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Northumbrian Birding (11 Viewers)

Beautiful day at Holywell and Seaton Sluice. Highlights being 11 Whooper in off the sea heading West at noon, then a very smart drake Velvet Scoter showing well with Eider off the headland at 2pm.
 
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Cresswell Pond flooded once more :smoke:

Spent a couple of hours there this morning *11am - 1.15pm* and had four Snipe and one Water Rail in front of hide, Barn Owl hunting the reeds and in front of hide and a Kingfisher flashing past :t: Four, I think, Whoopers flew in at 10.30am according to notice board (I missed them) and no sign of Dowitcher after 11am.
 
Better results today :t: 29 Whoopers Swan (7 young) flew in at 11.55am, stayed for twenty minutes or so then flew off south. Big flocks of Lapwing and Golden Plover which constantly flew up. Long-billed Dowitcher seen on three occasions in 2hr stay :t:
 
So, a couple of trips out to the coast in the last couple of weeks failed to find me any Whooper Swans.... but I shouldn't have bothered, as they decided to come to me this morning! Five flew low over the garden in at 8am as I retrieved the garden furniture from the pond, squeaking as the passed! A year tick and garden tick all in one! :)
 
A guy came into our shop this morning and mentioned a Little Egret he'd seen yesterday on the river Coquet, below Warkworth Caravan Park. He said it had a big yellow ring with number 9 on it. Any ideas? Could it be one of last year's youngsters from Druridge Bay? Various attempts at googling haven't given me any answers so I think it's going to be a case of popping down there myself and trying to find the bird :smoke: I have a feeling there's a few other letters or numbers missing as this guy doesn't have binoculars when he's out walking.

I did find this interesting site though :t:

http://cr-birding.org/taxonomy/term/2469
 
Gill Osborne said:
A guy came into our shop this morning and mentioned a Little Egret he'd seen yesterday on the river Coquet, below Warkworth Caravan Park. He said it had a big yellow ring with number 9 on it. Any ideas? Could it be one of last year's youngsters from Druridge Bay? Various attempts at googling haven't given me any answers so I think it's going to be a case of popping down there myself and trying to find the bird :smoke: I have a feeling there's a few other letters or numbers missing as this guy doesn't have binoculars when he's out walking.

I did find this interesting site though :t:

http://cr-birding.org/taxonomy/term/2469
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I saw this bird at Warkworth it has K on left leg and 9 on the right details awaited ,but it was ringed in the UK
 
A quick question for Steve Lowe or anyone connected with Northumberland wildlife trust ,has anything been done regarding the clearing of ditches and waterways at East Chevington?I think i know the answer as i spend a lot of time there and i haven't seen any machines or diggers, it was promised back in may or june that things would be done in the winter but seems again to be false promises.
cheers
dave
 
Best ever views of Red throated Diver at Tynemouth Longsands this afternoon, just 10 metres offshore at times, hardly needed the bins.
 
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Ddack said:
A quick question for Steve Lowe or anyone connected with Northumberland wildlife trust ,has anything been done regarding the clearing of ditches and waterways at East Chevington?I think i know the answer as i spend a lot of time there and i haven't seen any machines or diggers, it was promised back in may or june that things would be done in the winter but seems again to be false promises.
cheers
dave
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Scheduled for the New Year Dave - awaiting contractor quotations.
 
I hear that NWT will now oppose the mining plans for Druridge Bay on grounds that the habitat developments proposed lack assurances and that it is not clear how they can be realistically implimented.

Richard
 
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super-silly-um said:
I hear that NWT will now oppose the mining plans for Druridge Bay on grounds that the habitat developments proposed lack assurances and that it is not clear how they can be realistically implimented.

Richard
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I saw that reported in yesterday's Chroniclelive.

http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/battle-lines-drawn-over-northumberland-10525511

I was more than a little puzzled by the article, mainly because the plan of the proposed site they chose to use was a discussion document, long out of date and long since abandoned, which has been widely used by opponents of the scheme. It's the one I saw a few months ago in the Cafe at Cresswell and it was well out of date then. It shows the site at over twice the size of the actual proposal, with muck storage north of Druridge Lane. The actual planning application is nothing like that, having been reduced following consultation over the two years since the scheme was announced.

I also noted that NWT were opposing the scheme on the basis that they were not convinced that the proposed 100Ha of environmental improvements could be delivered. I'd be interested to see the reasons why they think this. I'd assumed from the early proposals which included land to the north of Druridge Lane that the developer had agreements and control over the surface of that land and so could develop it as habitat for wildlife after they have decided not to include it in the site.

Maybe the agreements aren't signed off yet. I'd like to hear why NWT are opposing them because as far as I can see the promise of 100 Ha of additional nature reserve in advance of the mining seems like a damned good idea.

Why precisely don't NWT think that Banks will deliver? Banks have already provided habitat improvements associated with their sites at Blagdon. Maybe somebody from NWT can provide an explanation. The land is there - why couldn't it be improved for wildlife from the green monoculture desert that it currently is? It shouldn't be difficult and not at high cost to the developer.

PS. On a slightly allied topic, don't get me started on 'Northumberlandia', that disguised spoil heap at Shotton - I think that it's a disgrace and I have done since it was first proposed, but the Highthorn scheme looks like a winner to me.
 
Short-eared Owl at East Chevington today. Also possible Black-throated Diver offshore but as I'm only 80% positive on the ID (only got a brief glimpse before it disappeared behind a wave) it's not going on the List :smoke:
 
Hi all, I'm coming up to the county at the end of the week and I thought that I'd try for the Long-billed Dowitcher at Cresswell. As I only have limited time I was wondering if anyone could give details of where it likes to hang out, where best to view from etc. Also, I've seen reports of Twite nearby, any help on finding them would be most appreciated. Finally, is it worth give the sea a bit of a watch at all? I imagine that without a decent wind it's going to be very quiet but I'd especially be keen to see Little Auk if there were any possibility of that.

TIA


Adam
 
gnome said:
Hi all, I'm coming up to the county at the end of the week and I thought that I'd try for the Long-billed Dowitcher at Cresswell. As I only have limited time I was wondering if anyone could give details of where it likes to hang out, where best to view from etc. Also, I've seen reports of Twite nearby, any help on finding them would be most appreciated. Finally, is it worth give the sea a bit of a watch at all? I imagine that without a decent wind it's going to be very quiet but I'd especially be keen to see Little Auk if there were any possibility of that.

TIA


Adam
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Hi Adam
The Dowitcher is mostly seen on the west shore of Cresswell Pond (furthest point from the road) or it has been coming onto the eastern shore which is the exposed mud closest to the hide although you cannot see this area well from the road so the hide is best.

Twite are seen a bit further along the road in dunes in the vicinity of Hemscott Hill Farm which is about half a mile or so North along the road from Cresswell Pond. They favour the area around the cow herd that are fed in a depression in the dunes which is just north of the farm. Sometimes it's better to walk along the beach from Cresswell and view the cow area from the dunes.

I've had good views of Little Auk from the dunes/beach here but the wind has to be spot on. You may get lucky later this week judging by the forecast.

Also at Cresswell look out for hunting owls near the farm, Kingfisher, Jack Snipe and Whooper Swan + there's been 2 White-fronted Geese in the Pinkie flock behind or adjacent to the Pond.

Further north along Druridge Bay you will find Druridge and Chevington Pools which are also good. Chevington can be good for duck/owls/geese etc and there are two Water Pipits just S of the Pools at the moment. Snow Bunting can be seen at the mouth of Chevington Burn occasionally.

Good luck
Andy
 
Andy Atkinson said:
Hi Adam
The Dowitcher is mostly seen on the west shore of Cresswell Pond (furthest point from the road) or it has been coming onto the eastern shore which is the exposed mud closest to the hide although you cannot see this area well from the road so the hide is best.

Twite are seen a bit further along the road in dunes in the vicinity of Hemscott Hill Farm which is about half a mile or so North along the road from Cresswell Pond. They favour the area around the cow herd that are fed in a depression in the dunes which is just north of the farm. Sometimes it's better to walk along the beach from Cresswell and view the cow area from the dunes.

I've had good views of Little Auk from the dunes/beach here but the wind has to be spot on. You may get lucky later this week judging by the forecast.

Also at Cresswell look out for hunting owls near the farm, Kingfisher, Jack Snipe and Whooper Swan + there's been 2 White-fronted Geese in the Pinkie flock behind or adjacent to the Pond.

Further north along Druridge Bay you will find Druridge and Chevington Pools which are also good. Chevington can be good for duck/owls/geese etc and there are two Water Pipits just S of the Pools at the moment. Snow Bunting can be seen at the mouth of Chevington Burn occasionally.

Good luck
Andy
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Hi Andy,

Thanks so much for that, that's most helpful!

If I could just ask a couple more questions:

1). Am I right in thinking that the hide is accessed from a track north from the entrance to the farm which is located to the south of the Cresswell Pond? This is what it looks like on Streetview. Is the hide generally locked?

2). Excuse my ignorance, but what should the wind direction be for Little Auks? For most of the sea watching I do down in the South West you want the wind blowing in towards the shore but do you actually want a northerly wind in the case of Little Auks? I'm going to be up there on Friday afternoon and the present forecast is for a moderate SW wind - not much good I'm guessing.

Thanks once again for your help


Adam
 
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