Big Garden Birdwatch.

 Sunday morning was calm and fine, a pleasing contrast after the blasting we had on Saturday so we did the garden bird count. I watched the kitchen window, Jane from the other side in the bedroom calling out additions.

Totals from 10.50 - 11.50am.

The list is pretty much as last year but without Great Spotted Woodpecker and Sparrowhawk. Both species are around, just not in the hour we counted.

Its still great to see my second most numerous species after Jackdaw is Tree Sparrow. I have had up to 32 birds this winter but only the 22 today. The RSPB webpage for recording the count doesnt have Tree Sparrows as a standard garden species so I had to add them as an extra with no number. People are telling me it is possible to add them so I'll see if it can be edited.

Some of the cast as seen from the kitchen window...

  

Working from Home...

That was my fist day working in the spare bedroom. By 3 o'clock I felt like Jack Nicholson in The Shining. On the plus side I have not had any social interaction since Jane left for work ( she is in an office alone).

Some garden birding today was generally quiet but 34 Tree Sparrows on the feeders, 2 pairs of Grey Partridge squabbling in the back field, a male Great spotted Woodpecker, 11 Meadow Pipits in the field and a Bullfinch in the cherry tree in a neighbours garden were all nice to see. There was nothing in the way of fly overs, maybe due to the bitterly cold breeze. I'll total my full list as of Saturday and post it later...

Great, Blue and Coal Tits ( not pictured) are always present. 

We have a lot of Jackdaws in the village. They predate my Tree Sparrow chicks when they fledge so I tend to keep them at arms length.

A male Great spotted Woodpecker, one of a couple of pairs here.

Tree Sparrows out number House Sparrows here, but both are the mainstay of my garden birds.

A very Good Friday...

What a lovely days its been. All morning there were clear blue skies and only a little breeze with some warm sunshine. As it was a busy bank holiday and our coast roads are heaving with visitors (cheers Robson) we haven't been far. I resurrected the garden table and chairs after the winter sojourn and did some weeding, planting and pruning while keeping an eye open for garden visitors.

First though, a negative record. There are still no Chiffchaffs singing here. This is getting quite late now as last year we had good numbers from 10th March, but I suppose they will be coming to a willow near us very soon.

The moth trap has been ok this week with double figure catches most nights of the usual orthosias etc, and today we saw our first butterfly of 2016, a Small Tortoiseshell on the windowsill. Unfortunately it was on its toes before the camera could get focussed. The flowering currants in the garden are 'pinking up' nicely and were visited by a few Buff tailed Bumblebees with one Early Bumblebee today.

The area around the nestboxes was particularly busy with pairs of Tree Sparrows squabbling for squatters rights, whilst high overhead, a Skylark sang constantly. If only all spring days could be like this....

House Sparrow at the terrace....the opposite end to last year.

Trying to get both birds in the gap between the twigs was tricky. Tree Sparrows.

Twin-spotted Quaker

Red Chestnut

Spuggy fight!

House Sparrow usurps Tree Sparrow...

Two Tree Sparrows move on two House Sparrows...

No where to land...

House feels Tree has had enough...

'Bugger off, I've just got a seat!'

Sunny Saturday.

What a lovely day its been. The sun has shone all day with a bit of frost first thing and very little wind it was a pleasure to be out. There was even a hint of warmth in the sun, a taste of things to come I hope.

A few wanders around the patch from home added only one new species to the Patch List - Stock Dove. A single bird was in stubble down near the teepee track this morning. Apart from that the other main highlight was a flock of 20 Bullfinches feeding on a lawn in the rear of Howick Hall this afternoon. I cant recall seeing as many all in one view before. I couldn't get a picture due to visitors wandering by flushing the birds as soon as the landed. Maybe next time.  

At the beach along the burn mouth there was no sign of the reported Dunlin and Sanderling there earlier in the week. You know the rules, if you dont see it yourself it has to be stringy!

Other things of note - 30 Curlew, 10+ Skylark including one in full song, 100+ Linnets, Grey Wagtail, Sparrowhawk, 4 Teal, 3 Goldeneye, Goldcrest.

I hope the weather is the same tomorrow, I'm only out for a couple of hours first thing, so its on foot around the patch again. I'm really enjoying the patch work thing at the minute...

Starling

Tree Sparrow

House Sparrow

Blue Tit

91. Stock Dove

Spring has sprung...

Above - Whitethroat and House Sparrow in classic pose.

A few new additions to the on foot from home lists today. The route was from home, obviously, via the long walk to Boulmer and back by the coast path. The weather was pleasant, mostly, except for a short light shower.

First new species were 2 Common Whitethroats along the lane , followed by a Sand Martin down at the beach footbridge. Our first of many today with loads of Swallows. A single House Martin moving north was the only one of the day, and the last new bird was a calling Whimbrel at Longhoughton Steel.

Other birds of note were 8 Sandwich Terns, 1 Yellow Wagtail N,  4 Wheatears, 20 summer plumaged Turnstones and 2 pairs of Red breasted Mergansers.

Not to be outdone, mammals were added to when my first live Red Squirrel of the year skipped over the road at the Lane End, and a Pipistrelle hunted around the moth trap. 

Up near the Hall a fantastic show of daffodils and primroses were in a little visited area of the woods.

Last nighst moth trapping was similar to Friday -

0672 Parsnip Moth 1
1746 Shoulder Stripe 1
1750 Water Carpet 4
1917 Early Thorn 2
2139 Red Chestnut 1
2186 Powdered Quaker 2
2187 Common Quaker 16
2188 Clouded Drab 29
2190 Hebrew Character 52

Total 108 moths of 9 species. No new species added this week.

OFFH List 123