April Catch-up Blog!

This could refer to a seasonal catch-up after a winter that has definitely outstayed its welcome but it doesn't. I simply meant that I had been so busy - not just birding- that I find myself facing a backlog of photos to post and a long blog to write. So here goes. Hope you like some of the images from early April.

On the first of April

I went down to Fairburn in the afternoon to see what was about. After a fruitless walk down The Cut I called at the visitor centre feeders...

Siskins were there.

Siskin Siskin Long-tailed tits were nearby too.

Long-tailed Tit

A number of smart looking male reed buntings were feeding on the ground.

Reed Bunting Reed Bunting

Tuesday April 2nd

Barry and I went up to Hartlepool in the afternoon. We found things very quiet. Spion Kop cemetery was free of any birdlife. The gravestones were left in peace.

Spion Kop cemetery Hartlepool The North Gare access road produced a few of the usual suspects, notably a friendly curlew. Funnily enough the photos I took as he walked along aren't as sharp as I would have liked. I snatched a few more as he took off. They seem quite nice.

Curlew Curlew

Wednesday April 3rd - A Birthday Surprise

My wife loves owls - she's a bit of an owlaholic. So, in January I made contact with a local bird of prey centre to see if they could do a home visit and bring along some owls... Well, that's what happened today. As ever, I shall let the pictures tell the story.

Many thanks to York Bird of Prey Centre Ltd.,

trading as Minster Falconry 07977318480 & 07772315757

White-faced Scops Owl

White-faced Scops Owl White-faced Scops Owl White-faced Scops Owl White-faced Scops Owl Seeing a cat in the garden the owl became fully alert and changed shape!!White-faced Scops Owl

White-faced Scops Owl

Tawny Owl

Tawny Owl

Tawny Owl Tawny Owl Tawny Owl Tawny Owl Tawny Owl Tawny Owl

Tawny Owl Eagle Owl

Eagle Owl Eagle Owl Eagle Owl Eagle Owl Eagle Owl Eagle Owl

Eagle Owl Eagle Owl Eagle Owl Eagle Owl Eagle Owl Eagle Owl Eagle Owl Eagle Owl

Barn Owl

Barn Owl

Barn Owl Barn Owl Barn Owl

Barn Owl Barn Owl Barn Owl Barn Owl Barn Owl Barn Owl Barn Owl Barn Owl Barn Owl

In the afternoon we went to Fairburn. We failed to find the long-eared owl to add to our collection and this pale lesser redpoll didn't quite fit the bill to be a 'Mealy'.

Lesser Redpoll A few siskins were still around but I didn't see any smart males.

Siskin

Thursday 4th April

Back to Hartlepool with Barry! If at first you don't succeed, keep going! Well things started well with a lifer for Barry - a lesser scaup at the triangle pool at Saltholme. See Barry's blog for the full report. http://barryjohnbishop.blogspot.co.uk/

In the cemetery at Spion Kop I noticed how many gravestones told the sad story of infant deaths. This one is very sad but it must be as good a place as any to lie - within a modern-day nature reserve at peace with the birds. Quite appropriate for a surname like that...

Spion Kop cemetery Hartlepool Just inside the harbour we saw the red-necked grebe as it disappeared into the fish dock. A few birds were on the shoreline inside the pilot quay. Curlews.

Curlew And an eider masquerading as a curling stone.

Eider What's this then?

Red-throated Diver

On the Headland we spotted a group of eiders on the sea together with another bird, a red-throated diver, asleep. Looks like another curling stone...

In order to get nearer I ventured along the jetty, risking a soaking as waves broke over the wall behind me. Barry took this hoping to catch me getting drenched!!

Here are the birds: eiders first, in flight.

Eider
Eider

Eider Red-throated diver in dazzling light.

Red-throated Diver Red-throated Diver Red-throated Diver Further round the Headland we saw waders...

Redshanks

Redshanks Redshanks Purple sandpipersPurple Sandpiper Purple Sandpiper Purple Sandpiper Ringed plover

Ringed Plover We could hear sparrows in the gardens on the Headland but eventually Barry spotted one up on the guttering. Looks pleased with himself.

House Sparrow

We called at Ward Jackson Park but things were pretty quiet there. A lesser black-backed gull was floating on the lake [pond].

Lesser Black-backed Gull Finally we walked round Tilery Wood but all the birds were hiding. At least we could boast we had walked all the way from Cleveland to County Durham!

Tilery Wood, Wynyard

Friday 5th April

Where now? Old Moor and Co. First call Broomhill Flash where our target birds were not at home. Redwings were in the field across.
Redwing Redwing I stocked up with bird seed at Old Moor and we watched yellowhammers, brambling and bullfinches on various feeders before heading for Fairburn to see what sort of redpoll they had on their feeders...

No, not that kind; that's a nuthatch.

Nuthatch And that's a treecreeper on the wire netting!

Treecreeper Could be my best ever treecreeper shot even if it is rather inappropriately located. Postcreeper!

Treecreeper Ah ha! What's this then? A male siskin!

Siskin At last! A lesser redpoll.

Lesser Redpoll Some paler fellows with orange polls! [Apparently not unusual] see:- http://birdingfrontiers.com/2012/06/23/more-on-those-pesky-redpolls/

Mealy Redpoll Mealy Redpoll Mealy Redpoll Looks like a mealy redpoll to me.

Round by Pickup hide I saw the cormorant trees covered with cormorant guano [for want of a nastier word]

Cormorants Fieldfare were cackling in the trees. About time they left!!

Fieldfares Back at the Visitor Centre a greenfinch posed behind some twigs so the results were all blurred. He took off and I kept shooting. One of those rather fortuitous outcomes. I can't help liking this image a lot!

Greenfinch Down below a pheasant posed nicely in the sunshine. 7 degrees!!

Pheasant Right, that's it. Up-to-date. Done.

UK 171 2013