Local Update....

 It appears that spring came and went within a week, now we are back to winter weather.

Around my village patch things are slowly moving upwards. Since my last blog post 11 new additions have arrived - Greylag, Razorbill and Guillemot ( 15th Feb), Glaucous and Mediterranean Gulls ( 24th Feb), Stock Dove, Meadow Pipit, Whooper Swans, Water Rail, Chiffchaffs and Gannet ( all March) .

This brings the total to 87 sp for 1 .5 sq kms around my home.

The more usual Local Patch extends to double this area, 3 sq kms, stretching up the coast a bit. As it happens I haven't ventured too far from the smaller area so the wider patch can only add another 3 to the total - Shelduck, Purple Sandpiper and Greenfinch, all species I should get within the 1.5km boundary eventually. 

So, what targets can I realistically seek out the rest of this month? Things like Common Scoter, other wildfowl and some waders, like Dunlin or Sanderling passing, Lesser black backed Gull etc, mainly things that will repay further seawatches . On the land, Brambling, Peregrine, Raven have been secretive this year but may turn up.

The enjoyment of watching such a small area around home goes beyond just numbers on a list. The arrivals and activities of common birds can be appreciated too, for example through steady recording I noticed yesterday that the first singing Meadow Pipit was back on site rather than just flying over. A Magpie was nest building in village wood and also yesterday a Water Rail dashed across the lane in front of my car as I got back from work. All good stuff.

One conundrum cropped up in the dark the other night. About 7.30pm as I was getting into the car to collect a takeway, a bird called a few times over head on its way south. It stopped me in my tracks as it sounded very like a Stone Curlew. The thing about these nocturnal calls, because they remain unseen, there is always an element of uncertainty especially when there is the potential of it being a Common Curlew just making a different call. It wont be counted in any totals or submissions, but it does give a buzz of excitement regardless of its actual identity... 

Winterlude.

That's the first week of March over and last night was the coldest of the year so far. Our thermometer showed -3.9 degrees at 06.25am this morning. That was 10 minutes after our electric cut out and with it, the heating and hot water too. Great. This was followed by a despondent 3 hrs until the power pinged back into life and normal life could be resumed.

The quiet period had me thinking about how we go about our birding, as I often do. Now, we are swamped with bang up to the minute ( literally) information on what is around . I wonder how we would get on if WhatsApp  and Social Media all stopped. If we were back in a time like the 80s when we used an ineffective telephone grapevine. A part of me might quite like that, but I haven't got the bottle to stop it all voluntarily in case I missed anything. The state of things...I have blogged a few times about Olden Days and Old Ways ( see index) so wont repeat myself now, but you never know, one day I might just go off grid.

Back to whats been happening. As usual we have kept it local over the last week. 

On my main Local Patch ( we watch a few, in our vice county as you have seen) things remain a bit samey though signs of change are coming. Our Village Water Rail has started to be seen a bit more often in its usual burn, and even staying a few minutes before running off. Nice. Some thrushes are returning back north with a few Redwings and Blackbirds in the paddock and gardens, while down at the pond, the female Kingfisher is still about with 6 Tufted Ducks though the Gadwall seem to have gone now. The other evening, a lovely group of 5 Whooper Swans trumpeted their way NW low over the village, What a sight and sound they made. I stood, with the dog, and just soaked it all in as they slowly moved out of earshot.

Same place on different days, the Water Rail.

On Sunday we had the morning down the road at Alnmouth. Surprise of the week occurred with two Chiffchaffs including my earliest ever singer at the waterworks. Down on the river, Little Egret, Barnacle Goose, a pair of Grey Wagtails and a scatter of wildfowl gave plenty to look at.

Looking from the line down to the River Aln valley.

JWR on the disused railway line

The haunt of Willow Tits.

As the village became busy we moved a short way to the disused railway line at Greenrigg. A pleasant wander here had 2 Willow Tit, 2 Grey Partridge, a Woodcock, 2 Kestrels, 2 Buzzards plus a few more regular farmland birds.

Flyover Sparrowhawk.

One of the pair of Willow Tits.

As I write this it is gently snowing though sunny and cold. Hopefully it wont be long before the wind swings back to a more southerly direction so we can expect some more bird movement and insect activity.

  

 

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.

Change...

  As spring proper rolls ahead at a pace, there is a definite change on my manor.

On the 6th March my first Buff tailed Bumblebee and Peacock butterfly made an appearance, then on the 10th an emergence of Toads crossing the lane end at dusk is always pleasing to see. 

Also on the 10th, en route for a takeaway ( Chinese, if you are interested), a Brown Hare was sat out in the road illuminated in the car headlights. Its a very rural area with  no other vehicles so I turned the dipped lights to just side lights and stopped. As it was soon made obvious, this Hare was a female who was suckling a tiny leveret maybe only a day or two old on the road. She ran across to the other side, flipping junior over to be left alone.  Knowing that these tiny babies are very independent from birth I sat and watched as this hamster sized lagomorph scuttled across only to get stuck at a wheel rut in the verge.

At this point, it seemed the best option to give it a wide berth as I drove past and check it on the way home.

Twenty minutes later I slowly retraced my steps and the little hare was nowhere to be seen but I could see the mother quietly weaving her way along the hedge bottom. Hopefully the youngster was lying in there out of harms way.

At 11.30pm a Moorhen called repeatedly as it circled our garden and headed off north.

A small flurry of birds came on Saturday 12th. Farmer Tom was ploughing the Rectory stubble and was being escorted by an entourage of between 700 and 1000 Black headed Gulls. There had to be a Mediterranean Gull in this lot, so repeated scanning of the blizzard of gulls soon revealed the expected, lovely, dapper adult male Med standing on the plough in full summer plumage. What a smart bird.

 The first Chiffchaffs of the year made an appearance with up to 4 seen and heard around the pond field.

On the way back from the walk, the Water Rail had returned to the burn near the bridge but as per usual  ran off into cover in a flash. Other birds noted were 25+ Siskin, 1 Fieldfare, 4 Redwings ( one was singing today), 2 Buzzards and a few Meadow Pipits.

On Sunday 13th, John came over first thing to have a wander. The main reason for not going to Boulmer or the moors was that I had put the small bucket moth trap in the wood over night and I needed to retrieve it. While my large garden 125w MV Robinson caught a single Hebrew Character on a cool windy night, the little bucket caught 35 moths of 10 species. Habitat is everything at this time of year.

Twin spotted Quaker, its a while since a moth has graced these pages.

 Birds around the patch included 11 Fieldfares, 3 Lapwings S, 1 Raven over the road seen well quite close to, 2 Grey Partridges, 2 Treecreepers, 1 male Greenfinch and a pair of Grey Herons have built a nest only three feet from the water surface in a fallen tree at the pond field. Not even a usual nesting tree either. I hope it is successful.

 

Today was a fine day. Working from home gave me a chance to have a couple of walks out early and lunchtime with Peggy. The Raven was in good voice, 2 Grey Partridges, 2 Yellowhammers a singing Goldcrest on the coast, a singing Redwing in the village and a large total, for here, of 6 Magpies together in the back field.

Away from birds, a few Buff tailed Bumblers and the years first Tree Bumblebee  were near the Hall car park with the first Marsh Marigolds, Lungworts, White Butterbur, Ivy leaved Speedwell and Primrose in flower. 

White Butterbur a naturalised species in the woods

A flock of storms...

These storms are beginning to irritate now. We've had roll call of  Arwen, Barra, Corrie, Malik, Dudley, Eunice and Franklin since 26th November. I knew when we had those two weeks of  fine, calm, weather in January that we would pay for it. This last week we have had three of these storms and it looks set to be windy for the forseeable.

As a result, I haven't been too far birding and the last two Sundays have been written off due to the weather. Roll on spring!

Around the village this last 10 days or so birding has been done while dog walking with a few things into the notebook.

The back field flash still has a tiny puddle of a marsh that held 4 Snipe the other day and 6 Skylarks flew N, the first signs of viz mig this year.

 On Friday I was pleased to see a Water Rail in the village burn, my first this winter. It paused briefly before scuttling off upstream at a pace. Yesterday, it had a near miss as I drove along the lane when it flew very low right infront of the car into the hedge across the road. Luckily I make a point of driving slowly here as there are always Blackbirds or Roe Deer popping out.

A large flock of 90 - 100 Chaffinches are feeding in the Rectory paddock but there are no Bramblings with them, yet. If the flock holds until April it should attract a few on return migration. Also here 9 Redwings but no Fieldfares. In the wood, Treecreepers are vocal, while Sparrowhawk and Buzzard have been seen each week. 

Not much there to set the ornithological world alight, but there is always something to look at. Maybe this northerly off  'Franklin' will give the chance of a white winged gull or even better, its namesake in coming days?

Redwing.

Treecreeper

 

Its all about the timing...

 I am on a days leave today. Using them up before the year end. Around 10 am I walked Peggy down to the small pond in the estate to see if the rough sea had put any ducks on it. It really is a small pool surrounded by trees so is never getting much, but a Gadwall or even a Green winged Teal is a possibility so I went for a look.

It was really quiet and still, very little moving. 14 Teal, a pair of Mute Swans, 3 Little Grebes and a few Moorhens were all I could see, then, at the very back along the edge, a Water Rail ran half the length of the pool into some bulrushes. Nice, to get a reasonable view here. 

We were about to continue our quiet stroll when there was such a rushing of wind noise! I almost ducked and looked around, it sounded like someone waving a branch around, nothing, then I looked up to see a big immature Peregrine in full speed stoop at a Woodcock! The wind rush was from its wings, it sounded like a jet. The Woodcock must have just come in off when the Peregrine stooped, luckily for it, it plunged into the willow scrub at the back of the pond, forcing the falcon to slam the brakes on and back peddle over the tree tops. The Woodcock was gone, and the Peregrine slowly made its way west without a meal.

On the way back up the track, I was giving the pond another look when a second  Water Rail flew right through my binocular view and landed in the same spot as the first. There was such a squealing in the rushes then silence again and the pond returned back to its usual self... a bit of lucky timing is always helpful

It is these small things that make watching a local patch so enjoyable. Its not always about rare and scarce...

 

The spot at the back where the swans are is where the Water Rails ran into and just left of there is the Woodcock sanctuary!

Month 1. Done.

Last year I was going all out to do a patch year list with my Blog Pal, Steve Gale at ND&B and in doing so had some great birds and broke my own patch year record which can't be bad. January 2019 ended on 89 species including such local megas a Red necked Grebe and Firecrest.

Fast forward to 2020, a new decade. I have not been hammering things as much due to less work days off ( I had extra last year due to a holiday reshuffle) and pretty crap weather at weekends. So, I ended January on 76 species. Not too bad I suppose with only one bird that I didn't see last January. The best was the long staying Water Rail in the wet wood, 2 Kingfishers on the pond, several Barn Owls and a single Chiffchaff on one day only.

What this means really is that I have several common species I should have seen by now, waiting until a quiet February day to boost the total... I bet Ringed and Grey Plover don't play by the rules...

The first quarter of any year here is much quieter than the final quarter so I am sure things will balance out by November...

An old pic of a Water Rail, it was too dark in the wood to get one this year but the current bird is fem/fw like this one...

Beadnell...

John picked me up at 7.30 this morning to head up towards Beadnell for a change. We could have nicely gone down to East Chevington for Shorelarks, Hen Harriers etc, but we're cool on those so we chose to avoid the crowds as usual.

The view south from Beadnell Point. to Dunstanburgh Castle.

At Beadnell Harbour, a Merlin tried to muscle in on a flock of 35+ Sanderlings and a few Turnstones, but it failed and headed south. Off shore, a ⚢Scaup was with Eiders in the bay, 2⚥ Long tailed Ducks flew south and 13⚢  Common Scoters flew north along with a couple of Red throated Divers and a handful of Gannets, Kittiwakes and a Fulmar.

A truly awful photo of the ⚢ Scaup. A futile attempt at digi-scoping.

From here we had a tea stop at Seahouses Harbour where an immature Peregrine flushed the waders on the rocks. I wondered if it was the same bird that had been on the Farnes this week as it headed off out there.

Then it was down to Low Newton. At this time of year we used to have the coast to ourselves. Not now. The place was busy with walkers, with dogs and without so we didnt see much. The scrapes had plenty of birds but nothing of note really. The pool is looking good where the phragmites have been chopped back allowing better visibility.

And that was it really, off home.

Back at home, I took Bunty for a walk along the lane and was over the moon to get some restricted but decent views of the Water Rail under the willows. A really good bird for here and one I don't see every year. While watching it, there were a few small squeals that may have been from a second bird in there. I'd like to get a photo, but until then here is a sketch  to be going on with...

Happy Easter.

Jack Snipe.

What a glorious day Easter Sunday turned out to be. Being a Bank Holiday I met up with John at Warkworth an hour earlier than usual, 6.30am, to try and avoid the local crowds of tourists. This turned out to be a good decision, as all of our 'good birds' were seen in that hour.

Things began when John spotted a Water Rail running around the edge of the reed bed. I'm not sure but I think this might be the first we've seen here? Nearby a Chiffchaff was in full song, whilst a flock of 9 Magpies argued things out like a parliamentary debate. We began the walk from the car park into the rising sun, when a lovely Barn Owl flew in from the golf course. Back lit by the sun, its a shame it was too distant for photos.

From the track south, we scanned the sunny edge of the reed bed to see if the Water Rail was back out when something unusual caught our attention. You could tell that something was up by the silence. We weren't talking. A wader down in the reed detritus looked odd. It was John who spoke first, saying something like, 'Go on, say it'....I commented that this snipe did seem to have a short bill, but being just armed with binoculars, I couldnt be sure, it might be due to a muddy tip.

To resolve the conundrum, I wandered slowly closer for a better view while John watched. The bird, moved into the reed edge then lay down. We both stalked the target. At good range, a Common Snipe flushed from the spot, and called its scraping shout before vanishing. Thats that then, just a Snipe. Still suspicious John moved another few yards closer, when a second bird jumped up - a Jack Snipe! The two bird theory proved without doubt. The bird, flew lowish over the phragmites and dropped over at the other side, out of view.

What a start to the day! Jacks are a scarce bird up in these parts.

We continued down the track met by one of the wintering Short eared Owls being mobbed by a crow before viewing the estuary proper. An immature male Peregrine came in, low from the east, to make a dawn raid on the unsuspecting waders. He seemed unsuccessful.

The rest of the morning was largely uneventful but with 5 decent birds down at 'the gut' we couldnt complain. Maybe next time there'll be some summer migrants...

A very heavily cropped Peregrine attacking out of the sunrise...

Rail....

A lovely day for a Monday holiday. Sun was shining, and the wind had dropped giving a spring like feel for the first time this year. It wont be long now...

I didnt really do too much except a few dog walks and a trip down to Amble to catch up with my sister and nephew.

On Saturday, Jane asked if I had seen the dead 'wader' along our lane into the village? I hadn't noticed, but she described a longish red bill on a brown bird, so I assumed a Redshank had been prey to a Sparrowhawk who had come away from the coast to eat its meal.

This morning I saw it for the first time and was very surprised to see that my identification guess was way off...

This Water Rail seems to have been a traffic casualty. To be hit on our lane is very unlucky indeed, but these things happen. I haven't seen a Water Rail here for a couple of years now, mainly because the place we get them is just a ditch in a wet scrubby wood, so they are very hard to see unless there is snow lying.

This afternoon on my way home from Amble, my eye caught sight of a small black and white bird on the river Coquet above Warkworth weir. I knew immediately that it was a Slavonian Grebe, and stopped the car in a layby further along. It showed very well down to about 20 yards on flat calm water. It constantly dived against the outflowing tide and current. Pity I didnt have a camera with me, as the light was excellent and the bird close enough to get something...

Alan Gilbertson did have his camera though , so thanks for this pic...

Nearby were 11+ Goldeneye, a pair of Red breasted Mergansers, a Little Grebe and about 50+ Wigeon.

Oh well work tomorrow....