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.

 

Interaction and LRP

Fabulous morning watching the Harriers. A second female passed through (the fourth different female at this site this year).

Contrary to my previous post this Dowitcher is starting to moult. There is some orange on the upper flanks and some wing coverts are attaining the adult pattern.

Plenty of Buzzards in  the air over the last few days.

Plenty of nesting material available for this Carrion Crow.

50+ Sand Martin and a single Swallow were feeding over the pools today. A Wheatear as I left Chev followed by 45+ Whoopers heading North.

Refreshed with a nice coffee, I headed for Druridge. 2 Ruff, 2 LBB Gulls stealing Greylag eggs and some very smart Pintail. At the Budge screen I was informed of this LRP at Cresswell. Very nice!

Also at Cresswell the third female Harrier of the day. This was the overwintering bird, easily recognised by the missing feather on the right wing. It headed North at about 11:35, ten minutes later it was hunting the North Reedbed at Chev. The Sand Martin count was now 100+ with still only the single Swallow.

Whoosh!

A 'canny weekend' considering all the excitement further North. Early morning had distant views of a
 Long-eared Owl along the edge of DBCP. A whoosh as 5,000+ Starlings left the roost at c8am and 1,000 Pink-footed Geese landed in a nearby field; a further 500 in the field just South of the reserve.

A probable Saker Falcon flew along the beach (N) the rich brown colouring meant it was clearly not a Peregrine (Will no doubt be a falconer's lost bird though on brief views there were no obvious leg attachments.). Finally a single call from a Bearded Tit,  .. a very lonely bird?

Sunday and the WeBS counts did not deliver any surprises. However an adult Iceland Gull off the Ponteland Hide was a nice addition.