Cold snap.

 I think we have gotten off lightly here on the Northumberland coast. While the news reports show deep snow and temps down to -17 in Scotland and even double figures in inland England, locally we have just had an average wintry spell. Yesterday and today have seen the temperature stay just below freezing with it dropping to -4 at its lowest. As for snow cover, about an inch dropped last night onto already frozen ground making getting around 'interesting' .

These cold snaps aren't good for wildlife but for the birder on a local patch it can always shuffle up some interest.

Around our village, there has been a noticeable influx of thrushes of 5 species, with Fieldfares in particular cleaning out any remaining garden windfall apples. Yesterday a few birds were trickling south along the coast with Redwings, Fieldfares, Skylarks, Lapwings and Golden Plover heading for softer ground.

 I was on  a days leave today to catch up with some Christmas stuff before Jane's sister and nephew arrive tomorrow for a couple of days, so once again, actual real birding is on hold.

At lunchtime, out with Peggy, a glance into the burn as I crossed the bridge produced just what I've been looking for for the last few weeks - a Water Rail. It looks like a nice adult too, with a bright slate blue frontal colouring and no brown or white around the face and throat area. Unlike last winter, this time I managed a couple of record shots of it before it jogged off into cover. 

Its always a pleasure to bump into these reed bed skulkers especially when it is so far from any proper habitat. The small drainage ditches in the wood and burn all link to the pond about half a kilometre away so they must use this wider ranging habitat as a wintering spot because they are quite reliable here around Christmas time. Lovely.

Days 4 and 5. Coming to a close.

Whilst this weather event is quite significant and may be the worst snow we've seen for 8 years, lets not forget, it is still spring. Daylight is about 3 hours longer than at the turn of the year and as a consequence of this increased lighting, birds are still coming into breeding fettle. Today, some birds were singing over snow drifts, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Dunnock and my first Blackbird of the year. It is this that reassures me that try as it may, this wintry spell will be short lived. Roll on the first bumblebee...

The last two days have seen a light thaw giving us access to roads so we can get shopping for supplies. For the wildlife this cant come quick enough. Many thrushes of 5 species are still coming to the garden for food and down on the coast path, good numbers of Lapwing, Golden Plover, Snipe and Fieldfare search for unfrozen ground.

Yesterday I took a walk along the coast to Howick Burn mouth. The sea was a turmoil, raging away, flinging spray and spume up into the woods and fields. A large flock of gulls feeding in the close breakers held 300+ Black headeds, 100+ Common and some Herring and Great black backed while interest came with an adult winter Mediterranean Gull and a first summer Kittiwake, my first of the year.

A walk through Howick Hall Arboretum flushed 9 Woodcock and later on a further 6 were seen at dusk flighting down to the sea shore to feed, including a flock of 4 together.

This evening a Barn Owl was hunting in daylight over the back field behind our house. It looked very white uplit by the snow. I would imagine it has gone hungry recently as the rodents are safely tucked away under 6 inches of snow. I hope some of the hungry chilled birds are not being wasted....
 

The burn mouth at a raging high tide. I had to wade waist deep through sea foam...

The Arboretum

A partially frozen Pond and Pond Field.

The newly ploughed coast road. Freedom.

Fieldfare and blackbird looking for bits under my car.

This bedraggled Mistle Thrush was new in today, only briefly.

This harsh spell takes its toll...a weak Song Thrush found outside, died soon after.

All looking for softer ground.

Golden Plover.

Some Snow...

This weeks snow pattern has been mostly away from the coastal strip. Yesterday all of our snow here had gone, but a surprise lay in wait when we got up for work this morning. A good 2 inches had dropped and was still tipping it down until almost lunchtime. First thing we checked the roads and found them to be a nightmare so, an impromptu holiday was called in and that was the day off.

The main coastal road south. Nice, clear and well gritted.

 We didn't go far, but the garden birds provided a good distraction -

Fieldfare 17+ on the few apples we had left. A garden record.
Blackbird 6+
Redwing 1
Tree Sparrow 6+
Chaffinch 10+
Brambling 4 ( 2 males and 2 females)
Goldfinch 5
Long tailed Tit 4
plus all the other regulars...

4 Lapwings and a Redpoll flew south overhead.

Fieldfare

From the Notebook

Oh and I almost forgot, a new moth for the year on our kitchen wall last night - Agonopterix arenella.

'Groppers is in...'

...used to be the cry. Often accompanied by the similar 'Sedgies is in...' Now, in more enlightened, grammatically correct, blogging times, I think the phrase should read 'The Grasshopper Warblers have arrived' ( and the Sedge Warblers too?)

This afternoon a couple of walks around the village and coast with Bunty was very pleasant.

This Fieldfare was feeding most of the day in the Rectory paddock alongside the resident Mistle Thrushes.

My first Grasshopper Warbler of the year was reeling away in Village Wood at teatime. I collected the camera and went straight back to get a pic but no sight or further sound was had. New birds are starting to trickle in as spring finally arrives in the north...

The pairs of Gadwall and Tufted Duck remained on the pond and 'our' Swallow has returned to the outhouse...

OFFH List 118