Welcome to my birding blog - first launched 12th March 2012...
22.10.2014
It's a Wonderful World!
I had a fabulous day on Wednesday 22nd October. I shall try to be spartan with my words.
First I went back to Sunderland to try to photograph the olive-backed pipit. It showed nicely.
I headed south to Hartlepool Headland to walk the promenade...
What's this I wonder?
I found a med gull [not Medusa - I checked him out at Newburn Bridge later] on the rocks.
There were lots of knot...
...and a few purple sandpipers...
I often look on the Headland for rock pipits but don't find them. I found one...
I included this because I suddenly spotted a ring...
Eider and a lone guillemot were spotted from the Pilot Pier.
Tide was coming in fast: the gulls and waders were forced off the rocks...
This curlew got left behind.
The med gull was eventually forced to fly.
This knot chose to stick it out on his favorite rock.
What's this diving bird?
Turnstone undergoing sea trials!
This drake eider also gave in in the end.
I wound my way to Newburn Bridge, calling at Jackson's Landing. A seagull was playing with a food carton.
Thinking there might be a merganser about a distant shape drew my eye. Grabbed the bins. RTD!
Final port of call: Dorman's Pool. Spoonbill reported.
Could see a heron...
Quiz time: spot the spoonbill.
It is there. Look for the leg!
19.10.2014
Sand Point Road delivers!
Barry and I headed north to try to see the olive-backed pipit which would be a lifer for us both.
When we arrived the lesser whitethroat or putative [lovely word!] siberian lesser whitethroat f. blythi had been seen but no sign of the pipit.Time passed and we wandered around up and down the steps until the lesser whitethroat was located.
Lovely little bird as you can see....first view...
A very busy little bird, often the views were masked by hawthorn leaves but nonetheless there were some nice shots...
We did see the olive-backed pipit but not well enough for me to photograph. Others did very well a little later and I enjoyed their images: smart little bird! Meanwhile we headed south calling at Ward Jackson Park [parakeets heard only] and at Newburn Bridge. High tide and an excellent selection of waders. Here's a few shots...
Medusa was having 40 winks. Here's one of them!
We finished our day in the Saltholme area but saw nothing exceptional apart from a little stint at Dorman's Pool. From magpie to golden plover we saw 60 species of bird - an excellent day!
Some greylags flew past the pool by Phil Stead hide.
407 UK life list
255 2014 UK list
12th-16th October
12th -19th October: I'm back!!
Jack Nicolson 'The Shining' springs to mind....
12th October: Blacktoft Sands RSPB
Well it's good to be feeling better although I'm still not 100% fit. Still, I've been out a few times this week. Last Sunday was my first venture when Barry and I went to Blacktoft for the afternoon. We saw four birds of prey: kestrel, merlin, sparrowhawk and, of course, marsh harrier although the latter were so late in appearing that we began to wonder if a trip to Blacktoft might expire before we saw one!
Almost forgot to mention: at least 2 Cetti's warblers heard along the hedge to Ousefleet hide.
No bird photos but a late common darter basking in the sunshine.
15th October: Filey Dams and Kilnsea
Filey beckoned with reports of two grey phalaropes. By the time I arrived only one was there but the locals told me it was a new bird for the reserve and were quite excited. A good crowd had gathered.
I headed south to Flamborough to try to follow up a little bunting sighting but the trail had gone cold somewhere near the Flaneburg Hotel. A couple of disconsolate birders soon moved on. I lingered watching what was obviously a fall of goldcrests. They were everywhere.
A Radde's warbler [potential lifer] at Easington made me recalculate. Decided I could make it and still be home at a reasonable time. No sign of the warbler although many were still standing around looking in the bushes across from Easington cemetery. Again the place was crawling with goldcrests. A birder asked if I'd seen the shrike. 'Great grey?' I asked. 'No, isabelline, showing well in the hedge by the bend just before the wetlands car park.' I decided to give it a go. I went, I saw and I concurred! Isabelline. Very pretty in the scope but a bit beyond the camera. Still 2 year ticks was very good after a lengthy lay-off. As Barry said, it's good to be back doing my day job!!
16th October: Flamborough - Thornwick Bay
Another potential lifer was reported in a field just north of the cafe at Thornwick- a short-toed lark. Never found it or the 20 skylarks it was allegedly with. Decided to do the Old Fall walk. Lots of blackbirds, even more robins and hundreds of very skittish redwings. All attempts to photograph failed. This lady was much more accommodating along the long hedge. Lots of goldcrests everywhere again!
I was told there was a yellow-browed in Old Fall wood but didn't feel like spending an hour or more trying to find it.
So I headed back along the hedgerow. A white blob in the hedge ahead made me raise the bins. Shrike! I edged close taking photos every 20 steps. Here's a couple of the best ones.
254 UK 2014
25th September ff
25th September: Ruddy duck? I don't believe it!
Look what popped up out of the murky water!
Things got scary. Moorhen, ruddy duck and a shark!
Picture of nonchalance!
27th September: Old Moor
Looking for a hobby. A barn owl was showing intermittently but being harassed by some magpies.
Three hobbies were seen but quite distantly.
A grey heron and a green sandpiper were outside the Wath Ings hide.
There were jackdaws in with the golden plover.
28th September: Bempton & Spurn
Bempton produced the red-backed shrike we hoped to see plus a merlin. Super stuff.
We drove south calling briefly at Hornsea Mere to see any little gulls. No sign but an Egyptian goose was showing well.
At Kilnsea we saw the masked shrike and, a little later, a rosefinch. Jack snipe at Canal Scrape.
Since then [29/09/14] I have been confined to base by a very unpleasant chest cold and hacking cough. Hope to get out again soon.
12.09.14 ff
Saltholme & Spurn
Saltholme and area, 12th September
Drove up to Whitburn to look for the returning Bonaparte's gull but failed to find it. Super selection of common waders at Whitburn Steel. Eventually went back south to Saltholme. Things pretty quiet. Ruff from Phil Stead hide.
The glossy ibis was on the causeway.
Newburn Bridge: went to say hello to Medusa, my friendly Med gull.
Down on the beach I looked for sanderlings but could only see oystercatchers...
Medusa followed me down.
Among the black-headed gulls I spotted a couple of sandwich terns. I tried to get close but they were very wary. Caught one juvenile on the breakwater.
A flock of waders rushed past. Mainly ringed plover with 3 sanderlings.
Spurn - mainly Kilnsea - 14th September
Little stint on Kilnsea Wetlands.
Yellow wagtail in the ploughed field on the way to the Kilnsea Wetlands hide. The hide's too small by the way: Barry and I keep having to throw people out! Use the old ''Bonnelli's eagle just landed on post at Beacon Ponds'' trick!! Soon clears it out.
At The Crown & Anchor we saw pied flycatcher, lesser whitethroat...
...and eventually a wryneck at Sunny Beaches caravan park.
The ringing station at Church Field proved especially rewarding with red-breasted flycatcher in the hand...
...plus wood warbler...
...and even marsh warbler!
South Gare & Hartlepool Headland - 19th September
I hoped to meet up with a yellow-browed warbler at the Bomb Hole at South Gare. Soon found lots of reed buntings...
...plus a very shy garden warbler but no yellow-browed. Decided to try the sycamores at Paddy's but again no luck although a willow warbler was present...
...and a spotted flycatcher was very obliging - posing for me.
I returned to the Bomb Hole where I saw wheatear and redstart fleetingly. The garden warbler was still avoiding my lens quite successfully. I have photographed yellow-browed before but the results were at best flawed. Such a busy, restless tiny bird. One showed well soon after my return to the Bomb Hole and here goes: yellow-browed warbler suite!
Real leaf warbler isn't it!
I then headed for Hartlepool Headland and Borough Hall where I saw another yellow-browed at the putting green, failed to spot the red-breasted flycatcher but found this fellow!
I like bramblings but not as much as I love a lifer....
September 20th: dash to Spurn
I was tidying the garage... but then a woodchat shrike was posted. Not even a year tick. Carried on working but behind my back it transformed itself into a masked shrike lifer! It was some time before I checked the pager. Soon on my way thanks to Sheila who packed my lunch and the car whilst I straightened most things by the garage. Off I went. The shrike was soon seen albeit distantly but looked good in Simon Spavin's scope. Good to see him and Karen again.
It's a blob on the wire! While we watched the shrike a honey buzzard flew close overhead: really good views. Then whilst walking the Triangle a van pulled up and told me to go to Canal Scrape for the.......
What's this then, Jack?!
There were 2 of them bobbing away merrily...
...plus 2 common snipe as well - a bit more out in the open!
21st September: Nosterfield LNR
A trip in hope really. A common crane was reported and I went hoping it might be close enough for decent images. It was some way off but soon spotted with the naked eye.
It walked around this area for a while getting closer and closer to the other hide. I walked down there only to find it locked and the high wooden pallissades provided no view. Annoyed, I headed back surrounded by up to 30 speckled wood butterflies.
A ruff had dropped in below the viewing screen.
The crane was getting agitated and I thought it might fly.
Spot the terrified moorhen above...
...and a dancing crane!
Now a young kestrel dropped in on the grass in front of us.
However my favourite pictures came when everything went up: hundreds of geese. I managed to follow the crane amongst the chaos...
In the above picture it's flying right near the two central Canada geese.
Above: now flying left still near the Canadas, centre image.
Having gained height above the geese, everything calmed down and began to return to the ground.
I'll finish with a couple of close-up spiders. I've been trying f18 hand-held at 1/60th of a second to get a bit of depth of field. Here's two of the best.
Also from the garden, a 'sport' on one of our dahlias that survived last winter outside in the ground [Just shows what a mild one it was!] Flowers of different colours on one plant...
...and absolutely last of all as the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness arrives: a colourful garden fungus.
