Smuggy McSmugface...

Before reading this post please read my previous entry. Especially the last bit where I tell you about my plans for this morning. Its not often that bird predictions come true, unless you are talking about little auks that is, but today did just that. John picked me up a bit later than normal so we just popped down to Craster to have a look for some migrants. In my mind, I had Wheatears and maybe a Black Redstart, Ring Ouzel or Firecrest as outside bets coming off the light SE breeze and drizzle overnight.

Craster Harbour

At Craster I suggested the first spot to check was the harbour where there is often rotting seaweed to attract birds to feed on the attending insects. We had only walked a couple of paces when a bird flicked up the rocky south face of the harbour and back down. A sharp hiss at John to look at this and bingo there was our Black Redstart! First bird looked at in Craster. I didnt see one on patch last year so this was very welcome and, dare I say it, deserved. We could have gone south to Tynemouth for the bird that has been around for several weeks but whats the point of that? Black Redstarts are out there for the finding if you just keep a weather eye open and go to the right habitat. Today there have been a few dotted around Northumberland, but none are as good as one self found.

And you know, we never once asked anyone 'Can you tell me where the..... is'

Above - Black Redstart in various poses.

 Quite a few birds were feeding on a hatch of black flies in the harbour this morning, including 9 Purple Sandpipers, 10+ Turnstones, 2 Pied Wagtails, a Robin, several Jackdaws and a Rook.

Er, whats going on?

On our way back to the car, 5+ Chiffchaffs were singing in the Arnold Reserve and back at home, 6 Bramblings are still in the stubble near the Old Rectory. Not a bad two hours out....

A Wednesday wander...

A day off on holiday today. The weather was meant to be sunny, but thick cloud was the order of the day. At least it didn't rain or blow a gale.

A bit of a wander around the village and coast added a few to the patch list with the highlight being 2 Grey Plovers at Rumbling Kern along with a few Razorbill, a Purple Sandpiper, a Stonechat and a Kingfisher.

Unfortunately there was no photos taken of today's birds due to the light conditions, but here is the Shag from Craster Harbour on Sunday....

 
Patch Challenge 2016  - 84 species.

Wetter late than never....

Craster Harbour the other day...

Happy New Year all, long time no see. There is a reason for this though. We have been without internet since 28th December, it only coming back on today as if by magic, without an engineer or anything, just a manifestation in blue light on the router.

No more ado, my blood boils just thinking about the customer service given by BT, so lets not mention them again.

Much better to start with a finish to 2015. I was going to do the bloggers standard summary of the last years highlights but that candle has fizzled now so here's an update.

For the Patchwork Challenge and my friendly competition with Mr Gale of Banstead the end total is a respectable 151 species for 191 points, nicely clinching back a forgotten Sibe Chiff (oh that's only a PWC rule, so for you Steve the year closed on 150) from November.

Time for it all to start over for 2016. This coming year I have a couple of plans to look forward to - continuing with the patch birding, I am enjoying it more than ever since I am taking it casually. Accompanying my friend John on his first dip into the PWC down at the Coquet Estuary where I can enjoy a new set of species that can be tricky on my own patch ie waders and lastly, later in the spring John and myself will be making our first foray across the Atlantic with another 5 friends to catch up with some Nearctic warbler migration.

In between these main features there will be more ventures into moths and butterflies, plants and mammals or anything else that takes the fancy. I will be keeping my notebook tidy with a few more sketches and trying to get some better photographs.

And that's me really, a man of simple pleasures!

What, may you ask, has 2016 given me so far? Well, I have to say, rain. And gales, and even more rain. New Years day was ok, but every day since has been grim, dark, wet and windy to a backing track of booming, pounding, headache inducing waves against the cliffs.

The Howick bird list is a bit lower than at this stage last year, but it is early days. My first highlight of the year came as a surprise on the 1st when a lovely adult Little Gull fed in a village field with black headed gulls. It did a short circular flight low over our heads to show of the pale rounded wing tips against the sooty wing linings. This is a scarce bird here with only a few occurrences maybe every other year always on seawatches. It was nice to get a land bound one.

Speaking of seawatching, I have dabbled against the elements seeing very little except up to 3 more Little Gulls together at Craster and 2 Little Auks blasted North with a wind up their tail.

PWC 2016 61 sp.

I dont fancy a dip in there....

A hint of winter....

This afternoon I decided to brave the throngs of Robson Green disciples and head off down to Craster to see if I can add Common Tern to my flagging patch list.

I sat for a while in the sun overlooking a nice blue calm sea. A few Sandwich Terns, Fulmars and Kittiwakes loitered about while a Gannet or two passed by on their way back to Bass Rock.
The tide was full, making the long skeer off the harbour into an island. On here, a Whimbrel called briefly as it jostled for space with a few Oystercatchers, then a Common Sandpiper fluttered across the channel onto the the rock. Patch year tick No 1. As the waves lapped, a smaller bird appeared with the Eiders. A Goosander redhead. We get a few moulting birds in the area at this time, so this was Patch year tick No2.

As I casually scanned about wondering if the seawatching would be any good this year, a gull roosting on the rock caught my attention. An odd colour that, I thought, and went to get the scope from the boot. As suspected, it was a first summer Glaucous Gull roosting in the sun!  Not exactly what you want to be seeing in July, but its a full on patch tick, year tick No3 in half an hour, so it would be churlish to complain. Get on the list.

Now, where are the waders....

Thats it, bang centre. Click on it...

First summer Glaucous Gull, surprisingly, my first on patch since moving here 6 years ago. 

124. Common Sandpiper

125. Goosander

126. Glaucous Gull.

Purple Sandpipers.

After some success photographing the Purple Sandpipers in Craster Harbour yesterday I thought I would give them half an hour this morning in some nice sunshine. 5 birds showed well with a few Turnstones. I am really pleased with the way these have turned out. Purps are a regular feature on our piece of coastline in winter, with Craster being a favoured site from August through to May.

Its nice to fluke some interesting features not normally noticed in the field. In pic 3 the bill tip opens up like a spoon to help catch on to slippery invertebrates, very strange.

Still no Dunlin though....

Please do not use the images without permission. Thanks.
  

A day of two halves...

...to use a football analogy.

This morning was another sharp, crystal clear day for a wander down the coastal section of my patch.

We started at the Howick burn mouth where things were pretty much the same as usual. A Kingfisher called and flew upstream, unseen, while  the first of 2 Shelducks flew north. A perusal of the gulls revealed nothing but the locals, but offshore there was a steady passage of Herring Gulls all going north along the breakers at a rate of about 100+ per hour.

The view north from the Rumbling Kern, a geological feature on the shoreline.

Herring Gulls moving north.

 Back up at the farm, 130+ Golden Plover, 2 Grey Partridges, a few Skylarks were in the coast fields, while a Rock Pipit was a bit unusual forsaking its usual pelagic habitations in favour of a roadside muck heap.

Golden Plover in sheep pasture.

A muck heap loving Rock Pipit.

Next stop was to the far northern end of the patch where we drank tea and ate biscuits without a great deal of ornithological disturbance. I did get embarrassingly carried away with a glimpse of a Collared Dove dropping into a garden and out of sight.

The sunshine was lovely in the harbour so a few minutes were spent checking out what was lurking in there.

Craster Harbour

Turnstone

Purple Sandpiper

Another Purple Sandpiper

Redshank with a third Purple Sandpiper.

So, with a few Purps in the bag it was time to call it a day as I had be get home to be ready for another 'first' for me...

St James's Park, Newcastle.

 This first is not surprising really. We had a chance to of two season tickets to see Newcastle play Stoke ( thanks to Lady Howick) at home. Anyone who knows me, will now be shocked, as there is not a less sporty person on the planet, but its always good to try a new experience. I really enjoyed the afternoon out and from here we tried out a new restaurant in the city centre before getting the train back away from 'civilisation'...

Oh, the score was one each....I hope on the match of the day highlights they show the Grey Wagtail running around outside the dug outs. It put on a better performance than the Toon thats for sure!

92. Collared Dove