Gill Osborne's 2010 List (1 Viewer)

[Gill Osborne]

First time out in three weeks.....blasted depression got a hold again and left me lethargic and lacking in motivation or energy :smoke:


Good Friday, 2nd April
Boulmer

88: Linnet
89: Wheatear

Eshott

90: Common Crane :t:

 

[Gill Osborne]

Saturday, 3rd April
Druridge Pools

Finished work at 1pm, home by 1.15, computer on and saw that there had been a Great White Egret just down the road at Druridge so I grabbed the bins, notebook and pencils and flew down the A1 :king: Sadly I dipped as the bird was quite mobile and I just didn't have time to hunt it down at a likely spot (had to be back home by 3pm) so tomorrow I will return at first light. Picked up another couple of birds tho' for the Year List

91: Chiffchaff
92: Grey Partridge

 

[Gill Osborne]

Today was fun! Traipsed around all the sites the egret has been hanging around - East Chevington, Druridge Pools, Cresswell, Warkworth Pools, Druridge again and finally East Chevington :t: Saw some nice birds, saw LOTS of mud and flooded areas :-O Just SO glad I put my wellies on today or I would never have got through in a few places :king:

Monday, 5th April
East Chevington

93: House Martin
94: Sand Martin
95: Reed Bunting
96: Great White Egret :loveme:

Canongate Bridge, Alnwick

97: Dipper

 

[Gill Osborne]

Gorgeous sunny & warm spring day so straight after an unavoidable appointment at the hairdressers at 11am I jumped in the car and headed off to Druridge - surely today would bring some spring migrants and, hopefully, a butterfly or two?

Saturday, 10th April
Druridge Pools

98: Barn Swallow
99: Red-throated Diver ~ group of 11 just offshore on a flat calm sea :t:
100: Pintail ~ stunning male WOW!!!!! o :king:

Cresswell Pond

101: Knot ~ group of 40+

Also had my first Honey Bee of the year feeding on a coltsfoot and my first, albeit rather tatty, Small Tortoiseshell :t: Noticed a lot more Dandelion in bloom today too.

 

[Gill Osborne]

Tuesday, 20th April
Cresswell Pond

102: Yellow Wagtail ~ 4 stunning males; my first in over two years :t:
103: Common Sandpiper
104: Jack Snipe *Lifer No: 203* :loveme:

Druridge Pools

105: Garganey
106: Black-tailed Godwit ~ flock of approx. 77 :eek!:

This must be the first time for ages I have went out hoping for certain birds and actually seen ALL of them :-O Perhaps, after 27 years, I'm getting the hang of this birding lark
Only downside was finding a rabit with myxie and, upon taking it to a local vet, was made to feel like a fool because ''it's only a rabbit!'' :-C Well if I'm a fool for loving animals and caring about something having a humane death then so be it :smoke: Feel quite upset about it TBH.....not the death of the rabbit, more the attitude of my fellow humans :-C

 

[Gill Osborne]

Thursday, 22nd April
Shibdon Pond, Gateshead

107: Barnacle Goose

 

[Gill Osborne]

Sunday, 25th April
Wallsend Swallow Pond

108: Blackcap
109: Willow Warbler

Holywell Pond

110: Goosander

Holywell Dene

111: Whitethroat
112: Stock Doves

Also thrilled to bits to see my first Speckled Wood butterfly of the year.

 

[Gill Osborne]

Saturday, 8th May
Alnwick Market Place

113: Swifts o

Summer has arrived - my swifts are back!!!! :t:

 

[Gill Osborne]

Saturday, 8th May
Scotch Ghyll Woods, Morpeth

114: Garden Warbler

This was my first ever visit to this site as I normally see it as we pass on our way to Wallington. Absolutely bursting with various wild flowers in bloom - lesser celandine, bluebells, wild garlic just coming into flower, garlic mustard, red campion, herb robert, huge clumps of marsh marigold and, a Lifer, my very first Lords and Ladies o I've always wanted to see these in the wild and back in 1991, when I lived in Guide Post, I found some berries by the river.....but this is the first time I've seen the actual flowers and oh wow!!! They are just beautiful - so simple yet so elegant - just perfection! :t: Only downside was the fact that I had forgotten to bring my camera AND my mobile phone!!!!! :storm: Oh well, just have to go back in a few days' time
Oh, also saw a single Peacock, Green-veined White and DOZENS of male Orange Tips.

 

[Gill Osborne]

Sunday, 20th June
Outskirts of Rothbury

115: Common Redstart

 

[Gill Osborne]

Wednesday, 23rd June
River Aln, Alnwick

116: Kingfisher

 

[Gill Osborne]

Couple of hours from Boulmer along to Silver Sands this afternoon...forgot to take my binoculars so probably missed loads of stuff offshore |:$|

Thursday, 24th June

117: Sandwich Tern

 

[Gill Osborne]

Thursday, 1st July
Cresswell Pond

118: Sedge Warbler


Druridge Bay

119: Arctic Tern
120: Great Skua

Ratten Row, Alnwick

121: Sparrowhawk :t:

 

[Gill Osborne]

Sunday, 11th July
Low Newton, Northumberland

122: Grey Wagtail
123: Grasshopper Warbler :t:

 

[Gill Osborne]

Thursday, 15th July
Warkworth

124: Barn Owl ~ swooped across road in front of me at 9.10am o

Druridge Pools

125: Common Tern ~ one preening on rock in front of hide: best views ever!!! :t:

Cresswell Pond

126: Little Ringed Plover ~ juv.
127: Scaup ~ 2 male, 1 female

Alnwick Moor

128: Red Grouse ~ just called by on the offchance and was rewarded by 5 females next to the edge :t:

 

[Gill Osborne]

Saturday, 11th September
5hr pelagic from Seahouses

129: Arctic Tern
130: Guillemot
131: Sooty Shearwater *Lifer No. 204* :loveme:
132: Puffin
133: Kittiwake

 

[Gill Osborne]

Thursday, 30th September
Holy Island, Northumberland

134: Goldcrest
135: Short-eared Owl
136: Peregrine Falcon
137: Great Grey Shrike *Lifer No. 205* :loveme:
138: Brambling *Lifer No. 206* :loveme:
139: Whinchat
140: Pied Flycatcher
141: Spotted Flycatcher

Also had two very brief glimpses of a Barred Warbler in the dunes but cannot add it to my Life List as the glimpses I got were not good enough for me to be able to id one if I were on my own :smoke: Just have to go back on Saturday afternoon/Sunday to attempt better views
Also dipped on Yellow-browed Warbler and Red-breasted Flycatcher as they flew off before I could get there *dratted tourists - the island was heaving today!!!* but as I have the next fortnight off, starting 1pm on Saturday, I intend to catch up with these wee beauties at some point! :king:

 

[Gill Osborne]

Wednesday, 6th October
Stag Rocks, Bamburgh.

142: Purple Sandpiper

 

[Gill Osborne]

Sunday, 14th November
Morpeth, Northumberland

143: Squacco Heron*Lifer No. 207* :loveme:

 

[Gill Osborne]

Tuesday, 21st December
Cresswell Pond

144: Woodcock :t:

First time out in over a month :smoke: Thrilled to have three woodcock at Cresswell Pond - my first ones since 2006 :eek!: Also had a barn owl hunting at 3.30pm and, on my way home, a sparrowhawk fly out in front of the car with a small bird in it's talons.

Wonder if I'll make 150 before the end of the year? :king: