Cool Day

No sign of yesterday's Snow bunting but some great birding today. This Arctic Skua gave great views. Although a little oiled and apparently sick, it eventually made it to Chev and was seen early afternoon flying strongly out to sea.

In the opposite direction Song Thrushes still arriving with a couple of Great-spotted Woodpeckers. Two White-fronted Geese flew South. Their call rather 'tuneful' in comparison with the Greylags at Hauxley. A Swallow at Chev was a tad late.

The caterpillar one of many on the warm paths is I believe a Ruby Tiger Moth. Let me know if I've got this wrong.

Sanderling Update 1

Another Sanderling update. I look forward to getting more info about this bird. Below is Jeroen's email about this July bird.

Dear David,

apologies for an unacceptably late reply to your e-mail from July. I have returned from Greenland mid August, after which I have been entering more than 6000 observations into my databse and I am still not up to date. This is the caused of some very late response, such as to your e-mail, and I hope for your understanding.

The sanderling that you have photographed has been ringed in Ghana. I do not have the details of this individual yet, so I copy this e-mail to my Ghanaian colleagues and hope that they will provide you with any information thyey have about  this individual.

NU 278 007 Hadston Carrs, Northumberland, UK.

25/07/2013    06:45 BST

Bird 1

Right Tarsus: yellow top, red flag, yellow bottom

Left Tarsus: green top, red bottom

(photo)

Sanderling Update 2

A belated reply from Jeroen (due to his huge workload), but as always it is good to get details of colour-ringed birds.

East Chevington, Northumberland, UK

NZ 274 980

27/07/2013

07:00 BST

Right Tibia Silver Ring

Right Tarsus Green Green

Left Tarsus Yellow (top) Green Flag, Blue

The bird that you have report has been ringed in Greenland, she (we believe it is a female, but have not genetically confirmed this) raised four chicks in 2012, but despite searching, we did not find her in Greenland last summer. You can find the details attached.

Colourcode: G5YBGG

Date(d/m/y) 2nd Observer 3rd Observer

Catching Place: Zackenberg

Name Ringer: Jeroen Reneerkens

Date Catch: 09/07/2012

Greenland 74.28.40 N 20.30.40 W

Ringnumber: 8224278

..............................................................................................................................................................................................................

2nd Ringer:Stefan Sand

10/07/2012 Zackenberg Jeroen Reneerkens Stefan Sand

Greenland 74.28.40 N 20.30.40 W

11/07/2012 Zackenberg Jeroen Reneerkens Michelle Schollert

Greenland 74.28.40 N 20.30.40 W

12/07/2012 Zackenberg Jeroen Reneerkens Stefan Sand

Greenland 74.28.40 N 20.30.40 W

18/07/2012 Zackenberg Jeroen Reneerkens Stefan Sand

Greenland 74.28.40 N 20.30.40 W

18/07/2012 Zackenberg Jeroen Reneerkens Stefan Sand

Greenland 74.28.40 N 20.30.40 W

23/05/2013 Dawlish Warren, South Devon Lee Collins Ivan Lakin

United Kingdom 50.36.18 N 03.25.47 W

24/05/2013 Dawlish Warren, South Devon Lee Collins

United Kingdom 50.36.18 N 03.25.47 W

25/05/2013 Dawlish Warren, South Devon Lee Collins

United Kingdom 50.36.18 N 03.25.47 W

27/07/2013 East Chevington, Northumberland David Elliott

United Kingdom 55.17.29 N 01.34.05 W

Oh Snow!

Well I promised I would find one today! I visited the beach at East Chevington no sign, so I left some tempting seed ready for my afternoon return visit. Driving back along the track I found this beauty! Doh! Double Doh! It was too far inland to count on my patch. So I'll be out looking again tomorrow.

This beauty (eye of the beholder and all that) however was on my patch!

Two Song Thrush in off the sea, two GSW in the dunes, plenty of Goldcrests in the Country Park and 20 Swans flew south too far out to ID.

Moth Caterpillar

Drinker Moth Caterpillar! Took several weeks research ( no chance!) but a quick tweet to Northumberland's ( or actually Britain's) leading Naturalist and the ID was a sinch. Cheers Stewart!

A visit to the Dentist in South Shields and limited birding in the afternoon meant no additions to the patch list. Tomorrow I WILL find Snow Bunting!

S no w Buntings

A few migrant thrushes in the dunes early morning along with two Blakcaps and a Great-spotted Woodpecker. Searching for Snow Buntings and Black Redstart along the shore proved to be un-rewarding and having been out from 08:00 o 12:00 it was frustrating to learn of a fly past Swift S? shortly after getting home for lunch. Well it seems even I can't see all the birds! Furthermore, my decision not to visit Druridge and instead return to Chev meant I missed my target. Thanks to IR for the news of 3 on the beach, hopefully they will still be on the patch today.

No Pics

Yesterday as I approached the factory near the A1 (used to be Searles) a pale buzzard was flying West/North West. This area is well known for Buzzards especially near the Gubeon junction. This, however was worth  a better look. Standing on the stile I was watching a Rough-legged Buzzard. The light was perfect white tail (above and below) and narrow dark tips, pale head, underwings almost completely white apart from carpal patches and primary tips, white upperwing patches (juv?).

Today, closing the garage door a warbler flew overhead calling. Pallas' W, landed in tall Leylandii (Spelling?). Brief views through bins. Then sitting having tea another small warbler in the front garden, probYBW. Unfortunatey only briefest of views.

This time of the year is frustrating because I can only go birding at the weekend, but this week I've hit lucky again.