On our Todd's

I never thought I would see the day that I would be enthusiastically searching through a flock of Canada Geese but yesterday along with Holywell Birder, that’s exactly what we were doing.


We started our search for the two pairs of reported Todd’s Canada Geese at Woodhorn. The stubble field they had been in was goose-less when we checked so we quickly moved onto QE2. The only Canada Geese were a group of around 70 birds near the car park. After scanning through we realised how variable Canada Geese can be, some birds showed features of Lesser Canada Geese but none had all the correct features.
Next we checked the fields with the new turbines in Linton Lane, both Woodhorn flashes and surrounding fields but there were no Geese of any description at any of these sites.
The flock probably either joined the larger inland groups or flocks at the new open cast sites around Widdrington or Bothal Pond.

On our way back Cain had some business to deal with at Gosforth Park NR so we spent an hour on the reserve. The 8 Waxwings which had been feeding along the main path had disappeared by the time we got there but the woods were alive with tits crests and especially Treecreepers including 5 singing within the space of three trees. I have heard Treecreepers singing before but never for so long and I had never heard the endnote, which sounds similar to a Little Grebe.
From the hide we could see hundreds of Wood Pigeons and Jackdaw going to roost along with some very vocal Jays. The pools were quiet but a Water Rail was squealing from the reed bed left of the hide.