Dotts and Gargs.

 Blogging seems to be going the way of VHS, Smoking and taking sugar in your tea. Its a declining art.

I look through my Reading List and there aren't many blogs left to go at, and I don't help matters by posting so infrequently it looks like I've dropped off the podium too.

Social Media now takes the traffic with tiny posts and images on a regular basis, distracting us from our real lives. While I'm on here's something a bit controversial, but no one reads blogs so I'll say it anyway.

Whats with younger birders and naturalists who post more selfies of themselves than of the creatures they seek out? Some posts are literally just that, shots up the nose of some birder. Now while I do believe all things in moderation, a selfie in context is ok, it can be humourous and lift a post but when thats all there is, folks this may be a shock, but I don't want to stare at your ugly mug every day!! 

I suppose you could argue that having a bubbly rant is also self indulgent so I'll leave it there.

Since the last post it has been a dry, cold spell here in Northumberland. No rain to speak of but almost constant northerlies, as is usual here in spring, keeping our temperatures low, especially overnight where 8 degrees is a struggle.

Spring migrants have continued to arrive and on my patch, I'm only missing a couple now most noteably Wheatear! Still not a sniff on a rocky edges short turfed east coast site its amazing really. Ive had two, one at Boulmer and one Alnmouth but none here so far.

On 7th May, on my way home from work I stopped off at Druridge to see the male Dotterel that was around for about 3 weeks. Always cherry chappies you cant see too many Dotterels. Northumberland has done alright for them this months so far with in addittion to this one, 9 at Beal were long staying and one on the top of Cheviot was less accessible.

Dotterel, at Druridge

 

From the 9th May, controversy ensued with the finding of a flat billed duck at Buston Links. My first guess was it was a Blue winged x Shoveler hybrid female. Then Cinnamon Teal seemed a good candidate until flight shots made it seemed too heavily face patterned, so Blue winged seemed good. Now apparently an expert has demmed it the hybrid after all! We were there yesterday and only its drake Shoveler mate was present so I bet its on eggs somewhere. That will give people something to think about in the autumn!

13th May. The morning dog walk along the coast path revealed a patch mega! Only a Garden Warbler for most but its 9 years since the last one on my patch even though a few are ringed each autumn on the western patch boundary where they must keep a very low profile as I never see them.

A day off on 14th had me meet up with john along at Boulmer. A close calling Quail was the highlight, plus 2 Little Terns and an Arctic Tern.

Yesterday it felt like winter with a N5 blowing and over cast so a short seawatch from Seaton Point was the way to go. Here we had 2 ad Roseate Terns N, 1 Arctic Skua N 9 Manx Shearwaters N, several Puffins and 2 Purple Sandpipers.

Next stop Foxton Bends where Avocet and Barnacle Goose made unlikely bed fellows.

Finally it was along to Buston Links again. This is a newly created small wetland extending an existing pool making a wet field that has poor viewing but is good for birds. First up was a smashing drake Garganey, showing right in the open and quite close too. A Wood Sandpier was more elusive but we saw it and heard it briefly. A Marsh Harrier arrived overhead too.

Not much on the invertebrate front until the weather gets milder, but it will come I'm sure...

Above- Garganey

Sunrises and Sunsets a varied week...

 

Top - A Cullernose sunrise, and a quick Sooty Shearwater sketch.

Over the last week or so as summer begins to ebb away there have been no great wildlife highlights but there has been some variety that's for sure . Please bear with me as this post might drift off a bit...

Last week there was a window of seawatching opportunity as the wind swung into the North briefly.

Manx Shearwaters were a feature with 500+ N on one day but other pickings were slim. 7 Sooty Shearwaters, a few Arctic Skuas a couple of Bonxies were to be expected but a watch on the 17th had a few oddities too with Merlin harassing Kittiwakes a mile offshore, 1 Little Gull and a Greenshank that flew N close in. The following day a juv Marsh Harrier came low overhead as I walked the dog along the coast path first thing.

On 22nd my, so far, last 2 Swifts were with hirundines over our village and the first singing Robin of autumn woke us up in the morning. 

Little Stint with Dunlin, centre.

This weekend, visits to Boulmer on Sunday and Monday, early on the former, later on the latter to avoid Bank Holiday visitors was quite nice.  A single Little Stint was with 300+ Dunlin in front of the pub while a Peregrine tried its best to thin the flock out a bit.

Dan found a nice juvenile Dotterel in the wintering Golden Plover flock that seems to be hanging on a while. On Sunday we had reasonable views but distant. I went back yesterday evening for a better look when it was closer but still not quite close enough...

Dotterel juv, Longhoughton Steel, Boulmer

Top, Field sketches of the Dotterel distant on seaweed covered rocks, and last night in the sheep field.  

While watching the Dotterel on Sunday  we had 4 Raven, 1 Wheatear, 1 Roseate Tern, 100+ other Terns ( three species) 6 Wigeon in-off, the first of autumn, 16 Whimbrel, 100+ Curlew, 8 Arctic Skua, 1 Pintail N, 10 Teal N.

Yesterday's early evening visit was quiet though we did have 80+ Manx Shearwaters, 6+ Arctic Skuas, 1 very distant high flying Pom that dropped down on to the sea, but we couldn't nail it.

Boulmer sunrise.

To round off, here are some Invertebrates that have kept me busy mid week - 

Palloptera muliebris a Picture winged Fly, scarce up here apparently, maybe be the first record for VC68.

Feathered Gothic

Totally knackered but this Oblique Carpet is new for me. Scarce in Northumberland.

Platyptilia gonodactyla

A Mirid Bug, Stenoderma calcarata

Sitona obsoletus

Phycitodes binaevella

Sallow

Another new moth for me and rare up here is Small Mottled Willow, first for VC68. 

Moving into the dark art of Diptera we have Dolichopus griseipennis displaying around our drain.

Barred Chestnut

Beautiful Plume Amblyptilia acanthadactyla

Copper Underwing on sugar ropes.

Another Grey Chi 

This was a right pain. I thought it was a Gem, but it wouldnt open its wings other than to fly around like a nutter for the first 12 hours. Finally it sat out for this shot then I lost it in the kitchen! It has yet to emerge... oh yes its another first for me Red Twin Spot Carpet.

Sunset from the kitchen.

Join the Dots...

Before I get on to this weekend, a little catch up from midweek. On Wednesday as I came back home from Bunty's walk before work, I noticed a large bird slowly heading towards us along the lane, coming from the direction of the pond field. At first, heron springs to mind, but the bowed wing shape just wasnt there even though the wing span was quite similar. Its angular appearance rang bells and I could see it was heading low across our village where a neighbour was waiting with her son for the school bus. I shouted, 'Lynsey!' 'OSPREY!' and pointed above her as it languidly travelled straight over her head. Although I have never heard her talk about natural history, she did seem interested in the large raptor continuing its migration...This is the 4th I have had in the area since 2009 and its my second garden record.

Right, back to this weekend.

Saturday started very early at 4am, when I got up to go and lead a Dawn Chorus walk at Howick Hall, just up the road. At first it seemed quiet outside then a Blackbird began proceedings, followed from our garden by Skylark, Grasshopper Warbler and Wren, while a Barn Owl carried prey over the back field to a nearby nest.

The walk started at 5am continuing until 7am. It was ticket 'do' with breakfast included for the 30 or so attendees. The walk was sold out I'm glad to say, as we limit it to this number. Any more would detract from the very reason people turn up at that time in the morning. 44 sp were recorded during the time and guests even managed a bonus Red Squirrel from feeders at the tea room as they ate breakfast. Bird highlights included Lesser Whitethroat, Gadwall and Tawny owl, all new for these, now annual, early wanders.

I spent the day in tired daze despite having a couple of hours dozing when I got home.

At 7pm, I was just about to leave home to collect Jane from the train station, when news came through of three Dotterel just down the road at Boulmer, so I carried out my taxi duty and off we went to see if these harlequin plovers were still there.

Luckily they were, in the same field as those Shorelarks from the other week, and we were well pleased to see that all three were lovely bright females. Dotterels carry out role and plumage reversal during breeding. Like phalaropes, it is the male who is dull and carries out all domestic duties while the female is brightly flamboyant. Unfortunately they were too distant for anything other than a record photo, but they really brightened up the field as they periodically ran around, punctuated by prolonged rests down in the barley. I dont think I have seen adult Dotterel in the county before but have seen several juveniles. Its a long while since my last one...

Dotterel in the gloom...

Today the North wind strength has increased making it more like March than May ( we say that every year) resulting in the need for two coats early on.

A return to Boulmer this morning for better pics of the Dotterel failed as they had departed overnight. Some compensation was had by the presence of a male Whinchat and 4 Wheatears, while 145 and 70 Barnacle Geese flew N along the shore. One male Wheatear struggled with a beetle, possibly a vine weevil, that had become entangles in some sheep wool...

Wheatear with beetle seen here in the sheeps wool...

Some of the migrating Barnacle Geese today.

After being frozen on exposed Boulmer Steel. we headed off to Low Newton to see if there were any more migrants there.

Really the wind had us defeated, but we tried, coming up with Grasshopper, Sedge and Willow Warblers, Chiffchaff Whitethroat and Lesser Whitethroat. A female Wheatear was on the pond edge while a female Brambling was held up on her way north by this awful wind.

A fw fem Brambling, looking tired near the Long Nanny car park.

And while northern birds are still migrating, this juvenile Song Thrush shows an already successful breeding season for its parents...