunnock that we don't see too much of in this country. I had my suspicions....
Sure enough after waiting a few minutes for it to lumber through the foliage, a Barred Warbler apeared. It was typically sluggish in its movements. climbing around the upper twigs of a hawthorn giving short but clear views occasionally before it flew into thicker cover behind us.
A great bird, I love Barreds. We managed another two brief views and more flight glimpses before it made off further down towards the road and out of sight. We should have summoned the Druridge Raddes twitchers who could have tape lured it or torched the bushes for a better view...
The only other birds of note here were a male Blackcap and a singing Chiffchaff. We never did find a Yellow browed, thats for another day...
Back home there was some viz migging first thing with 10 Siskin, 5 Tree Sparrows 3 Redwings and a good scatter of Meadow Pipits, Linnets, Goldfinches and Reed Buntings overhead. Later in the afternoon 2 Twite south and a Brambling in the village added a littel bit of quality to the show...
On the Ivy, butterflies continued to show an interest with 10 Red Admirals, 2 Small Tortoiseshells and a nice Comma while a Painted Lady was in our garden.
7 comments:
Nice one Stewart!, Now, you see, if I could draw like that, I might have a chanc eof getting my barred warbler past the CRC! Did you do the Arnold Reserve, I am surprised there were YB's in there!
I`ve said this before, Stewart. "ohhh, to live by the coast".
Great self find.
Iain you need to let it go !.... If you don't it'll just eat away at you for ever....
At least you got some pics of that dodgy raddes... 8)
.... oh and a cracking find.... love them barreds !
Ipin - Aye but yours was a Blackcap!
Dean - It can have its advantages.
Gary - He's obsessed...
Gary - Cheers....
Nice one Stewart I was there a couple of weeks ago ,looks great potential. , I will be there more next spring.
Brian
well done stew its nice to find your own birds and get away from mad crowds but i needed raddes so had to go excellent drawings must practice, any tips?
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