Pesky Pollen

Sedge warbler

Mallard
Lots of young birds on the patch including fledged Whitethroat and Meadow pipit.
 

 Wren
Lots of birds carrying food. A good breeding year!

Teasel (trap).

... and lots of pollen forcing the afternoon indoors ... aaagh!

Moths ... ?

Common Carpet Epirrhoe altenata alternata

Silver-ground Carpet Xanthorhoe montanata montanata

Scorpion Fly (not a moth I know)

Silver Y Autographa gamma

Adela rufimitrella (Cauchas per Waring and Townsend)

Longhorn type moth .. common name??

The birding was really good with Cuckoo, LEO, Barn Owl and Marsh Harriers at Chev (Someone reported SEO my mistake or 2 bird theory ...?)

42+ Black-tailed Godwits, 14 Little Gulls and 2 Grey Plover at Cresswell.

Bank Holiday Weekend

Dull ...I think not!

Birding list today included: Yellow wags, Spoonbill, Cuckoo, Long-tailed tits, GC Grebes, RT Divers, Wheatears, Lesser whitethroats, Egyptian goose and much, much more.

Is this part of a strange experiment to see if swallows need a brain to help them migrate? Don't panic the same bird is shown below .. it was just doing a spot of preening ;-)

Ho Hum

Many thanks to those who tried to contact me re-Woodchat Shrike. I have a new phone and I am trying to avoid big twitches (although I did go to see the shrike). I will continue to pass on sightings to a few mates.

Hug a Hoodie

Finished the day nicely at Hadston then Widdrington Moor Lake.
100 Common scooter and 2 Long-tailed duck on the sea at Hadston and a Hooded crow at WML.

... and then the sun came out

Otter on the main pool at Druridge and a Hare in the field lifted the spirits and the clouds cleared.
At Chevington a Yellow wagtail and then a calling Bearded tit. It proved difficult to photograph but a few snaps were obtained. Reed warblers were now in full song. What a great day!

Close Encounter

An interesting walk from Hadston Boat Compund to Druridge. All the breeding warblers in good voice, the harrier hunting and a mystery wader calling but not seen.

I arrived at Druridge to be met by IR, and the words "You might want to look at this bird!". He was right ... what a cracker.

A walk between the two hides and the mystery bird revealed itself, a summer plumaged Grey Plover. Also Greenshank, Avocets and the Great White Egret ... so back to Hadston.

Plenty of Speckled Woods on the wing near the Chevington feeding station.

Catch Up

Spoonbill (Friday 25th April) Plenty of bling but no information from ringers yet. The Barn Owl Ring I found recently did provide some information:

Ringing Scheme: London         Ring Number: GC73344         Species of bird: Barn Owl

This bird was ringed by Northumbria RG as age nestling, sex unknown on 21-Jun-2013 at Holy Island, Northumberland OS Map reference NU1343, co-ordinates 55deg 41min N 1deg 48min W.

It was found on 22-Feb-2014 at near Chibburn Farm, Northumberland OS Map reference NZ2597, co-ordinates 55deg 16min N 1deg 36min W.

The bird was Freshly dead    Road Casualty

Remarks

It was found 246 days after it was ringed, 48 km from the ringing site, direction SSE.

Finally saw my first House Martin and photographed a Swallow, well you have to, don't you.

Nine Barnacle Geese were an unexpected discovery Cresswell 1st May (although I was informed that 5000 were still at Caerlverock las week). My first Swift of the year was over Chev S Pool later in the day.

Today (3rd May) I started at Druridge and managed a nice snap of the GWE then to Cambois with ST. A great walk in the resticted access area (Thank goodness we didn't find anything rare.) saw some great wildlife. Two more Swifts headed North but news of a Bonelli's Warbler didn't tempt me to visit Newbiggin.

The first fledged Stonechats capped a good day. The gape isn't very obvious so I'm guessing they fledged early last week.