Sedgedunum Warbler

If you go down to the woods today, or any other.......

2012-02-02T16:31:00.000Z

...........you're sure of a pleasant surprise.
I visited the Red Kite roost from the Nine Arches Viaduct a couple of weeks ago and was treated to 27 of the birds in view at the same time. Fabulous. That, along with the sunset over the Derwent Valley was splendid. There was a nice bonus in the shape of some wood sculptures as i followed the yellow trail away from the Thornley Woodlands visitors centre then down to the viaduct. They were carved by a gentleman from Durham from tree stumps that he left while thinning out the trees in that area of the woods. If you happen to decide to go down to see the Red Kites in the near future park up at Thornley and follow the markers.
Here is just one of the carvings taken from a few angles. I'll post some more in the future.

The main tools used were a chain saw and a blow torch.

Dunnock, Far Pastures

2012-01-20T01:57:00.000Z

Cheltenham Town, Swindon Town this ones for you

2012-01-18T14:09:00.000Z


a single Robin

meanwhile 11 Magpies.........come on the Toon !

Oh, what a beautiful mornin'........................

2012-01-14T00:52:00.001Z

.........oh, what a beautiful day,
i've got a wonderful feeling,
Shorties are flying my way.
Anyone who crossed their threshold this morning must have been more than happy, especially the ones with any kind of optic. It was caad mind and the grass crunched like a thirty year old felted roof underfoot as i walked around Killy's larger lake. The Goosander count was down to 7 with the Goldeneye scoring a measly 4. A hybrid goose had taken me up to the car park end but apart from that there were 7 Greylags in amongst the throngs of Canadas. Something else was in the air at Killy apart from the nip of Jack Frost. I reckon around 12 pairs of Mute Swans were getting acquainted, most of them mirroring each other with one pair copulating in the water. The Coots were also active. There was a lot of posturing and fights were breaking out spasmodically as i walked around. By now the grass was silent and my boots were now getting wet and as i approached the floating bed (i've left the reed bit out). I was pleasantly surprised to see a Grey Wagtail hopping about on it. First i can recollect here. I then spent 20 minutes getting my backside cold and wet by sitting on the wall in front of the floating bed watching a Little Grebe close by.
On to Prestwick Carr. No Great Grey Shrike and not much else initially but it was a joy to be out and about. If i hadn't seen a bird i wouldn't have been too disappointed to be honest, it was that nice.
I walked the full length of the bumpy road and before i settled down to view the owls i had 2 Roe Deer bounding across the danger zone, their arses "showing well". Bird wise it continued to be quiet with Blackbirds and Robins taking centre stage supported by a single Dunnock which popped up from the undergrowth and the honking of some Greylags coming from i know not where, but not overhead.
A trio of Short-eared Owls hunted on both sides of the road with the highlight being when one of the owls, which was taking a break on a fence post, was dive bombed by a very vocal Kestrel who obviously had decided "this Carr ain't big enough for the both of us". It tried three times to chase off the Shortie but the owl wasn't having it and the Kestrel drifted off. All too distant for my lens but the image below i believe sums up my morning.

It was lush.

Looking good.

2012-01-09T22:54:00.002Z

Some decent light had me out of the door and off up to the Rising Sun this afternoon. I entered from the west and spent the first hour or so exploring the large number of Alders on that side of the hill but none of the hoped for Redpoll. Further in 5 Blackbirds were gorging themselves on the fruit of the still laden Hawthorns at the end of the west ditch. The main waggonway was busy and after the obligatory mixed flock of Tits i picked up on a single Siskin trailing close behind. The sun was getting lower in the sky now and the light was superb. Hoping to come across something a little special i was in luck and a pair of Coal Tits appeared and concentrated their attentions on a Beech close to the plantation. I had the birds in view for about 10 minutes, moving along the tree line before i spotted another 5 Siskins high in some more Alders.


Coal Tit

Siskin

Saturday p.m. West Hartford.

2012-01-07T19:12:00.003Z

I spent 90 minutes with 4 Short-eared Owls at West Hartford and when the light had gone i spent 45 minutes with 11 Magpies on the wireless and both were most enjoyable.
Within a short time of arriving at the site i had 2 owls hunting in the field in front of the farm. Another bird appeared over by the brick outhouse shortly after and within minutes they had dispersed. At varying times i had owls over the field in front of the Fire Station, by the sub station and perched on the railings of the compound. With them being scattered everywhere it was getting difficult to keep a track of them and i thought that i has seen 4 but couldn't be sure but eventually all the birds ended up in the field in front of the farm again and i definitely had 4.
Other birds seen while there included 57 Teal, a single Wren and numbers of Lapwing and Gulls which lifted when i arrived but was unable to I.D. or count before they flew off.

Not much to report.............

2012-01-07T01:12:00.001Z

...........so i don't know why i'm bothering !!
Prestwick Carr Friday lunchtime for a couple of hours brought.....err....hang on.......i'm thinking......oh yes, a Kestrel and some Blue and Great Tits. No Great Grey Shrike and no Short-eared Owls.
Thursday p.m. again for a couple of hours. One spent on the west side of the Rising Sun brought 3 Goldfinch, that's it. The other hour spent at Killy Lakes. Loads of birds with the excitement being generated by 17 Goosanders and 10 Goldeneye.
There y go.
Telt yu.

Goldfinch on Alders at the Rising Sun.

Help save Gatesheads Countryside Management Team !

2012-01-04T16:30:00.002Z

I bumped into Harold Dobson at Prestwick Carr just before Christmas and mentioned that i had read that there were cut backs in the offing which had been highlighted on Gateshead Birders website. The cut backs include the possible axing of the Countryside Management Team. Harold had advised me that he had set up an e petition to try to help save the team. We can help wildlife in lots of ways and by signing this petition we all can help some of the wildlife in the Gateshead area. Whether it be Dippers on the Derwent, Kingfishers at Clara Vale, Dragonflies at Kibblesworth or Grey Squirrels at Thornley (not sure about that last one) click on THIS LINK and show your support by adding your name.
By way of thanks here is an image of a Sanderling taken in the North Bay at St. Marys yesterday where, due to the wild conditions, i had only the Sanderlings and Turnstones to share with. Not a dog walker in sight......bliss.

New Year Resolution.

2012-01-01T12:00:00.000Z

Just a thought...........
the way things are now does your resolution have to be in 3D or will just plain HD be o.k.??

The lastest post.

2012-01-01T00:00:00.002Z

Sitting here with my glass of orange Fanta and slice of Warburtons Winter Fruit Loaf, life in the fast lane is a distant memory.
A shout out to John, HOWDON BLOGGER, Brian, NORTHUMBRIAN BIRDING and Brian, KILLY BIRDER for some great days out this year. Thanks also to Peter, PC WANDERINGS for all the info. at Prestwick and all the other birders i've met while out and about. Thanks to Jeff, MR. CHEVIOT and Lewis, BLYTH BIGFOOT my walking companions.
Best moments. White-faced Darters in Cumbria and the hairs standing up on my neck while seeing Pallid Harrier for all of 20 seconds at Saltholme. White-front Geese at Rising Sun so close a real treat along with RED the Red Deer Stag.
BIG BEN chiming so i'm off..............

My annual Christmas message.

2011-12-20T20:37:00.002Z

BAH, HUMBUG.

Stone me, more Shorties.

2011-12-19T17:08:00.001Z

Having suffered a foot injury while out walking in Thrunton Woods last weekend a hobble along to Prestwick was the only venture out last week so it was fantastic to get out again on Sunday even if the wind cut right through. I parked up at Druridge Pools and headed straight up for East Chevington and almost immediately picked up on my hoped for species. A pair of Stonechats were feeding slightly apart in the dunes while a large party of Goldfinches lifted and dropped at different points around them. In the arable fields to my west as i continued on were Lapwings and Starlings galore interspersed with Curlews, Crows and a handful of Rooks. The track had been reasonable underfoot up to this point but was getting really icy now and care had to be taken in between looking around and looking down. The first of my Short-eared sightings occurred as i approached the north pool at East Chevington with two interacting and hunting, again the dunes being the location. The light was fantastic, the setting superb but the photographer inept so no images were collected as they continued, a little distantly as it happens, with a few dog walkers oblivious as they passed overhead. Adding to the scenic views were three Highland Cattle browsing in the tall grasses, stunning beasts, a joy to observe!


Isn't he/she a beaut. (never thought to look)

Lunch was taken in one of the "ice box" hides. The twenty or so minutes spent mainly entertained by a couple of male Goldeneye who dropped in with their female counterparts and a few Pintails caught the eye on the far bank. The return journey was a bit quieter but as i left East Chevingtons reed beds and crossed the small bridge two more Shorties appeared, this time overhead, but they came out of the sun so were already past me by the time the camera was located. Back at Druridge ten minutes in the Oddie hide brought me a tucked up Green-winged Teal while the walk back to the car brought me a bruised backside as i fell down twice in twenty seconds, ironically, as i had previously covered over 7 km without coming a cropper. Light had just about gone so i called off at Cresswell to see if the Barn Owl was going to show and was informed by two separate guys who had been in the hide that a Great Northern Diver which had been about for only five minutes had not long flown off onto the sea. A chilly hour around the farm buildings and track brought no joy with the Barnie.

Missing Hen Harriers

2011-12-09T18:12:00.000Z

Read this from Raptor Politics,.

If you don't have it on your blog list i would suggest you add it.

Hair cut yesterday, blow dry today.

2011-12-08T01:53:00.001Z

It was a bit breezy out there today and there was a tad more than a nither in the wind. The back of the neck was feeling the chill.
Getting binoculars, scopes and bags out of the car was a struggle at sunny Newbiggin by the Sea this morning but more than worth it. Killy Birder and i flew Mary Poppinesque along the shoreline to Beacon Point as right at the end of the beach the Desert Wheatear was spotted immediately. Enjoying great views in excellent photographic light Brian said "Go on, get in close and get a shot" "No" i replied. "I'll enjoy the views and get an image in a while" GUESS WHAT? The bird became "mobile" and it was suddenly easier to capture an image of an empty crisp packet in a wind tunnel!! The little darling tormented the life out of the two of us along the cliff edge all the way along to the raised tee of the fifth hole on the golf course. It then, in the blink of an eye, vanished. "OH DEAR" i thought to myself. Everyone who had seen it earlier had commented on how accommodating it was. PHOOEY!. We kept blaming the wind. It was a stunner mind.
We did continue to foolishly kid ourselves we would relocate on the return journey. DID WE BOLLOCKS.
By way of consolation a bird was hopping along the path between the cliff edge and golf course and there was a bonny Snow Bunting. Not a bad second prize. Again no images as the bird was very flighty. Brian spotted a single Med. Gull on the main beach just before we left to head up the coast.
Cresswell water levels were very high and after a shortish visit to the hide the only birds worth mentioning was the large flock of Wigeon just north of the causeway in the field, this flock were commented on by a guy later on. Druridge Pools bypassed we continued on to East Chevington to be greated by a mini twitch of birders by hide number one all focused on the Greater Yellowlegs. I saw part of this bird a couple of weeks ago in the same location but that time the important part namely the legs were submerged, selfishly, it was wading, but today it was on the bank. An Otter was pointed out to us on a couple of occasions. Both times it was feeding, the first time it was wrestling with a large Eel, the second it was on the middle island with a much smaller fish. Some other nice birds were seen here but i'll let Brian continue the story here
I must put an image up so here is another of "Red" from the Rising Sun yesterday

Cracking days birding. Thanks Killy.

Stag gering pose.

2011-12-07T01:15:00.000Z


Well, an interesting one.

I was told to get out and get my christmas hair cut by the gaffer and while out i visited the Rising Sun. Pleased i did as i hadn't seen the male Red Deer for quite a while. Always enjoyable, even if it was just as the sun was disappearing. He's a handsome beast, especially now with the antlers looking so good.
Nice to see also that the 8 European White-fronted Geese are still enjoying the sweet grass in the horses field and still very close to the waggonway. If you haven't already i would suggest you pop along if you would like a nice close view of these stunning birds.........you might see the stag also. On Swallow Pond a single Whooper Swan and a couple of male Shovelers the highlights while the Dukes Pond Kestrel was hovering looking for its last meal of the day, as usual.

A couple from P.C.

2011-12-05T19:03:00.000Z

A couple of images from last week taken at iso in excess of 3200 in very poor light but "touched up" in Lightroom. The rain started within minutes of me arriving at Prestwick Carr despite the forecast and i spent the next 45 minutes in the car.Post deluge i headed along for hopefully a late lunch showing by the Short-eared Owls and on the way came across a large flock of Redwing and Fieldfare. They were stretched along the hedgerow of the bumpy road and out onto the Carr. As usual as i got closer they lifted and either moved further along the road in front or out to join the others in various trees and bushes to my right. I hung fire by the small bridge and a few were brave enough to come back attracted by the large amount of food on offer.

The owls had indeed put back the lunchtime showing due to the rain. I was treat to over an hour of the birds, 5 at one stage, feeding and interacting. I left them still showing hoping for a view of the Shrike but struck out there.

I bumped into Brian (Killy Birder) with a lady friend who he was taking to see the owls as i headed back towards Mayfair Cottage and on to try and find the Bean Geese in the company of Peter (PC Wanderings). Brian fared well and had excellent sightings it transpired, whereas Peter and i ended up with distant objects about as far away in the field as was possible through the gloom which may have been geese.

Swarovski digiscoping kit FOR SALE

2011-12-02T02:41:00.000Z

Due to unforeseen circumstances a friend of mine is having to sell the above. The scope itself is the STM 80 HD model with the necessary accessories. He has had it for only a matter of months and can confirm it has hardly been used. Virtually brand new !
Here is the link to e bay for anyone interested. Digiscope kit, e bay

" Where are the Starlings ? " John murmured...........

2011-11-30T17:09:00.001Z

.........there they are.

Whoop whoop

2011-11-29T18:02:00.000Z

Whoopee a swan

Belly nice

2011-11-24T17:45:00.000Z

Caught up finally with the European White-fronted Geese at the Rising Sun feeding in the field to the east of Swallow Pond. This is a horse field and the grass is always lush here thanks, i would think, to the manuring it receives throughout the year. I've commented to folks before that the grass must be sweet as the Red Stag favours this field also and the geese have been seen here mostly since they arrived last week. A bonny goose with lovely markings across the adults bellies, making each bird very distinctive.


What a fine goose...adult.


Juvenile...less markings around beak and on belly.

Loads of Blackbirds around the park, great to watch them chucking the leaves around in the undergrowth. No other Thrushes to be seen. Dunnocks were prevalent with a few calling and a few Tit flocks. Quiet otherwise but i did see the Jack Snipe momentarily as it lifted as a walker almost trod on it at the far edge of Dukes Pond, it shot off towards Swallow.
Here are a couple of more goose images to have a gander of.

See gull........

2011-11-22T13:35:00.001Z


Herring Gull

..............enjoy gull.Imagine heading down to the coast and not hearing the iconic sound of this gull. A handsome, slightly menacing looking bird that helps to keep the streets clean also.
You gotta love 'em.
As a small boy they were the sound of a Sunday afternoon for me. I lived in North Shields not far from the Fish Quay and i remember when the streets were empty on a Sunday after 2.30p.m. when the pubs had closed and almost every shop was shut. There was almost nobody on the streets, there was no reason to be. Sunday was a day of rest and you were not allowed to sell so many things, fish and chips top of the list i seem to remember, except if they sold them at the rare Chinese or Indian takeaway. Woodbines were 9d for a packet of ten....................
Anyway, i love carpets me...........sorry Herring Gulls.

Double take

2011-11-18T16:05:00.002Z

Prestwick Carr Thursday early afternoon, no Great Grey Shrike to be seen and generally in was quite quiet but as i approached "that" hedgerow six of the beauties could be seen to be on the wing. Must have caught the end of the activity as they quickly settled down. Five birds in view by now, four on their favoured fence posts with another over to the left in a Hawthorn. Gradually they disappeared and all was quiet again. After that the high point was a passing Red Admiral. I had seen one on Saturday also when i ventured up the track to the sentry boxes. That day i did see the Great Grey Shrike, my first. A good week for me as i had my first Greater Yellowlegs, which i caught up with at East Chevington having seen my first Grey Phalarope earlier in the day on Wednesday at Hauxley. All in between sightings of a Water Rail, Kingfisher, Whoopers and a single White-fronted Goose.

I had already started this post before reading Peters update today, obviously confirming the owls schedules at Prestwick. Must add that i did see a Common Darter very briefly last Saturday at the Carr.

Did you spot the second owl in the image??

Bit of sunshine on a miserable day.

2011-11-08T14:50:00.000Z

Brightening up your day, i hope.

I'm taking you back to Sunday, 6th of November and a stunner. I'm posting this on Tuesday, 8th of November and the sort of miserable day that makes you want to chuck yourself off the Tyne Bridge at the thought of things to come. Having left Blyth South Harbour John and i ended up at Druridge Pools eventually. My first thought was to go see if there were still Common Darters at the end of the track heading out to Low Chibburn Chapel. For some reason we stopped off at the hide looking out over the Budge Field and a movement low in front of us brought one of the dragonflies i was after. It landed on the front of the hide in full sun taking in the heat that the sun was so generously providing as was the second Darter we found on a fence post when we moved along the track.


Common Darter looking dapper in late autumn sunshine.

Back along the track and views from the Oddie Hide included a fairly brief but clear sighting of a Water Rail on the far bank. Before Druridge we had called in at a very busy Newbiggin and with an explosion associated with Guido Fawkes sending every bird within half a mile of it up in the air we quickly headed up to the point. Jimmy Steele was set with his scope directed on the North Sea giving a commentary of some nice sightings as they drifted past as he told us of the Siberian Chiffchaff he had found at the mound earlier in the morning. We left him answering his mobile for the umpteenth time as news was obviously circulating of the bird and he issued instructions to inquisitive birders.

R.T.D.

2011-11-07T14:31:00.000Z

On a beautiful Sunday in November with global warming flexing its muscles to their full extent Blyth Harbour was the first port of call. In quite quick time the sound of Snow Buntings carried on the still air and into mine and Johns (Howdon Blogger) shell like orifices. 8/9 of these delightful birds were in the vicinity but very flighty. We had the area to ourselves for around 30 minutes but gradually birders and "others" began to drift in, a bit like the sea in the tranquil conditions. The 8/9 count referred to the slight differing in opinion of how many birds were actually there. They did fragment into smaller groups on occasions and only settled occasionally. The top of the beach and the tall grasses in front of the wall, a couple of the jetties and in and around the industrial units seemed to be the favoured spots. Obviously loads of gulls were scattered about the area with numbers of Cormorants hanging out to dry occupying spots in amongst the sailing vessels. The sight and sound of Eiders, the males doing their "OOOH AAH missus" Frankie Howard impersonations and lots of necks being thrown backwards seemed to be impressing the girls. The thought of spring briefly crossed my mind.

Sundays best lookers,,,,,,,,,,,,who's a pretty boy ?

A couiple of other nice species soon to be seen in the form of a number of Shags opposite the jetty at the end of the beach. While watching the slightly too distant for an image birds, but hoping for a closer in flight shot the BONUS BIRD OF THE DAY appeared from beneath the calm waters of the estuary in the form of a Red-throated Diver.At a distance of approximately 25 metres initially views were cracking. It slowly drifted out of the harbour diving (the clue is in the name) and reappearing while i and another guy scuttled along the jetty trying to keep in front of it while keeping the lowish sun on our good side so we could fully enjoy the opporunity.


Juv. Red-throated Diver

Press F11 to enhance your enjoyment of the images. Enjoy.

S.E.O. W.H.

2011-11-04T22:15:00.000Z

Arrived around 2 this afternoon at West Hartford having decided to get there early as far as the Owls were concerned and to have a leg stretch and wander about the site. All morning it had rained but by now the sun was out and the light was fabulous. Not much to report really, usual Tit flocks, numbers of Blackbirds, a dozen or so Redwings passed through but more importantly no humans. Very nice.
Headed back towards the two pools hoping for a Common Darter on the more northerly one but no luck. Took up position by the trees in between the other pool and the fire station and within five minutes at 15.45 a Short-eared Owl appeared in between the two pools and dropped into the reeds almost immediately. Out of sight for a couple of minutes but the bird showed almost constantly for the next 40 minutes. It tracked around the main pool from the northern corner through to the west almost systematically searching the short grass around the waters edge and landing on a fence post. It did this five times before covering the main reed beds, tracking across the field in front of the fire station then heading over to the small plantation beside the electricity sub station. Spent ten minutes on a post in this location before heading back over to what seemed to be its favoured area alongside the main pool.

Just the one..........

2011-11-02T14:58:00.000Z

......but it was the first day of November. I walked up to the Rising Sun yesterday with a target species in mind but was side tracked on arrival by a small flock of Long-tailed Tits. Determined to get a nice image in the lush light i pursued the birds for a good thirty minutes. Either they were on the wrong side with the sun behind, partially hidden by leaves and branches or just kept ahead of me as i followed them along the waggonways. I finally gave up and had no sooner left them that another flock came towards me from the opposite direction. These were in the shade so i moved on to the small ponds at the edge of the plantation. I was hoping for a Common Darter, but i had arrived later than i had planned and although the sun was still putting out a bit of heat you could feel the afternoon chill that you get at this time of year just kicking in. Checked out the timber platforms immediately without success then into the reed bed areas, again nothing about. With the sun low in the sky anything on the wing always catches the eye so i stood for ten minutes, nowt. One last chance, check out the trunks of the trees and eventually the one and only dragon tucked away but with the beautiful sunlight glistening on the creatures wings.


Basking Dragon.

I've seen some nice bird species lately. I had a thirty second view of the Pallid Harrier at Saltholme while out with John (Howdon Blogger) the other weekend, this despite John leaving me to search around the reception area while he was standing outside enjoying a fly by. NAUGHTY, NAUGHTY. Last Sunday i ventured down to Sleddale having discovered at the last minute the car was available. On a stunning day i had prolonged views of both Rough-legged Buzzards, a juvenile and an adult female. Fantastic birds to observe hovering, hunting low across the terrain or climbing on the thermals. Got a couple of record shots and having gone off mid afternoon to explore Hob Hole a picturesque ford on Baysdale Beck and returned an hour later i was gutted to miss out on brilliant images as the bird appeared from behind me within twenty metres only to realise my camera was on the car seat. Earlier in the morning i had decided to explore Scaling Dam while in the area and stayed there until lunchtime having explored the nature reserve area and found a circular trail which took you out and away from the reservoir and onto the edge of the moors and beside a nice wooded area. I had forgotten that a Red-breasted Goose was there (and still is) but came across a flock of around 140 Fieldfare and numerous Red Grouse in between a Stoat chasing a Rabbit across the hillside in front of me.

Jack Flush

2011-10-26T23:58:00.001+01:00

A walk up to the Rising Sun this afternoon was my first visit there since before the school summer holidays. Kids on holiday again by the looks of it and with dog walkers everywhere i didn't linger too long anywhere around the park. I did find time however to rescue a Common Darter from one of the ponds. While i was enjoying the sunshine and the company of another of the species my eye was drawn to movement and there was the poor creature flailing about in vain trying to escape the clutches of the water. I found a branch from a tree and it clambered aboard and rested on my hand while it started to dry out. It was fascinating watching it at such close quarters as it preened its head and eyes with its front legs as a cat would do. Having enjoyed close views for 3 or 4 minutes i popped it on the timber platform where it rested for another 5 minutes while fluttering its wings then lifting off.


Common Darter drying out.

Moving on i didn't bother with either the hide or the screen overlooking Swallow Pond but instead took a walk out to Scaffold Farm to see if the Tree Sparrows were still about. On the way i did see some nice fungi but was disappointed to find a couple of large bracket fungi which i have admired on a dead Birch for some time had been torn down by some mindless moron. A nice Song Thrush, a couple of flocks of Starlings and a number of Robins were birds i came across while on the way to the farm where i did find the Tree Sparrows along with some House Sparrows and a Goldfinch. I want to capture an image of a Tree and House Sparrow together but, as in the past, they were too distant. I decided to head back home via Dukes Pond and as i circled the pond the previously sighted Jack Snipe lifted and flew low about 8 metres from under my feet to the reeds further on. I took a wide berth as i continued around the pond and got close to the spot where i thought it had landed but it lifted again and went back to the area it had been originally flushed. Further on i found myself in amongst a mixed flock of tits on either side of the waggonway close to the Organic Farm. The majority of these birds looked to be Long-tailed Tits so in fading light i tried to capture an image. Not very successful, as you'll see.

Not the expected LTT i had hoped for.

He works in mysterious ways.

2011-10-21T02:33:00.002+01:00


How did he know ???

I was away in Kent last week and while there i visited Stodmarsh. Top of my list was to get some nice images of Bearded Reedlings. I wasn't happy with good sightings of Marsh Harriers or the fly by of a Bittern. I heard, but never did see my target species and returned somewhat crest fallen. While i was away i was keeping track of the Lesser Scaup and Mandarin at Cullercoats and North Shields. They were still here when i got back and caught up first with the Lesser Scaup at Marden Quarry first then headed straight along to Northumberland Park. The Marden Quarry bird was always too distant for decent images but i still got good views of it and as i was travelling along The Broadway in the direction of Tynemouth i spotted the above sign emblazoned on Cullercoats Methodist Church's exterior.

Divine message

Of course the Mandarin Duck was sitting waiting for me when i arrived but was in shadow under some overhanging trees. He didn't look as if he was going to move in the foreseeable future so i had a potter. I enjoyed sightings of Blackbirds ( i had seen large numbers at Marden Quarry) Blue and Great Tits and a Treecreeper while i sat on the pond wall along with quite a few Crows while meandering around for five minutes. I was joined by Cain (Holywell Birding) who had also been out of the area recently and who i had already bumped into in Cullercoats and had expected to see here also. The bird was still tucked up and in the shade and Cain, who was on a tight schedule jokingly asked if i had any bread. While we waited we were joined by Mike Coates who it turned out is the chairman of The Friends of Northumberland Park and who gave us some interesting information on some of the species which inhabit the park. I knew the name and he confirmed that he regularly posted butterfly sightings on the north east conservation butterfly site. He also informed us that he had acquired monies from the Lottery Fund to do some work along the old coal railway line which runs into Tynemouth Metro Station. I look forward to visiting both that site and the park next year. They had Holly Blue butterflies in the park in April he told us, along with some other nice species.
Cain had to leave to do some studying and a few minutes later a local couple turned up and proceeded to feed the Mallards with a few slices of Mothers Pride ( it may have been Hovis's Best of Both thick cut, i must admit i'm no expert) and the Mandarin was out in the open and making his presence known as the ducks jostled for position in the bread fest.


I'm the dandy highwayman.......................

This was my first sighting of a male Mandarin and while it was .............interesting i must admit the view that both Cain and i had of a Grey Wagtail was actually more enjoyable. Anything but grey these birds, i reckon.


Grey ???? What the heck is grey about this beauty?

It WAS interesting.
It has to be said that the quality of the water in the pond was a bit dodgy, to say the least, and this was confirmed by one of the couple who told me that his dog had jumped in on a previous visit and was stinking and had to be scrubbed down before he would let it in the house. I also had a couple of Crows sitting on the pond wall at one stage looking down a bit puzzled.

Click on image and press F11 for better views

Turtle Dove, Big Waters.

2011-10-10T22:35:00.001+01:00

Caught up with this little beauty yesterday morning while out with John (Howdon Blogger) but the light wasn't the best. Had decent views nonetheless in trees close to the football pitches just behind the car park off the entrance road. Ten minutes later it had lifted and as the first crowd of birders was starting to built John and i left for our trip "around the doors". Called past Arcot on our way to St. Marys Lighthouse, half a dozen or so Snipe taking flight from the pond edge the main highlight. With it being Sunday, St. Marys was fairly busy so there was a fair bit of disturbance on the rocks and in the northern bay by the humanoids so hopes of enjoying watching waders wasn't high. Enjoyable, but short views were had of a few species. One Curlew held John and my attention for a good five minutes as it probed its way along the waters edge only to be set to flight by some burk with a camera that got too close. Tynemouth was to be our last port of call with half of a bag of chips, some glorious Starlings, a few juvenile Herring Gulls and the ubiquitous Black-headed Gulls providing the entertainment seeing how as, the Yellow-browed didn't want to play.
Having finished my painting chores around 3p.m. i hurriedly showered and headed back up to Big Waters with Prestwick definitely on the cards for around 5p.m. Picked up on the Turtle Dove immediately in the trees again on arrival having passed a few birders standing on the entrance road scanning the fields. Before i could give them a shout the bird lifted along with a few of its Collared Dove pals and by the time i had joined the other guys it was out on the newly ploughed area of the field where they had been watching. It moved around the field a few times having been disturbed by tractors, dog walkers and aircraft but stayed in view all the time even coming to rest on the chain link fencing to the compound around the mast.
I left for Prestwick hoping to get the "daily double" up with the Ringtail but no such luck. Even the owls weren't playing ball this evening with very late shows in quickly fading light.
Well done Tim for getting up the treble never mind double.
Turtle Dove, Hen Harrier AND Lesser Scaup !!!!!! Very nice.

Turtle Dove. double click to enhance your enjoyment.

Prestwick Carr.......without the s.

2011-10-07T01:47:00.000+01:00


"Is that a Kestrel ?" "No, don't be daft. It's a Ringtail"

Prestwick.....it's not just about owls.

2011-10-04T17:00:00.000+01:00

As this Willow Tit mooching along the hedgerow goes to show. I heard the unmistakable call and had to go in search. Next i heard another unique call, "chiff chaff, chiff chaff". Pursued that little fella for a good 10 minutes as he/ she switched between bushes, sometimes "peeping", but couldn't get a focus to get an image. The resident Mute Swans circled overhead for a moment before taking up residence by the pond, part hidden by the trees that the SEO and LEO's have been roosting in. It was around 10a.m. by now and none of the Owls were showing, despite the fact that there had been rain most of the previous day on Sunday. I was wandering around up and down the bumpy road and spotting flocks of tits making their way through the undergrowth. A few flocks of Goldfinch passed overhead along with numerous sightings of Kestrels and Buzzards, most of which being harassed by Corvids of one species or another. I was going to have a walk up by the sentry boxes yesterday but as i checked my watch i realised i was fast running out of time so had a slow wander back to Mayfair Cottage where i was parked. I came across two parties of Bullfinches as i did, one had three in it and the other six. All birds were male with some younger ones in amongst them.

Prestwick.........best show in town, bar none.

2011-10-01T14:57:00.000+01:00

I've visited Prestwick Carr (without the s) five times in the last seven days and have no images worth showing anybody but i don't care. My lens is only 300mm and i realised early on in my visits that one of the owls was going to have to perch or come quite close to have anything half decent. It has happened on one or two occasions but always in less than decent light for photography but the spectacle of these fantastic birds "doing their thing" has been brilliant. I think it tells you how tricky capturing these birds has been by the lack of crisp images being exhibited on the net by what has been a bank of big lenses most evenings.
Yesterday before my visit around 4.30p.m. i met up with Mr. Cheviot for a leg stretch and parked by Rumbling Kern and proceeded up to Craster and back via Howick Scar and Howick Hall. A beautiful day (again) but very little of interest along the coast understandably given the weather conditions for the last few weeks. On arrival at Craster i left Jeff for 45 minutes contemplating his navel and the harbour while i nipped up to the Arnold Memorial Nature Reserve expecting the Wryneck or Bluethroat that it promises on the information plaque as you enter. What i got was strange. Sitting there in the dappled light of the trees with a steady fall of "autumn" leaves fluttering down all around me, blackberries ready to pick on all the brambles and a full chorus of Robins singing their hearts out but i was like a summers day. It was very tranquil mind.
Having dropped Jeff off mid afternoon on our return i continued on to Banks' Pond to have a couple of hours before the Carr. I had done this also on Wednesday and had been rewarded with sightings of Common Darters, a couple of what i thought were very pale Emerald Damselflies ( but they didn't have there wings at 45 degrees) and fly through by Hawkers on half a dozen occasions. One of the Hawkers had to have been a Migrant Hawker i reckoned by its size but i never got a clear view of markings on any of the six occasions. While walking the coastal path earlier in the day i had sightings of quite a number of butterflies including numerous Small Tortoiseshell and Red Admirals and a brace of Speckled Wood but at the pond a speck of blue moving in the grasses caught my eye. When i went over it was a female Common Blue.I haven't seen a blue butterfly for ages.

Storming Snettisham

2011-09-21T23:07:00.001+01:00

Visited the RSPB site at Snettisham early last week. I hear it was "wild up north", well it was wild down there as well.Managed to get along early evening as high tide was around 7pm and was looking forward to a rare east coast sunset. Although the wind was howling the skies were bright. That is 'till half an hour to sunset when a bank of thick cloud buggered that idea up. The sight of thousands of birds being driven landward by the tide on The Wash mudflats was stunning. At one point a huge flock of birds in the distance went up and it looked like a twister! I called back again on Thursday morning for another couple of hours while on the way to Titchwell, this time the tide had already turned and had views of roosting birds waiting for the mud to return. It left Titchwell in the shade to be honest.


Spot the Oystercatcher. Waiting for the tide by one of the series of lagoons excavated during World War II for gravel. 45 minutes and they were back on the mud.


Grey Plover looking very dapper still in summer plumage.

Cracking Ringed Plover "beachcombing" the shoreline.

If you want to get a head get a G.P.S.

2011-09-09T13:33:00.000+01:00

The Head in question being Coquet Head, the source of the river. I never thought that you could be moved by standing looking at some tall grass with a gurgling sound coming from it.
Setting out from beside Chew Green, Mr. Cheviot and i headed along the Pennine Way in so so conditions initially, on our quest A brief chat to a couple who were walking the whole of the Way and with the Scottish Border immediately on our right we picked up the small track which was to lead us to our goal after only a few metres. The G.P.S.indicated immediately where we could find it as without the gadget it may have proved elusive.


The view from the head of the river towards the Coquet Valley

We left the scene happy chappies and continued our walk back-tracking on ourselves for a short while before leaving the "official" Pennine Way and joining the alternative Pennine Way. There were hundreds of Meadow Pipits all the time we were out and apart from a couple of Swallows and a few Corvids here and there, as expected not much about. A brief venture north of the border into Scotland for about 20 seconds as by now we were following the line of the border fence........Mr. Cheviot wouldn't join me, he said he didn't have his passport with him.


The land of the Jock. Expect whisky, ptarmigan, haggis and a lot of "red" people.

We were actually "winging it" as far as the walk itself was concerned as the original plan A had been scuppered due to the red flags in the Danger Area. An encounter with 3 Mancunians who were doing the P.Way in stages, due to work commitments, in 2 and 3 day stages. They were looking forward to the free beer you get at the end of the walk which they were expecting to down, along with a few more today in Kirk Yetholm. Up to Brownhart Law then back on the true Pennine Way along a stretch of Roman road called Dere Street then past the Roman remains and we were back at our set off point having covered only 14 km. but had more importantly to us managed a total ascent of 398 metres.


We are so lucky to have all this on our doorstep. Everyone you bump into whilst out and about who are visiting the area tell you so.

Ironically we saw more from the car while out. A Goosander was spotted on the river in the morning and i saw her on the return home. Also seen before we had reached Alwinton were a Ring-tailed Hen Harrier, 2 Buzzards on fence posts overlooking the river. 6 female Goosanders afloat together along with the single female i saw again from the morning. All sightings were very close and of course camera and bins were in the boot.

Shibdon/ Thornley/ Derwent

2011-08-30T14:49:00.002+01:00

Arrived at Shibdon Pond hide early on Sunday morning and was greeted by both the Green Sandpiper and Spotted Redshank in amongst the massed ranks of mainly Black-headed Gulls. Other notable birds on the pond included Lesser Black-backed Gulls, Cormorants 7 of which were on one of the rafts and 3 in the island tree,14 mainly juvenile Redshanks and 100+ Teal. I had spent the first 30 minutes or so on my lonesome and was alerted when all the gulls lifted and had a smile on my face when a juvenile Peregrine Falcon entered stage right, flew over the water briefly then turned and headed towards the A1. A couple of minutes later one of the local birders joined me in the hide and immediately asked if i had seen the Peregrine which in turn put a large grin on his face. It was needed by a few of his pals and himself for a patch tick and i was the witness he required and was used for verification as he told a couple of his mates as they joined us over the next hour. He was having a bit of a gloat, to say the least.
I left to go to Thornley Woodlands hide to meet Simon from Durham, a guy i had met a few weeks earlier and had arranged to team up with to do some mainly Odonata photography. This meeting had already been put on hold a couple of times and conditions weren't the best so after a brief, almost birdless spell in the "bird" hide we left to see what the clearing pond had in store. I wasn't very hopeful as there was a slight chill in the gusty wind and the sun wasn't much in evidence. At the pond however the wind wasn't too bad and we had 2 female Southern Hawkers ovipositing and a little later a male made a brief appearance. Our views were good but too brief to be honest and a few times had to rely on a pair of Speckled Wood butterflies battling for supremacy of a patch of the woods which included long bouts of spiralling. It was a fierce encountered i reckon by butterfly standards and could not pick a winner. Kibblesworth had been our destination of choice but we decided not to bother and took a walk along the River Derwent, first in the direction of Clockburn Pond (nothing much seen, except people) then back along to the weir and bridge on the way to Swalwell Visitors Centre. No hoped for Sand Martins by the shingle island but we did get a much expected Dipper and a lone female Goosander under the bridge. That was it while i was out with Simon and as the weather wasn't going to improve i suggested we curtailed our meeting so as to watch a bit of footy. After Simon had left i decided to return to Shibdon as i hadn'y been out much recently and the football could be watched another time. I did miss 10 goals but i did bump into and have a good craic with Morgan, whose images i've seen before on birdguides, and shared views of a Sparrowhawk that set up shop in a tree at the edge of the pond for a good 10 minutes. The light was at a premium all day so photographic opportunies were limited even though the birds came reasonably close at Shibdon. Below is the only image worth showing here, and guess what ? IT'S A DRAGONFLY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Female Southern Hawker having a break from ovipositing and taking in the rays on the odd occasion the sun managed to break through.

A bird

2011-08-25T18:56:00.000+01:00

Very rare on this blog these days.


St. Marys Calidris Alpina

Tell y what.........here's a dragon


Sympetrum striolatum.................

.................at East Chevington.

Utterly Butterly

2011-08-23T16:42:00.001+01:00

With decorating ruling my life at the minute i decided to give it a miss on Sunday and drag myself out for some fresh air and a stretch of the legs. On arrival at Druridge Pools the weather was very pleasant and i was blown away with the activity going on all around on the walk to the Oddie Hide. The walls of the embankments were alive with insects, it seemed to be that everything had decided to take advantage with the warmer conditions. There are large numbers of Teasel here and they were awash with butterflies mainly Peacocks and Red Admirals but i did pick up a lone Painted Lady, my first this year. Large numbers of Wall Browns were not only on the vegetation but scattered around on the ground favouring the bare patches of earth with huge numbers of Whites, mainly Green-veined occupying the smaller flora. Other notable insects included various species of Bees, Hoverflies and Moths. The occasional Blue-tailed and Common Blue Damselfly along with a couple of Common Darters represented the Odonata.
It was a bit quieter however looking out from the hide. On the water there was nothing exceptional, but i was enjoying a Little Grebe going about its business immediately in front of the congregation of four. It was Sunday, after all. A couple of Common Sandpiper were keeping one of the avian disciples entertained as they periodically chased each other about on the rocky foreshore. One of which would fly off briefly and land on a rock on the edge of the water to our left before coming back onto the ground and searching in the vegetation before the process would repeat. The guy in question letting out the occasional mild expletive as he had missed his target again. A Snipe was close by having its Sunday morning lie in and was not at all disturbed by these antics.


A Peacock, the most striking of butterflies in my opinion.


Red Admiral, there were some "prettier" examples i captured but the folds on the rear wings caught my eye.


Red Admiral again, this time showing the fantastic under wing markings.

........and finally a Painted Lady. This specimen looked almost washed out compared to the other species about but it is that long since i last saw one i can't remember if that's how they do actually look.

Emerging Southern Hawker.

2011-08-16T17:41:00.002+01:00

Howdon Blogger had an almost full sequence of images of an emerging Hawker at Big Waters. I have posted a few at different stages of the metamorphosis showing the development of the wings.This dragonfly is a Southern Hawker which was taken at Thornley Woods pond which is a fantastic place to get close to dragons due to its compact location. This species is very inquisitive and will fly close to investigate you. This species will be on the wing until late September possibly so if you are in the area head for and go past the bird hide, having gone up and over the mound using the stairs, turn left at the bottom and follow the trail into the woods. At the second trail marker( a white figure on a blue background) bear left and there is the pond. Even if there are no dragonflies spend 30 minutes in the peace and quiet of this clearing in the woods.

Something for everyone.........except birders

2011-08-05T11:47:00.000+01:00

Having turned off the A1, we passed through Belford and continued on for a couple of miles before parking outside Old Hazelrigg right on St. Cuthberts Way. This was my first walk out with Mr. Cheviot for some 5 weeks following a couple of lower body infirmities. It promised to be tough even though we were only covering just over 15 km. and ascending less than 300 metres it was hot and humid. Instead of the usual waffle i will just include some images of the flaura and fauna we saw on our walk which was a circular which took in St. Cuthberts Cave.

The love affair continues................

2011-08-02T23:08:00.000+01:00

............with the Anisoptera and Zygoptera of our region. I spent nearly 5 hours yesterday afternoon with an emerging Southern Hawker after seeing the nymph exit the pond and crawl up a stem to begin the lengthy operation. I now think of emerging dragonflies in terms of drying washing. Yesterday was not a great "drying day" as the sunshine was intermittent but more importantly in the secluded clearing in Thornley Woods there was no wind. The stunner still hadn't taken to the wing when i had to leave, this being far longer than described in all the accounts i had read.
Below are some images from Saturdays visit to the bog in Cumbria.
Common Hawker


Female oviposting around edge of pool. Male/s were patrolling the pools continually, checking for other males and searching the vegetation around the edges for the females. I never saw a male come to rest once and they were very difficult to capture in flight.

Black Hawker


Gorgeous female taking in the rays away from the commotion of the pools.


Handsome young male striking a pose. They start turning darker with age and only the old specimens turn almost all black.

Emerald Damselfly

The 4 sub species of Emeralds are noticable straight away by the way they hold their wings. The only damselflies that do not hold their wings along the length of their bodies. Look at those blue eyes.......much better than Paul Newmans'.

Can you spare a Copper?

2011-07-31T15:38:00.000+01:00

First "proper" venture out for a few weeks saw me returning to the raised bog in Cumbria this time with Brian (Northumbrian Birding) who wanted to catch up with the White-faced Darters before the end of their flight season. He was not disappointed with sightings of that species along with Black Darter, Four-spot Chaser, Common Hawker and other species to be positively identified. There were of course numerous damselfly species all, along with us, enjoying excellent conditions for the six and a half hours plus that we were at the site. Brian spent the majority of the time around the three pools with the damsels and dragons whereas having been before i wandered off to try to explore further afield. One species which Brian was hoping to capture was the Large Heath butterfly but he never saw a single specimen and i only saw the one while on my wanders. Not surprising i suppose as the end of its flight season is marked down as early August in most publications.


Small Copper


Enjoying the nectar from the flowers of the heather


A nice top view showing the markings on both front and hind wings.

The only Large Heath i saw also enjoying the heather along with numerous other insects.

A nice surprise

2011-07-30T00:30:00.000+01:00

Not having gone far recently due to calf and hip problems i hadn't downloaded any images from my camera for quite a few days. The images were mainly from my last couple of days in Kent and included one nice surprise. I managed to get out for a couple of hours very early on the penultimate day of my visit to the Garden County and headed down to explore an area along the Medway River. I ended up at a reservoir which was obviously a home to a local fishing club and i thought i might find some nice damsels or dragons. Unfortunately i didn't sight a single one and the highlights were a couple of Great Crested Grebes on the water, a Robin i had a conversation with at my feet and a juvenile Green Woodpecker up a tree. I did however come across a single butterfly next to the path leading down to the river from the local village. It was very flighty and i got a couple of shots of what i thought might be a Meadow Brown and thought no more of it.


I had captured a female Gatekeeper

A species i hadn't seen before and i hadn't realised.

Like a virgin.

2011-07-27T11:32:00.000+01:00

It's an awful admission but last night at the ripe old age of 57, i am no longer a virgin. I lost my Petrel "cherry" in the hide at St. Marys' Lighthouse ( i couldn't find a bike shed) and there were voyeurs present. Strange men with optical aids were making odd noises, salivating and doing Chris Packham thigh rubbing. Worryingly, i felt quite at home amongst them.

The fab four

2011-07-26T23:39:00.000+01:00

No, not The Beatles. The Storm Petrels i saw this evening at St. Marys with the Blogger from Howdon. A fly through by a small flock of Common Scoters. Lots of Guillemots and Razorbills feeding on the water. An Arctic Skua and a nice juvenile Kittiwake other highlights. Curlew, Oystercatcher and Redshanks were continually disturbed by rock poolers or whatever they are flipping called.
I blame Alice Cooper.

The last post........................from my trip to Cumbria.

2011-07-26T00:35:00.002+01:00

Four-spotted Chaser was another of the species of dragonfly sighted. Some images follow.


Four-spotted Chaser


The sexes are very similar with the males adopting vantage points among tall marginal vegetation


An aggressive species with a rapid territorial flight.........................on the wing 'till mid August


The females spend much of their time away from water and often seen perching on trees or bushes. When they do come to the water to oviposit they are continually harassed by males.

Tell ya what, i enjoyed my visit so much i might just call back this weekend, weather and body permitting.

Cumbria images keep me posting.........Large Heath and Black Darter.

2011-07-21T23:15:00.000+01:00

Despite 10 days in Kent i'm still relying on images from the other weekend due to a combination of torn calf muscle and major hip pain. Not been out birding or bugging once while i've been here but been out with my beautiful grandson a few times around the local country parks and beaches. That's a laugh. Well, what passes as a beach down here ranges between shells and shingle, oh for the wide open spaces of Northumberland. Speaking of Northumberland............here are a few more images from Cumbria beginning with a Large Heath, a butterfly you might not have encountered as, although it is primarily a northern species its habitat is mainly confined to boggy areas. Not an easy species to photograph although it has a slow lumbering flight. It tends to lift and fly for some distance before landing again with the underfoot conditions posing the biggest problem.


There is a large variation in the spot marking of this species depending where in the country you find it.

Away from the pools as we were leaving the site we encountered large numbers of newly emerged Black Darters perched on heather. Another species that tends to be found in and around bog pools and peat moss sites.

White-faced Darter adult male, Cumbria

2011-07-20T00:37:00.000+01:00

Three different angles showing the markings of this bonny Darter.

As i mentioned in my previous post the female tends to keep away from the water unless ovipositing whereas the male will perch nearby on bare patches of ground or old or dead bracken while defending a small area of territory over the water. Not frightened to engage with other species as we saw on a number of occasions coming into conflict with Four-spot Chasers despite the difference in size.

White-faced Darter nymph

2011-07-17T10:43:00.003+01:00

The images below shows how this particular species is quite rare in the U.K. Unlike other dragonfly larvae it is active during the day, feeding at night. This being the case it is more open to predation by fish so making its home in highly acidic pools where the fish cannot survive. This environment has been removed in the past, being drained and planted on. The species has suffered greatly from its loss of habitat but recently moves have been made to restore more of these bogs and mires by the felling of trees and blocking of drainage ditches.
The site in Cumbria i visited with Howdon Blogger last weekend has in fact been used as a donor site for larvae that were reintroduced to Foulshaw Moss near Kendal.


The naiad spends its time in the Sphagnum Mosses in the pools.


They exist as larvae for 1-3 years before emerging in the adult stage.

Male and female adults mating......the female only appearing over the water to lay her eggs in the Sphagnum
Don't forget..........double click does the trick.

Beautiful female Blue

2011-07-08T23:26:00.001+01:00

Female Common Blue

Early visit to Big Waters this morning brought me 7 new Hawker exuvia but far too late to see any emerging, didn't arrive 'till 4.45a.m. Fairly quiet on and around the water as i had a wander around the site with the exception of feeding Common Terns, a fine sight in the improving light. The temperature was fairly cool early on and it was apparent there had been plenty rain overnight so there wasn't much in the way of insects on the wing. The sun eventually began to make its presence felt and the mercury must have been rising with a number of damsels appearing along with a few butterflies. A few Whites, possibly a score of Meadow Browns and a single female Common Blue caught the eye. I was in fact stopped in my tracks by the Blue. Being a female it had that brown tinge to it and i always think , initially, that i have some other species.

Emerged Dragon

2011-07-07T16:48:00.000+01:00

Images of Dragonfly next to exuvia.

Aeshna genus......possibly Cyanea, Southern Hawker.


Another look at the exuvia........you can see where it has emerged.

Hawker Exuvia, Big Waters.

2011-07-04T01:45:00.000+01:00

Following info. from Dick (City Birding) of location of exuvia at Big Waters i called there on Tuesday of last week. I found 3 attached to Flag Iris stems and reeds in very close vicinity to each other. Having seen these i decided i would call up early one morning to see if i could watch a specimen emerging from the exo skeleton. Yesterday morning (Sun.) i arrived in the car park at around 5.15a.m. and made my way to the area in question. I immediately came across an individual but unfortunately for me it had already left the exuvia but was resting right next to it as it finished its metamorphosis. I hung around for about 90 minutes watching it slowly prepare itself for flight. While doing so i scanned more of the reed bed and again found another 2 empty exuvia. They were in different positions to the ones i saw the other day but in the same locality.
I decided to have a wander round the site and come back later. I didn't see any Dragonflies elsewhere while walking about but had large numbers of both Common Blue and Blue-tailed Damsels in and around Seaton Burn and the surrounding trees and grasses. Also sighted were large numbers of Meadow Brown and Small Skipper butterflies and a few Ringlets and Whites. I returned to the dipping pond to see how things were proceeding at 9.15a.m. to find that the Hawker had taken to the wing and was left with only the empty case. I managed to rescue it and took it home to photograph. Here are a couple of close up images. i will post some images of the Dragon and exuvia soon.

Amazing creatures........i wish i had seen it emerge.

Small Skipper, male

2011-06-29T23:46:00.000+01:00

Image taken in field margin at Big Waters.

Some lush vibrant colours there.
On the other hand i captured this small moth at home. I was disappointed to see it described as nondescript. I was quite taken by it.

Small Dusty Wave.

Large Skipper, female

2011-06-26T00:32:00.000+01:00

Image taken above Seaton Burn behind Holywell Village.

Have you got 30 minutes spare ?

2011-06-25T00:07:00.000+01:00

If you can find the time tune into the best nature programme on radio namely Saving Species.
This particular episode comes from the Farne Islands and Long Nanny featuring ..........yep, seabirds.
Listen to it on BBC i player HERE.

Enjoy.

Bee Orchid

2011-06-21T08:46:00.000+01:00

I have to thank Brian of northumbrianbirding for his information to locate these beautiful plants in North Tyneside. I visited early yesterday morning hoping for some nice light but with plenty cloud cover ended up returning later in the day. Ironically the site was one of the first places i used to visit after my bilateral knee replacements and it is a place i call by from time to time. Checked the ponds for Dragons and Damsels and was rewarded with a number of Azure Damselflies and a single Hawker which, unfortunately was only a very brief sighting and couldn't make out the exact species. I was keeping an eye out for Broad-bodied Chasers but none were located.

Thanks again Brian for giving me the opportunity to view these fantastic flowers, much appreciated.
You must double click the images to appreciate the detail......knockout.

House Martin, house maker.

2011-06-17T23:49:00.000+01:00

Golden-ringed Dragonfly.

2011-06-15T13:32:00.000+01:00

Excellent day out with John (Howdon Blogger) on Sunday down Teesside and after a late sighting of a couple of Greenshanks in Saltholme headed back ( we had been there previously at 7a.m.) to Greatham Creek and hooked up with a Pectoral Sandpiper and what a nice sighting it was to. No more than 25 metres below us probing the mud in one of the pools to the right of the path leading out to Seal Sands. One of my favourite birds viewed in recent time. A joy to behold.

Monday evening i went out looking for Long-eared Owls and at 10.25 p.m. had one drifting in from my right and landing on a post in front of a pylon in decent light for viewing but not for any images. I glanced down at my watch to note the time and looked up again...........yep, it had gone!. A couple of calls to my right again , this time from some trees and 2 minutes later a Long-eared Owl was again hunting in front of me over the open field but having enjoyed watching it for a couple of minutes it flew out of sight behind the ridge of the rise of the field. Hung around for another half hour or so and heard one more distant call but left it at that. The light had totally gone by now and the moon was behind cloud cover.
Yesterday i managed to persuade my better half to come out and visit Blanchland with me. Having initially parked in the village and have a look around we headed along the 1/2 mile to Baybridge to the picnic area next to the bridge and had a bite to eat before walking back along the river. Before we left for our walk we had a mooch around the trees and gorse bushes spotting loads of juvenile birds and briefly coming across a Sedge Warblers nest buried in the grasses. Close encounters with Dippers, Pied and Grey Wagtails along the river bank but by far the highlight this absolute stunner hanging like a Hawker from a gorse bush.

The female of the species with its long straight ovipositor is the largest of the Dragonflies in this country.

Common Tern at Dukes'

2011-06-09T14:27:00.000+01:00

No wheels again so Shanks's Pony was saddled and the Rising Sun was the destination. I've been scouring the ditch between the housing estate/ farmers field and the hillside plantation and was finally rewarded with Large Red and a couple of Blue-tailed Damselflies. With a smile on my face and a spring in my step i continued on to the ponds at the corner of the wooded area and had sightings of lots of Large Reds, many of which were in tandem and some ovipositing and a single Common Blue Damsel. Birding was disappointing initially and i passed Swallow Pond and continued on to Hadrians Pond. Nothing too exiting here with Coot, Moorhen and Mallard all supporting families and very fleeting glimpse of a Damsel but not time to I.D.
The skies had progressively filled with black threatening clouds, as per the forecast, and i was equipped for any downpours. I was wishing for the rain as the previous day i had come across a mass of tadpoles squirming in mud in an extension ditch from one of the ponds and had been rain dancing for them ever since. Sadly the two heavy showers i had while out only managed to dampen me down before i had time to put my waterproof on but hardly touched the ground. The Dukes Pond meadow was examined again but the wind had increased with the impending rain. Dancing flora meant, not surprisingly a lack of insects so i turned my attention to the pond itself. No Damsels have shown here yet but it is a slightly exposed area and the sight of 3 German Shepherds chasing about at the edge of the water after a ball some numskull kept throwing in for them had me squirming and wondering what effect it might have as the waterside vegetation where a lot of the Damsels here hang out was being obliterated. The dogs and their imbecilic owner were having a good time so that's the main thing i suppose.
A Little Grebe called from the reeds and a pair of Canadas with 5 young were being observed along with a few Tufties when one of the Common Terns from Swallow Pond drifted over and started to feed. A fantastic sight as far as i'm concerned. I love the lazy flight of this species, lolloping along, until it decides to move. Spent a cracking 20 minutes as it went through its full repertoire while fishing very successfully. The Chris Packham thigh rub was much in evidence for most of this time.

Poor light at this time, high ISO so lots of noise cleaned up on Lightroom.

Mmmmm......nice.

Large Skipper on Northern Marsh Orchid

2011-06-08T00:55:00.000+01:00

I'm sticking my neck out here.
The above statement could be wrong on both accounts. I only got into Butterflies last summer and was shown my first Wild Orchid in the field a few weeks ago by City Birding. Anyway, that aside, the image has two great subjects and the colour in my humble opinion i think is lush. See what you think.

The image was captured at the Rising Sun in the meadow surrounding Dukes Pond. Anyone visiting in the coming months MUST visit this area and as the summer progresses and temperatures rise loads of brill insects will be uncovered in amongst the grasses and wild flowers.

OIL STRIKE ! melae proscarabaeus

2011-05-30T22:47:00.003+01:00

Black Oil Beetle.
There are four species of Oil Beetle in Britain. Two are common and widespread the others are very rare and not found in our region. Buglife are surveying this threatened species in an OIL BEETLE HUNT so if you see one please contact them. Keep an eye out particularly along paths or on bare ground and like all of us they prefer warm sunny conditions.
I found this specimen on the path on the hillside above Hawsen Burn, spotting it at some 10 metres initially. My beetle must have been around 30 mm long so there is a good chance it was a female. They live for a short period as an adult and can be seen between March and June.
Right, i'll get off and make my submission to Buglife now.

You must double click these images.

Common Lizard

2011-05-28T17:20:00.001+01:00

Friday had Mr. Cheviot and i heading northwards out of Bellingham on our weekly walk. We covered 15.9km. with a total ascent of 351metres. Having left Bellingham we quickly picked up the Pennine Way and followed this for the rest of the outward journey. To the left Hareshaw Burn and on our right Highstead Hill and then Callerhues Crag.

On the birding front it was relatively quiet. As you would expect, loads of Meadow Pipits lifted and we pleasingly had quite a few Skylarks. Pied Wagtails made appearances twice, a large rookery in the wooded area close to Hareshaw House and a very late showing by a small flock of Lapwings was about it. A lack of Curlews today was a surprise after the numbers we have had over the last few weeks.
No Adder sightings again but we had a few fleeting views of Common Lizards underfoot, mainly in and around the heather, until the guy pictured was spotted by Jeff just before he stood on the tread of the stile right next to the B6320. Obviously basking in the changeable conditions and grabbing what heat that was being given out by the sun when it penetrated the clouds.

DOUBLE CLICK TO APPRECIATE THE BEAUTY OF THIS LITTLE BEAST

Farnes battered.

2011-05-24T00:08:00.000+01:00

Spare a thought for the lads and lasses and of course the poor birds on the Farnes. Their blog reckons they have been battered by force 10 winds. We all know what it's been like walking around the streets so imagine what the exposed islands have been like.
My thoughts have been with you all day. Lets hope the winds keep decreasing.

Grabbed by the fuzz.......................ouch!

2011-05-23T12:53:00.000+01:00

While having an amble around Richardson Dees Park for a change a police officer approached as i stumbled about in the undergrowth. "Do you have a camera?" he asked. I guided him through my photo gallery. " Thats a Mistle Thrush, a Willow Warbler..........thats a Butterfly (i smiled) and we have a Red -necked Phalarope also."
He wasn't too impressed by the birds i had captured but was happy with the content. Some moron obviously saw my taking pictures of birds or bugs and thought......................." i had better phone the polis, binoculars and a camera, i mean" Personally i'd be more concerned by people taking pictures on camera phones in and around the "wrong places". I NEVER EVER get my camera out in or around ..............you know what i mean.
I didn't warn the copper that he might have a speight of calls when the RSPB have their walk there soon. Loads of blokes wandering around with cameras, binoculars and SCOPES............OH MY GOD!!!!!
Here are a couple of the images i showed MR. PLOD so i thought you guys might enjoy also.

This beautiful Speckled Wood was sitting in a clearing in the trees soaking up the sun hidden from the gusty wind. Just thought, when i saw this stunner i did start rubbimg the top of my thighs and going "corrrrrrr" a la Packham. Thats possibly why i had my collar felt.

Holywell East Pool..........a little gem?

2011-05-21T00:38:00.000+01:00

A cracking couple of hours spent standing in the undergrowth just off the wagonway being entertained by our avian friends. This might just turn out to be a nice little spot if it stays as it is. I remember this as just a flash that dried up in the summer and held water during wet spells. Considering the lack of rainfall for the last 3 months i was flabbergasted when i called past a couple of weeks ago. This was 3 or 4 days before the Temmincks Stints were sighted and i had a female Ruff. I remember telling a couple of the lads at Swallow Pond on the Friday about this area and predicting some nice waders turning up. I went down last Monday for the Stints which although not reported, were still there along with a Common Sandpiper. Today was my third visit and as with previous visits i had sightings of Lapwings, Canada's, a pair of Shelduck, and a Little Grebe. Today's newbies included a male Shoveler, a couple of Pied Wagtails, another pair of Shelduck dropped in but were quickly dispatched by the resident pair, the Common Sandpiper was again evident with today's bobby dazzlers being a couple of Dunlin dressed in their summer apparel. Overhead a number of Swfts were zipping about in the still gusty conditions. It was nice to see Swallows and House Martins dropping down not only to feed over the water but land to collect mud, of which there is plenty of wet stuff available. Another bonus of the site is the surrounding undergrowth aside the wagonway which various Warblers kept popping out of and belting out in song, my highlight,a Whitethroat soaring doing a Skylark impression.

I understand this is private land and there is a cereal crop growing in the field. Cain (Holywell Birding) reckons this pool has come about by mining subsidance and i can see now he mentioned it that the area around does look to have sunken somewhat. Whatever the cause lets hope it remains as the potential is there for a nice birding spot.

A couple of birds make two old(ish) blokes very happy.

2011-05-11T21:53:00.000+01:00

Mr. Cheviot and myself set off only our weekly walk in Northumberland. Not long after setting off we picked up the call of a Cuckoo, first of the year for both of us. Happy with that we approach the wooded area in front of us but there were a number of felled trees so we had to skirt the woods and as we did we saw the Cuckoo sitting on a stone wall with a Meadow Pipit in close attendance. One very quick shot before it flew off.

More than happy with that sighting we continued our walk in changeable conditions with a nice number of sightings of Curlew, a few Skylarks ( haven't seen too many in the last couple of weeks) and loads of Mipits and Chaffinches.
We were interrupted about halfway around when we unfortunately had to take to a road for a short distance by two police cars pulling over another car with a third unmarked car backing up. We were some what concerned when the police officers removed the person from the car and two of them trained firearms (rifles) on him. Our walk was to take us back off the road before we were going to reach the incident but Mr. Cheviot insisted he wanted to find out what was going on. A police officer approached us as we got closer and told us not to worry and that we could pass as it was only a training exercise.
Quite a way into the walk by now and a piercing call alerted us to a Peregrine Falcon overhead. As we continued on the bird kept circling and calling. A second bird appeared very much higher and seemed to keep watch at a distance. The first bird, a female, continued for another 10 minutes or so, calling and observing in between landing above us briefly a couple of times before both birds disappeared from view. Absolutely breathtaking!.That piercing call made the spine tingle.

West Hartford, Wheatear.

2011-05-08T23:25:00.002+01:00

Double clicking would be advantageous
All Wheatears MUST be photographed on this burnt tree stump.

I'm a sucker................

2011-05-04T03:08:00.001+01:00

.............for a nice male Pochard image, so here are two taken at Killingworth Lake a couple of days ago.

With its lovely rich colours at this time of year this diving duck always catches the eye in my opinion. Classed mainly as migatory i think slightly more numbers are being seen in the area during spring and summer. I have certainly been more aware of them at Killingworth and Swallow Pond in the last couple of years.
Double click on image to get close up views of detail.

Large Red Damselfly

2011-04-25T17:43:00.000+01:00

My first encounter with Damselflies this year. It was sadly in Wales and not around the doors but fantastic nontheless. Pictured is a female Large Red taken at Cors Caron which has 16 species of Dragonfly and Damselfly that inhabit the bog.

Dont forget to double click

Snake in the grass

2011-04-23T22:26:00.000+01:00

While away on holiday in Wales i bumped into this fella while visiting Cors Caron a raised bog just outside Tregaron, Ceredigion.

(Double click does the trick)
Absolutely stunning. Laying in the sunshine for a few minutes before slithering off under the boardwalk.

Come on you Reds

2011-04-16T00:51:00.002+01:00

Stood watching and listening to a couple of brace of Red Grouse on Bulbeck Common a couple of miles out of Blanchland while out walking with Mr. Cheviot on Thursday. They came out with some amazing sounds and just look at those wattles gorged with blood! Double click does the trick

I had read somewhere that the males were more approachable in spring while defending their breeding patch from other males. This proved to be the case.

Here is an image of a common fungi we sat beside while having our bait on the edge of Slaley Forest.

Trametes Versicolour looking rather dapper in the spring sun.

Prestwick Tawny.

2011-04-13T20:32:00.001+01:00

A visit to Prestwick Carr has been long overdue and what a brill visit it was.
The light wasn't too bad early on, much better than the forecast had predicted and the 5 Wheatears standing equidistant in the horses field looked quite simply superb. Just behind in the next field, close to the fence 30 odd Golden Plover, most in breeding plumage were nothing short of stunning. A fantastic start. I had only been here some 10 minutes. In that short time i had already heard 3 Willow Warblers and many more were to follow on the track leading up to the sentry boxes. I reckon i heard over 30 while heading up and only 10 on the way back, possibly due to the deterioration in the weather. Loads of Chaffinches were seen and heard also.
I arrived opposite the horizontal tree in front of the derelict building and clocked the Tawny Owl immediately. I was very surprised as i saw the bird last year and it took me ages to locate. It was roosting so there wasn't too much action but i stood and admired it for over an hour. Trying to capture it on my camera proved difficult due to the branches and foliage but i ended up with 2 images i was reasonably happy with. I headed up to sentry box number 2 but it was quite quiet. The cloud cover was thickening and there was light drizzle falling intermittently. A pair of Yellowhammers appeared overhead in a tree nearby and brightened up what was slowly becoming a drab morning.
Although it was bright early on there was a chill in the air and no butterflies were seen.

Tawny Owl

Chaffinch

Cowslips.

Don't forget to double click on images.

Cuts bite in Gateshead

2011-04-05T23:44:00.001+01:00

While visiting Gateshead Birders website to see what's been going on "down south" i noticed that due to the current financial situation the team at Thornley Woods are unable to purchase bird food.
Hows about the councillors cutting back on the nosh they get through at their functions/ meetings and directing some of the cash savings in the direction of Thornley. I see two positives.
Fatter birds and thinner counsellors.
A win win situation..............do i have YOUR vote.

Talk about ROBIN the poor to feed the rich!

If you happen to be heading to Thornley Woods don't forget your donation / fatballs.

Just chillin'

2011-04-02T01:11:00.000+01:00

Eye have a problem

2011-03-30T15:00:00.000+01:00

Struggling with an eye infection so not much text. "Hoorah!" i hear you shout
Met up with Dick Gilhespy of CITY BIRDING fame to share the wonders of the Rising Sun on Tuesday morning. A very enjoyable wander around with good craic, lovely light and a few nice birds.
Cheers Dick.
Images of a Blue Tit and a rather pale breasted Reed Bunting.

Hello Ducky

2011-03-20T07:09:00.004Z

Early visit in wonderful light at Killingworth Lake before heading up the coast brought this excellent image of a female Pochard. Later on Druridge Pool my first sighting this year of Little Grebe followed by first of Pied Wagtail on return from Low Chibburn. A first visit to Ellington Pond Nature Reserve for me brought prolonged views of two pairs of Gadwall, a nice Mistle Thrush and noisy Greenfinch. A nice stop off point for an hour when on way to Cresswell/ Druridge.

Brizlee Tower, Hulne Park

2011-03-13T01:17:00.000Z

Most of my postings concern wildlife but occasionally you see things that turn the head while out and about. The tower at Brizlee falls into this catagory in my opinion so i've included some very nice images taken by Jeff Veevers, my partner in crime, while out walking. He is much more of a photographer than i am and had the perfect lens to capture the splendour of this gothic styled construction finished in 1781. Commisioned by Hugh the 1st Duke of Nothumberland and designed by the famous Robert Adam placed on a rocky hilltop overlooking the grounds landscaped by "Capability" Brown in Hulne Park.
Enjoy the images, i did.

The tower stands 26 metres( 87ft ) high.

160 metres above sea level.

Absolutely stunning, i think you'll agree.

The tower, as well as the photography.

Cinclus Cinclus, River Aln.

2011-03-11T01:04:00.000Z

The highlight of a visit to Hulne Park on Sunday with Bigfoot was a pair of Dippers scouring the riverbank carrying nesting material in their beaks while doing so. I thought they might be looking for an appropriate site as they kept landing on rocks and disappearing into crevices in the bank. Other birds of note while out on Sunday included a pair of Treecreepers interacting, drumming Woodpeckers and soaring Buzzards on a number of occasions. I also had a very brief sighting of a Red Squirrel early on.
I ended up returning again on Wednesday after my walking pal Mr. Cheviot suggested a visit as he wanted to photograph Brizlee Tower a grade 1 listed folly, built by the famous architect Robert Adam, which overlooks Hulne Park.

This image was from Sunday, with nesting material.

While this was on Wednesday. The bird flew up and into the underside of the bridge before zipping off up Shipley Burn. On inspection i found this nest under the bridge.

Bumbler

2011-03-07T23:34:00.001Z

Got my first bumbler sighting of the year today at the Rising Sun. Bright sunshine but a slight chill in the air. This Buff-talied Bumblebee, Bombus Terrestris, usually the first species of bumbler to appear, may be in for a shock tonight in tumbling temperatures. I spotted this little stunner while in stealth mode stalking a Coal Tit i had found in a conifer. It was in shade, so i was waiting for it to move into better light so as to capture its beauty. Isn't it funny how you can wander around for half an hour without wanting to capture anything on your camera and never see another soul but the minute you have a cracking subject you would like to capture a possee of dog walkers appear from knowhere and your nether regions are being probed by inquisitive noses. Canine, i must add.
Of course the bird buggers off.
So here is the Bumblebee.

Buff-taled Bumblebee

A week in and around the Rising Sun.

2011-03-03T23:45:00.002Z

Last week it was half term so i spent my three visits on the periphery. At Scaffold Hill Farm i had the sight of House and Tree Sparrows together for the first time. The local white and grey moggie sitting fairly close below some feeders placed to the side of the farmhouse didn't seem to phase the birds too much, a pair of Reed Buntings even popped in as i looked on. A walk down the lane leading to Hadrian Pond brought me a lone Yellowhammer atop the hedgerow shortly followed by a nest which had been left exposed by the mechanical cutter which had passed through recently judging by the damaged ends of the mainly hawthorn. I think it is/was a Dunnocks nest.

A fantastic construction on closer inpection. (double click for more detail)
Hadrian Pond has held nothing more exciting than a few Teal but i'm hopeful i may get something more interesting over the next couple of months. I remember a female Ruddy Duck and her ducklings a couple of years back which sent Simon P. dashing along to see them when i showed him some images.

This week i have spent more time closer to Swallow Pond with numerous sightings of Goldfinch which, in the previous month, would have certainly brought views of Redpoll or Siskins, but not this week. I did however have the unexpected sighting of a pair of Oystercatchers on the Tern raft initially but shortly after they moved to the island in front of the waggonway hide. This was my first of this species in the three years i have been visiting the park but unfortunately on Weds. when i returned there was no sign. Red the Stag was in his now favourite field between the pond and Hadrian Wood. He must find the grazing sweet.

An update on the Mute Swan that had to be dispatched a few weeks ago,

Having received a couple of e mails asking if i knew what had happened. I managed to finally catch up with Chris, one of the wardens at the Rising Sun, to find out what had happened to the Mute Swan. The report in the newspaper was incorrect. The Swan in question, the female, had been reported to the wardens as not looking too healthy. They took it in and decided to send it up to Berwick where it was found to have three OLD wounds which had healed over The poor creature was found to be suffering from lead poisoning and was consequently put down. A sad note to end on.

Five Reds

2011-02-28T01:10:00.006Z

Another walking/birding morning out was in poor light. Parking up at Druridge Pools Bigfoot of Blyth and my good self headed towards the Budge Hide. A sighting of 16 adult Whooper Swans was a very nice start. Through the gloom they appeared like beacons. Harder to pick out were the other birds on the water which included large numbers of Teal and Widgeon alongside a sprinkling of Shoveler. I'm always saddened when i view this area as it has slowly turned into another pool whereas a couple of years ago it was a cracking place to pick up some nice waders with lots of mud glorious mud. Water levels must have been managed then and i remember also the majestic Highland Cattle that grazed here with nesting Lapwings running around under their hooves. I can remember where i saw my first of any species and it was here i saw my first Wood Sandpiper. What chance now?
On to the Oddie Hide admiring the coppicing work on the way only to find very little of note there.
Two brace of Grey Partridge (RED) lifted and whirred for a short time in the fields on our left as we headed for East Chevington. A falconer could be seen roaming the dunes to our right with the jingling of bells attached to the birds bewits ringing out from time to time as he allowed the poor creature to fly. Further on we had eight Skylarks (RED) rising from the vegetation and displaying at different times as we approached the reed beds at the outskirts of Chev. The Skylark displays stopped giving way to the sound of occasional Reed Buntings. A pair of Stonechats were next observed. The female atop of a hawthorn with the male showing off, as usual, on and around the fence posts close by and on the fencing wire. I didn't hear it tapping stones together sadly. On our way to the first of the two hides we visited Lewis spotted something crossing the path in front of us. It landed on a fence post and there sat a Barn Owl. We rushed to try to get to cover so as not to spook the spectre and the hide wasn't too far away but as we did the bird lifted again passing behind the hide and dropping to the ground. It lifted for a short while before disappearing out of sight again this time we thought for good. Despite our disappointment mixed with euphoria we scanned the reeds for a possible Bittern. No luck so hide number two and coffee and bait was in order. The view from this hide not restricted by the reeds, a view over the water could be had. Plenty birds again but nothing exceptional, a large flock of over 400 Lapwings the highlight. The Barn Owl we had seen earlier suddenly reappeared just about in the area we had last seen it. We were treated with another ten minutes or so of low slow flight, hovering occasionally, dropping down and landing on posts. Lewis snapped away while i chose to just sit and marvel. It must have been after 9 by now and the reason the bird was about so late must have been the fact that it had been raining from 4.30a.m. when i had gotten up and had continued drizzling up until after 8.

Barn Owl at East Chevington courtesy of Bigfoot of Blyth.

We headed back to Druridge taking in the dunes for part of the way but while back on the main track came across more Skylarks singing and displaying. On two occasions we enjoyed the sight of groups of between four and seven birds engaging in aerial dogfights chasing each other around vigorously.
Cresswell was visited on our way home. Got the Tree Sparrows (RED) but no Greenfinches, that i always look forward to seeing these days around the end farm building on the way to the hide. A couple of guys were already seated in the hide and mentioned that a Bar-headed Goose had been seen but it had disappeared behind a hedge, it never showed. Also a Ruff (RED) had been on the sandbar, it reappeared a few minutes later in amongst the Lapwing already there. As we left a female Peregrine (RED) was spotted sitting on a post to the side of the hide. Time pressing there was no chance for us to wait for it to lift.
Oh, i nearly forgot. Another first for me, this sighting at East Chevington also..........

in case you didn't recognise it, a Liverbird. Actually, that wasn't quite true, it was actually the Liverbirder we sighted at Chev. Pleased to meet a fellow blogger. Especially one who writes so eloquently.
The RED thing? birds on the RED SPECIES LIST explained here http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/redliststory.aspx

Jelly Ear on Elder

2011-02-25T01:12:00.001Z

Auricularia auricula-judae.
Also known as Judas's Ear or Jews Ear.

This example was found in wooded area beside Hadrian Pond, Wallsend.

This particular fungus can be found on both dead and living wood any time during the year. The original name Judas's Ear is derived from the belief that Judas Escariot hung himself from an Elder Tree and in folklore it was suggested that the ears are his returned spirit.

Desperate to see a Yeti.

2011-02-21T19:36:00.000Z

Not i, but my biding companion Bigfoot of Blyth is.
Failing miserably we decided to concentrate on the birds. Starting off on Holy Island, first major sighting was of over 200 Brent Geese feeding on the ground. Nice to see the Pale Bellied race having had encounters with the Dark Bellied last week. Firstly can i say a big up to any seawatchers yeaterday. It was absolutely perishing with a strong icy wind coming in off the sea. We spent 10 minutes trying to look out over the bay in front of the castle but the scope was being jostled around and that, acccompanied with streamimg eyes made life very difficult and being the old soft tarts that we are, we retreated to the other side of the Heugh beside the vicars garden. It was only very cold on this side of the island and the scope was much more stable. Nothing too exciting to be had to be quite honest. The highlight being Eiders on the water. Also viewed were Oystercatchers, Redshank, Curlew, Cormorant and Knot. A wander through the properties on the way back to the car brought nothing more than a few Goldfinch, 4 flocks of House Sparrows at various locations, lots of Blackbirds, a few Robins and a couple of pairs of Collared Doves snuggled up.
Ross Back Sands was part of the original plan but due to the conditions we continued straight on to Budle Bay. Because we had only stayed on Holy Island for an hour and a half the tide was still relatively distant, along with the birds. Again, nothing startling but large numbers. Not going through the full list but Great Black-backed gulls much in evidence, vicious looking characters, quite superb. All the usual waders but no geese.
Stag Rock was given a brief visit with some more nice Eiders worth a mention.
Low Newton with its pool and scrapes was the next port of call on our way back down the coast. The scrapes were busy with 2 Bar-tailed Godwit looking smart in the still lousy light. Again an assortment of waders and ducks, nowt out of the ordinary. The pool held a nice number of Goldeye displaying leaving me wondering if this is where we get the expression "necking on". A relic of "THE GHOST OF STRINGER" can be seen and handled in the hide here. There is a book of images of stonking birds captured in the area of which i recognise at least half a dozen from Newton Stringers blog from over the years. I did feel a chill run down my spine as i turned the pages..............maybe the hide is haunted.
We decided to call into Cresswell finally with hopes of Bitterns and Barn Owls. Not a sniff of either, the only sniffing at this stage was into a paper handkerchief (sorry) The main entertainment here was performed by the flock of 212 Lapwing which keep lifting from the sandbar but as is with the Peewit the next minutes were spent deciding whether or not to land. The flock would turn come in to land, some would, most would not, some that had would change their mind and lift again. The remainder of the flock would return again with the same result. After 7 or 8 goes, eventually all birds would have landed but twice as the last bird landed they all lifted immediately. In the hour we spent here this carried on like some sort of perpetual motion. Other species which were sitting on the sandbar watching this included over 100 Redshank, 224 Curlew and scores of Dunlin. Over the other side of the pond 7 Shelduck were doing their version of "necking". They're all at it!.
Reeds and farm buildings checked without success we left Cresswell frozen to the core.
I haven't even looked at what images i did bother taking as i know they will be worse than the ones i normally include in my posts.
On the way home no Yetis were spotted either.
Skoda aren't getting them on the road very quickly, are they?

GOVERNMENT ABANDONING PLANS TO SELL OFF FORESTS !!!

2011-02-16T23:01:00.000Z

Brilliant news just coming through.

Reculver and Stodmarsh (Grove Ferry)

2011-02-13T23:51:00.005Z

Visiting my grandson in Kent at the minute so ventured out on Saturday as the forecast was reasonable. Grey and overcast in the morning but at 14.30 hours the sun burst forth and it was beautiful.
The morning and early afternoon was spent at Reculver, a spot on the north coast of Kent in between Herne Bay and Minnis Bay. The beaches here are disappointing to say the least and shingle is about all you will get. The nearest sand being at the local builders merchants. On leaving the car park 3 Dark-bellied Brent Geese were immediately viewed from the sea wall but in the wrong direction from where i was heading and i thought i would possibly see more later. All the usually birds along the strand line but within 10 minutes i had picked up 3 small birds on the shingle. Getting closer i could see they were Shorelarks, a first for me as i had missed out on the bird at Tynemouth. I was interested to read that numbers can vary greatly from winter to winter. As i was taking in the Shorelarks waves of birds appeared up the coastline heading my way but quite distant. I was struggling to figure out what they were initially. As they got closer i thought they might be geese of some sort but the size didn't look right. There was 3 waves of 30-40 loose flocks of birds, but as they got closer i could hear them and realised they were Brent Geese, the Dark-bellied race, the variety you get in the south from Norfolk down over. More skeins of geese drifted in and landed with the others just offshore. No sooner than they had met up when they all lifted and passed overhead to the other side of the sea wall and onto the fields. They passed back and forth between the shore and the fields continually for the couple of hours i spent in the area with another 100 plus joining the 300 i had previously counted. They are a pleasant goose to spend time watching as they aren't as harsh sounding as, say, Greylag or Canada. Add to this the fact that the Shorelarks were putting appearances i had a cracking morning. Shame about the light. A Hooded Crow had been sighted earlier in the day further along towards Minnis Bay but 2 ageing local birders i spent 20 minutes chatting with could not locate it so i stuck with what i had.

Shorelarks at Reculver.

Dark-bellied Brent Geese "commuting" between sea and land.

I included this to give an idea of the size of these birds. Look at the gull in the background. Light conditions not good.

Back to the car for 1.30 p.m. and off for an hour or two at the Grove Ferry end of Stodmarsh. A Song Thrush was singing its heart out as i walked into the reserve and i heard Meadow Pipits and a Cettis Warbler in the next moments. A view from the ramp gave me over 600 Lapwing in amongst over 300 Teal, Wigeon, Shelduck, Mute Swan and a few Gadwall. The Feast Hide pond held more Teal in with a pair of Shelduck, Mallard, Coot and a lone Tufted Duck. In amongst the huge expanses of reed beds a Marsh Harrier was watched on two seperate occasions, elegantly gliding over the reeds in search of prey. One dropped and not spotted again the other drifting off into the distance. Unfortunately neither came close enough for an image but i had great views. No Bitterns or Bearded Reedlings for me today as i didn't venture too far. The underfoot conditions this time of year as you head into the marshes can be described as treacherous to say the least. It makes walking in Gosforth Park childs play.

Tuftie in nice light.

DON'T FORGET TO DOUBLE CLICK THE PICCIES.

How your M.P. voted on the SAVE OUR FORESTS issue

2011-02-09T00:15:00.001Z

Just in case anyone who contacted their M.P. or signed the petition did not receive the information you can find out below how your M.P. voted. I'm pleased to say that i e mailed Mary Glindon the Member of Parliament for North Tyneside and she replied saying that she was in favour of saving our forests and consequently did vote YES.
http://www.38degrees.org.uk/page/content/forest_vote_table/

SEGEDUNUM STAR

2011-02-03T00:04:00.003Z

I hadn't seen this guy for ages.

Lifts my spirits sky high when i do. I will always include images when i come across him. Everyone stops in their tracks when they see this beaut in the park. Last year in the autumn he appeared most afternoons from three p.m. onwards for a spell. It was around threeish today so i'll see how it pans out over the next few days.
I had gone up to the Rising Sun this afternoon with the intention of spotting the Tree Sparrows that were reported by a gentleman who is a reader of this blog. The gentleman in question is called Joe so HELLO SIR. I promise the autograph next time we meet. Anyway, gentleman Joe had seen the birds in question in the vicinity of the visitors centre but i had no joy.
I almost forgot. Nice, if very brief sighting of a Weasel carrying a poor Mouse disappearing from one of the waggonways into the undergrowth beneath a fence. How could i be sure it was a Weasel ? Well, the dinner was almost as big as the diner.

Don't forget double click does the trick.

SAVE OUR FORESTS............a forest is a place where nature takes priority over humans.

HELP SAVE OUR FORESTS

2011-02-01T01:24:00.001Z

Use this link to send an e mail to your M.P.

http://www.38deghttp://www.38degrees.org.uk/page/s/save-our-forests#petitionrees.org.uk/page/speakout/MP-forests

The Amazing Cormorant Tree of Big Waters.

2011-01-26T13:05:00.002Z

We all know money doesn't grow on trees. The Spaghetti Tree was just an April fool on Nationwide but today i saw the legendary Cormorant Tree of Big Waters. It does exist. Here is the proof. It only bears "fruit" every 25 years or so.

This photo. has not been tampered with in any way. I opened the shutters in the smaller hide, having called in on the way back to the car having spent a most enjoyable few hours in the company of Mr. Cheviot and quite a number of birds the most obvious being the Siskin. Anyway, as the shutter dropped and the light flooded into the darness of the hide the oracle was before me. I couldn't believe what i was looking at and made a grab for the Canon. I had heard the tale of the tree from a couple of ageing birders but personally had my doubts. It had been spotted, as the stories go, very early in the morning, in first light, coming out of the mist that hangs over Big Waters in those conditions. Today it was mainly grey and overcast without a hint of mist and there it was!!
Earlier, on the way to the main hide Mr. Cheviot and i had enjoyed views of 2 Treecreepers spiralling their way up a couple of trees in the small woods and a male Godeneye displaying, almost putting his neck out, to 3 more than interested females on the water. I know spring is relatively a long way off but this sight and that of some Mallard at Morpeth the other day kinda getting jiggy lifts the spirits. The birds seem to think the worst of the winter is over so here's hoping. I got my Tree Sparrows immediately on arrival in the feeding station but the bonus was the twenty odd Siskin on feeders and the ground. A couple who were also in the hide had spotted a Water Rail in view but also some 10 minutes later, the guy made known that over 60 Siskin lifted from trees beside the scrape, travelled over the lake and into the small woods. While this was happening the twenty odd others were still in the feeding station. Male and female Reed Bunting others notable with lots of the usual birds on show. I actually got my first Great Spotted Woodpecker of the year today, a rather handsome male but that was dwarfed by the Cormorant Tree, a real LIFER.
I suppose there will be a twitch now. It might be a stampede.

Just a thought.............what sort of tree do TREE SPARROWS grow on ? There must be one of those up at Big Waters also judging by the numbers of Tree Sparrows that are there.

Are you sitting comfortably ?...............................

2011-01-24T18:54:00.001Z

................well i am.
An image from a recent trip.
Southern Peru? Northern Bolivia? Ecuador or possibly Northern Chile at a height of between 3,500 and 5,000 metres above sea level. These are some of the places i could have seen this South American Camelid but it was in fact the Rising Sun Organic Farm.
Dont forget, double click does the trick

Swallow Pond.............the return.

2011-01-18T00:41:00.000Z

I think we all take things for granted. Those things we see every day become mundane and are not appreciated. Well, not ALL of us but i reckon most do.
The return i mention at the top was the return of the wildlife on the pond. Having been frozen solid for well over 4, possibly 5 weeks i was taken aback by the sounds that i often almost ignore. I came in from the west and within minutes had 3 finches on Alders on the hillside. A Goldfinch and 2 Lesser Redpolls. What a start. It went quiet for the next 30 minutes or so as i came over the top of the main hill but as i walked down one of the waggonways leading to Swallow Pond i heard some Widgeon. "Champion" i thought to myself "Some birds on the water at last." As i poked my head through one of the 4 "windows" of the metal hide that overlooks Swallow, what seemed like a mini cacophony of sound hit me. I thought back to the last few weeks and how silent and almost hostile this place had been. It was fantastic!
A couple of Mallard were having some sort of dispute and it was nice to hear quacking again. In the reeds possibly half a dozen Moorhen were busy feeding. Heads down oblivious to everything going on around them. A coot sailed past with head down in that attack position but i couldn't see what the problem was. A couple of Shoveller in the distance, 8 Pochard, male and female all asleep floating around. The 2 adult Mute Swans with their now diminishing family of 3 Cygnets gliding gracefully about. Numbers of Gulls, i didn't notice what, noisily splashing about by the island. It was lush. I even noticed the motion of the water. Circles where birds had possibly dived under. Small waves left by the wake of ducks and wildfowl. Ripples as the wind passed over.
I turned my attention back away from the pond. As i sat a dozen people had stopped off as they passed through the Rising Sun and a number had left bird food in and around on fence posts, railings and on top of the large covered waste bin. This always brings in the Robins and Blackbirds, Blue and Great Tits and Dunnocks. All of which i saw. Briefly in the hedge appeared a male Reed Bunting. Then the sound of Finches coming from "Alder Swamp". I quickly made my way there but the birds were very flighty. I made out Goldfinch, Siskin and Redpoll but they were disturbed so never got a good look. A venture into the plantation before i left brought only a distraught sounding Blackbird, which i couldn't see, and 3 Magpies in the same vicinity.
Highlight of the day ? Easy..............hearing the first quack of a Mallard this year, 2011......and the sight and sounds of a pond that had returned to life.

Pick me up.

2011-01-11T20:33:00.004Z

Having been well and truly whacked by this virus again, i was desperate to get some sun on my back.
Soooooooo, feeling about 75%, and with my partner off work with the same ailment, i had the car so drove it the hundreds of metres up the road. The light was indeed a nice pick me up even if it was bracingly cold in the wind. I wasn't too bothered what i might come across but the sight of Fieldfare and Redwings in Bowmans Field just lifted me a little more. The cobwebs felt as if they where spinning in my head at times and not being blown away but after an hour or so i reckon i was getting the benefit. Blackbirds, Robins and Dunnocks followed by Blue and Great Tits with a sprinkling of Magpie, yes Magpie seemed to help me breathe more easily. BUT the appearance of a mixed flock of Finches in Alder Swamp, as i call it, just off the main waggonway next to the hide was the real deal. A genuine tonic.
The flock, numbering 25 in total included mainly Goldfiches, a male and female Siskin and the Mealy Redpoll that's been hanging around for a while. At this stage i had completely forgotten that deaths door had been creaking in my head not 48 hours earlier and here i was at heavens gate! Seeing the Meally was nice but the male Siskin was absolutely stonking in the winters sun.

.................the Siskin..........simply, stunning.

Don't forget to double click to reap the full rewards of this visual feast.

The other afternoon.

2011-01-07T20:58:00.000Z

Yea, you must have all guessed it was the cloud formation but it was eye catching. Not the best lens fitted for the images i took but i wasn't out expecting to take those sort of piccies.

....all taken from Dukes Pond at the Rising Sun where this guy still resides. I must add that it was feeding out of a persons hand.

Any ideas?

2011-01-06T01:39:00.002Z

I took some images of this while i was out and about yesterday afternoon. Some interesting colours.

............i reckon Brian (Killy Birder) will know.

Saturday 01/01/2011 1.48 a.m. ..........panic stations

2011-01-01T01:56:00.000Z

.............and i still haven't seen a bird !!!

Christmas lunch at the Rising Sun

2010-12-25T13:49:00.000Z

Lapping it up at the lighthouse. Wed. 22nd.

2010-12-23T11:13:00.005Z

I spent the most enjoyable 90 minutes birding for some time late this morning. A trip down to St. Marys Lighthouse seemed in order to see which birds have been displaced by the cold conditions. A quick neb on the wetland brought the sighting of a solitary Moorhen, slipping and sliding on the iced over water. I headed directly to one of my favourite spots at the end of the promenade. As i covered the few hundred yards from the car, looking over the railings, my eyes were drawn to a stunning Golden Plover. The light was good and this creature looked radiant. In amongst the browns and greens of the rocks and seaweed it was, well , golden. I continued on and dropped down to the beach, to the waters edge, found a dry rock and plonked myself down. In the words of Bob the weatherman, "it was nithering". But i sharp warmed up as i watched the Sanderlings scuttling to and fro, in amongst feeding on the wrack. A Black-tailed Godwit, Redshanks, Turnstones and a Lapwing were also feeding at the end of the beach where it meets the first rocks. If the Sanderlings had made me smile the Lapwing made me stop in my tracks. Just look here.............

...........isn't that lush? ( double click for more detail)
This bird stole the show. It hung around for 10 minutes or so. As i sat i scanned out to sea and there was a raft of Teal and Widgeon. Over 100 in number with a few Mallard in tow on further inspection. By now i was frozen to the core so had to move on. As i climbed the stairs back to the prom i noticed a number of birds at the base of it. First a Grey Wagtail, then a couple of Rock Pipits. A Ringed Plover was picking at the seaweed as was another Lapwing alongside a Redshank.
From upon high looking down to the rocks now, leaning against the railings lots of birds could be seen being slowly pushed in by the advancing tide. What was slightly strange was that they were not in huge flocks, as they quite often are, but scattered around. Other species seen but not already mentioned were Cormorants, in the water and standing wings open on the rocks. By far the most numerous at this stage Oystercatcher with just the one Curlew in amongst them. I was about halfway along the prom and heading towards the small bay to the north before i thought i might do a spot of Bunting hunting when my luck ran out. The sky had been slowly darkening and suddenly the light went and within a few minutes the snow started to fall. In no time it was whiteout conditions. Time to leave but i had lapped up stunning sightings of a LAPwing and not the LAPland Bunting as hopefully expected.

Nice.

Every picture tells a story ?

2010-12-17T22:53:00.000Z

I don't think so. These images were taken yesterday afternoon at the Rising Sun, Dukes Pond to be exact.
They could have been taken on a balmy summers afternoon. I can tell you that my eyeballs were stinging, it was that cold. The light, however, did have a "warm" feel to it. The Teal looking spectacular, a stunning duck. The juvenile Whooper still gracing the country park with its presence. Swallow Pond was absolutely bird less on the other hand. The whole area frozen solid and not even a few gulls were sitting on the ice. This is the first time i had seen it like that. No Water Rail in the ditch today but i was pleasantly surprised to see single Treecreeper and Goldcrest within seconds of each other when i first arrived on the outskirts of the park in the wooded hill facing Station Road.

Male and female Teal looking stunning in the light.

"Yes, i'm still here" trumpeted the young Whooper to the human.

"I'm loving this fantastic weather over here"

"Much warmer than back home, phew!"

Rising Sun, juv. Whooper

2010-12-09T15:30:00.001Z

Having been laid low with a virus for over a week i dragged myself out in bitter conditions yesterday up to Swallow and Dukes' Ponds. Parking at Asda i ventured into the park along the main waggonway and didn't hear anything never mind see any bird for the first 10 minutes. First sighting being 20+ Siskins in Alders then things picked up with Tits, Blackbirds, Thrushes and odd Robins dotted around. Headed straight for the plantation ditches expecting and getting sightings of Water Rails. Two in sight, a juvenile and an adult about 15 metres apart, both feeding frantically. I spent over an hour here, trying, but not too hard , to get some images but not wanting to disturb the birds came up empty. Obviously with the birds being in the ditch and in the plantation the light wasn't the best so i kept my distance and just enjoyed observing the markings. I was frozen to the core when i left and moved on and headed straight to the centre, not for a coffee but stood reading the notice board half a dozen times thawing out a little.
On to Dukes Pond, on the look out for the juvenile Whooper which i came across immediately. The water on both ponds being 90% frozen so not much open water and here was the Whooper sharing what was available with Mallards, Coots and Moorhen. The bird left the water and slipped and slid across the ice and in doing so looked to be in fine fettle. Last week when the bird was in the prescence of the Mute cygnets it was approachable down to a distance of 3 metres but now it was on its own if i got within 6 metres it would move away. The conditions obviously no cause for concern for this bird but there were numbers of other species sitting looking disconsolate all around the ice on Swallow Pond. As i type this i can hear water bouncing off the bay window cills as the mini thaw promised starts to take effect. Great news. Lets hope it lasts longer than predicted...for the birds sake.

Sunderland, Mackems.......Newcastle, sackems.

2010-12-08T10:02:00.002Z

I used to love my football but cheating and greed have sickened me so much that i have almost turned my back on it. The thought of players earning 50, 60 and £70,000 and beyond a week makes me want to throw up, while the folks that support them struggle to get by. The sight of footballers screaming in agony, throwing themselves to the ground and trying every other trick in the book to gain the slightest advantage turns my stomach. You could say i don't enjoy it as much as i used to. The sacking of Chris Houghton just about sums up the state of the game, but above all that of my once loved Toon. The guy who owns it is a **** (you can put your own letters in) and i can't wait for the day he sells up and gets out of town.

Juvenile Whooper, Rising Sun

2010-11-30T11:24:00.001Z

While the outlook for some birds at the minute is quite grim one specimens situation looks to be on the up. As conditions continue to be treacherous on the roads staying locally is the best policy so the Rising Sun was again on the agenda yesterday. Not too many birds at first and it was pleasantly quiet overall with the occasional squeal of delight coming from the hill of some sledder, who would have already been full of the joys of winter having been told not to attend school anyway. I got to Swallow Pond to find it 90% frozen with a distinct lack of birds notably ducks. There had been over 200 Widgeon here a couple of days ago. Dozens of Shoveller and scores of Teal but the only 2 ducks present were a couple of farmyard hybrids which came running over the ice from fully 100 metres away when they detected my prescence hoping for some scran. The chill wind was cutting and with some gulls the only other species around i decided it was better keeping on the move. With Swallow now almost totally frozen and recollecting the 5 Water Rail i had in the ditches in similar conditions last year i headed into the plantation but managed only a couple of Blue Tits, half a dozen Blackbirds and a brace of Robins. The lack of people and more specifically dog walkers was more than making up for the lack of birds.
On to Dukes Pond and was more than confused when i found the Mute Swan juveniles had increased from 7 to 8. There was a mini blizzard blowing as i got here so visibilty had dropped considerably and counted again. The cygnets were on the ground, with some tucked up and asleep and it was only after 5 minutes or so i realised that the extra one was the juvenile Whooper that had been hiding in and around the bigger Swallow Pond for the last fortnight or so. Bearing in mind that the Whooper had been hiding in the reeds all this time due to the fact that the male adult Mute had been terrorising it and others and it was with that birds offspring was more than suprising. Initially the bird was on the periphery of the group but as i observered for some time the bird moved into the middle of other swans and even close to the parent birds without any aggression from the adult male. I will be following the progress of the Whooper over the coming days.