LOD. BO

 Last night from around 8.30pm we were watching 'Call the Midwife' waiting for the finale of that most popular of  TV cop dramas, 'Line of Duty' to come on. As usual we were eating our tea from the knee while glued to the box when Jane said, look the Barn Owl is on next door's roof.  Glancing up from my cheesy potato and vegetable bake, sure enough, our usual dark eyed female Barn Owl was sat peering in our window.

Barn Owl on the greenhouse. Photo is rough as it was taken through the window in near dark conditions. 

After about ten minutes, she up and hovered along the track behind our garden then landed on our greenhouse roof. She seemed to be watching for birds roosting in the conifers next door. I have seen a Barn Owl do this here before, at a late summer Starling roost that moved on 5,000 birds in one visit but to see her sat on the greenhouse was very unusual indeed.

The Owl dotted between three sitting points until it was too dark to see. I hope she found something to eat, as tonight's stormy wet weather is not going to help already hungry vole-starved birds to get by...

As for the Line of Duty ending, I liked it. I still dont think Buckells is the man for the job mind, but that remains to be seen. And the drubbing this last episode is getting on Twitter, I suspect these are from people who came late to the party and expected a bigger, more explosive finish... 

  

April Gone.

 Since the excitement of the Red throated Pipit things have taken the predicted down turn. This is mainly due to the relentless cold and poor weather that has hung around since March. In April the winds often take on a northerly view, making finding spring migrants a losing battle in Northumberland, but this April its not just us that has suffered. This April has been the frostiest on record nationally.

We have plants around us with brown and yellow new growth due to the constant cold overnight. Even hardy natives like Dogs Mercury and Stinging Nettle are looking a tad yellow around the gills but here we are in May so hopefully things will improve.

Last Sunday we had a change of scenery visiting some spots very close to where I live, but are scarcely visited, to do the Breeding Waders of Wet Meadows survey near Dunstanburgh Castle. Needless to say we didnt find many. Only two Snipe lifted from a small flooded patch near the castle and that was it.

Of interest last week were 5 daylight hunting Barn Owls again. I have seen 14 day hunting different individuals in that last 7 days. 5 on the moors the week before, this 5, 2 at Low Newton and 2 at home. Barn Owls here are a daily occurrence, an ever presence. This however, is not a good thing. The poor birds are only out during the day, every day, because they are struggling to find enough prey to keep them going overnight. Local ringers who study them have weighed some adults from nest boxes and found them very underweight. At D'burgh, one of the local Raven pair fancied one of the owls for a snack and gave a short flight pursuit, twice knocking the bird into the grass until we intervened. The owl recovered composure for a few minutes then flew off, leaving the Raven to find more suitable food along the shore.

Raven pursuing Barn Owl with intent.

A pair of Gadwall on the small Dunstanburgh wetland were a 5km tick for me, 1 Whimbrel was on the shore and 2 male Greenland Wheatears dashed around the rocks. On the sea off the castle were some close feeding frenzies that included 100+ Razorbills in fine summer plumage.

A feeding frenzy of Kittiwakes, Gulls and Razorbills close in off Dunstanburgh Castle

Greenland Wheatear

Yellowhammer

Gadwall pair

The past week has been just as quiet only adding Whitethroat to the list on the patch.

Today we headed up to the moors west of Alnwick. 

A walk along a burn lined with ancient twisted Alders and Birch was nice in lovely sunshine. A female Redstart was nest building, a Tree Pipit was song flighting and 3 Cuckoos were calling in the background. A Barn Owl was hunting the moor ( yes, another one).

As the clouds gathered and rain began to spit, another site had a Whimbrel circling low, unusual inland here, a Fieldfare, a male Wheatear but best of all two nice Green Hairstreaks and a male Emperor Moth were good to see again after an absence during last springs lockdown.

One of the Green Haistreaks. The bottom shot looks odd because the butterfly is lying tilted over to catch some of the sun.

Female Redstart nest building in old birch tree,

 

 

Misper.

 Or Missing Person if you like. Misper is the code used by police when someone is reported missing. Its not as serious as that but I haven't seen the Hooded Crow since Sunday? Jane saw it yesterday briefly late afternoon, but despite putting food out it was a no show for me.

There have been a few other things seen casually around the village without having to go looking really. As usual Barn Owl has been a feature though very unpredictable in the hours it keeps. On Monday in full bright sunshine at 9am the female was showing very well from our kitchen.

The more elusive male we have found out, after being photographed well by a neighbour, is from a nest of six young ringed in June 2020 in a natural tree hole nest site near Lesbury / Hawkhill about 4 miles away as the owl flies.

Various birds have been heading north this week, Whooper Swans in particular though I didn't see them this time due to work, but also a few Pink footed Geese Here is one flock of 79 from the garden...

Pinks.

 Some more early butterflies have been out this week with Small Tortoiseshell and Comma being seen and even better, a male Hairy-footed Flower Bee feeding on a flowering currant on our drive. I'm pleased to see them again after last years debut.

Grey Partridge is obvious at the minute with 2 pairs in the back field constantly squabbling. Yesterday I tried to photograph them from the bathroom window but they were too quick running back and forwards croaking and churring at each other.

One unwelcome wildlife encounter occurred at lunchtime yesterday when our dog, Peggy, got a bit too friendly with a Toad. Our other dog used to sniff and ignore them but not this Patterdale. She had a lick and instantly reacted with a foaming salivating mouth and trying to wipe her face with a paw. I had to get into her mouth with my hand and wipe the saliva away. Luckily the incident went without further drama, but it just shows what can happen. The Toad was fine and no the dog has not learned a thing from her encounter.

Its not cricket....

 The patch has been a bit quiet of late with only the locals to keep me interested. Barn Owls and Hooded Crow from the house daily and over the past week, singing Chiffchaffs. A Red legged Partridge calling from the top of Hips Heugh was only my third garden record.

So, today, during the standard lunchtime dog walk around the village wood I was pleased to find a right gathering of Water Crickets Velia caprai in one of the ditches that bisects the wood. There were at least 25 of them skittering around in pond skater fashion. I've just read, they can move a lot faster, as they spit on the water surface and reduce the tension so there is less drag on them. What a great fact!  On top of that revelation, they aren't actually crickets, they are true bugs...

Water Crickets

Other than these, I have tried to improve on the Barn Owl shots by reading about settings for birds in flight with the 7D2. It has definitely helped..

The female Barn Owl taken from the drive with 300mm lens....

Away day?

 This morning, for the first time this year, I went birding away from our village all of three miles to Boulmer. 

The main difference is that I took the car to go birding instead of going on foot and I met with John for 'recreation and exercise' in a socially distant, safe, healthy outdoor environment in an attempt to bolster my flagging mental health. That's just about all caveats and boxes ticked I think?

Although the route is easily walkable, driving saves so much time. Instead of a 6 miles round trip hike laden with scope, tripod, camera, rucksack and flask, there is more time to spend actually looking for birds rather than just yomping along on auto pilot.

In the end, it was breezy and bitterly cold in the wind so birds were few and far between with little to note. 90 Sanderling on the Foxton beach, 51 Golden Plover in a coast field, 1 Grey Wagtail, several Rock Pipits, 2 Stonechats 2 pairs of Lapwings displaying, 5 Buzzards and 18 Common Scoter N were as good as it got.

Back at home a few more interesting birds were around including three for the patch year list. The Hooded Crow and 2 Barn Owls hunting together were standard, an adult Mediterranean Gull giving that high pitched call over our house and this evening a Red legged Partridge calling from the Peregrine spot on top of the Hips Heugh. Red leg is rarer here than Peregrine, this bird being my first since 2019 so it was very welcome.   I was going to try a digi scoped record shot but when I came out with my phone the bird had gone.

The other two year birds were seen yesterday with Lesser black backed Gull and Chiffchaff along the coast path.

The moth trap was just as slow with a lone Chestnut for the Garden Moth Scheme last night.

Above the darker of the Barn Owl pair out this morning, the female I believe, showed well but I cocked up the camera settings. 

The paler male Barn Owl stays a bit more distant.

Yellowhammer at Seaton Point

Another day, another PC...

 My last PC, that blew its electrics after a power cut in January, was almost 9 years old, so it had a decent innings. To be totally honest, the incident was a bit helpful as it was an aging Windows 7 PC that became obsolete last January, so it was time to renew it anyway. My household insurance paid out about 60% of the total final cost after renewal and paying an I.T guru to save my hard drive etc, so it could have been worse.

Now, I have a fast Windows 10 machine that should be future proofed enough to last as long as its predecessor. It might take me a while to get used to the new workings of W10 but that is just the norm with new technology I suppose.

Right, where was I? Since my last proper post we have endured a mini Beast from the East and a nice mild sunny spell to off set it, making us believe spring was really here. Remember Winter II will be waiting in the wings, ready to pounce just as we start mowing the lawn again.

Over these last weeks of Lockdown I have continued to enjoy getting my wildlife fix from the local patch, staying within not much more than a mile radius of home other than to go for some shopping or essentials. During 2021 I have not been birding anywhere outside of my village other than single walks each down to Boulmer and up to Craster.

I have largely succeeded in following Government regulations, but last week my will power was pushed a bit when a county first, a  dapper drake Bufflehead, spent an afternoon on Cresswell Pond only 20 miles south of me. For the first time, the following morning  I was genuinely relieved with news that it had gone for good. 

Staying within almost sight and sound of my house has not been the martyrdom that you might think. There has been a lot of interest ranging from hundreds of thrushes heading to the snow free coast, daily sightings of Barn Owls and even a prolonged stay by probably two Humpback Whales. Not many people can say they've walked along the lane to see one of those... You might think that should be anyone's absolute highlight, and you would be right, it was a lifer for me, but the best thing comes with a bit more swagger even than a 40 foot long cetacean.

The resident Hooded Crow I have posted about on here a few times has now made a move actually into our village, to become a fully bonafide garden bird. One morning it made an attempt to join the dawn chorus, waking me up until some food was put out for it. Since that day, I feed it across the road in the Rectory Paddock each morning on what ever comes to hand. So far it has enjoyed Pancakes, Flat bread, Duck Eggs, Fat Balls, Tortillas and standard bread crusts. Some are eaten on the spot, some hidden in grass tussocks for later. I'd like to see it pair with a local Carrion Crow. Now that it is practically domesticated, it will leave a gaping hole when it does decide to move on... 

Here are a few photos to be going on with...

One of the local Barn Owl pair on a gate post next to the village green.

The snow brought hundreds of Fieldfares into the area with a lot coming to fruit laid out in our garden.

Hooded Crow. 'Today I is mostly eating fat balls...'

A pair of Kestrels frequented our garden during the cold snap. One day they were even fighting on our porch roof.

Pre cold spell, the Kingfisher fed in the ditch running along the lane out of the village.

Thar she blows! ( You have to don't you)

Some distant shots of the Humpback Whale. I cant believe this could be seen from our village road end! The herring gull wingspan gives an idea of tail fluke width, it must be around 8 feet wide!

4pm UPDATE - There is a dead Humpback Whale in the sea offshore about 2 miles north of us now. Initial thoughts are that it may be due to entanglement. I'm totally gutted. This sea is just too crowded for these animals. I hope I never see another off here.

 

'Our' Barn Owls are still showing though a little less regularly. Last night at 10pm I took Peggy for her stroll and was pleased to see the male owl coming towards us, my notebook page tells that tale, if you can read the writing...

When ever I start a new book I feel a bit anxious. I couldn't say why really its not as if anyone can see it, unless I post it of course, but the feeling is there. Once started, I just rattle away and it all works out. The books are the small A6 'Moderno' soft back books from WHSmith. I like the ivory tone and fine ruling so much I bought a dozen online for a reduced price. They are quite tactile being soft and smooth in the hand. The paper, though thin, seems to hold up ok to my small watercolours as long as I don't flood the page.  One book usually lasts around 12 months, but since lockdown my most recent only did 8 months due to scribbling observations on a daily basis while working from home.

Back in the day, I used to write everything up into either a big book or a loose leaf file, but now I don't bother, I just keep it in the original form and hope for the best.

The Notebook habit of naturalists is now all but extinct, largely due to accessible technological advances, but I have an affinity with the older ways so my notes will continue until such a time they are all flung into a skip somewhere.

Small fry...

Since last weekend's gales the weather has been typically dry as has the rest of the spring, but today and onwards it looks like warming up a bit. Being located on the east coast, it is always a few degrees cooler here than inland, but I'll take it.

When the weather is like this my attention turns from birding to the local invertebrates to be seen. There is always something new to photograph and of course the moth trap count is still building up.

Our village green looking good.

The lane into our village lined with clouds of cow parsley.

For the first time this week we have been treated to the pair of Barn Owls out hunting together in daylight.She is very much darker than him, here she is below, the first time we have seen her. In the 11 yrs we have lived here I think this is the first time we have had a pair out together, usually its just the male that puts a show on.

Female Barn Owl hunting the back field, photo taken from our drive.

After these, its back to the inverts. In my dotage I forget which ones I have previously identified and which are new so it pays to take some shots and work them out later.

This is a parasitic Tachinid fly, Gymnocheta viridis. When fresh it looks a bit like a standard greenbottle but the long hairs on the body seperate that. It is older now and has gone a nice pinkish, copper colour. It is a parasite of moth larvae.

Hoverflies are getting more abundant as the days get warmer. This is Merodon equestris, the Narcissus Bulb Hoverfly.

 The best moth catch was of 120 moths of 47 species this weekend, with a few highlights below.

Green Silver lines, scarce here. I had my eye on the grey lichened twigs for a while now I get the chance to let the grey show off the green.

Nutmeg. Another very scarce moth in this area.

Scorched Wing, 2 taken on one night this week.

Esperia sulphurella, only my second garden and first trap record.

Chinese character

Grey Pug

Pale Prominent

The view from the garden.

We are lucky to live in a location that means some form of wildlife is present at anytime I care to look. Since March most of my time has been concentrated on the garden and the area visible from it and two months on I am still finding things to interest.

After doing Steve's Lockdown Challenge for several weeks and ending on 80 species, yesterday was a similar thing but it was Darren Archer's 'Garden Bird Race'. At this time of year most counties have teams out doing 24 hour races where they can amass as many species as possible over the 24 hour period in the name of friendly competition, but that isnt possible at the minute, so Darren came up with this limited exercise.

I have never done a May race because it always seems to be giving yourself a good hiding for species you can see in a more relaxed manner. After all, a 20 hour day covering many miles in the car is a task, but a race doing just your garden is a much more sedate affair.

I decided I would not employ the all out approach, but just try my usual Saturday stance and see what is available when I can be bothered.

I had 5 minutes at 04.40 when i covered the moth trap from the sparrows and went back to bed for a couple of hours. I then watched from windows, watched while cutting the grass an planting some annuals and had a few short spells just sitting around.

As you would imagine, I didn't have the bird lines ringing off the hook, but I did see or hear 44 species. My newly found sea watch spot is tricky now as its even more obscured by leaves but I still managed Gannet, Fulmar, Kittiwake and Sandwich Tern, seen this time not just heard. I had a low spot here too as 3 small waders flew south but I only had bins so couldn't ID them. They were either Turnstones or Knot I am sure, either would have been a full garden tick. I made sure the scope was out next time I looked.

The local Barn Owl has been out hunting in daylight for a week now. It gives good views from the drive or kitchen window.

This Roe Buck showed well at dusk yesterday too and was a Bird Race highlight...

We usually only get Sand Martins in the village in autumn, but this year we have 4 or 5 flying around including two on the wires above our drive.

The weather has not gotten any warmer so the moth trap has been slow but I keep trying...

Agapeta hamana a common visitor, this one a bit early this year.

Flame Shoulder another expected moth at this time.