Northumbrian Birding (3 Viewers)

[lazza]

Spring is on it's way o

It certainly seems so.... the garden birds have been singing their hearts out today. Blue tits, great tits, coal tits, robins, dunnocks all going at top volume. And quite a bit of territorial fighting started too, with the blackbirds seemingly wanting the garden devoid of all other species, and spending 20 minutes trying to get rid of the robin and 3 dunnocks!

 

[Gill Osborne]

Spent a few hours up at Budle Bay and Stag Rocks today as I wanted to make the most of a decent day off before the supposedly bad weather arrives

Budle Bay very busy with numerous waders and an AWESOME amount of Barnacle Geese - I lost count after 800 as they were constantly up in the air then down in fields to the north of the bay before being spooked up again!!! I've never been to Caerlaverock so all previous sightings were never more than half a dozen at most and to see this many was mind blowing :t:

Stag Rocks was pretty quiet with the Common Scoter flock quite far out. They were accompanied by three Red-throated Diver and after a couple of hours sitting in the shelter behind the lighthouse and looking out through bins and scope I FINALLY saw some Long-tailed Duck ~ a female being chased constantly by three males. No sign of the regular Twite flock in the fields behind the car parking area (and which nitwit came up with the idea for those stupid wooden parking bays?).

 

[lazza]

My identification skills have let me down once again, and I thought I would ask for some help here (rather than the ID thread) as it may be "local knowledge" that helps. I hesitate to post this, as I (a) don't what to look an idiot, and (b) don't want to lead anyone on! Anyway....

I was cycling past Stobswood on Saturday around midday, and I stopped to look out over the lake there. Almost as soon as I stopped, a bird lifted from the reeds/grass (or it may have been on a fence post) and headed over the pond towards the railway line. It flew with a slightly bouncy flight 10ft or so above the ground before lifting quite high and then "bouncing" back down and into the hedgerow/grass in the distance. I did not get a very good look at it through my binoculars, as they steamed up when I put them up to my eyes! (a peril of cycle-birding in very cold weather!!). But what I saw completely bamboozled me.... the bird appeared mostly pale grey/brown with a distinct orange parts and flashes of black, with the orange coloration around the head/neck. My first reaction was "what the....?!" as it didn't immediately jump out as anything familiar. I would say it was mid-size-to-small (perhaps starling-size).

I'll be honest, the only thing that has come to mind is a woodchat shrike, having seen them in Spain, but I guess that's impossible. I also wondered about stonechat, but that's a much more familiar bird to me, and it didn't seem right - too pale, and too big. And my view was so short, I couldn't really get any clear identifiers, other than it being something that did not register in my limited knowledge!

Despite half an hour scanning the hedgerow and distant grass, I could not pick it up again, so I only have that fleeting, rather blurry image in my head!!

So, any thoughts, anyone?

Sorry to be so random and vague, but I'm ever hopeful....!

 

[lazza]

Thanks for your message, Bob Biggs - I can't message you back as your inbox is apparently full!

I did consider brambling, but I think it was too large, the colouring was possibly too dark (for a male, anyway), there was only one, and I thought the habitat wrong, as I've only really seen them in (beech) woodland....but then I don't know if they frequent other more open areas, so it could be a possibility!

 

[Andy Atkinson]

Little Auk passage

There was a lively Little Auk passage at the weekend. There were at least 16 birds in one hour on Sunday from the beach/dunes at Druridge Pools. Some birds flew really close - only 20 feet away inc. nice groups of 7 and 5.

Also had the Twite flock of 50-60 birds at Hemscott Hill dunes.
Andy

 

[lazza]

There was a lively Little Auk passage at the weekend. There were at least 16 birds in one hour on Sunday from the beach/dunes at Druridge Pools. Some birds flew really close - only 20 feet away inc. nice groups of 7 and 5.

Also had the Twite flock of 50-60 birds at Hemscott Hill dunes.
Andy

I saw the twites too, very mobile on Saturday; and further down the dunes was a flock of 50-60 goldfinch (near the Drift café)

I'm amazed you saw anything 20 feet from shore on Sunday, other than 8ft waves! I managed 2 scoter and 1 guillemot in half an hour.... easily long enough standing still in that icy wind!

 

[Vipers]

My identification skills have let me down once again, and I thought I would ask for some help here (rather than the ID thread) as it may be "local knowledge" that helps. I hesitate to post this, as I (a) don't what to look an idiot, and (b) don't want to lead anyone on! Anyway....

I was cycling past Stobswood on Saturday around midday, and I stopped to look out over the lake there. Almost as soon as I stopped, a bird lifted from the reeds/grass (or it may have been on a fence post) and headed over the pond towards the railway line. It flew with a slightly bouncy flight 10ft or so above the ground before lifting quite high and then "bouncing" back down and into the hedgerow/grass in the distance. I did not get a very good look at it through my binoculars, as they steamed up when I put them up to my eyes! (a peril of cycle-birding in very cold weather!!). But what I saw completely bamboozled me.... the bird appeared mostly pale grey/brown with a distinct orange parts and flashes of black, with the orange coloration around the head/neck. My first reaction was "what the....?!" as it didn't immediately jump out as anything familiar. I would say it was mid-size-to-small (perhaps starling-size).

I'll be honest, the only thing that has come to mind is a woodchat shrike, having seen them in Spain, but I guess that's impossible. I also wondered about stonechat, but that's a much more familiar bird to me, and it didn't seem right - too pale, and too big. And my view was so short, I couldn't really get any clear identifiers, other than it being something that did not register in my limited knowledge!

Despite half an hour scanning the hedgerow and distant grass, I could not pick it up again, so I only have that fleeting, rather blurry image in my head!!

So, any thoughts, anyone?

Sorry to be so random and vague, but I'm ever hopeful....!

Fieldfare??

 

[lazza]

Fieldfare??

I don't think so. I'm reasonably familiar with fieldfare, and it appeared much more colourful...

hohum.... back to the drawing board / field guides!

Anyway, for the record, 10 minutes on the blue footbridge just east of Morpeth town centre was enough to see a kingfisher heading upstream, a grey wagtail on the river bank, a little grebe fishing on the river downstream, and a goosander flying over! :t:

 

[Michael A]

My identification skills have let me down once again, and I thought I would ask for some help here (rather than the ID thread) as it may be "local knowledge" that helps. I hesitate to post this, as I (a) don't what to look an idiot, and (b) don't want to lead anyone on! Anyway....

I was cycling past Stobswood on Saturday around midday, and I stopped to look out over the lake there. Almost as soon as I stopped, a bird lifted from the reeds/grass (or it may have been on a fence post) and headed over the pond towards the railway line. It flew with a slightly bouncy flight 10ft or so above the ground before lifting quite high and then "bouncing" back down and into the hedgerow/grass in the distance. I did not get a very good look at it through my binoculars, as they steamed up when I put them up to my eyes! (a peril of cycle-birding in very cold weather!!). But what I saw completely bamboozled me.... the bird appeared mostly pale grey/brown with a distinct orange parts and flashes of black, with the orange coloration around the head/neck. My first reaction was "what the....?!" as it didn't immediately jump out as anything familiar. I would say it was mid-size-to-small (perhaps starling-size).

I'll be honest, the only thing that has come to mind is a woodchat shrike, having seen them in Spain, but I guess that's impossible. I also wondered about stonechat, but that's a much more familiar bird to me, and it didn't seem right - too pale, and too big. And my view was so short, I couldn't really get any clear identifiers, other than it being something that did not register in my limited knowledge!

Despite half an hour scanning the hedgerow and distant grass, I could not pick it up again, so I only have that fleeting, rather blurry image in my head!!

So, any thoughts, anyone?

Sorry to be so random and vague, but I'm ever hopeful....!

Redwing!

 

[Zappa99]

Lazza - was it a hawfinch?B

 

[Nutcracker]

Lazza - was it a hawfinch?B

No! Wrong habitat, if nowt else

 

[lazza]

Not a hawfinch nor a redwing, for me. I see lots of redwing and fieldfare on the fields between Shadfen and Bothal, and this bird was neither.... would red-backed shrike be a possibility? any reported near there? It's the only other bird I can find in my old Collins guide that has about the right colouring, but not sure how orange they look....

 

[Nutcracker]

Nope - RBShrikes are all in tropical Africa at this time of year :t:

Otherwise, an escaped cagebird is always possible.

 

[super-silly-um]

Brambling ?

 

[Vipers]

Lapland Bunting?

 

[Nutcracker]

Brambling - could be, though rather small for 'starling-sized'
Lap - wrong habitat

 

[Vipers]

Brambling - could be, though rather small for 'starling-sized'
Lap - wrong habitat

So grass is the wrong habitat for Lapland Bunting but right for Brambling?????

 

[Nutcracker]

So grass is the wrong habitat for Lapland Bunting but right for Brambling?????

Reeds/grass and bushes, and from knowledge of the site, a fair few trees around, is wrong for Laps - they don't do shrubs or trees or other deep, thick vegetation. Wide open vistas, usually coastal, with at most short grass, is what they like; best of all saltmarsh and short stubble with plenty of bare ground.

Brambling are far more accommodating, anything from tall forests to hedges and fields.

 

[Vipers]

It doesn't matter what the habitat is Michael, this bird is never going to be identified.

There are quite a few reports of Lapland Bunting from inland sites in Northumberland including West Chevington, not a million miles away from Stobswood. I have on a few occasions accidentally flushed Lapland Buntings from long grass, fair enough at coastal sites but birds don't always stick to the script.

 

[lazza]

It doesn't matter what the habitat is Michael, this bird is never going to be identified.

This is certainly true! Even with all your helpful suggestions, I don't think I'm any nearer on this... and I could probably never make a definitive ID now, but it's been interesting to see your views, so much appreciated!

It's one of those that got away.... and shows me how much I still need to learn (and get some better non-fog bins!)

Anyway, I failed to find any snow bunting at North Blyth while out on my bike on Sunday morning, and the sea was devoid of anything other than gulls and ah-oo-ing eider, but it was rather nice to see 5 stunning male Pochard on Bothal Pond on the way home.