Dull January Days...

 After a week of village birding where the white Blackbird was the highlight, on Sunday we took a short trip inland to Hedgely and Branton Gravel Pits. Its a site we used to do a Webs count but havent been for a while so it was nice to get back. When I say nice, I am being polite. The weather was dismal. The fog and light dampness came in at Branton so thickly we couldnt even see the water let alone birds on it.

Still, before that, the first stop in slightly better weather was at Hedgely where and American visitor, a drake Ring necked Duck has been present for a few weeks. Sure enough, it was an easy find on the most open, westerly, pool with around 35 Tufted Ducks and other assorted wildfowl including 100 Wigeon, 50 Gadwall, 3 Goosander, 37 Teal, 9 Goldeneye and 12 Little Grebes. The Ring neck was showing well and very active, swimming around as fast as its feet could paddle to female Tufties and occasionally doing some head up, bill nodding display to them. It was a very smart bird in full plumage, easily picked out from the male Tufted Ducks. When checking my photos back home I saw that one of the Wigeon has a very green band across its head. Apparently this is a natural variation more prevalent in birds from the far east?

  

Third from the left a green faced Wigeon stood out from more normally coloured birds.

Above Drake Ring Necked Duck

As the fog enveloped the view we walked around Branton looking at passerines close enough to see. A Marsh Tit and 2 Willow Tits were seen and heard, we were surprised to see the former here. A flock of 25+ Siskins fed in alders with 14 Long tailed Tits and a Treecreeper nearby.

That was a bout it, not too bad for dull January morning but I am looking forward to some brighter days. After this one, the bar is set pretty low...

Dipping...

Inland today started off cold, like winter really, with a few Fieldfares and Redwings, plus 4 Crossbills between Alnwick Moor, Thrunton and Calally, before we headed down to the River Breamish near Powburn. This is a lovely area and on a glorious spring day like today, it made for a pleasant morning out.

Along the river, 30 Sand Martins had returned to a breeding colony, whilst on some gravel pools, a Ringed Plover narrowly missed going in the book as Little Ringed, until we took a closer look. Never make assumptions, son.

Lots of wildfowl were quite active, squabbling for territories, but the highlights were a brief Green Sandpiper that flew in for a while then off again, lit up in the bright sunshine. Shame it was too fast and distant for a photo.

The local Dippers were not quite so reticent, so a few minutes were spent watching them nest building in a regular spot...Oh, and few Red legged Partridges were my first for 2017...