One Down

Month that is...

Great views of 3 Jays feeding close together.

Hoping this bird has discovered the new nest box and it will stay away from the road this year.

Good mammal week. 2 Foxes, 2 Hares, Brown and White Stoat, Weasel, Rabbit and Roe Deer.

Smew still present but as usual fairly distant. 

Mentioned a few weeks back that the litter was back at Widdrington Moor. Changed my mind and decided to pick some of it up. This morning filled my recycling bin with beer/lager cans and plastic bottles. Will collect the glass for recycling later this week, It wasn't all bad as I  had great views of a young orange crowned Marsh Harrier hunting nearby.

 

Old Friend

E3

I first recorded this bird in December last year. Ringed 17/02/2013 as a 2nd calendar year female in Calais, France.

Today I photographed it again only a few hundred metres from my original sighting. Good to see it is still alive and well (and has 6 pals with it)!

 

Kestrel

Decided on a short walk around the village today, nearly didn't because of the rain but glad I did. This Kestrel gave some superb photographic opportunities and even in the rain and poor light I'm pleased with the results. I think this bird (near the busy road) had had a bump because it was flying weakly. It did however drop down to feed on a worm, flew onto the hedge and then on to the roof. Hopefully it will fully recover soon.

 

Dodging the Showers

Mixed Woodland

Not far from home, this mixed woodland provided three (camera shy) birds to liven up the morning. Nuthatch, Jay and Willow Tit.

Plenty of water on the Budge Fields.

Carrion Crow

Corvid not Covid

Wind Turbines

Aeroplane top right same as one in next photo using max zoom. Think it is military type.

Yellowhammer

Shorelark

The wet muddy fields in the bay are exposing food for a variety of birds that are often scarce in winter. Stonechats, Meadow Pipits, Water Pipits, Pied Wagtails, Skylarks and this Shorelark. This Shorelark has been in or around the same field for most of the month but can be very difficult to pick out.

 

Close to Home

'The Yellow Corn Road'

This maize harvested from the cover crops has been scattered along the farm road (for the pheasants). Amazingly it is only attracting a small number of birds. Nice to see a few Yellowhammers though.

Long-tailed Duck

Grey Wagtails

The fields and paths are wet and muddy. As a result wagtails, pipits and larks are easy to find this winter.

In the local area there are up to 1,000 Black-headed Gulls, 10+ Mediterranean Gulls, c300 Common Gulls, c100 Herring Gulls, c50 Herring Gulls and a few Great Black-backed Gulls.

Two flocks of c200 (each) Fieldfares and c50 flighty Redwings in a different field.

A lovely mixed flock of Goldfinches (40), Siskins (10) and Redpolls (80). Sadly no snowball types amongst the Redpolls.

Pochard, Smew, Buzzard, Red-breasted Merganser and Ruff also notable, along with two flocks of Golden Plovers.

 

Lockdown (again)

Souter Lighthouse

(from South Shields Pier)

Winter Heliotrope

(Marine Park)

Smew

(Showing Well?)

So it is back to lockdown. My two walks from home are Widdrington Moor and East Chevington (via Druridge Pools).

In March I also combined them with some litter picking and just to make me feel a right mug, I see the same old(young) culprits have continued their anti-social behaviour. The place is once again littered with cans, bottles and food wrappers.

I think my dismay with a large proportion of the population is the main reason for not using social media. I know I've become a real life 'Victor Meldrew' ... I really can't believe it.

Thank goodness for wildlife. Today I had an exceptional day and walked from home to Druridge, along to Chevington and back. The path to Druridge are wet and muddy, so a good day to test my neoprene socks. Excellent!

The birds were amazing. Highlights Water Rails, Meadow Pipit, Skylarks, Mediterranean Gulls, Buzzard, Twite, Siskins, Stonechats (12+), Fieldfares and Redwings.

Oh, and it was nice to see the Shorelark (Shore Lark?) was still hanging around.

Work at Chevington started this week and the newly widened ditch has already attracted the local Kingfisher. 

My bird of the day was this super,

 Reed Bunting.

 

2021

Happy
New
Year

Wishing everyone a healthy, happy 2021.

Stay Safe 

and

Enjoy the Wildlife!