Gill Osborne's 2008 List

[Gill Osborne]

Tuesday, January 1st
Living Room Window

1: Blue Tit


Family popped around early and stayed ALL DAY!!!! :C Combined with very wet, murky & windy conditions - not a good birding day!

But hey, onwards and upwards - got to get better after today ;) :-O

[Gill Osborne]

Wednesday, 2nd January

Day Two and still progressing slowly,very slowly!!! :-O

At work this morning and didn't escape until almost 2pm and then Neil dragged me off to IKEA :eek!: Managed a few birds on the drive down the A1 whilst Himself drove! ;)

2: Blackbird
3: Feral Pigeon
4: Grey Heron
5: Rook
6: Kestrel
7: Black-headed Gull
8: Starling
9: Magpie


Dipped on a Barn Owl which flew over our car as we were driving home!!! We had a few bits of flatpack furniture stretching from the back seat through to my front seat so I was squashed into the back behind Neil's driver's seat - hence HE saw the bird and I didn't! :storm:

[Gill Osborne]

Thursday, 3rd January

Neil needed to go into Ashington and then Newcastle to pick up a few things so I picked up a few more birds on the way.

10: Wood Pigeon
11: Mallard
12: Dunnock
13: Common Gull
14: Coot

[Gill Osborne]

Sunday, 6th January
Alnwick

15: Jackdaw
16: Robin
17: House Sparrow

Visiting friends this afternoon so hoping to pick up a few birds on the 13-mile drive, a few from their bird feeders and, hopefully, a Barn Owl or two on the way back as they're fairly common around there.

[Gill Osborne]

Sunday, 6th January...continued...
Powburn, N'land

Visiting friends between 2pm - 4.45pm and had a fairly good day. As well as copious amounts of tea and jaffa cakes we had a walk out to a nearby stand of conifers and over a few fields. The expected species were about on their feeders and I was thrilled to bits to catch up with the target species *Barn Owl* directly in front of their cottage as it hunted along the overgrown edges of the surrounding fields. Didn't see a single one in 2007 so was determined to get one under my belt ASAP in 2008! ;)

18: Pheasant
19: Carrion Crow
20: Coal Tit
21: Great Tit
22: Greenfinch
23: Chaffinch
24: Goldfinch
25: Goldcrest
26: Barn Owl

Also had a fabulous skein of geese flying overhead as we were out walking - probably Greylags heading towards the ponds behind Branton Village but not 100% on the species.

[Gill Osborne]

Wednesday, 9th January
Alnwick

27: Song Thrush
28: Redwing ~ single bird on grass opposite 24-hour garage.

[Gill Osborne]

Thursday, 10th January
Alnwick

29: Collared Dove


Off out soon despite pouring rain so hopefully add to the List as the day goes on ;)......

[Gill Osborne]

Thursday, 10th January
Boulmer, N'land

By 1pm the rain had stopped, the sun had come out. Only downside was the fact that the wind had got up again and was was rather icy and gale-force. Still a fabulously invigorating walk out.

30: Ringed Plover
31: Herring Gull
32: Eider
33: Turnstone
34: Redshank
35: Oystercatcher
36: Lapwing
37: Curlew
38: Great Black-backed Gull
39: Red-breasted Merganser ~ 3 males on sea with group of Mallards
40: Stonechat

[Gill Osborne]

Saturday, 12th January
Paikes Street, Alnwick

41: Pied Wagtail

[Gill Osborne]

Thursday, 17th January

42: Mute Swan


Still only managing to add to the Year List very slowly - partly because I'm still without a decent pair of bins and partly because work is taking up so much time!
Only two more days to go before I have a week off work - got a few places to visit and birds to go for pencilled into the diary ;)

[Gill Osborne]

Tuesday, 22nd January
River Coquet, outside Warkworth

43: Wigeon
44: Goldeneye
45: Teal
46: Cormorant
47: Goosander

Cresswell Pond

48: Little Grebe
49: Snipe
50: Tufted Duck
51: Golden Plover
52: Shelduck
53: Wren
54: Canada Goose
55: Greylag Goose

Druridge Bay

56: Shag
57: Sanderling

Cresswell Pond~again!

58: Shoveler

Widdrington Inn

59: Fieldfare ~ 100's in trees!

East Chevington

60: Moorhen

Also did Amble Harbour but still no sign of any divers :-C LOADS last time I was there!!!!! Darn birds keep moving around....how dare they!!! ;) Couple of the male Eiders in the harbour were starting to make their distinctive 'cooing' song to the nearby females.

Not a bad day out considering it's my first 'proper' day's birding of 2008. Rather quiet along Druridge area with most places just having same old species....wigeon, teal,lapwing etc.
Still nice to get out in the fresh air (especially after yesterday's crazy weather ;)) - just wish my bad neck would go away!!! Really felt it towards the end of the day at Easy Chevington and Amble Harbour.
Never mind....still got five days off to make up for lost time o:)

[Gill Osborne]

Wednesday, 23rd January
Short walk along the seafront at Alnmouth with Neil.

61: Rock Pipit
62: Peregrine Falcon :t:

[Gill Osborne]

Thursday, 24th January
Jesmond Dene

63: Kingfisher
64: Treecreeper
65: Long-tailed Tit

[Gill Osborne]

Sunday, 3rd February
Lemmington Bank, Alnwick

66: Red-legged Partridge
67: Sparrowhawk

[Gill Osborne]

Friday, 8th February
Alnwick Town Centre

Heard the first singing Blackbirds of the year at 7am :t:

[Gill Osborne]

Sunday, 10th February
Bolam Lake, Northumberland

68: Bullfinch
69: Nuthatch
70: Great Spotted Woodpecker


LOTS of activity with the birds today - Spring must be getting closer *already!* :t:
Glorious sunny day, not a cloud in the sky and not a breath of wind. Bolam was heaving with people and dogs and screaming kids!!! :-C

[Gill Osborne]

Friday, 22nd February
Pottergate, Alnwick

Heard the first Song Thrush singing at 5.30am as I walked to work. Very apt name of Storm Cock as it was blowing a gale and spitting on with rain! :-O

[Gill Osborne]

Saturday, 23rd February
Bailiffgate Court, Alnwick

First singing Greenfinch of 2008 heard :t: Always one of my favourite birds o:)

[Gill Osborne]

Sunday, 2nd March
Craster, N'land

71: Tree Sparrow
72: Gannet
73: Purple Sandpiper

[Gill Osborne]

Thursday, 6th March
Blaydon, Tyne & Wear

74: Red Kite

[Gill Osborne]

Friday, 21st March
Ellington & Cresswell Pond, N'land

75: CRANE * Lifer No. 195 * :loveme:
76: Yellowhammer
77: Reed Bunting
78: Pink-footed Goose
79: Linnet
80: Skylark

[Gill Osborne]

Thursday, 27th March
Flying over A1, just south of Alnwick

81: Common Buzzard

[Gill Osborne]

Sunday, 30th March
St Mary's Lighthouse, Whitley Bay

82: Kittiwake

[Gill Osborne]

Thursday, 3rd April
Mitford, Northumberland

83: Chiffchaff

Wallington Hall, National Trust

84: Grey Wagtail

[Gill Osborne]

Thursday, 10th April
Shibdon Pond, Gateshead

85: Sand Martin

[Gill Osborne]

Sunday, 13th April
Cresswell Pond, Northumberland

86: Gadwall ~ actually seen on Tuesday 22nd JANUARY!!! Somehow managed to miss this delightful duck off my Year List total so adding them now rather than go back through my entire list! *numpty!!!*|:$|

87: Smew

[Gill Osborne]

Wednesday, 16th April

88: Black-necked Grebe
89: Ruddy Duck
90: Pochard
91: Fulmar

[Gill Osborne]

Thursday, 17th April
Stag Rocks, Northumberland

92: Common Scoter
93: Long-tailed Duck
94: Sandwich Tern

[Gill Osborne]

Thursday, 25th April
Marsden Quarry, South Tyneside

95: Mistle Thrush


St Mary's Wetlands, Tyne & Wear

96: Swallow
97: Wheatear

[Gill Osborne]

Sunday, 27th April
East Chevington

98: Willow Warbler
99: Grasshopper Warbler
100: Sedge Warbler
101: Arctic Tern
102: Lesser Black-backed Gull

Druridge Pools @ Budge Hide

103: Black-tailed Godwit ~ 2 in summer plumage :t:
104: Ruff ~ 2 feeding with Godwits
105: Grey Partridge

Cresswell Pond

106: Dunlin ~ 8 in summer plumage
107: Grey Plover


Cracking day - warm, humid and full of birds! :t: Summer's here o:)

[Gill Osborne]

Tuesday, 29th April
Alnwick, Northumberland

108: House Martin

First one of the year heard, and seen, flying over the Market Place. I must have looked a right divvy as there's me, just come out of the hairdressers, shading my eyes against the bright sun and looking heavenwards and everybody else is sitting around outside the cafes....the joys of being a birder in modern society ;) :-O

[Gill Osborne]

Sunday, 4th May
Alnwick, Northumberland

109: Swifts o:)

[Gill Osborne]

Thursday, 8th May
Hulne Park, Alnwick

110: Blackcap

[Gill Osborne]

Wednesday, 14th May
Canongate Bridge, Alnwick

111: Dipper

[Gill Osborne]

Saturday, 14th June
River Aln, The Pastures, Alnwick

112: Common Sandpiper

[Gill Osborne]

Sunday, 10th August
Craster Harbour, Northumberland

113: Razorbill

[Gill Osborne]

Wednesday, 13th August
just off Dunstanburgh Castle, N'land

114: Great Skua :t:o:)


Birding this year is in very slow dribs and drabs as I'm looking after a friend's young dog and she is not conducive to birdwatching :-C V. frustrating at times!!! :smoke:

[Gill Osborne]

Tuesday, 16th September
Cresswell Pond, N'land

115: Pied Flycatcher
116: Bar-tailed Godwit
117: Great Crested Grebe *yes, really!*
118: Knot
119: Curlew Sandpiper
120: Greenshank

Not bad for my first day's 'proper' birding since early May ;) Can't believe I haven't seen the Grebe before now :eek!: but yes, I've checked the lists and I am officially Northumberland's Worst Birder :-O
Never mind, off for two weeks from this Sturday morning so aiming to fill a few glaring gaps ;)

[Gill Osborne]

Monday, 22nd September
Ullswater, Cumbria

121: Red-crested Pochard


Gosh, this year is almost over and my tally for the year is EMBARRASSING!!!!! :smoke: I spent most of the summer from May to mid-August looking after a friend's dog and then again from the end of September until yesterday!!! They *dogs* are lovely but my god they don't 'arf take up precious birding time!!! :eek!:

But I'm free now so I've got some manic catching-up to do now!!! :-O

[Gill Osborne]

Spent some time yesterday going through the Year List to see where there were gaps and what species I'd managed to miss *lots!!!* and I've found THREE which I've somehow managed to miss out from the above lists :C

122: Meadow Pipit
123: Cuckoo
124: Tawny Owl

How these three eluded my writing them down is beyond me...perhaps it's my age :smoke: Or, more likely, it was down to dog-sitting young lively canines that took up most of my full time!!! :-O

[Gill Osborne]

Hurrah for Bird Forum B (: I logged on when I got home to have a mooch around whilst I had a cuppa before starting the ironing and, afterwards, a letter to a friend in Germany. I've been trying to do these two jobs for the past week so was determined to ignore the clear blue skies and sun outside ;)
Clicked on to the Northumbrian thread and what was the last posting.....WAXWINGS at Hulne Park which is barely two minutes from where I live!!! :eek!: If I ignored this I deserve to be kicked out of the Bird Club :eek!: So it was a case of grab the bins, grab the camera and leg it up Ratten Row :-O
And......there they were!!! Exactly where they'd been seen on Sunday afternoon o:) The shrub (some type of rowan tree with pink berries I think) was very depleted so the birds must have really been getting stuck in - it was heavy with berries last week when I was walking up that way. I was able to get within twenty feet of them and had the best views of Waxwings ever!!! :t: I watched them for about twenty minutes or so before my rumbling stomach reminded me that I'd had nothing to eat since 9.30 this morning!

So...one happy birder who'll be doing the ironing with a big grin on her face tonight! o:)

125: Waxwing