Gill Osborne's 2007 Year List

[Gill Osborne]

Whoops, halfway through January but I've collected all my scrap bits of paper together and WILL get organised!!! ;)

January 1st
Hulne Park, Alnwick
10am - 1pm.
Sunny, v. strong winds, warm!

BIRDS

1: Blackbird
2: Jackdaw
3: Pheasant
4: Wood Pigeon
5: Chaffinch
6: Herring Gull
7: Bullfinch
8: Wren
9: Black-headed Gull
10: Blue Tit
11: Carrion Crow
12: Mistle Thrush
13: Great Tit
14: Coal Tit
15: Robin
16: Nuthatch
17: Great Spotted Woodpecker
18: Long-tailed Tit
19: Rook
20: Treecreeper
21: Sparrowhawk
22: Common Buzzard
23: Kestrel
24: Siskin

MAMMALS

1: Fallow Deer
2: Red Squirrel
3: Red Deer

INSECTS

1: Red Admiral

[Gill Osborne]

Wednesday, January 3rd
Alnwick, Northumberland

25: Feral Pigeon

Thursday, January 4th
Alnwick, Northumberland

26: Magpie
27: Pied Wagtail

Saturday, January 6th
North Shields/Whitley Bay

28: Lapwing
29: Collared Dove
30: Starling
31: House Sparrow
32: Oystercatcher
33: Curlew
34: Common Gull
35: Teal
36: Moorhen
37: Gadwall
38: Grey Heron
39: Little Grebe
40: Snipe
41: Turnstone
42: Redshank
43: Rock Pipit
44: Cormorant
45: Sanderling
46: Purple Sandpiper

Sunday, January 7th
Glanton, Northumberland

47: Greenfinch

Sunday, January 14th
Hulne Park, Alnwick

BIRDS

48: Redwing

MAMMALS

4: Rabbit

[Gill Osborne]

Monday, January 15th
Ashington, Northumberland

49: Canada Goose
50: Mallard


Absolutely no sign of those mythical Waxwings...still don't believe they actually exist!!! ;)

[Gill Osborne]

Thursday, January 18th
North Seaton Cemetary, Ashington

51: Waxwing :D


They DO exist! My first ones since March 1989!!! :-O

[level seven]

Thursday, January 18th
North Seaton Cemetary, Ashington

51: Waxwing :D


They DO exist! My first ones since March 1989!!! :-O
Nice one Gill!

[Gill Osborne]

NOW I'm aiming for those annoying Red Grouse and elusive Hawfinches at Hulne Park (hopefully the coming wintry weather will bring them back to the feeders as they've been rather scarce these past few weeks).

[Gill Osborne]

Thursday, January 25th
Alnmouth, Northumberland

52: Stonechat
53: Eider Duck
54: Shelduck
55: Grey Plover


Friday, January 26th
Alnwick, Northumberland

56: Dunnock :D *took it's time showing and then, like buses, I had three at once!*

[Gill Osborne]

Saturday, 27th January
Wallington Hall, Northumberland

MAMMALS

5: Roe Deer

BIRDS

57: Goosander

[Gill Osborne]

Sunday, 28th January
East Chevington, Northumberland

58: Goldeneye
59: Wigeon
60: Tufted Duck
61: Red-breasted Merganser
62: Mute Swan
63: Grey Partridge
64: Meadow Pipit
65: Reed Bunting
66: Lesser Black-backed Gull
67: Greylag Goose

[Gill Osborne]

Saturday, February 3rd
Jesmond Dene, Tyne & Wear


68: Stock Dove
69: Kingfisher
70: Grey Wagtail
71: Goldcrest


Not a bad day - picked up my three target species despite the crowds and idiots letting their dogs charge around and jump in the river!

[Gill Osborne]

Monday, February 5th
Cresswell Pond, Northumberland

72: SHORE LARK * Lifer No. 184 * :loveme:
73: Linnet
74: Skylark
75: Twite
76: Golden Plover
77: Shoveler
78: Coot
79: Dunlin
80: Pink-footed Goose
81: Smew

[Gill Osborne]

Thursday, February 8th
Berwick, Northumberland

BIRDS

82: Shag
83: Snow Bunting


MAMMALS

6: Grey Seal

[Gill Osborne]

Thursday, February 15th
Bothal Pond, Northumberland

84: RICHARDSON'S CANADA GOOSE * Lifer No. 185 * :loveme:
85: Pochard

[Gill Osborne]

Friday, 16th February
St Abbs, Scotland

86: Great Black-backed Gull
87: Fulmar


MAMMALS:

7: Brown Hare

[Gill Osborne]

Saturday, 17th February
Dinnington, Northumberland

88: LITTLE OWL* Lifer No. 186 * :loveme:

[Gill Osborne]

Friday, 23rd February
Beal Point, Northumberland

89: Brent Goose





Dipped on Little Egret :storm: I'm in a HUGE huff!!!!!!! ;)

[Gill Osborne]

Monday, 5th March
Hauxley NR & Cresswell Pond, Northumberland

90: Tree Sparrow
91: Barnacle Goose
92: Whooper Swan


First two at Hauxley, latter at Cresswell Pond ~ after I spent nearly an hour driving along to Lynemouth, Ellington etc looking for the dratted pond that the 'Ellington Herd' of Whoopers were supposed to be on!!! Drove back home as light was going past Cresswell in hope of owls and saw 95 Whoopers on the Pond!!!! They hadn't been there an hour beforehand when I passed the first time!
Got back home two HOURS later than I'd originally said I would ~ WHOOPS ~ in Neil's bad books *am I bovvered? I got three Year Ticks!* Will have to be a Good Wife for the next day or two or he might hide my bins!!!! :eek!:

[Gill Osborne]

Sunday, 25th March
Alnwick, Northumberland

93: Song Thrush *finally!* |:$|


Looking back through this Year List it's hard to believe it's already 26th March!!!! :eek!: Been extremely busy at work as we've had a person sacked and another has left to go down to live in London and the boss hasn't replaced them!!! So Muggins here is now back to working six poxy days a week! You can tell my boss is NOT a birder!!! :storm:
And then to REALLY cheer me up I lost my bins and only managed to afford some new ones by juggling the housekeeping *don't tell Neil* this weekend.
Off for a week in Cumbria next week though so hoping for some new year ticks - Golden Eagle...Raven...Osprey......well, a girl can dream ;)

[Gill Osborne]

Saturday, 31st March
Gilcrux, Cumbria

94: Chiffchaff

[Gill Osborne]

Sunday, 1st April
Gilcrux, Cumbria

95: Goldfinch


Whitehaven Harbour, Cumbria

96: Black Guillemot *stunning bird in breeding plumage and one target species I'd been hoping for on this break as you don't get too many of them on the NE coastline* :t:

[Gill Osborne]

Tuesday, 3rd April
Grasmere, Cumbria

97: Great Crested Grebe

[Gill Osborne]

Wednesday, 4th April
Gilcrux, Cumbria

98: Tawny Owl *hooting outside our caravan at 3.50am - couldn't see it even though it seemed to be in the trees directly next to our caravan* :t:

[Gill Osborne]

Thursday, 5th April
Martindale, Cumbria

99: RAVEN * Lifer No. 186 * :loveme:

[Gill Osborne]

Friday, 6th April
Nr Wallington Hall, Northumberland

100: Fieldfare *flock of c.50+ flying overhead*

[Gill Osborne]

Thursday, 12th April
A1, halfway between Morpeth & Alnwick!

101: Swallow ~ two chasing each other over hedgerows by side of road. Fabulous to see them back! :t:

[Gill Osborne]

Thursday, 19th April
East Chevington, Northumberland

102: Hooded Crow
103: Sand Martin
104: Swift
105: Black-tailed Godwit
106: Sandwich Tern


Druridge Bay, Northumberland

107: Willow Warbler

[Gill Osborne]

Sunday, 29th April
Alnwick, Northumberland

108: House Martin

[Gill Osborne]

Saturday, 5th May
Alnwick, Northumberland

109: Blackcap


This chap has been giving me the run-around since last Sunday!!! Ok, ok, I should know the song of this species BUT I do get a tad rusty on songs over the winter and my bird song cd is out on loan :'D

[Gill Osborne]

Thursday, 17th May
Cresswell Pond, Northumberland.

110: Sedge Warbler
111: Wheatear

Druridge Bay Pools

112: Curlew Sandpiper * Lifer No. 187 * :loveme:

East Chevington

113: Whitethroat
114: Arctice Tern
115: Little Gull
116: Common Tern

[Gill Osborne]

Monday, 28th May
Druridge Pools, Northumberland

117: Ringed Plover
118: Cuckoo *first time heard in over two years and SEEN in over twenty!!!* :clap:

[Gill Osborne]

Tuesday, 29th May
Cresswell Pond, Northumberland

119: Lesser Scaup * Lifer No. 188 * :loveme:


Druridge Bay, Northumberland

120: Gannet


East Chevington, Northumberland

121: Spoonbill

[Gill Osborne]

Sunday, 3rd June
Wallington, Northumberland

122: Jay


This chap just EXPLODED from a roadside hedge as we drove by and my first impression was the sheer colour of him! Stunning bird :clap:

[Gill Osborne]

Tuesday, 5th June
Beda Hills, Rowlands Gill, Tyne & Wear

123: Yellowhammer
124: Red Kite* Lifer No. 189 * :loveme:

[Gill Osborne]

Friday,8th June
Harthope Valley,Northumberland

125: Whinchat


No sign of Red Grouse *they don't exist!!!!!* or Ring Ouzel..........though, it must be said, I didn't go up the Hawsen Burn. Had two Raven flying overhead and cronking - my first in Northumberland! Magic birds!!! :clap:

[Gill Osborne]

Friday, 15th June
Tynemouth, Tyne & Wear

126: Kittiwake

[Gill Osborne]

Sunday, 17th June
Druridge Pools, Northumberland

127:Wood Sandpiper* Lifer No. 190 * :loveme:

[Gill Osborne]

Tuesday,19th June
Hauxley NR, Northumberland

128: Little Egret * Lifer No. 191 * :loveme:

129: Puffin


The sea off Hauxley was ALIVE with birds - predominantly puffins, guillemots, gannets and various terns.
Chuffed to bits about seeing the Egret as it's been one of my birding ambitions to *finally* catch up with one :t:

What a great day.........what a great HOBBY!!!!! o:)