AM

I was at West Hartford at 6:30 this morning. Amongst the Teal were 5 (1 female and 4 drake) Gadwall, which soon flew off towards the river.
Next I went to the stairs by the river and sat there for an hour. A couple of Jays were calling as was a GS Woodpecker and 2 Treecreeper, which got very close. Again I heard a possible Marsh Tit but never saw it. A Comorant flew down the river and landed on a trunk in the middle of the river before fishing.

2 Short Eared Owls were still hunting the fields as I walk around. My first Willow Warbler of the year was singing away from the plantation behind the substation as were a few Blackcap.
I decided to walk along the fence line behind the pools leading towards the farm next. Another Cormorant with more white on it flew over the river and in the hedgerow along the fence line a Yellowhammer was singing.
As I was leaving 4 Canada Geese circled the pools before flying off SW.

The first stage in combatting the mice invasion in the garden shed was a success last night. It seems Mars Bar covered in Nutella was too tempting for them as 3 Wood Mice were in the humane traps this morning.

Crosprey

On Sunday morning I went out for a couple of hours with SH. We headed north to Warkworth Lane to try and find the elusive Common Crane, which had been hanging around.
After our initial scan produced nothing we walked down the lane past the caravan site and through the woods. Numerous Tree Sparrows were calling around us and three Buzzards soared over the woods.
After noticing a distant group of Whooper Swans we soon spotted the Crane standing amongst them. Although we were a long way from the group they looked very nervous and kept standing up and moving further away. There were a lot of people and dog walkers up and down the lane and it looked as if the Crane would fly at any moment.

We quickly checked Cresswell Pond next which was dead. 5 minutes after we left to go to Druridge Pools Steve got a call saying that just the Crane had flown over the hide at Cresswell before flying west.

Druridge pools wasn’t much better than Cresswell with the highlight being a pair of Pintail on the Budge field. The ponies (I don’t know if they are Exmoor or not), on the Budge field have done a good job of grazing around the pool; I hope the ones at Arcot can do the same.

Yesterday it was back to the drawing board, literally, doing my final work for university when I got a call from JM saying that he was watching an Osprey circling over the Holiday Inn between Seaton Burn and Arcot!
Rather than rushing there to find that it had gone, I headed to West Hartford on the off chance that it would follow the River Blyth like one did a year ago today.
Soon I was at the brick building with my scope scanning over the river. I stayed nearly 2 hours but there was no sign although Grey Heron, LBB Gull and Lapwing were doing their best Osprey impressions as they flew over.

Not much was on the pools but 2 Short Eared Owls hunted over the marshy fields and a Buzzard flew west. The highlight though was a male Peregrine, which landed on the top tier of the pylon behind the WH farm. It stayed for 10 minutes or so before gliding down out of sight. I then spotted it later on chasing Wood Pigeons west over the river.

Through the week Wood Pigeon, Blackbird, Jackdaw, Magpie, Dunnock and House Sparrow have all been collecting nesting material in my garden and the shed has been invaded by mice.

Blackcap

Out early this morning again at West Hartford. Again not much around. A pair of Ringed Plover on the main pool were the highlights. A Small Tortoiseshell Butterfly seemed to be following me around.
Despite the breeze nothing was flying over the river and a pair of Jays shattered the peace there.
On my way home I stopped and watch a singing male Blackcap at the west end of Horton Burn.

WH Woods

Another early trip to West Hartford this morning. Numerous Reed Bunting, Meadow Pipit and Skylark, 3 Grey Partridge were around the pools.
4 Greylag, 35 Herring and 3 LBB Gulls on the main pool were joined by a Shelduck. A few Snipe were accidentally flushed as I passed.
2 Short Eared Owls hunted over the marshy area including one which flew low over my head before landing on a post only meteres away, they seem to be getting used to people watching them now.

I went past the pylons and into the woods bordering the River Blyth today. No sign of a Marsh Tit but 2 Jay 3 GS Woodpecker were very vocal.
Also a Yellowhammer flew south over the river in almost the same area were I heard the Crossbill the other day. Like the Crossbill I just looked up in time to see the Yellowhammer flyover.

First addition to the West Hartford list 2012

I got up early to go to West Hartford this morning. As I arrived I met MH on his bike who had just found the Jack Snipe. He said there wasn't much else on the pools so instead I checked the back fields towards the river.

The fields were quiet so I went to the fence line bordering trees surrounding the river. From hear were 2 Stock Dove, 2 Sparrowhawk, 2 Chiffchaff, 1 GS Woodpecker and a possible singing Marsh Tit. There was a tit flock in an area of scrub under one of the pylons and amongst the group was a song I wasn't familiar with. Since I have listended to recordings on the internet but I'm still not sure, I'll have to go back and check sometime.

Just before I left I heard a sound I am more familiar with, a Crossbill chipped away as it flew south over the river. I even managed to see it as it flew over, a nice green female.
A long overdue fly over at WH is the first addition of 2012, but what will be next?

Winter Hangover

Over the last week I have only gotten out a few times again, all locally. Couldn't find the Stonechat at West Hartford and scanned all the gulls but found nothing interesting.
I checked the woods surrounding Nelson Hill and the patch of scrub between Crowhall Lane and the Industrial estate for an early warbler but only Chaffinch and LT Tit were found.

A nice male Bullfinch was probably the highlight at the top of my street.

This morning I went to Blyth with Cain to look for the Waxwings. We pulled into Thorntree Way just in time to see the four fly over the car and land in a bare tree near the roundabout between the street and the car park. As we approached only three birds were visible then we turned to face the berry bush and were face to face nearly with the other bird as it sat in the bush. These were by far the most tame Waxwings I have ever seen. Cain got some good photos just before they flew off into the estate and out of site.

On the way back we checked the pool at Bebside recycling centre. A pair of Shelduck and Coot were both on the water.

Work stops for a county tick

I have only managed to get out of the house a few times in the last week. A few quick checks of West Hartford produced the same every time, Shelduck, 3 LBB Gull and a Mute Swan.
The most interesting sighting I had was last Friday when I was scanning from Nelson Hill, the gull flock took off from WH and a single Goose flew with them before following the River Blyth then turning around and flying off in the direction of Holywell.
Visibility was poor but and the only feature I could pick out was a large white wing panel.

This week I had two attempts for the Egyptian Goose at Holywell. The first was unsuccessful as I found the flock and a White Fronted Goose but no Egyptian. 10 Tree Sparrow were in the hedge between the new viewing screen and the public hide.
Yesterday I went back with JM and this time the Goose was showing well much closer in the field west of the pond.
A nice bird with a lot better credentials than the pair at Stakeford Bridge!