Frozen Rail

With being ill and doing work over the last week yesterday was the first time I had been outside this year!
Throughout the week I have added Jackdaw, Sparrowhawk, Goldfinch, Song Thrush, Coal Tit and Wren to the patch list as they were in my garden at various times.

Yesterday lunchtime I went off to West Hartford via the Horton Burn where four Snipe were flushed and a pair of Bullfinch fed in the trees. A few Common Gull were flying around also.
Further along, single Redwing and fieldfare showed well.

West Hartford was very quiet when me and my friend ( Simon) arrived but things soon picked up when 5 Greylags flew over followed by three drake Goldeneye.
A Reed Bunting was calling from the back field as was a Stonechat.

After initially checking the main pool which is completely frozen, I noticed something small in the south west corner on the ice.
At first I thought it was a Snipe or Woodcock but as we got closer it was smaller but to crouched down to see what it was.
I thought if it was a snipe it would fly off if we got closer so simon walked towards it. The ice was so thick it wasn't going to crack so I followed him and we stopped with the bird at our feet.

It turned out to be a Water Rail which was trying to probe the ice with its beak, I though it was injured as it wasn't bothered by us standing over it but after a minute long Mexican stand off it ran across the ice into the cover of the frozen marshy field. It stood from the edge of the field and watched us as we went back.
It was amazing to see this notoriously shy bird so close, it would probably be better if it followed the snipe to Horton Burn as it is guarenteed flowing water and food.

Evening at Cresswell

I was out yesterday evening with Steve H for an hour at Creswell Pond from the hide.
I forgot my notebook so I haven’t got the exact numbers but there were roughly 120 Dunlin on the sandbar with 2 Curlew Sandpipers and a Ruff amongst them.

Ringed Plover and Redshank were on the sand bordering the reeds. 2 Moorhen were doing good Spotted Crake impressions just inside the reeds, as was a Water Rail which zig zagged its way across the reed bed.

3 Greenshank were flying around and calling as they landed in various parts of the mud but remained unsettled. The Stoat on the edge of the reeds could have had something to do with this.

On the way back we checked Woodhorn Flash from the roadside. A second year Med Gull landed on the water before taking off again and flying back towards Newbiggin.

Arcot Pond today...

Spent about an hour at Arcot Pond this afternoon, not much around. On the pond there were 2 Mallard, 2 Grey Heron, 7 Common Gull, 6 BH Gull and a Water Rail calling from the far north west reeds, thats three in under a week now.
70+ Woogpigeon, Great Tit, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow and a Skylark flew over.
On the way back I saw two men with a Greyhound, Ferrets and a Harris Hawk near the dirtbike mound.

Holywell Brambling

Out early with Steve today, first stop was a frozen Holywell Pond which had 40 Pochard, 14 tufted Duck, 6 Mute Swan, 4 Canada Geese, 5 Greylag and 2 Pink Footed on the un- frozen water.
It was better watching the feeding stations from the members hide rather than the pond today, as to the left of the hide there were 20+ Greenfinch, 5 Chaffinch, 4 Bluetit, 1 Coal Tit, 2 Great Tit and 1 Female Brambling- Lifer.
The Brambling was on the back feeder and kept going between the feeding table and the bushes to the left.
The birds then flew off as a Sparrowhawk flew in and caught something, hopefully not the Brambling.
A pair of Pheasants and four Moorhen were also flushed. On the feeders right of the hide 2 Dunnocks, 1 Robin, and a Water Rail were feeding on the ground. The Water rail only came out in the open when running between the spilt seed and the reeds, the rest of the time it hid away from my camera under a bush next to the feeder.
We scanned the Gulls but no sign of the Iceland Gull.

Next was ST. Mary's where we looked for the Water Pipit in the north bay but there were only 3 Meadow pipit, 8 Rock Pipit, Grey Wagtail, Stonechat, Dunlin, Redshank, Sanderling and 2 Brent Geese.

No sign of the Waxwings in Benton Cemetery. Had a few Crammy year ticks around Arcot today as well GS Woodpecker, Nuthatch, Treecreeper (both quite hard in crammy) and 15 fieldfare.

First Mega, First Twitch, First Time on Teeside

I had to go to Middlesborough for an interview today, but that wasn't until 1 so to kill time I thought I would go twitching at Saltholme.
I have never been into Teeside before so didn't know where anything was, despite directions, but I managed to find a long row of people in a layby looking at a gull flock on a pool, so I presumed it was Saltholme.
I found out it was but that there had been no sign of the Glaucous Winged Gull.
I stayed for an hour and saw Gadwall, Shellduck, Pochard, Goldeneye ect as well as 1 Bean Goose, adult Glacous Gull (not winged) and a Water Rail (again) which was only meteres away from me and the road, wading through a ditch pecking at everything as it went. I went to the interview and when I got out had a text from S.H (thanks again steve), which said it had been seen on Dorman's Pool 20 minutes ago. The traffic is really bad in Middlesborough at the minute due to a diversion and pissing traffic lights, I then got another text saying it had flown off towards the tip.
After another half an hour and direction towards Dorman's Pool, I came to Saltholme where the previously packed layby now only had two people. I went over and asked the guy who was packing up what the crack was (thinking it had flown off for good) and he said it's on the pool now!
****!!!!!
The other birder had it in his scope and kindly let me see. The light was starting to fade so it's primary's didn't look as striking but never the less it was there partly behind a mute swan which later moved giving me better views.
My first Mega, and what a way to start 2009, first siskins in my garden then excellent views of water rail (my favourite bird) and then the GWG all in the first week.
I have seen the design for the new Saltholme visitors centre and I will definetly be coming back, I got the vibe that it is a site I will see another mega on one day. I liked it as soon as I arrived.

Duff Birding

I was planning to go to Derwentside today on the Red Kite walk but after seeing that it was 11 miles long thought...Nah.
Instead I went to East Chevington and for the first time walked all the way around. Usually I just go to the hide nearest to the road. Chevington has been quite quiet this year and I have not seen anything good there.. well ever.
I started from the hide next to the wooden bridge. After finally getting into the noisey metal hide I was pleased to see that two channels have been made through the reeds which makes viewing a lot better.
A stoat ran in front of the hide and into the reeds which flushed a moorhen, mute swan, Tufted Duck and a Water Rail. The Water Rail stood still in the left channel for a minute before flying off over the reeds and out of sight. I heard it calling for a while.
That was the highlight of the day. On the water there was Goldeneye,Wigeon, Mute Swan ect. 12 Greylag flew over and a kestrel, Goldfinch and Stonechat were around the dunes.

20 Whooper swans were still in the field near Widdrington but no sign of any White Fronted near Linton, or Waxwings.

On the way home I stopped in Morpeth, no Waxwings there either but I did see Damien Duff in Morrisons.

Another good day

Today I went Birding with Steve Holliday and Dee McKeown, (much better crammy Birders).
First stop was Hulne park to look for wintering Hawfinches, no sign at the gates but plenty of common tits, nuthatch and Red Squirrel.
Fenham Flats- 100+ Brent Geese both Pale Bellied and Dark Bellied, Grey plover, Oystercatcher, Dunlin, two hunting Merlin, peregrine, Wigeon, Pintail (beautiful birds), 5 Long Tailed Duck - Lifer, 2 Slavonian Grebe - Lifer and Rock pipit were the highlights.
Stag Rocks - Eider, 10 Common Scoter, 1 Velvet Scoter ( female near the tide ) - lifer and Purple Sandpiper - Lifer.
Cresswell Pond- Brilliant views of a Bittern walking and feeding along the side of the north reed bed and Merlin sitting on branches in mud.
Snab point - 1 Red throated Diver- Lifer
Blyth Harbour- 14 Shag on cormorant roost - Lifer, Iceland Gull sleeping on factory roof and Snow Bunting on wall and then beach - Lifer.
West Hartford - 10 Linnets, Common Snipe, Short Eared Owl flying about- excellent patch tick, 14 Fieldfare and a Water Rail heard calling from the bullrushes west of the pool - also kick ass patch tick.
After a discussion of my Cramlington list today I am removing Lapland Bunting as it was in a tree rather than the ground and the Wood Warbler that hit my window, as it was dead, also removing them from my lifetime list. Re adding Long tailed Duck and Velvet Scoter that I saw today as I looked back on my past post and found that the velvet scoter I saw at Newbiggin was a common scoter and the long tailed duck on the wansbeck was a summer eider- beginers mistakes.
thanks again to steve and D. cheers

I need a key

Had another afternoon off today, (the last one for a while) so off to holywell Pond just in case the Snow goose was an unringed bird.
Just like Chevington on friday, as soon as I arrived it started to hail stone so I dived for cover in the part flooded public hide.
No sign of the Snow Goose which is now at Holywell Dene (I can feel another wild goose chase happening), but there were 2 Greylags and a Pink Footed on the island which later flew north east.
Not much else apart from tufed, Mallard and a couple of Goldeneye. No sign of the Med Gull in with the BH and GBB Gulls.
the hail stopped and I went to the members hide on the off chance somebody was inside and I could sneak in.
Holywell Birder has been telling for ages to get a key for the members hide but I have been putting it off until now, as today it cost me.
As I came to the hide I looked throught the new half finished viewing screen and there feeding on the spilt seed under the feeder was a Juv Water Rail, of course it saw me and ran back into the reeds.
I tried to open the hide but nobody was around. the feeding station to the left of the hide was full of Blue tit, Robin, Great tit, Chaffinch and a possible Brambling was flitting about. Shame I didn't get a proper look it would have been another lifer.
As i watched the feeder I could hear squeeling coming from the front of the hide and a Moorhen flew onto the water followed by a screaming adult Water Rail which dragged its feet along the wateras it flew on to the water and swam out of sight.
A fight in front of the hide and I missed it, I really need a key. The worst thing was I had my camera at the ready but it was all to fast to catch.

If Carlsberg did birdwatching it would probably be like today

What a day.
With the water levels being lowered earlier in the week I had been itching to go to Cresswell Pond but school got in the way as usual.
When I arrived there today, after avoiding the puddles which were still surprisingly deep, I saw that there were at least 25 bird watchers on the road side at the north end of the causeway.
After about 5 minutes and my second little Stint of the year, some dog walking arseholes decided to walk across the causeway and scare off almost everything. One of the walkers even came up to me and said, ''will this effect your bird watching?'', even when I said yes she still carried on.
Most of the now fairly pissed bird watcher packed up and drove off or like me, went to the hide.
The hide was as good as it's ever going to get with some mud flats appearing and held, 4 Wigeon, 50+ BH Gull, 7 Common Gull, 1 Little Gull- Lifer, 19 Lapwing, 4 Oystercatcher, 10 Bar tailed Godwit, 18 Knot, 9 Redshank, 4 Greenshank, 6 Ruff, 2 Common Sandpiper, 3 Curlew Sandpiper, 7 Dunlin, 17 Snipe, 1 Cormorant and 1 Water Rail- Lifer!!!
I have always wanted to see a Water Rail today was finally the day. Another birder spotted it first, it was running next to the reeds in a amongst the snipe group and stayed out for about 5 minutes, cleaning itself with its foot before disappearing back into the reeds.
If the water levels had not been lowered I don't think that I would have seen the Rail and if that isn't a sign to the NWT that the water should be lowered at the right time of the year then I
don't know what is.
I then checked the bank on the left side of the pond where there were a large number of ducks one of which was a female Pintail- lifer.
A Black Tern- Lifer then joined the crowd of gulls on the mud flats and cleaned itself for a while before flying off.
A Redstart was flying about in the dunes next to the car park.
I went back to the causeway about two hours later and met one of the bird watchers that I met at Newbiggin last week, who kindly let me borrow his scope where I saw, 2 Pectoral Sandpipers- Lifer and 1 Buff Breasted Sandpiper- Lifer amongst others.
On the way home I stopped at Newbiggin where I saw 1 Guillemot riding the waves, 6 Wheatear and 1 Female Velvet Scoter- lifer.
All in all probably the best days birdwatching of the year or even ever.