I went to Arcot at 2:00 but there was no sign of any Stork or anything much at all. I also checked some roof tops in the industrial estate but no sign.
Its a shame it would have been a lifer and an amazing patch tick.
Thursday, 31 July 2008
Premonition
This morning for the first time in a long time I woke up at 4:40 and looked outside thinking I should go down to West hartford and do some early morning bird watching.
After falling asleep again I woke up at about nine and thought '' that was weird''.
Then at 1:00 I logged onto birdguides and read that a Black Stork had been seen Circling low over Nelson industrial estate for at least ten minutes before apparently drifting south at 12:00, was somebody telling me to get my lazy arse out of bed and go to Hartford?
I will check Arcot Pond later on today and post my results later. I would appriciate it if any body that has some info about the sighting would leave a comment. thanks.
After falling asleep again I woke up at about nine and thought '' that was weird''.
Then at 1:00 I logged onto birdguides and read that a Black Stork had been seen Circling low over Nelson industrial estate for at least ten minutes before apparently drifting south at 12:00, was somebody telling me to get my lazy arse out of bed and go to Hartford?
I will check Arcot Pond later on today and post my results later. I would appriciate it if any body that has some info about the sighting would leave a comment. thanks.
Sunday, 27 July 2008
Slipped through the net...again
After seeing that a Great White Egret had been reported at Cresswell Pond on birdguides for the second time this year I thought I've got to see this.
I couldn't leave until about half six so I had to pray that it would hang around long enough for me to get a good look.
As I got to Ellington there was a huge sea fret which would make visabillity very difficult but still I stayed positive...until...
As I arrived at Cresswell I could just about see the road in front of me but noticed that the pond was completely covered in fog.
I parked on the road side and walked to the edge of the causeway where it was like a scene from a low budget horror film complete with eerie curlew sound effects.
After about ten minutes the fog lifted a little but still no sign of any Egret.
As I walked up to the hide for one last chance a Barn Owl flew out of the reeds on the small pond and began hunting over the reeds, stopping breifly on a fence post. That made me feel like I hadn't wasted my time completely.
As you can probably guess I saw nothing else due to the fog and went home.
Birds like this mysterious Great White Egret seem to be reported once and then nothing else is heard about them which makes me wonder...
I couldn't leave until about half six so I had to pray that it would hang around long enough for me to get a good look.
As I got to Ellington there was a huge sea fret which would make visabillity very difficult but still I stayed positive...until...
As I arrived at Cresswell I could just about see the road in front of me but noticed that the pond was completely covered in fog.
I parked on the road side and walked to the edge of the causeway where it was like a scene from a low budget horror film complete with eerie curlew sound effects.
After about ten minutes the fog lifted a little but still no sign of any Egret.
As I walked up to the hide for one last chance a Barn Owl flew out of the reeds on the small pond and began hunting over the reeds, stopping breifly on a fence post. That made me feel like I hadn't wasted my time completely.
As you can probably guess I saw nothing else due to the fog and went home.
Birds like this mysterious Great White Egret seem to be reported once and then nothing else is heard about them which makes me wonder...
Thursday, 24 July 2008
July is not that bad after all
After some family business in Alnwick today I decided to go home via the coast.
My first stop was Druridge Pools where apart from the otter in the north east corner there was nothing. I then walked on the beach down to Cresswell Pond where I apart from the usual sea suspects I had the first of four lifers which where 2 Gannets and 2 Arctic Skuas.
At cresswell pond I saw my other two lifers which where a Curlew Sandpiper feeding with nine Dunlin just north of the causeway and a Wood Sandpiper which was on the mud opposite to the Curlew sandpiper an Dunlins.
Not much at Snab point apart from 1 ringed plover and a couple of gulls and eiders offshore.
A very good day. I also saw an otter at Cresswell.
My first stop was Druridge Pools where apart from the otter in the north east corner there was nothing. I then walked on the beach down to Cresswell Pond where I apart from the usual sea suspects I had the first of four lifers which where 2 Gannets and 2 Arctic Skuas.
At cresswell pond I saw my other two lifers which where a Curlew Sandpiper feeding with nine Dunlin just north of the causeway and a Wood Sandpiper which was on the mud opposite to the Curlew sandpiper an Dunlins.
Not much at Snab point apart from 1 ringed plover and a couple of gulls and eiders offshore.
A very good day. I also saw an otter at Cresswell.
Sunday, 13 July 2008
Seawatch and the usual boring July
On Wedneday I had a 2 hour sea watch at Seaton Sluice between 7:30 and 9:30.
I sat on the cliff edge and watched 6 Fulmars nesting on the cliff side for most of the time but still managed to see 4 Sandwich Tern, 1 Kittiwake, 2 Herring Gull, 1 Cormorant, 1 Grey Heron and 35 Eider duck offshore.
Yesterday I went to St Mary's and saw 6 Turnstone, 7 Lapwing, 9 Oysrercatcher, 3 Curlew, 24 BH Gull, 4 Sand Martin and 2 House Martin.
The wetland was dead apart from 4 Swallow, 7 Linnet, 1 Moorhen, 6 House Sparrow, 4 Goldfinch and 1 Reed Warbler.
Next off to Holywell pond where there was 10 Canada Geese, 6 Greylag Geese, 12 Tufted Duck, 6 Mallard, 4 Pochard, 1 Coot, 6 Great Crested Grebe and 1 Grey Heron, Little Grebe calling in the reeds.
On my way towards the members hide I heard a Grasshopper Warbler.
It's a good job that I didn't walk on the beach at Seaton Sluice the other day as Lesser Weaver Fish have been found there and at South Beach.
Wednesday, 9 July 2008
Patch Tick
On my way home yesterday I past through the Scrubland behind the Brockwell as I regularly do.
This is an excellent place to find birds in an urban area and in the past I have seen both Reed and Lapland Buntings here.
I wasn't looking for birds yesterday as it was about to rain but on my way out of the scrub two birds flew right out in front of me and landed on a branch a few metres away. They stayed on the branch for for about 10 seconds before a whitethroat chased them away.
It took me a few seconds to click but then I realised that they were Garden Warblers a bird I have not seen in Cramlington before and my 8th patch tick of the year.
This is an excellent place to find birds in an urban area and in the past I have seen both Reed and Lapland Buntings here.
I wasn't looking for birds yesterday as it was about to rain but on my way out of the scrub two birds flew right out in front of me and landed on a branch a few metres away. They stayed on the branch for for about 10 seconds before a whitethroat chased them away.
It took me a few seconds to click but then I realised that they were Garden Warblers a bird I have not seen in Cramlington before and my 8th patch tick of the year.
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