Rail....

A lovely day for a Monday holiday. Sun was shining, and the wind had dropped giving a spring like feel for the first time this year. It wont be long now...

I didnt really do too much except a few dog walks and a trip down to Amble to catch up with my sister and nephew.

On Saturday, Jane asked if I had seen the dead 'wader' along our lane into the village? I hadn't noticed, but she described a longish red bill on a brown bird, so I assumed a Redshank had been prey to a Sparrowhawk who had come away from the coast to eat its meal.

This morning I saw it for the first time and was very surprised to see that my identification guess was way off...

This Water Rail seems to have been a traffic casualty. To be hit on our lane is very unlucky indeed, but these things happen. I haven't seen a Water Rail here for a couple of years now, mainly because the place we get them is just a ditch in a wet scrubby wood, so they are very hard to see unless there is snow lying.

This afternoon on my way home from Amble, my eye caught sight of a small black and white bird on the river Coquet above Warkworth weir. I knew immediately that it was a Slavonian Grebe, and stopped the car in a layby further along. It showed very well down to about 20 yards on flat calm water. It constantly dived against the outflowing tide and current. Pity I didnt have a camera with me, as the light was excellent and the bird close enough to get something...

Alan Gilbertson did have his camera though , so thanks for this pic...

Nearby were 11+ Goldeneye, a pair of Red breasted Mergansers, a Little Grebe and about 50+ Wigeon.

Oh well work tomorrow....