The last few weeks have been mainly dry with cool sunny spells. Overall the winter here has been much better than last year when it seemed to rain every week.
Since the last post, a few migrants have arrived in Northumberland but not many into my neck of the woods, still it makes them all the more enjoyable when they do arrive.
A couple of weeks past, Sunday 16th we spent the morning going over Boulmer. Highlights were few but its always a pleasure seeing and counting the common birds too. On this particular day, Great black backed Gulls seemed to be on the move with birds dotted all over plus small parties going north along the rock edges. I tend to over look these giants but I wish I had counted them now.
Also at sea, reasonable numbers of Gannets and Kittiwakes on the move and in fishing parties offshore. Note to self, I need to look for our Kitti's on the home turf arriving any day.
Of the waders, 5 Grey Plover, 13 Bar tailed Godwits, 40 Sanderling were on the shore.
Incongrously, a nice tight party of 25 Siskins passed us as they headed North low along the beach.
A female Merlin gave a close fly past as it hunted the waders too, nicely lit by the morning sun.
While scanning the sea, a tiny bird too far off flutted across the waves, then all of a sudden it was gone? I thought Sand Martin, I could see some white on it? But surely that couldnt just vanish? Later in the afternoon when we were back at home, Ben and Mark had a Wheatear on Longhoughton Steel. I assume this was what I had seen making landfall out on the skeers?
On 17th a walk from Howick to the Rumbling Kern had a small high tide roost of 33 Oystercatchers, 18 Turnstones, 7 Purple Sandpipers and 5 Redshank. 10 Kittiwakes were off shore, new for my local year list.
Over the rest of that week my notebook remained empty.
The weather changed for the better on the 21st with a light SE / E breeze for a day or two.
On the 23rd, John and myself walked the whole headland at Boulmer, sure to find a Wheatear or a Black Redstart maybe. After 4 miles, we were still looking...
Out on the rocks were good numbers of gulls in a mixed flock of around 300+ birds, but best of all hunkered down near two Black headeds was Northumberland's first 2025 Sandwich Tern. Lovely. It looked tired too...as the tide pushed in, it lifted a flock of 300 Curlews too.
A lone exposed hawthorn held a single migratory Goldcrest on its way back to the continent but we saw only one Robin on the whole headland, clearly there has been a big clear out here.
Back in the village it was time for a brew. Almost back at the cars we bumped into our friends Tom and Mu who were looking for the Sandwich Tern. We chatted a while in the Lifeboat Hut car park when John stammered 'Look!. I turned to find a nice female Black Redstart on the deck only 20 feet away. Finally it flitted around a bit on the boats and tools before vanishing into local gardens. Excellent.
On Tues 25th this single Black Redstart had increased into 3 Black Redstarts reported by Ben. Now there was a nice adult male here too, found by John on Monday. I called in with the camera on my way to work seeing two birds but both were very flighty not allowing anywhere near a close enough approach. Also here 2 Chiffchaffs were in the 'thorny bushes' just N of the village.
Saturday 29th, Kittiwakes were back on our cliffs with 150+ present. The now annual gathering of Razorbill at Cullernose Point held 33 birds at the bottom of the cliffs. They dont breed here, but are getting on the cliffs in increasing numbers each year.
Two parties of Whooper Swans flew N 22 and 9 birds followed by 50 Pink feet.
Yesterday we returned to Boulmer but it was blowing a disagreeable westerly all morning so little was seen. One female Black Redstart was still on the sea defences.
