Out with Bunty tonight and I came across this Mistle Thrush behaving furtively in the scrub. I watched for a minute and it flew to its nest nearby that had large young. I didn't go too close as they were just the right age to explode the nest before their time...



This Crossbill and its mate were at Thrunton the other week. I thought I would post the picture for Foggy as he is getting bored with brown moths...

Not much else doing today other than a pair of Grey Partridges loitering over our garden wall and a Heron on the village duckpond looking worse for wear. It was trailing 6 feet of seafishing line from its bill. Although it flew off strongly no doubt it will end up getting tangled...

I'm Back!

Hello all, after all of the recent excitement of moving house and a knackered broadband connection its good to get back to the blog and I'm looking forward to catching up with all of the blogs I've missed.

I finally moved in on Friday last week with the fantastic help of ADMc who slogged it out with me from dawn til dark. Another great friend who I owe a lot to. Cheers Andy, I hope the back is holding out!

I've been so busy there is little to update really but here goes.

Firstly, a new moth. No, not from the local convenience store, this one came in the kitchen window. According to the Northumberland Moths website it is abundant inland but the only coastal site is at Low Newton. An update needed there me thinks....



Water Carpet...

On Sunday night a dusk stroll into the hall gardens had a rare daylight hunting Tawny Owl in the field near the pond and a Roe doe flushed nearby.

Yesterday a Marsh Tit showed well preening after bathing along the Howick lane, but best of all as I got back home with Bunty after her morning walk, a raptor being mobbed over the back field attracted my attention. Although too distant with the naked eye, pale wing flashes could be seen but it seemed slimmer than a Buzzard. A dash for the bins, soon showed the bird to be a nice adult male Marsh Harrier. What a garden tick in my first week! It casually flapped off to the south easily dodging the flanking corvids...

Oh and thanks to Dean and Nigel for letting me use their blogs to pass on my message.

Differences...

A post on Mostly Macro by Dean the other day showing a nice Brimstone butterfly set me thinking about how our areas differ in such a small country. In Northumberland we are in a dry but very cold area of the UK. The geology is mostly hard rock based so we have relatively short, fast flowing rivers, few marsh lands and very few mature woodlands. We do have a lot of upland bleak landscapes and a mainly farmland coastal strip.

So what is different?

We dont have Brimstone butterflies. They have been recorded but are about as rare as a Camberwell Beauty here. We have only just started getting Speckled Wood in the past couple of years and Holly Blue is a Mega.

Of the dragonflies you can count records of Broad bodied Chaser on one hand and Brown Hawker is a myth.

We don't get Privet, Eyed or Pine Hawkmoths.

We have no Grass Snakes, Slow Worm is very rare and I have never seen a Grey Squirrel in the county!

Corn Bunting is about extinct, Turtle Dove and Lesser Spotted Woodpecker are both rare and crowd pullers when the odd one turns up.

So, what do we get?

Plenty of seabirds. Terns, Gannets, Kittiwakes and auks get swiped over while looking for better stuff on seawatches. They are everyday birds. Merlin is an easy bird on the coast in late summer / autumn. We do alright for scarce migrants such as Pallas's and Yellow browed Warblers who both reach 'year tick' status. Coastal waders are abundant. There are Red Grouse and Black Grouse though Black is getting quite rare.

Back amongst the seabirds, Roseate Tern breeds in good numbers and are easy to see after mid summer. Glaucous and Iceland Gulls are regular and every other year ( or even more regularly) Waxwings arrive in good numbers, Snow Buntings are quite widespread too.

In the forests such as Kielder, Goshawks show well in early spring display flights.

Red Squirrels are still seen regularly.

Of the insects, Black Darter is common on moorlands and Emporer moth widespread.


So I suppose it balances out in the long run...with maybe the line south of the Wash to the Severn just clinching it for variety!

Down at the Spar this morning this Early Grey was 'roosting' by the entrance. I relocated it to a more camouflaged position on a dead log. According to Parrack and Dunn this is a scarce moth this far north, though their information is dated now. If anyone can enlighten me on its status please leave a comment.

Up until now spring migrants have been few and far between for me but on the way home tonight that all changed. At the Lesbury Bridge a flock of hirundines took me by suprise, so I pulled over to check them out. There were 25+ Sand Martins and an early Swallow (this far north) feeding low over the bridge probably dropped down by the cool breeze and low cloud. Its nice to see them back.

Finished!

Above - Finishing touches...



Above - Dibnah signs his work...



Above - The autograph for posterity, lets hope its lasts another 170 years!



Above - The Pied Wagtail dropped in soon after we left the scaffold. I could hear him saying 'who built that, its neither square nor plumb...'

Another day with our heads in the clouds. Well, up and down anyway. Writing this I am absolutely wrecked. Its not good for a 45 year old overweight pen pusher to lug sand stone blocks and buckets of sand cement up and down scaffolding all day...

JWR did a fantastic job of renewing the chimney using stones 'recycled' from long fallen down outbuildings next to our garden. Thanks John!

From up high todays wildlife sightings were quite sparse, but we had up to 5 Buzzards including 4 in the air together, a female Sparrowhawk through the garden, 2 pairs of Grey Partridges just over the garden wall chattering to each other, 1 Yellowhammer, 37 Curlew in the back field, 2 Small Tortoiseshells and 2+ Small Whites.

Today I've been mostly...

Climbing up to our chimney with JWR to carry out repairs...



Above - Him and me up there, in the wind.



Above - Fred Dibnah about to get started...




Above - The reason for all of this, one knackered flue...



Above - Too dangerous even for Jackdaws...

But while up on the scaffold I took these photos from an angle I hope I'll never see again. Till tomorrow anyway...



Above - West. The view from the Kitchen.



Above - North West, again, visible from the Kitchen.



Above - South West,not visible from inside the house, looking toward the tiny village hall.



Above - And finally East over the garden looking across the village to the sea.

Remember this April Fool...

This Belted Kingfisher turned up in Staffs on 1st April 2005. It led every one a merry dance down there, but not me, I was working that weekend. Luckily for me, while everyone was away twitching the Belter, Jimmy Steele found a Franklin's Gull at Woodhorn and I was watching the bird within 10 minutes of its finding. It took until the 7th when the Kingfisher was miraculously relocated up in Aberdeen for me to get one of my first digiscoped efforts, right...Doesn't time fly.

As it was very mild last night I popped down to the Spar first thing for some moths.

There were only two, the first a very green looking March Moth that flew off before I took a photo and then a new one for the convenience store - Clouded Drab. At first it looked much like the other brown moths but closer examination showed it to be subtley attractive, in its own way...



As you can see, I removed it from the painted pebble dashing to a more natural looking stone wall ( our outhouse) for the picture...

Tonight I walked Bunty south past the Rumbling Kern on the coastal path. Here on a newly harrowed field were 2 male and 1 female Wheatears, my first of the year. I checked the cliffs for Black Redstarts without success, but the easterly winds this week should drop one or two in so keep a look out...

At the Howick house tonight at dusk it was a very mild 14 degrees. Two Pipistrelles fittered around the garden, my first mammal tick and my first bats this year. The stubble field out back has been ploughed. 6 alba Wagtails fed along the furrows, 5 Pied and 1 White. On the coast cliffs 100+ Kittiwakes had returned and were making a right old racket as they staked a claim on a comfortable ledge...now to clean the paint brushes....

A short lunchtime stop at Bothal pond hoping for some spring migrants. Unfortunately I had to make do with the locals and didn't even get a sniff of a sand martin On the pond were a few Teal, Gadwall and Tufties but a stiff breeze kept most things in to the sides out of sight.A few Tree Sparrows were calling around the roadside nest boxes and this Robin sang from the hedge.

Today the sun shone and the sky was clear and blue, even though it was still quite cold. It was much better than the freezing gales yesterday. As the wind dropped last night the sea could be heard roaring as we stood at our back door.

Today, as per, I was busy most of the time but at 6pm we walked Bunty from the Howick house, down to the coast path, then south as far as the Rumbling Kern and back by Howick Lane.

My first spring migrants of the year were 3 singing Chiffchaffs in the willows along the lane. 4 Siskins flew in too, probably looking for a drink and a bath before roosting. On the cliff top 62 Whooper Swans flew north, close in, its just a pity I didnt have the camera, and off shore were a good few Gannets, Kittiwakes and Fulmars N and a few Guillemots were on the sea.

The stroll was just a nice fix to tide me over until a proper birding day...

Birding!!

Nearly....


Above - On the way home from work these two summer plumaged Mediterranean Gulls caught my eye on the River Coquet when I was stuck at traffic lights just before Warkworth...



Above - What do you mean 'where'? Look here they are!



Above - Incase you still doubt it...

:) Not the best views but I'm pleased I stopped for a few minutes to scan the flock. As well as the displaying Meds there was a Lesser black backed Gull, 4 Gadwall, and 4 Goldeneye.

I assume these Med Gulls are the ones from Amble Harbour and the same ones seen by JWR just south of the Aln estuary to the north, but who knows...

Right thats enough of that, back to floor tiling...

Renewal...

Spring is the time when all things begin a re-awakening. For some things, such as Dippers or Crossbills, 'spring' starts as early as December but for most, the lengthening daylight hours and slowly rising temperatures start the ball rolling.

Steve at North Downs has highlighted the human, birding, side of things pretty well over the last few weeks. Take a look at his latest...

He is right in that as we get longer in the tooth, the urgency and pressure to be the best in our hobbies dwindles. I often hear ( and can be heard) complaining about this, that and the other but maybe its just a sign that we need to tweak things a little bit and try and get back to basics, to what started us off in the first place.

It is no coincidence that over the past few years my reading material hasn't consisted of the latest gull i.d papers. I dont look at a Canada Geese and ponder if its a littlun or an even littler'un. It may sound heresy but moult strategies dont get me springing out of bed in the morning.

No. I find that I am re-reading old books and looking for old books I haven't read, written by old naturalists who paint a picture of times gone by. I read the magazines but look for something extra in the articles and stories, things with a feel good factor. I am often taken back 30 or 40 years to times fishing, catching newts or crayfish or bullheads, rockpooling and butterfly netting, bird nesting and looking for prey remains in fox dens. Times when Corn Buntings were singing on the wires, a bird between every pole.

Maybe my house move will be a renewal time too. Birding World subs have already been cancelled, what will be next? My pager has barely been out of the house this year and I live too far from Newcastle to make bird club meetings worthwhile...

It could be time to totally rethink...

How not to go Birding...

Today, and for the past few days, I've been seeing mostly, nowt.

Here is what I have not seen this week....

No Ravens at all.
Dave Elliott's Swallow midweek.
ADMc's Sand Martins at Bothal today.
ST's Chiffchaff at Linton.
Nigel's Great Grey Shrike again at Harwood.
Steve Taylor's Black Redstart at North Blyth.
The Wheatear at Cresswell.
The Glauc in Amble Harbour.

Nope, none of those have graced my notebook this week.

Roll on the days when the alarm goes off and a light SE'rly with rain easing greets me as I leave the house at first light. Or a warm sunny day when dragons and damsels are buzzing after each other over a sheltered pool...

What I can see ahead is some costly chimney scaffolding...


( Pushing the depressing never ending DIY aside, a Peregrine flew low over the car on my way home from work on Thursday and a Barn Owl was glimpsed near Embleton last night )

Spar Moths...

Common Quaker...




Yellow Horned.

Yellow Horned is a new one on me.

The background is getting a bit monotonous now so I think I might start placing the moths I can reach on a suitable background to take a photo...cream pebble dashing isn't the most complementary.

Other than those I have seen little other than two Roe Deer on the roadside at Howick this and last evening.

Spar Moth List 6.

Rave on!

What a lovely spring day today. It was made even better when I was knocking a batch of skimming plaster up and I heard the Raven call. I looked up and it was soaring low down just behind the house. I ran for the camera but by the time I dropped plaster everwhere the bird was quite distant for a photo but its better than nothing...

It was a good day for soaring birds with 3 Buzzards and 2 Kestrels in view for a good while at lunchtime.

Great spotted Woodpecker and Reed Bunting were seen when I was mixing stuff too...

The warm sunshine brought out a few Bumblebees in the garden along with Peacock and Small Tortoiseshell butterflies.

Postcard from Japan...

My friends Ian Fisher and Richard Dunn have recently been to Japan on a birding trip. Look out on their websites (link right) for some pics. Here is a taster from Ian...



A flock of White tailed Eagles and Stellers Sea Eagles like spuggies on your bird table!

Raven again...

Working at the house this morning and I had just taken a break outside when I heard it call, softly, deep and woody from behind the copse next to the garden. This time, the Raven flew slowly right over the village towards the south east, heading for the Howick Dean. It's large cruciform shape was very distinctive with long heavy head almost as long as the tail and deep elastic flapping flight.

Where it has been for the two weeks since my last sighting we can only guess at. Probably between Dunstanburgh and Low Steads I'd imagine. well and truly on the garden list now ( last time, heard from the garden and seen from over the field behind).

It would be great if they nested nearby...

In the Howick woods, 6 Teal and 7 Mallard were on the pond and a Heron could be heard cronking away up in the Scots pines, probably on a nest. Towards Cullernose, 2 Hares were rolling about in the sandy soil.

Back at the Longhoughton house the Pheasant competed with the Rat for some seed (God I hate my feeding station. I remember the days back at Stobswood where Bramblings and Siskins competed at the feeders).

In the new house at 6pm this evening pondering on decorating, when the distinctive trumpeting of Whooper Swans had me dashing to the window in time to see about 45 go north very low right over our garden.

My first Bumblebee of the year made an attempt to come in through the garden door before being encouraged to go elsewhere...



This Pheasant was in our yard this morning, the first I've had here in nearly 4 years....



Walked Bunty to Boulmer north end at lunchtime. As you can see the beach was packed with visitors... :)

At Last...

Two I can identify. On special offer at the Spar shop today were one each of -



March Moth...



And Hebrew Character.

The Spar list now stands at 4...

Here we go again...

This is a 'Pug'. Now there are a lot of Pug species in the UK, but not many are on the wing on the 11th March. Could this be a Brindled Pug? Or not. Please help! Click on the image for a larger view...It was on the wall next to our kitchen window this evening...

PS - Thursday 12th... Thanks to Dean, Tom, Steve and Mike for putting me on the right track. The Pug above is not Ian Douglas (sorry Nigel) but is a Double Striped Pug. I've looked it up now so hopefully I'll know it the next time we meet...

Above - Cullernose Point. Fulmars and Kittiwakes breed here, not remote or high enough for Ravens ?



Above - Fulmar pair.



Above - Extreme feeding the ducks ( well, swans anyway).

A few snaps from Friday was all I could manage. The weekend has been spent visiting down in Manchester where I also had to buy and collect a cast iron wood burning stove at a price £400 cheaper than the same model up here!

I see everyone has had their fill of Great Grey Shrikes over the weekend. Roll on May when I might stand a chance of getting out and about abit more, I'm getting stir crazy now, not to mention a bit panic stricken as there is only 4 or 5 weekends left to finish off loads of work in the house before moving...

A lunchtime walk along the river at Bedlington today from the Bank Top. No bins or camera, just me with eyes and ears. Highlights were 7 Waxwings calling as they flew west upstream low overhead, 2 Bullfinch, 1 Treecreeper, 3 Nuthatch, 2 Siskins and a Grey Wagtail. There was a large clump of Winter Heliotrope in flower, the first flowering Butterbur and loads of green crowns of Arum Leaves...

Raven crack...

Ash left this comment on the post below....

A pair of Ravens turned up on The Farnes in mid-October, they came out from the mainland and headed back after hanging around the Inner Group for about half an hour. They were displaying a bit so maybe looking to breed somewhere along the coast this year? Only the 5th record for the islands so a very pleasant surprise in an otherwise fairly dismal October!

And this one from Dave....

Aye just backing what Ashy said (he found the Farne birds) - the birds appeared on the Farnes and then onto Holy Island a few weeks later - so is it the same two birds? And will they linger and breed locally? Crickey, please not on the Farnes... I'm not sure if there scarce in the area, but had two Red-legged Partridge at Rock today

I'll be looking out for them...

Really I'm just hiding the Great Grey Shrike depression settling over our house just now...sob.

Just a Ravens flap away...

Above - Dunstanburgh Castle. Thats how far it is for a Raven to fly to Howick...



Above - The view South from the same spot the top picture was taken.

After a cold dull start, the day turned out nice and bright. No sign of the Raven today despite a good few hours outdoors listening for it.

Gary at Newton Stringer has left an interesting comment about there being two Ravens at Dunstanburgh castle. This is only about 1 minutes flight away from my sighting so I bet our bird was one of the two...I bet its still hanging around the coastal cliffs somewhere ... Alan Tilmouth reports that there have been no coastal birds in the county since 2004, but I see there was one on Holy Island in Oct 2006. I think I have heard of one there this year too but can't find the record anywhere?

Two Buzzards were running around like chickens hunting worms in the Heugh field, 21 Curlews were in the stubble along with 4 Reed Buntings and a Yellowhammer. Two Skylarks were in full song high over the same field. A total of 150 Pink footed Geese flew north this morning and a male Sparrowhawk flashed through the garden.

The Fulmars provided the days strangest view as four of them soared together over the back fields and pine plantation. I wonder if they are daring each other who can go the furthest inland before getting scared!

First Good Bird!

Another day at the house with JWR 'piecing up' here and there.

At about 2 o'clock I had swept up so much plaster dust there was only one thing for it. A cuppa over looking the west fields. Earlier in the day there had been 20 odd Curlew and 4 Buzzards together. As we sat chatting a bird called 'Prukk' in a deep woody tone. I commented to John that if we had been on the moors we would be looking for a Raven making that sound. As we were on the coast though I just left it thinking it was a hoarse Carrion Crow taking exception to the local Buzzards.

We decided to have a stroll up the stubble field towards Hips Heugh and had only gone a few yards when the call came again, this time the more usual 'Cronk' making us stop and look around. Sure enough up on the line of pines on the ridge was an absolutely massive Raven being beaten up by the local Corbies!!! It managed to soar up high to avoid them and began circling around for a bit before heading off steadily to the south.

My very first coastal Raven in the county, and only a field from my house, what a start for the patch. The only downside was that it headed towards Boulmer and may have been visible from there too... Dusty Bins should keep a look out at Alnmouth...

Later this afternoon Bunty's walk took us to the Boulmer north end. The tide was very full and there were excellent numbers of waders on the high tide line - 100+ Oystercatchers, 120+ Turnstone, 30 Bar tailed Godwits, 41 Knot and 17 Purple Sandpipers plus the usual Grey Plovers, Redshanks and Dunlin etc...

Sorry no pics, didn't take the camera....

New spring look to the blog. Slideshow playing up, it keeps throwing in a photo of a bloke running into the sea. Its not mine, honest! This version, right, only shows 12 of the 18 pics for some reason? Ho hum...roll on some birding time, I'm getting bored....

Oarfish II and III...

Remember the Oarfish found at Hadston on Boxing Day that may have been a first for Northumberland? Well now there's a second and a third!

This email was sent to me by its finder, an Amble fisherman called Michael Bould -

Hello Stewart,

Just to let you know that my friends wife found another Oarfish - seemingly still alive - on Turnaway Sand, Amble Monday night. She photo'd it and with her son pushed it back into the water. When I came ashore from fishing on Tuesday lunchtime I took the dog for a walk with the outside chance of getting a glimpse. After walking to tide edge for about 1.5 miles south of the find site, and about to give up I saw a flash of silver half way up the beach and unfortunately the fish was there having died and washed up overnight. I will attach a photo but not too nice as they seem to deteriorate rapidly once dead. The Boxing day fish in your site was a sorry sight only 4 hours later when we took some shots.

One man that is happy at these strandings is David Whittaker from Scarborough. He has been desperate to get one for analysis and I have the latest one preserved in my freezer for him to pick up at weekend - Just heard another one came ashore at Tynemouth yesterday so he may get 2 for 1 special. The fish was 10'6" long and full of krill so has not starved to death.

Cheers - Michael Bould

Michael has done well to recover the fish so far from its original sighting. Its interesting to see that it was full of krill too. This might be a discovery in itself as so little is known about the biology of these fish.

Its great to get emails like this, cheers Michael, now if anyone out there gets a photo of a wild Northumberland Pine Marten or Polecat let me in on it too...

I have just 'borrowed this from the BBC News ...


An unusual deep sea fish has been washed up on a beach in North Tyneside.

The 3m (9ft 8ins) long oarfish was found by a member of the public near cliffs at Tynemouth Pier on Tuesday.

They normally live at depths of up to 3,000ft (1,000m) in the Mediteranean or eastern Atlantic. Since 1981 only four findings have been recorded in the UK.

The specimen, which was in a good condition, has been taken to nearby Blue Reef Aquarium where experts will try to determine how it died.

Oarfish are the world's longest species of bony fish, and can grow to up to 24ft (8m) long, although there have been reports of individuals more than double that length.

Their great size, bizarre appearance and strange undulating way of swimming is believed to have given rise to many "sea monster" sightings over the centuries.

Earlier in February, a decayed specimen was found near Amble in Northumberland.[ This is the Boxing Day fish..]

Blue Reef curator Zahra d'Aronville, said: "Very little is known about the life cycle of these truly magnificent creatures and it's a mystery why two of them should have washed up on our coastlines so close together.

"This particular individual is in really good condition and there are no obvious reasons why it should have died.

"At this stage it's impossible to tell whether it was alive when it stranded or whether the currents simply washed it ashore."

I'm glad this interested the Tynemouth Aquarium, because they didn't reply to my email about the one on Boxing Day. So only 4 UK records and now three in Northumberland in 2 months...

Today was generally bright and breezy. All day at the house, where the best sighting was of this male Great spotted Woodpecker on the peanuts. A Skylark was in full song out the back too but thats about it really. Jane tells me that the Treecreeper was on the nuts back at home. I had an email from Roger Forster who tells me that up to 5 Treecreepers come to feeders where he lives and have done since one started the ball rolling in 2006. Could they be the new Siskin?

Steve Gale of 'North Downs' blog has responded to my moth cry for help. He thinks that the moth I had is most probably a Dark Chestnut and goes on to say 'The forewing tip may be a little rounded, but not obviously so. The forewing shape otherwise looks good for Dark Chestnut, as does the colour. Status wise the species is recorded further north than where you are (ie local in southern Scotland, and commoner further south) although it may still be notable in your area.' So at least I get some support for my theory...

Some suggested that I take it as a specimen and get it disected to clinch the id, but I have thought about it, and have decided not to go down that road. It will just have to remain 'either/ or'...

Thanks again to everyone with their constructive comments, I am learning every day.

Blyth's Reed - A doddle compared to this...

Above - Chestnut Moths.



Above - Dark Chestnut Moths.



Above - My Moth.



Above - Mike Hodgson's Moth. See below...

Many thanks to the lads for their help -

Dean Stables - Suggests a dark form of Chestnut Moth, as Dark Chestnut rarely survive the winter.

Mike Hodgeson - Has caught one the same at Bamburgh, above, and thought the same as me until he was shot down by an expert who said it was a Chestnut.

Tom Tams - Asks if I have kept the moth. No, not yet but I might get it tomorrow. He says they are a very difficult pair to seperate. He would go for Chestnut.

So there, take a look at the stolen images above from t'internet and see what you think. Mike's moth looks the same as mine, no doubt about that, but it doesn't have the pointed tips to the wing and they are fresher and more rounded. There are no images of Chestnut Moth that look like ours on the Google Image search.

Three good insect observers all saying the same thing must have a point surely, but I am still frustrated and in the Dark Chestnut camp...I need someone in the field to explain the differences....

Another new moth...

Before going to 'work' this morning I found this moth on the Spar wall in Longhoughton. I didn't have a clue what it is, and, lets face it, its not the most inspiring insect you've seen, is it. A search of the guide didn't help me so I checked Keith Regans excellent website. On there, there is a search facility to see whats on the wing now, and I found the Dark Chestnut moth. Going back to the Waring, Townsend and Lewington Guide it does seem to be this species, though a dark individual. The shiny dark colour is a feature apparently. In Northumberland it is rare in the north and indeed may be unprecedented this far up having been recorded in Warkworth in 1974 and Acklington in 1983.

As I'm a moth novice, I have consulted some chaps with much more experience to see what they think. Watch this space.

This afternoon a Treecreeper was feeding for a while on our peanuts in the yard. I had never seen this until I saw one doing it at Insh, Speyside at the new year, but then the temperature was -6 and may be expected. Today was mild and spring like so I'm not sure why this bird has taken to hand outs?




It was there a good 20 minutes rooting around the feeder for scraps left by stronger birds...Have you seen this too? Let me know...