Northumbrian Birding (1 Viewer)

[Gill Osborne]

It's Good Friday, it's the brats' Easter Holidays AND it's sunny....which all adds up to the Numpties Day Out :smoke: The beach at Low Newton was heaving!!!! And cars were backed up all the way to High Newton which had me smiling as I imagined a few choice words from Stringer :-O Thankfully not so many inland next to the Scrapes and the Pool itself.....tho' I did have one patronising idiot trying to 'impress' me with tales of how he once watched a Golden Eagle feeding it's youngster at Yeavering Bell :-O Apparently he was up above it on a ledge and was only about 30ft away :eek!: Gosh, I must be a TERRIBLE birdwatcher because I never see sights like that! :smoke:

A few summer migrants back...Blackcap ~ male singing loudly as I got out of car at High Newton...Swallow ~ two flying overhead as I walked down the bank into Low Newton :t: Ruff ~ single bird on Scrapes...Willow Warbler ~ male singing behind Newton Pool Hide

A pair of Greylag also had six newly-hatched Cygnets.

Very nice few hours despite the idiots day out Saw my first Hedge Garlic of the year, Bluebells just coming into bloom, some sort of 'vetch' species in flower (photo taken) and, closer to home, Wood Anemone carpeting a nearby wood on outskirts of Alnwick.

 

[degsy_safc]

Was out and about early for a change this morning and started at Cresswell where i had 6 Avocet, drake Garganey, Snipe, Dunlin and Redshank. Moved up to Druridge where the early morning sun lit 2 male Stonechat quite nicely - there was also a good number of Linnet here.

The male and female Marsh Harriers were quite active further north along with a reasonable view of a nice Hare and plenty of Skylarks, photos were pretty poor due to heat haze!.

Later had a ride along a couple of country roads i've never explored and had some decent views of Buzzard, but the top sighting for me was a fantastic juvenile Merlin which landed on a post beside me while i ate a lunchtime sandwich :t:

Couple of pics from today..

 

[Ron Hindhaugh]

Later had a ride along a couple of country roads i've never explored and had some decent views of Buzzard, but the top sighting for me was a fantastic juvenile Merlin which landed on a post beside me while i ate a lunchtime sandwich


Cracking shot of the Merlin Derek. Can I borrow your lucky hat

 

[lazza]

Out with my girls to Fontburn Reservoir this afternoon to check out the newly reopened Goats on the Roof café. Lovely cakes consumed then a pleasant walk along the southern bank of the reservoir. My first UK willow warblers of the year - singing from trees and bushes all along the route - were surpassed by excellent close views of my first redstart of the spring, a pair flitting along a fence not far from the car-park.

 

[June Atkinson]

Goats on the roof and a redstart!

Were the goats there? I know the new owners and I wish them well. Look out for ospreys, too.

Out with my girls to Fontburn Reservoir this afternoon to check out the newly reopened Goats on the Roof café. Lovely cakes consumed then a pleasant walk along the southern bank of the reservoir. My first UK willow warblers of the year - singing from trees and bushes all along the route - were surpassed by excellent close views of my first redstart of the spring, a pair flitting along a fence not far from the car-park.

 

[Vipers]

Black Redstart still at Newcastle airport this morning.

 

[vanellus]

Getting out of my car at work yesterday I heard a strange song but couldn't see a bird that was singing. A bit later on I heard it again and this time I could see the bird sitting on a building roof next door singing and I thought 'this looks like a Black Redstart' and then it flew down onto the grass and back up onto the fence and quivered it's tale.
Unfortunately I had to go off and do a job and when I got back it was no where to be seen.

Heard a Black Redstart singing in Sweden about 35 years ago. Part of the song sounded like the crackle of someone shorting an electricity supply.

 

[lazza]

Were the goats there? I know the new owners and I wish them well. Look out for ospreys, too.

Goats were there, but not on the roof! It was reasonably busy, for the third day since reopening.

Would be perfect for ospreys, as clearly a well-stocked lake, judging by the number of people fishing and the size of some of the catches we saw!

 

[Vipers]

Heard a Black Redstart singing in Sweden about 35 years ago. Part of the song sounded like the crackle of someone shorting an electricity supply.

Yeah this one sounds very electrical at the start of it's song.

 

[Zappa99]

Quick trip into QEII Country Park last night produced over 100 Tufted Duck and an amazing number of sand and house martins hawking over the lake. Obviously just back in decent numbers and enjoying the massive number of flying insects attracted by my baldie heed.

 

[lazza]

Ah... the joys of Spring! My nice local warbler breeding ground is warming up nicely! A ride into Morpeth along Dunces Houses Lane for the first time in a couple of weeks, and the 3-4 chiffchaff have been joined by 4-5 willow warbler, two of which were very brazen in their singing, perched on trees right next to the track as I passed within 8 feet. Just blackcap and whitethroat to arrive there to equal last year's warbler turnout!

Also, a singing male bullfinch the first I've seen there, and a single overflying swallow.

 

[martin kitching]

Excellent couple of hours in the dreadful weather this afternoon. First I went to Cresswell, only to discover that the Great White Egret had been chased by a Grey Heron and had flown off north into the rain and heavy mist. Next stop was Druridge Pools and the Spoonbill was still on the Budge fields. The egret wasn't there so I decided to try East Chevington. The heaven's opened as I walked to the hide and I eventually left, drenched and egret-less. The warmth of home and a mug of hot chocolate were calling, but I had one last hunch about where the egret would have gone and the clearing mist meant I'd be able to check the site from the comfort of the car...and, sure enough, there it was, stalking along the edge of Bell's Pond B

cheers
martin

 

[Zappa99]

Choppy Sea

very blowy last night but we had a short trip to Seaton Sluice where we watched a small raft of common scoter, a handfull of turnstone and 3 late purples sandpipers braving the elements.

 

[Gill Osborne]

House Martins have arrived in Alnwick :t: Just need the swifts now o

 

[lazza]

An hour in overcast conditions at St Mary's yesterday afternoon was brightened considerably by the presence of at least two reeling grasshopper warbler in the wetland, plus chiffchaff and willow warbler in the small copse just to the north. At least 8 meadow pipit (with perhaps a dozen more in the dunes between Seaton Sluice and Blyth). A big swell and high tide at St Mary's Island meant very little to see, although quite a gathering of sanderling and turnstone on the only bit of available beach, a few guillemot heading north, and my first terns of the year (presumed common, but a bit far out to be sure) fishing out past the artillery marker.

 

[Andy Atkinson]

Belated news for Saturday evening from Gosforth Park - had a cracking female Marsh Harrier being mobbed by crows over the Lakeside reeds. Also a pochard/tufty hybrid there too that made us look twice.

ALSO a recommendation to visit Shaftoe Crags, a lovely site beyond Bolam Lake (go past the lake turn off heading NW and take the 2nd turn off on the left between some large stone houses. It's not far from Wallington. Follow the rough road until you come to some allotted parking then walk to the Crag itself along a similarly rough road cutting through a farmyard then past a row of cottages). Last weekend we had two singing male redstarts, wheatear, three Brambling (a couple coming into Summer plumage with very dark looking faces) and Blackcap and lots of other commoner species. I've had Green Woodpecker here in the past.

Andy

 

[brianr]

Probably 2 Wryneck at St Marys yesterday reported by another birder. A good mix of returning migrants. Wheatear, Whinchat, Gropper, Yellow Wagtail, and Redstart, Ring Ouzel, Lesser Whitethroat, Whimbrel also seen by birders attracted down by the Wrynecks.

 

[Zappa99]

First Barn Owl for a while during an evening at Cresswell hunting the dunes and pond. Pair of goldeneye and two avocets plus a gropper reeling away made it a decent trip despite the rain, which is bound to increase pond levels

 

[Nutcracker]

despite the rain, which is bound to increase pong levels

Why so?? 3

(sorry, couldn't resist!)

 

[woodhornbirder]

imo you cant have enough pong

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNAdtkSjSps

...germanys best export 8-P