A poor show...

 After 16 years of Blogging this has been my worst January showing of all. One post. Well, two now.

Why is that? I'm not wholly sure, but this winter weather is a big factor. The constant winds, wet weather and named storms have made for a grim landscape with little to encourage optimism. 

Still, despite the doom and gloom the year moves on gradually. I've heard Skylarks, Great Tit and Redwing in full song, Woodpeckers drumming and today, my first Song Thrush chuntering away from a sheltered thicket. Only Chaffinch to go for the early birds singing. Tawny Owls are particularly vocal around the village on calm nights, when we get one that is. 

One of our neighbour's conifers blew over during storm, er, Isha. They all roll into one these days. The tree lay precariously on our greenhouse but the weight was taken by the stone garden wall so only soft branches lay on the roof causing no damage. It seems to be a lucky greenhouse having survived Arwen and now Isha unblemished. Lets hope the lucky spell continues.

On Saturday we did the RSPB Big Garden Bird watch, seeing 15 species, with highlights being 18 Tree Sparrows, a Great spotted Woodpecker, 6 Long tailed Tits and the Goldcrest that has been at the feeders most days since Christmas feeding on tiny bits dropped from the fat balls on to ivy leaves below.

Long tailed Tit, Robin and a pandemonium of Tree Sparrows during the Big Garden Birdwatch.

My first lifer of the year arrived last week when a Common Flower Bug Anthocoris nemorum crawled over my phone in the living room.

On Sunday a few hours inland was less than productive, but a moorland Great black backed Gull, adult, hunting for a carcass to feed on was quite unusual.  

New Year Waxwings remain absent but the Snow Buntings did a lap of the Bathing House field again on Saturday morning, the flock now up to 30+.

Snowdrops, Winter Aconites and Winter Heliotrope are now all in flower, so given a window in the weather, I am looking forward to getting out into the field properly!

Common Flower Bug

A pair of Robins displaying ina roadside wood made a change from them trying to kill each other... 

Rain Flowers...

On Sunday I met up with John at the Warkworth Beach Car Park. First thing it was sunny and pleasant but this soon deteriorated into dull cool and some spots of rain.

A wander down the old water towards the estuary was very quiet for birds, the only highlight being a particularly violent Carrion Crow that caught and killed a juvenile Black Headed Gull, in flight, and 3 Little Egrets.

A few young birds were in the scrub, Chiffchaff, Robin, Mistle Thrush etc.

As it was slow going we decided to check out some flowering plants in the dunes, but even this was stymied by the overcast conditions. Will we ever get a summer I wonder?

Maiden Pink

Poppies in a low yield barley crop near the golf course.

Top - The adult Robin just peeps in....then finally delivers the goods.

Here he is again...

Only the one shot of our mate the Piedbald Robin of Longhoughton. What a skulker it is...luckily this shot is better than my last one. This bird has been here now since at least November 2013....the skulking is paying off.

Almost...

Today was full of 'almost' and 'nearly'.

It all started well down on the Coquet Estuary with John. Once the blustery breeze had died down a bit, a nice variety of species were seen. A pair of Gadwall above the weir was a good sighting for here, plus the 2 Short eared Owls on the dunes looked excellent hunting and squabbling over the main track down to the north side. We enjoyed watching the owls from near the car park with scopes but when we went down to try for a photo they just drifted away.

Off shore from Birling were a pair of summer plumaged Great crested Grebes, 2 Red throated Diver and a few Lesser black backed Gulls. A very distant bird tantalised us by almost becoming a Bonxie but it would have taken the Hubble to sort it out...Meanwhile lots of Skylarks were moving north in small parties of up to 25 birds in each. We must have had almost a couple of hundred this morning.

Today's real highlight was a family group of Roe Deer feeding on seaweed up the river Coquet. A doe with yearling buck and doe looked oblivious to our presence as they pottered about on the far side of the river.

Back at home a big 'nearly' happened when we returned after a dog walk to find a superb pair of Peregrines soaring, low, right over our house! What stunners in the sunshine, but I had left my camera indoors. Still, great views were had as they cruised away up towards Hips Heugh. I'm a bit gutted really as I would have had a chance of some nice shots...

The second big 'nearly' was when we headed off to Amble shopping this afternoon. On approach to Warkworth, a large dark raptor was seen approaching from the east with a gang of Rooks in tow. No bins or camera this time. I am almost certain this was a Marsh Harrier, but could just feasibly have been a ring tailed Hen Harrier too. It just sailed away NW over the fields, mostly in silhouette.

In Longhoughton last years very unusual semi-albino Robin played hard to get in an overgrown garden. I must try and get some better pics of this one, its a great looking bird.

A strange early spring day...

94. Lesser black-backed Gull
95. Peregrine

Decorating....

This weekend has been spent doing something I should have done ages ago - decorating! What a chore that is, too, but I took yesterday and today off work to get the living room blitzed  and I'm glad to say its almost done. When you work all week, its hard to fit in stuff like this at a weekend when you are busy doing important stuff like birding or mothing for example!

Whilst I have been covered in emulsion, up a ladder, I've missed a load of Poms, Little Auks, Rough legged Buzzards and a showy Richards Pipit up at Newton Point, but at least I've got a chore done.

So what have I seen during dog walks. Not a lot really. A lone Little Auk sat on the sea this morning, thousands of Pink footed Geese over the garden on Sunday ( all day), the white throated Stonechat on the coast path, and two very late Red Admirals this afternoon in our village. When winter comes we are in for a shock...

Oh my knees...

Coltsfoot

In the garden today, part digging the potato bed, then up the ladder cleaning out 6 tree spuggie boxes. These are in particularly awkward spots to fit a ladder so some nimble gymnastics were called for! Clambering on a ladder at a dodgy angle while gripping a branch to stop sliding off, isnt good...Anyway, they're clean now and ready to let...

The lowest and most accessible box...

Not much else seen other than a Grey Wagtail south over head and three Robins in full territorial mode..oh and a Honey Bee sitting out on the moth trap, my first of the year.

 

Three Robins squabbling...

  

 

In like a Lamb...

Early Grey

Last night was the first Friday for the Garden Moth Scheme Survey, that is held every Friday until November. As it was clear and frosty, I expected to draw a blank, but a single Early Grey was a pleasant surprise. I saw one or two geometers in the light too maybe Dotted Border but they'll wait for another day.

Our village Tawny Owls were very vocal last night. It sounded like two pairs squabbling in a row of pines in a neighbours garden. one of the calls was like the bubbling of a Black Grouse. I cant say I've heard it before...

Today is nice and sunny, warm in shelter, with a cool breeze. Not at all like the storms that are supposed to introduce March.

Bank Vole

Out near the bird table, a Bank Vole has taken up residence in the wall. A scattering of seed gets him out for a snack...and of course the local Robins are never far away. A pair are investigating the ivy behind the wall, so I'll be keeping a look out for nesting.

Robin

Oh and while in the garden this morning my first bumblebee of the year rocketed past and away over the back field...

Its a mystery....

Earlier this week, I came home to find a voicemail left from a lady in Longhoughton asking my opinion on an unusual bird she had seen in the village. Unable to check it out mid week, I had forgotten until yesterday so I rang her back for some detailed directions. News was, the bird was still present yesterday at 2pm, so this morning I popped along for a stakeout....

After 45 minutes, there was no sign of anything unusual, so I left hoping that it was probably feeding in a garden nearby, but it may return to the wood later to roost.

At 1pm I returned and, just as she told me, there it was waiting for me on the fence as you enter the wood!

From her description I fancied it would be maybe a Brambling ( orange face, white near tail etc) or maybe an escaped cage bird. Leucistic birds are also a good bet, but I didnt think of this....

Even the bill is two toned. Like Glaucous Gull!

  

Whitestart

You dont see many Robins like this on Christmas Cards!

This Robin was quite elusive hiding under thick conifers. Maybe its embarrassed? One things for sure, he WILL have a white Christmas!