June List .. additions

Dipper

Avocet

Marsh Warbler

Manx Shearwater

Little New

Yes, Little Tern fnishes off a slow June.

4 New birds and now looking forward to the seawatching and wader migration of July.

'Patchwork'  158 Species  227 points

Silver-ground Carpet

Xanthorhore monanata montanata

Common, Arctic, Sandwich and Little Tern on view (not all captured on camera).

Large Skipper

Mixed Bag (2)

Lapwing

Ringlet?

SEdge

Shelduck

Large Skippers

Mixed Bag

Avocets doing very well. another four chicks have hatched this week.

Damselfly

Dipteran Sp?

Palloptera saltuum

Yellow Dung Fly

Giant Hogweed

A bit of grass pollen in the air today!

Coming or Going?

Greenshank

Heophilus pendulus (Sun Fly)

(A bit like a Nettle Tap, but need help with this one!)

Mallard wih ducklings.

Some of thee were Gadwall chicks.

Manx Shearwaters

A quick update. An early morning seawatch provide a new 'patchwork' bird for 2013; Manx Shearwater (7 Flew N). There was plenty of movement of feeding Gannets Auks and Kittiwakes. Also the Southward movement of Swifts continues.

Stone Age

WeBS Count produced nothing remarkable. Still waiting for some patch birds (Arctic and Great Skua, Roseate and Little Tern) so June has been rather slow going. Avocet chicks have reached a good size now and Harriers feeding well.

Little About

Juvenile Black-headed Gull

(1st Summer) Little Gulls Druridge Pools

Swallows nesting in both hides at Druridge

Marsh Harriers hatched 5 young and Otter terrifying the wildfowl at Chevington.

Young Shelduck at Hauxley

On The Way To Work

Marsh Warbler

Thanks to IR a close encounter with a Marsh Warbler. I have spent the last two weeks listening for this 'King of Mimicry' without success.

The combination of dull olive grey tones, yellow feet, pale primary tips and evenly spaced primaries are good pointers to a Marsh Warbler. However Janet and Ian have done the Maths and the Walinder Formula also agree. Singing birds can be much easier than the maths.

Now it seems he is not alone. Female trapped and ringed with brood patch so I'll remove post for a while!

Published 29/08/2013

 

Just in case you're interested:

Length of bill to Skull (A)

Width of Tarsus (B)

Width of Bill (C)

(BxC)-A

Less than 8 = Marsh

8.5 and above = Reed

Keeping Mum!

Adult birds taking care of their offspring.

Cute ... I think not!

Red-eye Reduction System failed on my camera?

Gadwall chick. One of  brood of 5 from the Ponteland hide.

Chevington Flora

Bird's-foot Trefoil

Cranesbill

Cowslip

Comfrey

Quaking Grass

Speedwell

Ragged Robin

Twayblade

White Deadnettle

Patch Update

Lots of acivity in and around the reed beds. Reed Buntings, Reed , Sedge and Grasshopper warblers all feeding in the open.

Ponteland hide has some nice smelly mud but few waders at the moment. Worth a regular check?

Marsh Harriers off the nest for the whole morning? A worrying development, no food passes. The male caught one prey item but did't pass it to the female. Have they been disturbed at the nest?