A bit of a rush...

 All seems to have gone into a bit of an anti-climax after all of the excitement of last week. Last Thursday seems to have vanished on the easterlies that dropped some good birds in locally.

I'll start with Wednesday 19th. This was the beginning of a spell of winds from the east. In Northumberland it was not a  '2016 style' classic, but it was quite good and for the hotspots like Spurn and Fair Isle it was a very big deal.

Although I was working from home, one eye was being kept alternatively on the WhatsApp messages and then on the kitchen window. It soon became apparent that all along our coast it was raining Owls!  At least 21+ Short eared Owls were reported arriving along with half a dozen Long eared, so at lunchtime I took Peggy along the coast path. All seemed quiet until I heard a gull and crows mobbing something.

There, opposite our village entrance was a new-in Short eared owl on the fence, flanked by a Jackdaw paparazzi. Asio owls are scarce on my patch so I was very pleased with this one.

The Owl soon got tired of the Jacks and flew off high to the south.  By now, a few thrushes were arriving, mainly Redwings with a few Song Thrushes. Back home a male Brambling had dropped in with the sparrows on the feeders but was not present a short while later.

A kitchen window shot of the Brambling.

I decided to finish work a bit early and try half an hour on Cullernose Point. The wind here was uncomfortable and buffeting, but 11 Puffins, 9 Red throated Divers, 9 Common Scoter, 2 Little Gull, 1 Brent Goose, 1 Manx Shearwater made in into the notebook. As an oddity, a lone Barnacle Goose was in the sheep field beside the path where it was being chased around by inquisitive sheep, like a Benny Hill sketch!

Barnacle Goose in a moment of respite from sheep torment.

With the forecast looking good, I took Thursday off. At Seaton Point, the rain was steady off a blustery SE wind. Small numbers of migrants were clearly arriving, with 2 Fieldfare, 50+ Redwing, 12+ Blackbirds, a Woodcock, possibly 2,   and a Brambling. At sea with bins only, a nice group consisting of a fem Velvet Scoter, 2 Red breasted Mergansers and 2 Goldeneye flew N along the beach almost over my head. More wildfowl offshore included 7 Pintail, 13 Red throated Divers, 1 Black throated Diver, 3 Little Gulls and an Arctic Tern

The big mistake here was me going back to Howick to seawatch from my home patch. News came through of a drake Surf Scoter coming North with 30 Commons, so I hunkered down to wait. After 25 mins, I picked up the Scoter flock almost straight out from me at half distance. How I missed them further south I don't know. I screwed my eye into the scope and checked every one, They were quite bunched up and doing 30 mph. I thought I saw a white dot in the party but they were going too fast and away from me so, I dipped the Surf Scoter! On checking my phone I saw that Dan had not only seen the Surf close in at Seaton Point, he even managed a photo. Bugger, this is becoming a theme.

Back home for lunch and to dry off. Around 2pm Ben had found a Firecrest at Seaton Point golf course laybye so off I went. Ben, Dan, Mark and myself ( John was working) made up 80% of the Boulmer team getting good views of the bright male Firecrest, Lovely. We checked other areas but apart from thrushes not much was seen. One very late Spotted Flycatcher at the small caravan site was unexpected.

Firecrest, Seaton Point

 On Friday 21st I was working from the office down in Ashington. This location meant I was halfway closer to Whitley Bay where a Red flanked Bluetail and a Pallas's Warbler had taken up temporary residence. At lunch time, the sun was shining and the wind had eased to I went for a look.

A small gathering of 8 or 10 birders made finding the Bluetail quite easy, though viewing was not so comfortable. The other Bluetails Ive seen have been all below head height but this one decided it preferred the tree canopy. Still it was almost constantly on show, so worth the trip. I didn't see the Pallas's but did hear a Yellow browed Warbler briefly in a Long tailed Tit flock but it remained unseen. 

Red flanked Bluetail, Whitley Bay Cemetary.

Red flanked Bluetail from below.

On Sunday 23rd, the fall had largely tapered off.

At Seaton Point a Treecreeper, 2 Brambling, 6 Redwings, 12 Blackbirds, 12 Redpolls and 10 Twite were the only things of interest, so I went twitching again. This time all of 6 miles to Low Newton to try and see a Radde's Warbler found by Gary Woodburn in the wood beside the Tin Church. It was typically skulking but with some patience some brief decent views were had as it flicked around in dead grass and nettles. It called softly a fe times and once it popped up less than a metre from me but quickly dropped again before I could get a shot. This is my 7th county record I think?

Radde's Warbler, Low Newton

As I write this the sun is shining and its mild with a SW breeze. Dan has just found a Pallid Swift at Boulmer but I am working from home. Hopefully this autumn as a few more surprises in store...

Bobby Dazzler

 While the rest of the country basked in a mini heatwave, up here we had our own version. 12 degrees with a light onshore breeze and a moderate haze just to make sure we didn't get carrier away and think it was summer. Monday was better as the wind had gone west making it a little bit milder.

Despite the cool, more spring migrants arrived with  2 or 3 Swallows back in the village from 1.30pm on Saturday followed by 3 nice male Wheatears on Cullernose on Sunday. To those in the south or on headlands this might seem a bit duff, but these are my first of the year and might even be the only ones of spring on my patch where it is not a common bird.

Willow Warblers and Blackcap numbers seemed to increase too but the highlight of the weekend had to be a bright, tortoiseshell patterned, summer plumaged male Brambling at the bird table yesterday. April is the best month to get one on the feeders here and it was only 2 days later than last years singing male. Being on the north east coast we don't get many winterers, sometimes we get single figure parties, but they are easiest to find in October and April as they come and go.

Anyway, here is the stunner...images through kitchen window. 

Ouzels and a start...

 First bird this morning as I looked out of the kitchen window was the Brambling that had decided not to cross the North Sea just yet. After a brief show on Friday evening, Saturday evening and today it has been much more forthcoming spending the time chasing Chaffies from the bird table in between resting up and singing his Greenfinch like wheeze above the feeders.

For the first time this year, John and me headed inland all of 5 miles or so to Alnwick Moors. Thin cloud cover meant the day was still very cold though the frosts of recent days did not materialise this morning.

Before 9.30 we had seen 5 daylight hunting Barn Owls including two together at one site. 

We stopped at two random non birded spots for a look as we usually do and were pleased with a nice male Redstart in full song and a hatful of Willow Warblers with an odd Blackcap for good measure. One of the Barn Owls floated around serenaded by the Redstart overhead.

Male Redstart in song.

Our next stop was generally to look for insects but it was a bit cool so we had a yomp around not seeing much, until John gave a whistle and waved me up the hill. He had found a nice flock of 6 Ring Ouzels along a dry stone wall. There were 5 males and one female all seen together as they flew off high west only to circle around and drop back in to the same spot. All the while calling like a squeaky rubber ball. One male was partially leucistic, being dotted with white spots. We stalked for a photograph but they remained distant so here are some record shots.

Also here were 20+ Redpolls, 23 Fieldfare and 2 Stonechat.

When migrant birds are coming and going from all parts, its good to be out. 

5 of the 6 Ring Ouzels, we didnt see where No6 sloped off to...

  

Broken record.

 Its cold again. Frosty this morning at 0 degrees. Still no Willow Warblers etc etc.

Last night around 6pm a nice male Brambling dropped into our feeders for 10 minutes. Its not around today so I assume it could be in Norway by now, where it might be warmer than here.

Brambling at our feeders

Up near the main hall car park, the 3 mtr patch of lungwort is the place to be for insects. 12+ Hairy Footed Flower Bees but only 2 females were great to watch as they scrapped and chased through the dead stems, Garden Bumblebee, Common Carder Bee, Red tailed Bumblebee and 4 Dark edged Bee fly were all filling up at the nectar station.

Garden Bumblebee Bombus hortorum

Male Hairy footed Flower Bees

Spring Snow.

 I have seen snow in April on occasion, but this year the cold spell is getting pretty irksome now. Most of the month has been filled with cold northerly winds and a subsequent lack of birds. 

It is now approaching mid-April so this blocking weather will change. Bird migration will continue regardless, eventually.

Yesterday 3 Swallows arrived back over our house, twittering and mobbing the Barn Owl. Our shed door is now left open until October to allow them to nest.

What the Swallows felt this morning at below freezing temps with a half an inch covering of snow remains to be seen, but its enough to say, there are no Swallows here today. Hirundines can just move back south again until they find a mild enough climate to feed in. they then come back, following a mild therm north.

At Boulmer first thing it was colder than most days over the Christmas holidays, yet a single Swallow flew around the village. Up on the beach a male Greenland Wheatear looked very smart as it sheltered from the northerly. It will probably face worse conditions on its breeding grounds. Back at the car, a tinkling Snow Bunting moved north distantly, unseen .

It was very quiet here again, so we popped a couple of miles down to Alnmouth to look for the 4 Avocets Tom Cadwallender found here yesterday but they had gone too. 2 Whooper Swans dropped in and while we chatted to Tom and Muriel, an Osprey came in off, quite low, and flew over the river Aln and headed off north west.

Back home at lunchtime, a wander in our village wood was a bit more sheltered and the sun had a bit of heat to it. A fully flowered Sallow was quite active with bumblebees and an odd hoverfly.

Criorhina ranunculi was a new hoverfly for me. Two were on the catkins.

Another new species was Eristalis intricaria in the same bush.

I think this one is Bombus hortorum, Garden Bumblebee,

Later in the afternoon walking back along the lane with Peggy, a surprise female Brambling hopped out of the roadside ditch right in front of us. My first this year, this bird is a returning migrant on its way to Scandinavia, as soon as the wind changes.

Join the Dots...

Before I get on to this weekend, a little catch up from midweek. On Wednesday as I came back home from Bunty's walk before work, I noticed a large bird slowly heading towards us along the lane, coming from the direction of the pond field. At first, heron springs to mind, but the bowed wing shape just wasnt there even though the wing span was quite similar. Its angular appearance rang bells and I could see it was heading low across our village where a neighbour was waiting with her son for the school bus. I shouted, 'Lynsey!' 'OSPREY!' and pointed above her as it languidly travelled straight over her head. Although I have never heard her talk about natural history, she did seem interested in the large raptor continuing its migration...This is the 4th I have had in the area since 2009 and its my second garden record.

Right, back to this weekend.

Saturday started very early at 4am, when I got up to go and lead a Dawn Chorus walk at Howick Hall, just up the road. At first it seemed quiet outside then a Blackbird began proceedings, followed from our garden by Skylark, Grasshopper Warbler and Wren, while a Barn Owl carried prey over the back field to a nearby nest.

The walk started at 5am continuing until 7am. It was ticket 'do' with breakfast included for the 30 or so attendees. The walk was sold out I'm glad to say, as we limit it to this number. Any more would detract from the very reason people turn up at that time in the morning. 44 sp were recorded during the time and guests even managed a bonus Red Squirrel from feeders at the tea room as they ate breakfast. Bird highlights included Lesser Whitethroat, Gadwall and Tawny owl, all new for these, now annual, early wanders.

I spent the day in tired daze despite having a couple of hours dozing when I got home.

At 7pm, I was just about to leave home to collect Jane from the train station, when news came through of three Dotterel just down the road at Boulmer, so I carried out my taxi duty and off we went to see if these harlequin plovers were still there.

Luckily they were, in the same field as those Shorelarks from the other week, and we were well pleased to see that all three were lovely bright females. Dotterels carry out role and plumage reversal during breeding. Like phalaropes, it is the male who is dull and carries out all domestic duties while the female is brightly flamboyant. Unfortunately they were too distant for anything other than a record photo, but they really brightened up the field as they periodically ran around, punctuated by prolonged rests down in the barley. I dont think I have seen adult Dotterel in the county before but have seen several juveniles. Its a long while since my last one...

Dotterel in the gloom...

Today the North wind strength has increased making it more like March than May ( we say that every year) resulting in the need for two coats early on.

A return to Boulmer this morning for better pics of the Dotterel failed as they had departed overnight. Some compensation was had by the presence of a male Whinchat and 4 Wheatears, while 145 and 70 Barnacle Geese flew N along the shore. One male Wheatear struggled with a beetle, possibly a vine weevil, that had become entangles in some sheep wool...

Wheatear with beetle seen here in the sheeps wool...

Some of the migrating Barnacle Geese today.

After being frozen on exposed Boulmer Steel. we headed off to Low Newton to see if there were any more migrants there.

Really the wind had us defeated, but we tried, coming up with Grasshopper, Sedge and Willow Warblers, Chiffchaff Whitethroat and Lesser Whitethroat. A female Wheatear was on the pond edge while a female Brambling was held up on her way north by this awful wind.

A fw fem Brambling, looking tired near the Long Nanny car park.

And while northern birds are still migrating, this juvenile Song Thrush shows an already successful breeding season for its parents...

Late winter specials....

Off on a flexi day today and annual leave on Monday making a nice long weekend. Today, Phil Hanmer came to ours to replace an old owl box in the small wood next to our garden. The old one was dismal and last summer a Barn Owl nest failed in it due lack of protection from the weather so the new one is of much sturdier construction. Lets hope it gets used.

While out for a walk or two around the patch today, the Chiffchaff is still flickering around the Lane ditch while Brambling numbers in the finch flock have increased to 7 birds, 3 males 4 females. There were still 250+ Linnets and 50 Chaffinches with 1 Lesser Redpoll. Buzzard and Stock Dove kept the flock company in the stubble.

Down to the pond, it was quiet. There were no penduline tits in the reedmace ( prompted by one at Saltholme today!) but the Coot is still present ( please park carefully!)

Howick Hall Gardens open to the public tomorrow to see the snowdrops. There seems to be  nice show so far, all we need is some pleasant late winter weather rather than this grime, wind and rain that seems omnipresent....

Brambling. A male, probably adult but a strategically positioned twig stops us seeing an outer greater covert for contrast...

Brambling.

First winter male Brambling.

 

The ground was covered with an inch or so of snow when we got up and everything was frozen. However, by lunchtime the sun was glorious and it had mostly melted leaving only the shadows white.

A wander around the village turned up a nice surprise when I heard a call overhead 'pruk pruk' and looked to find a Raven in full display tumbling mode, wings closed and upside down. It came low over the field scattering a large flock of Woodpigeons as it went.

Later as I left to go to Alnwick, the Brambling from the other day had returned to the feeders, favouring the niger. As the light was so nice it would be rude not to try a photo, so I popped back inside to get the camera and rattled a few off. The orange looks lovely and warm in the sunshine, dont you think?

Also around about, a pair of Stonechats looked great too on the coast path, 7 Redwings were in the Rectory paddock and 3 Kestrels were together in the village wood.

79. Raven

A bit of archaeology too...

On Sunday, John and myself took a trip to the most ancient of Northumberland's landscapes, to visit a site of cup and ring marked stones. There are countless opinions as to the meaning of the carvings and symbols and we will never know for sure why they were produced. 3,000 years ago, primitive man must have had a plan for them. What I find amazing is that similar carvings are found in other countries too, in a time of no communication I would have thought even a few miles away things would have evolved differently.

Northumberland contains the largest number of recorded cup and ring marked sites in Britain. These ancient markings are found on exposed rock faces in the northern hills and usually involve cup shaped depressions surrounded by concentric circles that are often joined by grooves.

Up here in this quiet, now bleak, landscape you wonder how people lived then and how people will live in 3,000 years time....

Our (public) path took us right past a newly refurbished Raven's nest where the adult let us know we werent welcome with variety of cronks, chuckles and capercaillie like 'pops'. We left them at peace in obvious view so they wouldnt be afraid we were lurking nearby.

Some rocks were covered in lichens including the Golden Shield Lichen Xanthoria parietina and the one below that I am struggling to i.d ( any help appreciated). [Dog Lichen Peltigera canina. Thanks anon.]

Near home, a flock of 80+ Bramblings was a nice find at the entrance to Howick Quarry where they fed in a game crop. The group also had single numbers of Tree Sparrow, Yellowhammer, Goldfinch and Chaffinch.

Some Snow...

This weeks snow pattern has been mostly away from the coastal strip. Yesterday all of our snow here had gone, but a surprise lay in wait when we got up for work this morning. A good 2 inches had dropped and was still tipping it down until almost lunchtime. First thing we checked the roads and found them to be a nightmare so, an impromptu holiday was called in and that was the day off.

The main coastal road south. Nice, clear and well gritted.

 We didn't go far, but the garden birds provided a good distraction -

Fieldfare 17+ on the few apples we had left. A garden record.
Blackbird 6+
Redwing 1
Tree Sparrow 6+
Chaffinch 10+
Brambling 4 ( 2 males and 2 females)
Goldfinch 5
Long tailed Tit 4
plus all the other regulars...

4 Lapwings and a Redpoll flew south overhead.

Fieldfare

From the Notebook

Oh and I almost forgot, a new moth for the year on our kitchen wall last night - Agonopterix arenella.