I got a message from D McK this morning saying that a Green Woodpecker was showing well at Arcot Pond on the dead trees in the south west corner.
By time I got there there was no sign but a drake Shoveler - patch tick, asleep at the back of the pond made up for the woodpeckers absence.
I wasn't helped by the fact that two Harris Hawks were flying around.
Later on after dropping some stuff off at high pit we went for a quick walk around East Cramlington Nature reserve, which is within the cramlington boundary despite what I have been told.
After walking down to the end of the road before the track runs out I had only spotted a Sparrowhawk and as it started to rain I didn't hold my breath about seeing much else.
As we headed back I heard a Siskin - Patch Tick, call overhead. I finally spotted it sitting at the top of a tree, it was soon joined by another 12 which seemed to follow us back to the car.
Whilst watching them fly close overhead I heard the distinct sound of Crossbill - Patch Tick.
I heard them again a few times and even got brief views as two females landed on the top of a conifer before flying off.
60 - Shoveler
61 - Siskin
62 - Crossbill
Sunday, 28 February 2010
Saturday, 27 February 2010
How it should always be
Since we were passing Arcot this morning I called in quickly to see what was around and to see if the rain had finally got rid of the ice, it had.
Why can't Arcot always be like this? It was full of wildfowl, compared to recent standards.
5 Mute Swan were hiding amongst the reeds and a good number of Coots were still around.
The Teal and Mallard group at the back of the pond still had at least one Wigeon amongst them along with 3 Tufted Duck - Patch Tick.
Two grey Heron were being mobbed by a flock of gulls over the pond and as this was happening I noticed a Goldeneye and 4 Goosander - Patch Tick, swimming accross the water, I don't know how I had missed them the first time.
The 1 Drake and 3 female Goosander swam the length of the pond before diving near the island in the north west corner.
58 - Goosander
59 - Tufted Duck
Why can't Arcot always be like this? It was full of wildfowl, compared to recent standards.
5 Mute Swan were hiding amongst the reeds and a good number of Coots were still around.
The Teal and Mallard group at the back of the pond still had at least one Wigeon amongst them along with 3 Tufted Duck - Patch Tick.
Two grey Heron were being mobbed by a flock of gulls over the pond and as this was happening I noticed a Goldeneye and 4 Goosander - Patch Tick, swimming accross the water, I don't know how I had missed them the first time.
The 1 Drake and 3 female Goosander swam the length of the pond before diving near the island in the north west corner.
58 - Goosander
59 - Tufted Duck
Sunday, 21 February 2010
Morning Out Afternoon Count
I went out with SH and DMcK yesterday to do the WEBS count at Castle Island, it was a short trip as Steve had to be back earlier.
After a quiet Webs count we walked up to the seaton cemetery area where the Waxwings have been seen through the week.
Intstead of driving up to the cemetery we walked through the gut which takes you straight to the site. In the gut a Grey Wagtail was bobbing on a rock in the stream.
There was no sign of the Waxwings at first then we were told that they had flown off into the housing estate where they were showing well in a tree.
We found them and watched the 12 birds sitting trilling away in the tree tops before being chased away by a pair of Mistle Thrushes.
A Sparrowhawk was in the area so this didn't help the Waxwings settle properly.
Next we went to the fields around Bells pond which to our suprises held no geese!
From the hide at Cresswell a Barn Owl was hunting over the roadside reeds before flying in front of the hide and off towards Warkworth Lane.
A microlight and a Helicopter went over the pond and the missing Geese erupted from the fields near Warkworth Lane and flew over the pond in five seperate flocks.
There must have been 4000+ Geese in the air before they landed back in the fields.
A single Brent flew from the fields over Bells pond followed by another six which were much closer just over the hide.
I was dropped off at West Hartford where I added two Oystercatchers to the patch list. They where standing on the ice amongst a group of Gulls.
Late afternoon I went back out with Steve who was doing the Cormorant count at Blyth Harbour. 99 Cormorants came into roost.
Also the Iceland Gull flew over and landed near by.
57 - Oystercatcher
After a quiet Webs count we walked up to the seaton cemetery area where the Waxwings have been seen through the week.
Intstead of driving up to the cemetery we walked through the gut which takes you straight to the site. In the gut a Grey Wagtail was bobbing on a rock in the stream.
There was no sign of the Waxwings at first then we were told that they had flown off into the housing estate where they were showing well in a tree.
We found them and watched the 12 birds sitting trilling away in the tree tops before being chased away by a pair of Mistle Thrushes.
A Sparrowhawk was in the area so this didn't help the Waxwings settle properly.
Next we went to the fields around Bells pond which to our suprises held no geese!
From the hide at Cresswell a Barn Owl was hunting over the roadside reeds before flying in front of the hide and off towards Warkworth Lane.
A microlight and a Helicopter went over the pond and the missing Geese erupted from the fields near Warkworth Lane and flew over the pond in five seperate flocks.
There must have been 4000+ Geese in the air before they landed back in the fields.
A single Brent flew from the fields over Bells pond followed by another six which were much closer just over the hide.
I was dropped off at West Hartford where I added two Oystercatchers to the patch list. They where standing on the ice amongst a group of Gulls.
Late afternoon I went back out with Steve who was doing the Cormorant count at Blyth Harbour. 99 Cormorants came into roost.
Also the Iceland Gull flew over and landed near by.
57 - Oystercatcher
Friday, 19 February 2010
Around the patch
Had a good walk around part of the patch today after the snow, starting at Arcot Golfcourse were a Great Spotted Woodpecker and a couple of Jays were seen but not heard.
I sat in the hide for a while but the empty feeding station wasn't attracting anything so off to Arcot Pond instead.
Only the back of Arcot Pond is unfrozen so all the wildfowl were grouped together. I had my highest ever count of Coot at Arcot with at least 14 on the water and on the ice.
5 Pochard, 4 males and one female were diving and three Wigeon, two males and a female were amongst the Teal and Mallard pushed up against the reeds.
5 Snipe flew accross the pond closely followed by a Buzzard which had been sitting in the tree by the broken gate.
A flock of Fieldfare and a couple of Song Thrush were feeding on the ground amongst the horses near Beacon Lane. I didn't see much else on the way home apart from three Bullfinch in seperate areas all looking at their best in the sunlight.
52 - Jay
53 - Great Spotted Woodpecker
54 - Pochard
55 - Wigeon
56 - Buzzard
I sat in the hide for a while but the empty feeding station wasn't attracting anything so off to Arcot Pond instead.
Only the back of Arcot Pond is unfrozen so all the wildfowl were grouped together. I had my highest ever count of Coot at Arcot with at least 14 on the water and on the ice.
5 Pochard, 4 males and one female were diving and three Wigeon, two males and a female were amongst the Teal and Mallard pushed up against the reeds.
5 Snipe flew accross the pond closely followed by a Buzzard which had been sitting in the tree by the broken gate.
A flock of Fieldfare and a couple of Song Thrush were feeding on the ground amongst the horses near Beacon Lane. I didn't see much else on the way home apart from three Bullfinch in seperate areas all looking at their best in the sunlight.
52 - Jay
53 - Great Spotted Woodpecker
54 - Pochard
55 - Wigeon
56 - Buzzard
Thursday, 18 February 2010
Train List update - another thrilling instalment
With nothing new seen last week this week I added 20+ Oystercatchers on a golfcourse outside Hartlepool and a Grey Partridge near Seaham to the list today. Also I saw another 4 Grey Partridge near Boldon.
Sunday, 14 February 2010
West Hartford Jack
I went to West Hartford today in the hope of flushing out a Jack Snipe. A quick look on the bigger pool which had a juv Mute Swan - Patch Tick, a single Shellduck and 20+ Teal.
I started looking at the far end of the marsh next to the road and worked my way inwards. At about half way along I hadn't flushed a single Snipe so I just stood still on the chance that something might move, it did.
I was in the usual Snipe area on the edge of the new marsh pool when a Jack Snipe - Patch Tick, flew from my right and landed a short distance away on the other side of the pool.
I waded my way through and flushed out 7 common Snipe which called as the flew off high in the air unlike the Jack.
Again I stood still and again the Jack took off this time after about a minute and it was only a ft or so away from me.
It flew straight past me and I was able look at it through my bins where I noticed for the first time how small Jack Snipes bill and body in general is compared to a common snipe.
49 - Mute Swan
50 - Jack Snipe
51 - Skylark
I started looking at the far end of the marsh next to the road and worked my way inwards. At about half way along I hadn't flushed a single Snipe so I just stood still on the chance that something might move, it did.
I was in the usual Snipe area on the edge of the new marsh pool when a Jack Snipe - Patch Tick, flew from my right and landed a short distance away on the other side of the pool.
I waded my way through and flushed out 7 common Snipe which called as the flew off high in the air unlike the Jack.
Again I stood still and again the Jack took off this time after about a minute and it was only a ft or so away from me.
It flew straight past me and I was able look at it through my bins where I noticed for the first time how small Jack Snipes bill and body in general is compared to a common snipe.
49 - Mute Swan
50 - Jack Snipe
51 - Skylark
Saturday, 13 February 2010
Hat trick!!!
Out early again this morning with SH but not for birding in the county instead we headed south, North Yorkshire to be precise to see the Black Throated Thrush.
On the way down we stopped at Cowpen Bewley Country Park. There were 50+ Tree Sparrows between the hedge and the feeding station in the car park with Reed Bunting and Great Tit amongst them.
When we got to the pond I thought that it looked farmiliar and soon noticed the train track behind it, this is the mystery pond I have been passing every week on the train.
The male Ring Necked Duck - Lifer, was easy to pick out amongst a group of Tufted Duck at close range in the south east corner of the pond. Its silvery grey sides were the first features that I noticed. It didn't stay still and dived occasionally but still gave good views, a good start to the day.
The sky had been grey all morning and finally when we were on the North Yorkshire moors it began raining heavily then snowing.
A soon as we got off the moors the weather calmed down and we could see Whitby on the horizon, I didn't realise Newholm was so close to Whitby, only 2 miles away.
We parked and found the birds favoured spot, a front garden with a full feeding station. Only two birders were present and they gave us the bad news that Thrush hadn't been seen so far.
Whilst we waited the feeding station was full of life.
2 female and a male Bullfinch were on the log feeders with a good number of House and tree Sparrows and Chaffinch were also on the feeders and in the surrounding trees.
Also nice to see was a pair of Marsh Tit in the bushes of the next garden along, whoever lives there has an impressive garden list!
The two other birder walked off around the corner to where the hedgerow ends and the public footpath begins and as soon as they did the Black Throated Thrush - Lifer,
flew over the garden and landed in a tree at the far end of the street.
We followed it as it flew from one end of the street to the other landing in trees occasionally before finally it settled in the trees above the garden feeding station.
It also gave excellent views as it fed from the feeding station and sat looking at us from the tree.
Although it is not as impressive as the male BTT, it was still a nice bird and looked like a silvery version of a Fieldfare.
On the way back we stopped off at Saltburn were the 1st winter Glaucous Gull was showing well on the tide line, I picked it out on the way past in the car mainly because it dwarfed all the other gulls surrounding it.
Our last stop of the day was Newburn Bridge at Hartlepool. A Med Gull was amongst the BH Gulls on the sea front near to were we scanned the rocks for Black Redstart.
2 Stonechat and Rock Pipits were on the rocks and it wasn't long before the female Black Redstart - Lifer, showed itself all to briefly.
We got a few views of it as it flew further down the beach and could clearly see the orangy red under its tail.
All in all it was a very good day but the birds seemed to easy to see and find, if only it was always like that.
On the way down we stopped at Cowpen Bewley Country Park. There were 50+ Tree Sparrows between the hedge and the feeding station in the car park with Reed Bunting and Great Tit amongst them.
When we got to the pond I thought that it looked farmiliar and soon noticed the train track behind it, this is the mystery pond I have been passing every week on the train.
The male Ring Necked Duck - Lifer, was easy to pick out amongst a group of Tufted Duck at close range in the south east corner of the pond. Its silvery grey sides were the first features that I noticed. It didn't stay still and dived occasionally but still gave good views, a good start to the day.
The sky had been grey all morning and finally when we were on the North Yorkshire moors it began raining heavily then snowing.
A soon as we got off the moors the weather calmed down and we could see Whitby on the horizon, I didn't realise Newholm was so close to Whitby, only 2 miles away.
We parked and found the birds favoured spot, a front garden with a full feeding station. Only two birders were present and they gave us the bad news that Thrush hadn't been seen so far.
Whilst we waited the feeding station was full of life.
2 female and a male Bullfinch were on the log feeders with a good number of House and tree Sparrows and Chaffinch were also on the feeders and in the surrounding trees.
Also nice to see was a pair of Marsh Tit in the bushes of the next garden along, whoever lives there has an impressive garden list!
The two other birder walked off around the corner to where the hedgerow ends and the public footpath begins and as soon as they did the Black Throated Thrush - Lifer,
flew over the garden and landed in a tree at the far end of the street.
We followed it as it flew from one end of the street to the other landing in trees occasionally before finally it settled in the trees above the garden feeding station.
It also gave excellent views as it fed from the feeding station and sat looking at us from the tree.
Although it is not as impressive as the male BTT, it was still a nice bird and looked like a silvery version of a Fieldfare.
On the way back we stopped off at Saltburn were the 1st winter Glaucous Gull was showing well on the tide line, I picked it out on the way past in the car mainly because it dwarfed all the other gulls surrounding it.
Our last stop of the day was Newburn Bridge at Hartlepool. A Med Gull was amongst the BH Gulls on the sea front near to were we scanned the rocks for Black Redstart.
2 Stonechat and Rock Pipits were on the rocks and it wasn't long before the female Black Redstart - Lifer, showed itself all to briefly.
We got a few views of it as it flew further down the beach and could clearly see the orangy red under its tail.
All in all it was a very good day but the birds seemed to easy to see and find, if only it was always like that.
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