Boulmer Mammal Fest

 It was pretty grim yesterday on the coast, with a strong ESE wind, 100%overcast and some occasional horizontal drizzle. Needless to say, we didn't go far.

I met John and Boulmer car park at 8am and the first hour was spent watching the sea from the car. The waves were rolling in on a white foamy sea. Our hopes of a white winged gull or something came to nothing. A couple of Kittiwakes were the best birds we could manage, plus a tiny Weasel carrying a mouse along the edge of the car park, under the toy box and under our cars out of sight, so we decided to venture out. 

A wander north along the beach to the village was the plan to see if there was anything loitering around the corner.

Sadly the first thing of note, was already deceased. A fresh Harbour Porpoise was washed up. Its body covered in small white lesions of some kind.

Deceased Harbour Porpoise, Boulmer

Only 200 mtrs beyond the beached cetacean I notice some fresh looking Stoat tracks on the sand by some tank blocks. John then called out, 'Whats that moving on the sand?' 'Its a Stoat with a Black Rabbit!'.

Sure enough, a moribund melanistic Rabbit was hanging on to life as the Stoat did its very best to serve the coup-de-grace by biting the nape of its neck, but the prey seemed a bit too big to get a good grip. We watched for half an hour until near hypothermia set in. In that time, the Stoat dashed to the long grass at the beach edge a couple of times before returning to its kill. It tried dragging the sad Rabbit up the beach but each time it would muster enough life force to kick back and slow progress. As we left, the Stoat had the Rabbit nearer to cover but the struggle looked set to continue for a while yet.

So. some great mammal experiences were had, it just shows there is always something if you just put a little effort in.

Dull January Days...

 After a week of village birding where the white Blackbird was the highlight, on Sunday we took a short trip inland to Hedgely and Branton Gravel Pits. Its a site we used to do a Webs count but havent been for a while so it was nice to get back. When I say nice, I am being polite. The weather was dismal. The fog and light dampness came in at Branton so thickly we couldnt even see the water let alone birds on it.

Still, before that, the first stop in slightly better weather was at Hedgely where and American visitor, a drake Ring necked Duck has been present for a few weeks. Sure enough, it was an easy find on the most open, westerly, pool with around 35 Tufted Ducks and other assorted wildfowl including 100 Wigeon, 50 Gadwall, 3 Goosander, 37 Teal, 9 Goldeneye and 12 Little Grebes. The Ring neck was showing well and very active, swimming around as fast as its feet could paddle to female Tufties and occasionally doing some head up, bill nodding display to them. It was a very smart bird in full plumage, easily picked out from the male Tufted Ducks. When checking my photos back home I saw that one of the Wigeon has a very green band across its head. Apparently this is a natural variation more prevalent in birds from the far east?

  

Third from the left a green faced Wigeon stood out from more normally coloured birds.

Above Drake Ring Necked Duck

As the fog enveloped the view we walked around Branton looking at passerines close enough to see. A Marsh Tit and 2 Willow Tits were seen and heard, we were surprised to see the former here. A flock of 25+ Siskins fed in alders with 14 Long tailed Tits and a Treecreeper nearby.

That was a bout it, not too bad for dull January morning but I am looking forward to some brighter days. After this one, the bar is set pretty low...

Ermine!

 Yesterday was grim, blowing a Southern hoolie with bitterly cold sleet most of the day. It scarcely got light all day. So we called off our usual birding morning. During the day various minor jobs were faffed at including getting the latest Alnwick Wildlife Group newsletter stuff away to be draughted.

It was around 2.30pm while watching the telly in front of the fire  that the phone rang. It was one of our neighbours along the village to say that they have just seen a white Blackbird ( Whitebird?) in their garden. Keen for some mental enrichment, I was off up the lane with the camera.

Sure enough, a ghostly apparition fluttered across the lawn to land below a thick evergreen shrub before running under it to hide.

After a bit, the Blackbird hopped forward and flew up onto the fence for a second then dropped back into cover.

What a bird, I enjoy these varied colour aberrations and this one was a stunner. It was difficult to tell the sex. The bill was indeed bright yellow like a male, but the few darker feathers it had were more browny grey than black.

I cant see this bird having been hiding in our village of 18 houses for long. Apart from the snow last week, it stood out like a sore thumb. Maybe it has arrived with the recent influx of Redwings and Fieldfares off the continent?

This morning it was a shade off being dark, and there it was, a beacon below Audrey and Robert's bird feeders. Its a shame there was no sign at lunchtime when the sun came out and I had my camera.

Not a tick of any kind, but certainly a years local patch highlight so far...

Leucistic Blackbird or maybe an Blackbird in Ermine!.