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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Northumbrian Birding (2 Viewers)

The Liverbirder said:
Any idea why it took so long for the bird to get reported? Nearly three weeks appears to be quite a delay.
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Whilst Alan is accurate as to the prompt for the report I suspect that the lack of a report at the time is because some people just aren't tuned in to listing, twitching, record submission, the birding 'scene' (if I can get away with using that term) and may have an interest in birds, birdwatching without it playing a major part in their lives.

It may well be with the increase in rare birds being reported in the mainstream media that more and more rarities will surface found by casual birdwatchers often after the event and we may need to get used to being gripped.

Oh and just to correct Alan slightly as I know he likes to ensure the accuracy of our reports, the excellent images that prompted the report were from Marcus Conway and can be found here
 
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Rare Visitor said:
Whilst Alan is accurate as to the prompt for the report I suspect that the lack of a report at the time is because some people just aren't tuned in to listing, twitching, record submission, the birding 'scene' (if I can get away with using that term) and may have an interest in birds, birdwatching without it playing a major part in their lives.

It may well be with the increase in rare birds being reported in the mainstream media that more and more rarities will surface found by casual birdwatchers often after the event and we may need to get used to being gripped.

Oh and just to correct Alan slightly as I know he likes to ensure the accuracy of our reports, the excellent images that prompted the report were from Marcus Conway and can be found here
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Marcus Conway. Of course. I was working from memory.

I knew that, but even after I'd typed it and looked at it because Price didn't seem right I still didn't spot the error.

Marcus Price used to be a clothes shop in Newcastle.
 
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Unexpected Twitch

As I drove towards Warkworth through Killicrankie bends yesterday afternoon I saw a woman walking from a car with a tripod over her shoulder onto the track to the beach road. It's not a place you normally see birders, too far from the beach for a sea-watcher and arable fields all around, so I reckoned there must be something special that I'd not heard about. There was nowhere I could stop so I drove on to the beach road turn-off and then along the bumpy track past Birling to see what was going on.

When I got past the caravans I could see a collection of cars at the end of the track, probably seven or eight or more. Interesting. Getting closer I saw loads of people with tripods.

A twitch. Very Interesting.

Arriving I didn't see anyone I recognised, which was strange, but there were about twenty people with tripods gathered around the narrow end of the field. One or two more were still arriving. Loads of cameras with big lenses.

The way they were standing around two edges of the point of the field showed that whatever they were trying to see was close in.

It couldn't be a quail, because that wouldn't pull in the numbers. Something else then. A corncrake, showing well?

I pulled up next to a bloke in a camo jacket with what looked like a 500mm lens on his camera and asked him what they were after.

"Poppies" he said. "There aren't many around this year and it's a good display".

A camera club outing on a poppy twitch. That's why there were no familiar faces.
 
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Haha I know exactly the spot - often thought about stopping off myself to get a pic :king: That particular field often has a good yearly showing of poppies :t:
 
Reminds me of the day I got similarly caught out. Driving towards Arundel in Sussex I came across 30 odd people with cameras all parked along a lane looking south across a valley. So intrigued, I stopped and wandered up only to find out they were waiting for a train to go past.

I realize the lack of telescopes should really have been a bit of a clue!

BTW the Dornoch plover was first found on 15/6 as far as I know.
 
Anyone know how high the tide was earlier today. The amount of exposed mud at Castle Island has dropped and the water level increased, I can only assume a tide that tipped water in over the weir or some adjustment to the weir outflow to retain water in the river for 'leisure and aesthetic' reasons.
 
The springs are tomorrow and Tuesday. My tide table is for Shields bar and it gives the range of the Sunday morning tide (05.21) as 5.01m. the evening tide was 4.92m and the Monday morning tide at 6am is 5.08m. Tuesdays' equivalent is 5.09, with the afternoon tides being slightly smaller than the morning tides in each case.

Not particularly big springs, but they are starting to build towards the equinoctals. The equivalent tides in June were only 4.83m.
 
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Amble

Is this the same as the Tourist Office? It was mentioned on the news last evening, when they were showing Coquet Island and the puffins.
They said that the public could watch the webcam of the puffin burrow!


woodhornbirder said:
Rumour that the rspb have closed the seabird centre at amble, anyone know anything?
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I may find out more info weds.

Met a young lad from norfolk at newbiggin sea hide this evening, doing a bird survey for some consusltancy firm, seems they do it 1st week of the month.

no real birds of note about.....
 
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The seabird centre and boat trips are/were a private business, albeit one that worked closely with the RSPB. It would be a shame if there has been a falling out.
 
What a shame :smoke: I remember seeing a job advertised in the Northumberland Gazette for the seabird centre just a couple of months ago and I was quite tempted but since we'll be moving house in the coming months *touch wood* I had to let it go :smoke:
 
Good work young man.....keeping us all informed.

Whilst walking along the pier at Tynemouth the other day I noticed 4 young skip-rat chavers throwing stones at the Kittiwake nests from the rocks below Pen Bal Crag (just North of Tynemouth Pier). Knowing that this type of scum only respects a very loud aggresive voice, I sent my family away and then gave them a proper bollocking. This seemed to have worked. However, on returning 2 mins later, just to check, they were up to their tricks again ! Seeing their mountain bikes parked on the the little terrace next to the pier gates I threw one down on to the rocks and made it clear that the rest would go into the Tyne.......They went. !;)
 
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