BirdForum

25th May. My Bank Holiday was spent in the sun with friends at Hartburn, Northumberland. I don’t know that particular area well so was pleased to spend some time walking through the farmland and through the woodland along the banks of the Hart, with a good lunch and wine on the lawn providing a pleasing interval and enabling me to top up on the sun tan!

I caught sight of Swifts and Lapwing on the journey and on arrival was soon watching Swallows and House Martins flying over the...

brianfm

22nd May. The decision today was whether or not to visit Cresswell, or take my favourite local pond, wood and coast walk. The latter won the day, as the thought of a stop for fish and chips was a temptation just too hard to resist. The forecast was for rain showers around mid day, but the morning began in sunshine. We were soon picking up large numbers of Swallows and House Martins in the Village and on the walk to the hide a high flying Sparrowhawk was seen just before a singing and active...

brianfm

17th May. My absence from the blog can be explained in two words gastro enteritis. Yes I have been down with some nasty bug and have had to make do with the garden birds and a garden visit by a Green Veined White Butterfly. I did manage to see a Fox as I passed Earsdon on 9th May which was the same day as I caught sight of my first of the year Common Terns over the Lake. I managed to explore the patch briefly last week, but today was my first real birding for some time. Two hours bought me...

brianfm

30th April. As I waited for the bus I came across my first Swift of the year flying over the Lake. I didn’t have time for further investigation.

29th April. Today, well half of today, was spent south of the Tyne at Tunstall Reservoir with a brief stop at Muggleswick. I always enjoy the walk around the reservoir and through the oak woodland even though I generally find the area either windy and cold or just cold! Today it was cold, at least at the start of the walk, but soon warmed...

brianfm

23rd April. I had a short meeting to attend at the Country Park so took the chance of a little birding on the walk there and in the park itself. The park seemed quiet in terms of birdlife, but the facilities were being put to very good use by several coach loads of youngsters, which was good to see. I couldn’t help but smile when I heard one young lad say to his mate ‘this walking around is boring’. He sounded just like me at his age! At his age too, I can only ever recall knowing the song...

brianfm