Northumberland - Day 1

 Jayne and I are up in Northumberland for a few days, so we've taken the opportunity to get a few new birds for this year's Year List.

Our first new birds were seen on the drive up: Red Kite (49), Kestrel (50) and Curlew (51). The next birds were seen at Newbiggin by-the-Sea: Oystercatcher (52), Redshank (53), Ringed Plover (54), Sanderling (55), Turnstone (56), Dunlin (57), Shorelark (2 on the golf course; 58), Twite (23 with the Shorelarks; 59), Rock Pipit (60) and Short-eared Owl (61).

Shorelark

The next few species were seen on the drive from Newbiggin to Shilbottle: Pink-footed Goose (62), Greylag Goose (63) and Mute Swan (64). We also stopped off at Widdrington Moor Lake, where we spotted 2 pairs of Red-breasted Merganser (65), Wigeon (66), 2 redhead Smew (67) and several male and female Goldeneye (68).

Norfolk Trip - 4th January 2019

On Friday, Luke and I spent a full day birding and "year listing" in Norfolk. We started off in Wells-Next-the Sea where we managed to pick up a lot of waders, Red Kite, Marsh and Hen Harrier, Guillemot and Dark-bellied Brent Geese (58 to 75). We then drove down to Holkham NNR and St Anne's Drive where we managed to locate (with help from other birders), Snow Bunting, Shorelark and Great White Egret (numbers 76 to 82). Our final two locations were RSPB Titchwell Chiffchaff, Caspian Gull  and numbers 83 to 92, and Thornham Harbour for Twite (93).

Caspian Gull (left)

Year List update:
58 – Guillemot 
59-Brent Goose (DB)
60 – Red Kite 
61 – Marsh Harrier 
62 – Hen Harrier 
63 - Pintail
64 – Oystercatcher 
65 – Ringed Plover 
66 – Grey Plover 
67 –Lapwing
68 – Shelduck
69 – Turnstone
70 – Dunlin
71 – Redshank
72 – Greenshank
73 – Bar-tailed Godwit
74 – Curlew 
75 – Bullfinch
76 – Skylark
77 – Snow Bunting
78 – Shorelark 
79 - Linnet
80 - Meadow Pipit
81 – Great White Egret
82 – Egyptian Goose
83 – Avocet
84 –  Knot
85 – Shoveler
86 – Teal
87 – Common Gull
88 – Caspian Gull
89 – Black-tailed Godwit
90 – Eider Duck
91 – Chiffchaff
92 – Sanderling
93 – Twite

Half Term Birding- October 2017

Jayne and I have been away for a few days, visiting Pitlochry in Scotland, Musselburgh Lagoons near Edinburgh, Stag Rocks at Bamburgh, East Chevington Nature Reserve and St Mary's Island in Northumberland.

Our first stop this week was Pitlochry in Scotland, where we enjoyed 3 days. Whilst there we managed to catch up with some beautiful Red Squirrels on the Blair Atholl estate. We also visited the Scottish Wildlife Trust's Loch of Lowes reserve, where we saw many Goldeneye, Mallard, a couple of Mute Swans and many different woodland birds (Great, Blue and Coal Tit, Great Spotted Woodpecker and Chaffinch). European Beavers are now resident here. We didn't see them on this visit, but there was evidence of their activity, with many half-felled trees.

After Pitlochry, we drove down to Northumberland via The Kelpies in Grangemouth and Musselburgh Lagoons near Edinburgh, where we found a Spotted Redshank (year tick).

Our first site in Northumberland was Budle Bay where we saw Shelduck, Redshank, Curlew, Mallard, Greylag Goose, Canada Goose, Wigeon, Teal, Black-headed, Herring and Great Black-backed Gulls.

Next stop was Stag Rocks at Bamburgh, where we had great views of Black-headed Gulls, Herring Gulls, Redshank, , Oystercatchers, Turnstones and Purple Sandpipers.

Purple Sandpiper

Yesterday's visits started with East Chevington NR. We visited this site to see a Shorelark (year tick) that had been reported on the beach at Chibburn Mouth. We got lucky, and found the bird after just 10 minutes (my first since 2003!!). Also present were c. 100 Twite.

Shorelark

Our last stop was St Mary's Island in Whitley Bay. The tide was out, as were the day trippers, so the birds were far and few between, but we did see 4 Ringed Plover, Lapwing (100+), Golden Plover (c.100), Turnstone, Redshank, Curlew, Black-headed and Herring Gull.

Curlew

Year List update:
192: Spotted Redshank
193: Shorelark

North East Adventure

Every February half term I like to have a day out birding somewhere different. This year I spent a day with Luke travelling around the North East, picking up 2 "lifers", and 21 "year ticks".

The first stop of the day was Skinningrove in Cleveland, where an Eastern Black Redstart had been reported on rocks by the pier. We arrived at 8.30am, and enjoyed a couple of hours here watching the bird as it fed in amongst the rocks. It was a very confiding bird, coming to within a few feet at times. Although, not yet a full species, it's still a great looking bird and very nice to see. See here for details of the different subspecies.

Eastern Black Redstart

Also present here were several Stonechat, 4 Robins, Wrens, Dunnocks, Pied Wagtails, 4 Redshank, 4 Oystercatchers, Rock Pipits and c.20 Fulmars.

Next stop on our day trip was the Northumberland Wildlife Trust's East Chevington Nature Reserve. The main bird we were here to see was a juvenile Pacific Diver. With a little persistence and some help from another birder, we found the bird, swimming distantly with Mute and Whooper Swans. Unfortunately, we couldn't get any photos, so click here for some amazing shots of the bird, taken earlier in its stay. Other birds present on and around the reserve were: Shelduck, Red-breasted Merganser, Scaup (4), Slavonian Grebe (1), Gadwall, Skylark, Goldeneye, Mallard, Coot, Little Grebe, Lapwing, Curlew, Canada and Greylag Geese. Whilst here, we also walked down through the dunes to have a look for some Shorelarks and Twite that had been reported on the beach. Unfortunately, the Shorelarks weren't around, but we did see an amazing flock of c.90 Twite, and a few Linnets. Some seed had been put down by a couple of photographers and the birds kept flying in to feed about 10 feet away from us.

Twite

Ringed Plovers were also running around on the beach along with c.30 Sanderlings, including a colour ringed individual. Hopefully, I'll get the details of this bird, and update the blog later.

The last stop of the day was North Shields Fish Quay, where we hoped to catch up with a couple of "white-winged" gulls. The first species, a 1st winter/2nd calendar year Iceland Gull, was seen flying around as we parked up, but couldn't be found again (!), whilst a 1st winter/2nd calendar year Glaucous Gull was a lot more confiding. The bird flew in to some bread and sat a few feet away begging for more for the whole time we were there. Needless to say, we managed to get some great photos.

Glaucous Gull

Other birds seen around the quay were: Herring, Great Black-backed and Black-headed Gulls, 2 Guillemots, several Shags and Cormorants and 11 Eider Ducks.

Year List update:
80 – Red Kite (5 seen on the journey)
81 – Stonechat
82 – Eastern Black Redstart
83 – Rock Pipit
84 - Shelduck
85 - Pacific Diver
86 - Red-breasted Merganser
87 - Whooper Swan
88 - Scaup
89 - Slavonian Grebe
90 - Gadwall
91 – Skylark
92 - Goldeneye
93 - Ringed Plover
94 - Sanderling
95 - Twite
96 - Linnet
97 - Red-throated Diver
98 - Iceland Gull
99- Glaucous Gull
100 - Eider Duck
101 - Curlew

100 up

On Monday I decided to have a day where I go to several sites to see a few birds that I otherwise wouldn't catch up with. As you can see from the Year List update below it was quite a busy and successful day, with me breaking the 100 barrier.

First stop was Rufford Country Park in Nottinghamshire. This is a reliable site for my first target of the day: Hawfinch. Birds are usually to be found around the main car park, but unfortunately on Monday there was some work going on in the site, and so the birds weren't in the area. After an hour, however, I managed to pick one up as it flew in and landed at the top of a tall tree.

Next up was the Idle Valley Nature Reserve, which is part of the Lound Gravel Pits complex. where a Slavonian Grebe had been sighted.

Slavonian Grebe

Last stop of the day was the wonderful RSPB Blacktoft Sands reserve. My main target was Hen Harrier, which is a winter visitor to the reserve. The birds come in to roost on site, so I had to wait 'til the end of the day to see this species, but it was well worth it. Whilst waiting I also managed to catch up with a few other species, including a flock of Twite that have been feeding in and around the car park for most of the winter.

Twite

Also present were 4 Marsh Harriers, an immature Scaup, 2 female Goldeneye, loads of Tree Sparrows, flocks of Pink-footed Geese and 20+ Snipe.

Year List update:

95 - Hawfinch

96 – Slavonian Grebe
97 - Tree Sparrow
98 - Twite
99 - Pink-footed Goose
100 -Goldeneye
101 - Scaup
102 - Marsh Harrier
103 - Hen Harrier

Barns Ness again

Our last day in Scotland saw me heading off to Barns Ness again to look for the Water Pipit. Again, no luck!!!!!! I did, however, have a very nice walk and added two new species to the year list; Twite and Merlin.

First sightings this morning were a few Rock and Meadow Pipits. A pair of Stonechats were in the dunes as was a flock of approximately 20 Linnets. The Twite, again a flock of about 20 birds, were feeding in the same area. The Merlin was spotted flying fast and low over the beach before landing briefly on a rock. Unfortunately, it flew off again within seconds after being mobbed by a Crow.

On the waters edge there were several Curlew, Oystercatcher, Black-headed and Great Black-backed Gulls, as well as two new species for this site: Dunlin and Bar-tailed Godwit.

Year List:
160 - Twite
161 - Merlin