W-wBT

Anonymous Call yesterday informed me of a Juv. White-winged Black Tern at Chev (Thanks whoever you are.) at the time I couldn't visit. A visit the following morning was unproductive; so maybe the lucky streak ends?!?

The tern was apparently present today, before flying out to sea at 08:30am. Several observers were infomed the bird had returned and was still present, but alas it was a Juv. Common Tern with no sign of a black mantle or back. The brown in the wings and red on the bill eliminated W-wBT.

Little Patching

Little Patchwork this week. Kielder, Wednesday .. Osprey, Red Squirrel and Buzzards.
                                           Alnmouth, Thursday .. Common Sand, Goosander, Little Egret                  and Greenshank.
                                           Bamburgh, Friday.. 27 Goosander
                                           Branton GPs .. Saturday

Common Blue Damselfly

Enallagma cyathigerum


Short visits only to the patch this week. Following yesterday's rain the mud has disappeared and very few small waders left. Shouldn't be long before it reappears, fingers crossed. NWT digging burn at Cresswell this week??

Gropper and Otter

Lapwing Ponteland Hide, Hauxley.

Green Sandpiper  still present and a few Common Sandpipers. In the dunes plenty of grasshoppers (Common Field Grasshoppers .. I presume?)

Chorthippus brunneus

East Chev produced: 4 Black-tailed Godwits, 5 Ruff, Greenshank, Dunlin and Little Gull. A Peregrine Falcon put in an appearance for the third day in a row.

The Spotted Cake remained out of sight all moning. If it is not seen again, it may have met one of the Otters. The Otter appeared in the Crake's favourite spot and was followed along the reed edge by two young Moorhen making sure they knew its exact position.

Aaaagh!

An afternoon visit to Chev and found 12 cars parked near the hide. So change of plan (I like a peaceful afternoon ... a bit anti-social I know; however, it is good to know people are enjoying birding on my favourite patch.) I headed for the beach and track. The beach had a Sanderling, Dunlin and Ringed Plover flock. Juv Yellow and Pied Wagtails fed on the beach.The track revealed little in the brisk but welcome breeze. So back indoors to do a bit more cleaning.

Saturday on the Patch

An obliging Green Sandpiper at the Ponteland Hide, Hauxley.

The morning started well with the Spotted Crake, 4 Ruff and a stunning Peregine. I watched it fly straight towards me attempt to take a duckling, sweep around and then fly right over my head less than 10m above. Through the bins its eyes were looking straight at me as it flew over. Amazing. I had time to get the camera ready but was much more interested in watching the spectacle. A good indicator of Peregrine activity is that the lapwings always go very high and stay in the air for a long time.

Finally a stop at Druridge for aWood Sandpiper, 2 Common Sandpipers and 12 Snipe. A few chores to be done before a return visit early afternoon?

Afternoon Delight

Dark Green Fritillary and Sedge Warbler (unusual colouring from shade of Umbellifera)

An afternoon call from BD alerted me to Hobby seen at E Chev. I headed to the Druridge end of my patch normally good for Hobby. After an hour or so the Starlings rose from the field in a close knit ball but no raptor to be seen. A call to IR about Greenshank and Wood Sand was quickly followed by another to announce the Hobby. The Starlings rose in the same way and just to the side a beautiful Hobby flew straight towards the Budge Screen. It was gone in under a second but will no doubt be recorded in the area again.