echo24
COASTAL CONSERVATION GROUP - TURNED OUT NICE AGAIN
Went down to the big beach(Sand haven) at 7am,
Before work? 7am??.....Steve, I was getting my dinner then
Cheers, Dougie.
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in and around south tyneside (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter seggs
- Start date
seggs
Alrite!
Dinner at that time! lol..Went down to the big beach(Sand haven) at 7am,
Before work? 7am??.....Steve, I was getting my dinner then
Cheers, Dougie.Are you still in the dog house from Crimdon?:-O:-O
Only up at that time to take my Dearest to the metro for her first happy Hols...Without me, Braveheart comes to mind! Freedom!!!!:-O
ps.
Well done with the Barn Owl:t:
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echo24
COASTAL CONSERVATION GROUP - TURNED OUT NICE AGAIN
Dinner at that time! lol..
Only up at that time to take my Dearest to the metro for her first happy Hols...Without me, Braveheart comes to mind! Freedom!!!!:-O
Hahaha!:-O
Yeah, things are ticketyboo again, thanks Steve:t:
Just checked the bbc 5 day weather forecast, friday isn't looking too promising, rain on the way:C - don't forget your waterproofs mate - let's hope they're wrong (again!)
Cheers, Dougie.
PS, make the most of your freedom - quality time lies ahead!:-O
The gaffer
Enthusiastic amateur
Cleadon Hills
It's grass cutting time again on the hills and most of the top section near the mill has been cut. I must query the wisdom of this act at this time of year as the butterflies and moths are just emerging up there. Meadow Browns, Common Blue and 5 spotted burnet are around now. I know the skylarks have been nesting for some time now and hopefully the young have fledged rather than be butchered by the grass cutter.:C
Surely the amount of grass/hay that is produced from cutting this area is disproprotionate to the environmental damage that the cutting introduces.:C
Given the chance this area, if left uncut, could perhaps attract short eared owls as the number of dog walkers diminishes greatly in the colder weather.
I will now climb down from my soapbox but I would be interested to hear the views of other users of this area.
A couple of photos from this evening on the hills if anyone can identify them I would be grateful. The insect was from my garden and appears to be a ladybird (sorry about the poor quality but it disappeared after I took the shot) but I have never seen one like this before.
Brian
It's grass cutting time again on the hills and most of the top section near the mill has been cut. I must query the wisdom of this act at this time of year as the butterflies and moths are just emerging up there. Meadow Browns, Common Blue and 5 spotted burnet are around now. I know the skylarks have been nesting for some time now and hopefully the young have fledged rather than be butchered by the grass cutter.:C
Surely the amount of grass/hay that is produced from cutting this area is disproprotionate to the environmental damage that the cutting introduces.:C
Given the chance this area, if left uncut, could perhaps attract short eared owls as the number of dog walkers diminishes greatly in the colder weather.
I will now climb down from my soapbox but I would be interested to hear the views of other users of this area.
A couple of photos from this evening on the hills if anyone can identify them I would be grateful. The insect was from my garden and appears to be a ladybird (sorry about the poor quality but it disappeared after I took the shot) but I have never seen one like this before.
Brian
Attachments
echo24
COASTAL CONSERVATION GROUP - TURNED OUT NICE AGAIN
Hi Brian, a similar thing has happened on the leas in recent years, the rough grassland was 'scalped' in July when many of the wild flowers were still in full bloom and therefore never got to seed, not to mention the ground nesting birds that were still busy with their second or third broods:C I also dislike the way South Tyneside council are systematically felling mature trees around the town - it's sinful!!
By the way, sorry I can't help with all your pics but I think picture 4 is Maidenhair Spleenwort.
Cheers, Dougie.
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JBee
Well-known member
Number 1 is a 10-spot ladybird (Adalia 10-punctata)
Number 2 Looks like Goldenrod (Solidago virgaurea)
Number 3 Not certain but pretty sure it is Herb Robert (Geranium robertianum)
Number 4 is Maidenhair Spleenwort (Asplenium trichomanes)
degsy_safc
Well-known member
Hi JBee,
I think No2 is Lady's Bedstraw? I might be wrong but it certainly looks like it based on the leaf pattern and the blooms being predominantly at the top - Goldenrod flowers extend much lower down the stem.
Also i'm not so sure No3 is Herb Robert, here is a recent picture of a Herb Robert from my website:
http://www.digiphotog.com/details.php?image_id=624
It maybe that the flower in Brian's shot is past its best but looking at the stamen / carpel between the 2 shots i would say Brian's picture is something different - just don't know what |^|
Any plant experts out there?
JBee
Well-known member
Lady's bedstraw was my first thought degsy but the flowers looked to clustered - there are a few flowers in the shot that can be made out a little clearer and I have to agree with you on Bedstraw.
None of the cranesbills, storkbills fit the bill for number three which basically left Herb Robert.
When photographing flowers it's always a good idea (for ID purposes) to take shots of the leaves, stem and full plant as well as the flower/seedhead.
The gaffer
Enthusiastic amateur
Thanks JBee, Degsy and Dougie for your efforts.
I normally do try to include the leaves, stem, etc to aid identification but in number 3 I obviously forgot. I have to add that although it did not come out very well in the photo the pattern on the petals reminded me of a garden geranium so I wonder if JBee's identification might well be correct.
If it helps in No.2 this plant is very common the hills and those very thin leaves in the picture belong to the plant.
Maidenhair Spleenwort:eek!: Sounds like some terrible afflication:-O:-O
There are plenty of harebells up there at the moment but if you want so see them you had better be quick before the grass cutter gets them:eek!:
Brian
rokermartin
Well-known member
Hi pic 2 is Lady's bedstraw and pic 3 is'nt Herb Robert, its looks to me to be Common Mallow.Herb Robert has much smaller pale pink flowers.
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rokermartin
Well-known member
South Shields this afternoon very few birds around, but did see a dark phase Arctic Skua chasing terns offshore.Whitburn the same very few birds but the BH Gull numbers are building up so be worth keeping a eye out for Med Gulls.Just found out that the ROSEATE TERNS on Coquet Island are having a terrible breeding season this year because of the shortage of food many chicks have starved to death and been abandoned.Thats why we have been seeing more Roseate Terns than usual at Shields and elsewhere down the east coast for this time of year.So i dont think we will be seeing many juv Roseate Terns at all this year, hope they do better next year.
seggs
Alrite!
Bad news indeed about the Roseates Martin on Couqet, this i would think will have the same affect on the Farnes, it will be interesting to see the breeding report from here this year...We noticed on our trip a few weeks back alot of the Auks were catching larger type fish (Johns put some good photo,s of this on here), even the Puffins seemed to struggle a bit with Sand eel... Pipe fish etc. regularly seen brought in, maybe reflects the situation.
Lets hope the amount of other prey fish is enough.
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rokermartin
Well-known member
A few more birds at South Shield early afternoon a big increase in Sanderling numbers 29 on the beach.Also 3 ad Roseate Terns,6 Arctic Terns a few Sandwich,Common Terns and the dark phase Arctic Skua is still loafing around offshore.Herring Gull numbers are building up.
woodhornbirder
Well-known member
whats the life-span of a tern? between 3-7 years i assume?
rokermartin
Well-known member
Hi they are long lived birds ,Arctic Terns have been known to live to about 30 yrs of age.Most seabirds can live a long time.
echo24
COASTAL CONSERVATION GROUP - TURNED OUT NICE AGAIN
Pelagic Trip
Hi folks,
Spent a great four hours or so last night with Steve Eggs, John Sulli, Ross and Jason on one of Martin Kitchings pelagic trips aboard the converted lifeboat - Sarah JFK,
We left the Tyne shortly after 6pm and headed north east from the piers and travelled about nine miles offshore before the skipper cut the engine and we just drifted with an onion bag full of ‘chum’ (chopped fish & oil) slung over the side, this released small bits of food and fish oil into the water and the smells acted like a magnet for the many hungry birds in the area, we had Fulmar, Kittiwake, Puffin, Guillemot, Razorbill, Herring, Common, Lesser & Great BB Gulls, Manxies, Knot and Dunlin, all great to see but undoubtedly the stars of the show were the Gannets! They were diving and taking mackerel literally yards from the boat, entering the water like darts with great speed and accuracy, sometimes more than one bird fighting over the same fish – awesome!!
All in all, a cracking night in good company, and what’s more the weather was very kind to us, there were plenty thick dark clouds about with rain falling in the distance, it threatened to poss down on us one or twice without ever actually doing so – brilliant!
Thanks to all involved:t:
Cheers, Dougie.
Hi folks,
Spent a great four hours or so last night with Steve Eggs, John Sulli, Ross and Jason on one of Martin Kitchings pelagic trips aboard the converted lifeboat - Sarah JFK,
We left the Tyne shortly after 6pm and headed north east from the piers and travelled about nine miles offshore before the skipper cut the engine and we just drifted with an onion bag full of ‘chum’ (chopped fish & oil) slung over the side, this released small bits of food and fish oil into the water and the smells acted like a magnet for the many hungry birds in the area, we had Fulmar, Kittiwake, Puffin, Guillemot, Razorbill, Herring, Common, Lesser & Great BB Gulls, Manxies, Knot and Dunlin, all great to see but undoubtedly the stars of the show were the Gannets! They were diving and taking mackerel literally yards from the boat, entering the water like darts with great speed and accuracy, sometimes more than one bird fighting over the same fish – awesome!!
All in all, a cracking night in good company, and what’s more the weather was very kind to us, there were plenty thick dark clouds about with rain falling in the distance, it threatened to poss down on us one or twice without ever actually doing so – brilliant!
Thanks to all involved:t:
Cheers, Dougie.
Attachments
seggs
Alrite!
It was indeed a great evening Dougie!:t:
Ive put my main report on the Northumberland thread, i think this thread needs a little imput, its been a little under used of late.
As it was my first outing on a sea trip like this i was amazed how close the Gannets and Fulmars came to the boat!
Great time had by all:t:
Ive put my main report on the Northumberland thread, i think this thread needs a little imput, its been a little under used of late.
As it was my first outing on a sea trip like this i was amazed how close the Gannets and Fulmars came to the boat!
Great time had by all:t:
Attachments
rokermartin
Well-known member
Hi Steve seems as if you had a good time on the boat trip getting excellent views of the Gannets feeding.Said to Jas before he went on the boat there has'nt been many skuas or shearwaters about recently the wind has been in the wrong direction to get big numbers of them in the north sea a the moment.But i thought you might have seen one or two Storm Petrels while you were out there last night.
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seggs
Alrite!
Yeah ya right Martin, we hoped for Storm petrol but not to be on this outing.
The time went no where whilst we were out there!..such was the entertaining show the rest of the birds put on.
Heres the pics from today.
Great to see "Hoppy" the damaged leg Sanderling doing ok and getting in on the act in pic 3, sure it will feel happy now some of its own kind have returned:t:
