Its been a few weeks since I actually posted about some of the things I have been seeing over the warmer period. Before that though, I'll add, while we have had a nice summer, we've not had a heatwave on the North Northumberland coast. To update here is a bit of a calendar -
4th July -
A Quail was calling in the bean field behind us. It was heard a few times but it never did that prolonged dripping tap call they usually do, just an odd phrase here and there.
5th July -
The Quail again briefly.
7th July -
And again only once at 11pm.
8th July -
I didnt get Grasshopper Warbler here in the spring so it was a surprise to get one reeling at this late date in the back hedge at 11pm.
9th July -
Despite the moth trap being used, the moth highlight was only my 2nd Bordered Straw perched out at lunchtime on some Sweet Williams. I moved it to Ragwort to get this shot.
10th July -
Had an open trap morning for AWG with 12 visitors attending. We had 205 moths of 79 species to view.
11th July -
The morning birding at Alnmouth with John. The wind has swung northerly cooling things a bit. On the estuary were 5 Little Egret, 1 male Bar tailed Godwit in summer plumage, 3 Common Sandpipers, 1 Avocet.
Up viewing Foxton Bends from the road we had- 7 Avocets, 3 Lesser black backed Gulls, 1ad summer Mediterranean Gull, 4 Little Egret, 6 Common Sandpiers, 2 Greenshank and most unusually, a Whooper Swan!
Next off to Seaton Point to check the sea. 11 Manx Shearwaters N, 45 Common Scoter N, 42 Arctic Terns N, 3 Goosander n, 1 Red breasted Merganser N, 18 Sandwich Tern N, 1 ad Little Gull N, 6 Puffins.
13th July -
A bit of excitement with the arrival of a summer plumaged female Red necked Phalarope on Druridge Budge Fields. What a stunner.
In the half an hour I was there, while watching the Phalarope, an adult Hobby flew low over the hide and circled the plantation over the field. Nice views. 1 ad Mediterranean Gull flew N, plus 12 Black tailed Godwits, 1 male Ruff and 2 Greenshank.
21st July -
2 Hedgehogs below our feeders on eating a pear! 30 Sand Martins were picking at the gable end of School House for some unknown reason?
22nd July -
A large count of 48 Small Mottled Willows in the moth trap, what a year its been for this normally rare moth. A Little Egret was on the rocks at Salters Gate layby and a juv Red Kite was catching grasshoppers up on the Hips Heugh field. A patch first for me and on the garden list too.
26th July -
Finally rain all day other than a couple of hours around lunchtime.
At the Aln Estuary were 3 Greenshank, 2 Common Sandpipers, 3 Avocets plus a chick, 60+ Dunlin all adults, 7 Little Egret, 15 Swifts over head.
1st August -
A gardening day with 1 Whimbrel over, 1 Painted Lady, 1 Holly Blue, 1 Comma and 1 Wool Carder Bee.
Up at the Cricket field a new plant for me, Common Hemp Nettle.
Another quiet summer....
