Gold and some Barnacles....

Winter Aconites and Snowdrops at Denwick Curch.

On Sunday morning John and I headed North towards Lindsifarne.

First stop was Stag Rocks to scour the sea for sea duck, grebes, divers etc. We had exactly - nothing. No birds on the sea except one Red breasted Merganser and I missed that. A few smart sum plum Herring Gulls flew N along the rock edges.

Down at Budle Bay, the wintering Spotted Redshank was calling hard as it ran around the nearest creek. A lot of birds were on the bay, with 400+ Brent Geese, 142+ Shelduck, many Wigeon, 6 Shoveler, 18 Ringed Plover, hundreds of Teal and a tightly packed roost of 150+ Redshank .

I fancied a walk so we moved up to Elwick and wandered across a few fields then along the bund on the S edge of Fenham Flats. This is a magnificent, huge , open area with thousands of feeding birds, it was difficult to know where to start.  There were 600+ Barnacle Geese inc 2 white ones, 75+ Pink footed Geese, 600+ Brent Geese, 340+ Shelduck, 84+ Grey Plover, uncountable Wigeon, Mallard and Teal, 1 Little Egret, 6 Meadow Pipit, 1 Buzzard, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Fox, 2 Roe Deer and a Hare.

Prize though must go to the swirling mass of barking Barnacles as they flew over head. Magnificent!

On the way back home, Denwick Church yard Winter Aconites were such a spectacle I just had to turn the car around and stop for a photo or two. I cant resist these every winter, a fore runner of spring unsprung....

The Lindisfarne Elwick Barnacle Geese were superb...

Lovely Aconites....

Every year at this time Denwick Church lights up with the golden glow of winter aconites. For me, these and Snowdrops raise the chequered flag to get ready for spring just a few long weeks away...

No doubt I will add more pics of these beauties as the snowdrops emerge between them. This year there seems to be a lot at Denwick, possibly due to increased light after the removal of a large dying tree last spring. All the trampling hasn't done the flowers any harm.

I was pleased to see that the first Winter Aconites are in flower in Denwick Churchyard. Often they are later than the Snowdrops to start, so they must be around somewhere too.

A couple of dog walks today yielded some patch additions - Mute Swan, Fulmar, Shag, Buzzard and more unexpectedly a first winter Mediterranean Gull wandering the top fields with a few Black headeds. I've added these birds to the Patch Challenge record sheet and find that the sea birds are worthy of 2 points making them 'better' than the commoner species. Yet Tree Sparrow is only a one pointer.

The only other thing of note today were a few Long tailed Tits on our garden feeders, not a common sight here.

Tomorrow I'll be out having a bit of a seawatch, first thing. I'm not particularly after the typical sea birds, but it can be a good way for me to add a few freshwater wildfowl, some waders or maybe a Snow Bunting on a fly by. I'll give it an hour anyway.

You never know there may be a photo or two on the next post...

They're here....

Winter Aconites.

I often post about the first of the spring flowers to raise their heads above soil. The church at Denwick always produces the goods and this year is no exception. The tiny Winter Aconites are guaranteed to brighten the day. What with the first moths, now the first blooms, it wont be long until the first Chiffchaff is singing...