Northumbrian Birding (1 Viewer)

[LSB]

Cheers, Darren - they're behaving as expected then.

Did the seal look like a youngster?

Hi Keith
It was an adult Female Grey Seal, I did have a report of a youngster at Hartley beach days ago.. Good Luck with the Snows..

 

[LSB]

Anybody tried for elusive finches in the past ten days. The imminent cold snap and the suggested wind speed drop on Sunday might make it worthwhile. Any thoughts, my more learned birding colleagues?

I haven't heard anything but if the wind drops it's well worth a look for them. I tried 3 times last year and had them twice.(about this time of year)
Best of luck..

 

[Gill Osborne]

Anybody tried for elusive finches in the past ten days. The iminent cold snap and the suggested wind speed drop on Sunday might make it worthwhile...

I try to get up there most days now (it's only five minutes' walk so no excuse really LOL) but, so far, no sight or sound of them. Hopefully the colder snap that's forecast will bring them out of hiding!
Will let you know ASAP when I see some


Just had a quick look on UK Birdwatching Links and the Goose is still at Linton Lane, Waxwings in Ashington and Smew at Cresswell so looks like a good day ahead of me tomorrow - especially if the wind doesn't get too bad.

 

[The Liverbirder]

Not Much Ado About Nothing

Bothal Pond this morning - Wigeon, Shelducks, Coots, Cormorant, Goldeneye, Canada and Greylag Geese, BH and C Gulls, Jackdaw, Mallard,Tufties, POchard, Redshank & Teal.

Holywell Pond this afternoon - Drake Scaup, H/GBB/C/Bh Gulls, Coot, Mallard, Tufties, Mute Swan, Blue and Great Tits.

St Mary's Wetland this afternoon - Mallard, Snipe, Moorhen, Crow, Teal, Gadwall, drake Pintail, Mute Swan, Little Grebe, Curlew and Heron.

St Mary's Lighthouse this afternoon - too windy to tell!!

Blyth Harbour this afternoon - GBB/H/BH and C Gulls, Cormorant, Shag, Eider and a Little Grebe.

 

[NickPatel92]

2 Waxwing in rowan tree on cormorant close, today at Ashington, and showing well.

 

[The Liverbirder]

Lord Lucan Bird

The Hulne Park Hawfinches remain as elusive as the Lord himself. Not seen by the Gatekeeper since I was last there. Not seen by me this morning either.

 

[Keith Reeder]

I ran into mILLYg - Gordon - today at Blyth harbour while out for the snow buntings (four still there at 14:30).

Apparently some folk have been casting doubt on his little grebe report from yesterday, because little grebes don't "do" salt water.

Somebody should've told the bird then..!

 

[level seven]

I can feel a visit to Blyth coming on for these Snow Buntings. Not knowing the area very well though, could someone tell me where to go (as it were)?

I've got my A-Z out but can't find the yacht club LSB mentioned.

Any help would be appreciated.

 

[[email protected]]

At tynemouth at 1st light this morning
purple sandpiper
ringed plovers
turnstones
GBB gull
Oystercatcher
Redshank
Curlew
St marys lighthouse
1st winter pied wag
turnstones
meadow pipits
curlew
ringed plovers
heron
Up to seaton sluice
GC grebes oas
Common scoter oas
Stonechat
Blyth
Lots of eider
Heron fly over
Guillemot
Missed the snow bunting and little grebe

 

[Keith Reeder]

It's the Royal Northumberland Yatch Club, Graham, old chap!



You just need to get to the port of Blyth, or Blyth harbour as we tend to refer to it.

This should get you there, after which it's just a case of keeping an eye out: today they were either feeding on the strand line about 200 yards south of the pier (they were quite close to the small dunes which run along the beach), or were on the wall which runs the length of the road into the harbour (the wall being between the road and the beach).

It's a bit "pot luck" to find them - I'd given up today, and only got lucky when I saw a couple of folk on the beach standing looking into the dunes with bins - a bit of a clue!

Good luck.

 

[level seven]

It's the Royal Northumberland Yatch Club, Graham, old chap!

Oh, sorry old bean. I'll wear a tie under the jolly old anorak then.

Thanks Keith, that's brilliant. I'll be able to find that, no trouble. I'm prepared for a long search! The only time I've seen them was at Cley a couple of years ago and, although I'd been told they were around near the beach that day, I'd just about given up on them until I just about trod on one! Got great views of a couple, but haven't had a sniff since.

An afternoon there and the West Hartford owls on the way home would do me just fine

Toodle pip

 

[NickPatel92]

snow bunting at blyth

Oh, sorry old bean. I'll wear a tie under the jolly old anorak then.

Thanks Keith, that's brilliant. I'll be able to find that, no trouble. I'm prepared for a long search! The only time I've seen them was at Cley a couple of years ago and, although I'd been told they were around near the beach that day, I'd just about given up on them until I just about trod on one! Got great views of a couple, but haven't had a sniff since.

An afternoon there and the West Hartford owls on the way home would do me just fine

Toodle pip

early this morning we saw ....

Me and my Dad went to Blyth today, around 8 am till 10 am and at first when we walked onto the beach we found the original 3 straight away, on the south-west side of the pier, but as we walked up and down we encountered a 4th one which at first flew in and landed on a fence post, but it soon joined the 3 to make the 4, we got some good photo opportunities and 2 of these are attached.

 

[Keith Reeder]

I'm jealous of those shots, Nick!

 

[seggs]

early this morning we saw ....

Me and my Dad went to Blyth today, around 8 am till 10 am and at first when we walked onto the beach we found the original 3 straight away, on the south-west side of the pier, but as we walked up and down we encountered a 4th one which at first flew in and landed on a fence post, but it soon joined the 3 to make the 4, we got some good photo opportunities and 2 of these are attached.

brill photos!!!

 

[Derek Polley]

help sought

I am coming over from ireland in mid feb and hoping to go to cresswell druridge and hauxley can you keep me posted as to what is about? I would like things i cant get at home like waxwings, shore lark, snibs, owls etc Thanks

 

[Chris B]

Waxwing in Cramlington.

Spotted three Waxwing in the grounds of Cragside School at 12.20pm. Haven't seen any in the area for about nine years. (Larger flock then) Best of all is that they were all in a tree I planted some fourteen years ago.

PS. Saw a male Merlin kill a finch in flight yesterday whilst at Sherburn Towers doing a bit of Red Kite watching. Many thanks to the gentleman there who first saw it and identified it.

 

[Gill Osborne]

I am coming over from ireland in mid feb and hoping to go to cresswell druridge and hauxley can you keep me posted as to what is about? I would like things i cant get at home like waxwings, shore lark, snibs, owls etc Thanks

No probs mate.....just keep an eye on this thread and let us know when you are coming over and I'm sure we'll be able to send you in the right directions of all the birds you want :t:

 

[level seven]

today they were either feeding on the strand line about 200 yards south of the pier (they were quite close to the small dunes which run along the beach), or were on the wall which runs the length of the road into the harbour (the wall being between the road and the beach).

We managed to find them fairly quickly this morning, although they were quite mobile. Four in all, including a male (only seen a female before this, so dead chuffed). Thanks Keith and Gordon for your help.

We ended up at West Hartford and got a superb view of one of the Short-eared Owls right from the car as soon as we'd parked near the roundabout. Probably my best-ever binocular view of an owl. We saw at least three, and reckon there may well have been as many as four around today. Also saw Reed Buntings, Goldfinches, a pair of Stonechats, a couple of Fieldfare and lots of Meadow Pipits in the immediate area while viewing the owls.

I fleetingly saw a large raptor near the owls and thought "Peregrine!". Not being that familiar with them though, I dismissed the idea until we got talking to someone who goes there regularly and said he often sees one around. Can anyone confirm this?

Funnily enough we said a few Waxwings would round the day off nicely. As soon as I get home and log in here I see Chris B's report of some at Cragside school, yards from where I used to live for 13 years. If only we'd known....

 

[One Man and His Dog]

4 snow buntings showing very well at blyth
5 waxwings at north seaton, still enough berries to keep them going for a few days yet!

 

[cyberem78]

I would love to see my first owl and I only live 5 minutes away from West Hartford but I'm confused about where to actually go. Is the site near the Business Park sign? Thanks for any help!