Migration.

 Before the post, apologies for no further mentions of the loss of the Queen. At 96 it shouldn't be such a shock, but it was to a lot of us. Still, I dont think my thoughts on it will add to this blog, so we will continue as normal.

Over the weekend we've had a good bit of rain, backed by light north easterlies since Friday, all looking good for some passerine action along the coast. 

As per usual over recent years, I am too long in the tooth to be suckered in to high mainland expectations these days, all of the action in Northumberland was focused on Holy Island, and then some.

Try this lot on Saturday...

Red necked Phalarope, Dotterel, 3 - 4 Rosefinch ( inc a photo of 3 together), 4 Wryneck, Red breasted Flycatcher, Red backed Shrike, Barred Warbler, Black Redstart, 2 Wood Warbler, Lapland Bunt, Hen Harrier, Osprey with good counts of common migrants too such as 65 Wheatear, 30 Spotted Fly, 35 Redstart, 16 Tree Pipit, 23 Garden Warbler, 28 Pied Fly, 24 Whinchat ...

Those stats match up with the likes of Spurn or Flamborough . 

So what was I to do on Sunday? I asked the oracle that is Twitter, for a laugh. Should I get up to the Island, a half an hour drive from me, or should I stick local and go to Boulmer as per. The results were eerily familiar as you might expect with a referendum. Out of 280 votes, 52% were for Holy Island and 48% for Boulmer . Interestingly, the battle scarred premiership bird finders, to a man, said stay with it at home.

So, just as with the last referendum that had an effect on me, I backed the 48%ers and drove 3 miles to Boulmer. Who needs a barrow load of scarce anyway...

Before I get on to what we found, I can mention my home village patch was quite pleasing this week with my first Black Tern here since 2011 feeding close in off Rumbling Kern and on Friday a male Redstart and a weak looking Pied Fly at Cullernose, again good records for here. Viz migging has been active each morning during Peggy's walk with lots of Hirundines , Meadow Pipits and a few Yellow Wagtails and Tree Sparrows.

Back to Sunday.  We arrived at 6.30am, first light and spent the whole morning covering to south side as far up as the village. We weren't wading through a magic carpet of birds but we had a few to keep us going in these impoverished times.

We began at Seaton Point golf course layby as Meadow Pipits streamed overhead. 4 Siskins put in an appearance arriving from the east as did a lone, very high Song Thrush. Roadside scrub held a nice Pied Flycatcher, a Whitethroat, 7 Chiffchaffs ( no willows I could see). A Yellow Wagtail moved south over head.

A new route along the replacement coast path across the golf course looked interesting. Here were had 4 Wheatears but little else.

Dropping down on to the beach, a Spotted Flycatcher looked damp as it perched on the sand and seaweed where there were flies aplenty.

Next, we headed along to Seaton Point. It was nice to see more Private signs erected. You cant get enough Private signs in Boulmer, the most unfriendly village.

Near one of them, a second Spotted Flycatcher preened from a fence. Another dozen Phylloscs here included at least two Willow Warblers, while another Whitethroat moved around the brambles. It was while standing here, the loud 'peeez' of a Tree Pipit called overhead. in a flock of 6 or 8 Meadow Pipits.

Spotted Flycatchers above.

Once we arrived at the eastern end, the sparse hedge that runs north had another Pied Flycatcher, flicking from bush to fence and to Hogweed stems and a female Redstart flushed and flew off into thick cover. A Wheatear was on the plough with more pipits.

Pied Flycatcher.

The return journey covered more of the same with a new Blackcap and a male Redstart as additions .

Poor shot but its a Redstart.

We weren't too disappointed that we couldn't unearth anything rarer as this scatter of drift migrants is a lot better than we usually get. Should we have gone to Holy Island? No chance. There had been a big clear out up there anyway so it was much better to find our own stuff down here.

The weather looks like it might give some tasty seawatching conditions from Thursday this week so watch this space...

 

Migration, and not just birds...

 There has been a lot of exciting birds on the move recently so its easy to get fixated on finding more, but autumn comes to other groups too, none less so that the moths.

Last night shortly before 7pm, it was getting dusk so I was out putting the moth trap on. Adjusting the auto timer anyway. As I stepped out of the door, a large moth buzzed past me below waist height . It flew the length of my car and I lost it as it left the beam of the head lamp. 

I knew it could only be one thing at this time of year -  a Convolvulous Hawk-moth.

Jane came out to help me look for it. We have one or two 'last-legs' nicotiana flowers hanging on in the garden so we checked these first. My initial sighting was at a planter near our door that has a couple left in. We wandered around but there was no sign. There was clearly an arrival of Silver Y moths on other plants, but no biggie.

Jane went in to finish tea. I was about to give up then thought how there were very few flowers suitable for a hawk-moth in our village right now, so it might be worth another lap, it might just come back?

In the front garden I slowly checked along the house windows with the torch. Nothing. Then I heard a buzzing behind me. I turned and there it was! A lovely Convolvulous Hawk-moth at the nicotianas! We have planted these for 10 years for this very reason but have had no luck until now. If you saw the One Show the other night, they did a piece on these moths and how they come to flowers along the south coast of England. Northumberland is a long way north, so to get a Convolvulous is a red-letter day indeed.

Over the years I have seen several. My first was at our old house where it was attracted to an outside light so I got a sweeping brush, reached up high, and persuaded it into the bedroom window. We also found one randomly on the hub cap of a Vauxhall Astra in a pub car park at Blakeney, Norfolk one year while we were on a holiday, and we saw a few at Portland Bird Obs moth trap too, but to get a nice one in our garden is still amazing...

After a few flash lit photos we placed him, it was a male, back into the nicotiana thicket and left him to continue what time he has left...

That moth is every bit as good as the Great Grey Shrike!

Stormy...

Long time no see. I've been a bit too busy to blog lately but here is a catch up.

Since we last met all manner of things natural have been happening. Starting off a couple of weeks back we were in a late autumn heatwave, on the 10th it was a whopping 18 degrees here, a temp we hardly see in June let alone November!

Thursday 12th I had a day off and managed to get out on the patch for a couple of hours. Actually I'm always on the patch as I live in it, but you know what I mean. Hoping to add to my year list I decided on a sit and wait approach down at the Rumbling Kern where a nice flock of 5 Snow Buntings tinkled south along the cliff edge. Another wait and see was adopted at Craster where a Black throated Diver flew N close in with 3 Red throated Divers for comparison, 2 Bonxie, 9 Common Scoter and 12 Curlew.

On 15th, another mild day I had 3 Red Admirals and 2 Common Wasps on Ivy near the village hall. A Chiffchaff was nearby, set for wintering? While standing with Bunty, 36 Whooper Swans were a magnificent sight as the flew south low over the village.

Another week passes and the 20th was much cooler. A NW breeze seemd to ground some late migrants with 20+ Blackbirds, 10+ Fieldfares, 8+ Redwings and a Goldcrest all along the coast path where yesterday there were none.

Craster seawatching.

   As the wind increased to a storm force NNW seabirds began to be reported so I was up early on Saturday gone for a seawatch at Craster.

07.35 - 09.10 then home for a foil blanket and sustenance -
Little Auk 24
Great Northern Diver 1 summer plumaged
Red throated Diver 8
Pale bellied Brent Goose 6
Long tailed Duck 2
Red breasted Merganser 2
Teal 3
Wigeon 126
Goldeneye 26
Goosander 2 males
Shelduck 1
Razorbill 11
Purple Sandpiper 9
Dunlin 132
plus usual gannets etc.

On the way home a found a dead Short eared Owl on the roadside. Poor thing, newly arrived and quite emaciated.

Short eared Owl

What a difference a few weeks can make, a heatwave a few weeks ago and snow flurries and ice this weekend. Its all a part of our wonderful seasons...

How is the patch list standing after that -

147. Snow Bunting
148. Black throated Diver
149. Great Northern Diver