Long time no blog

Well I feel I've been away for ever from Blogworld. Work commitments have simply got in the way and a holiday in Majorca for 2 weeks in mid-May took me away from computers (and work thank God).

I'll start with the Majorca holiday first then retrospectively post about a few things as soon as I can. We stayed at my Uncle's place just outside Cala D'Or and we had the nipper so it wasn't full-on birding like previous visits but I had a few successes and added a couple of bits to my Majorca list.

I saw loads of stuff around the Villa and here's a selection of the best Villa bits:
Wryneck (several singing daily from visible perches)
Stone Curlew (in paddocks around the property)
Booted Eagle (overhead)
Bee Eater (overhead)
Crested Lark (first view of one in this area)
Golden Oriole (f or juv m) (a Majorca tick but brief views as it passed through)
Scops Owl (singing close to the villa most nights but no sightings)
Nightingale (lots singing nearby)
Cirl bunting (breeding nearby)
Ravens (breeding nearby)

I also visited the nearby Salt Pans and had a day trip to Albufera Marsh but I'll post about that later. The major success at the Marsh where I finally caught up with Orchis Robusta (Robust Orchid or Marsh Loose Flowered Orchid), the rare endemic. More later on this.

Beacon Hill

Dropped into Beacon Hill on Sunday PM after a visit to the Heighley Gate Nursery to get some veg. List as follows: Cuckoo, Garden Warbler x 2, Nuthatch, Blackcap, Red legged Partridge, Green Woody (heard), GS Woody (seen), Treecreeper x 3, Goldcrest, Chiff Chaff, Willow Warbler + Common Buzzard.

No Pied Fly, Wood Warbler or visible Tree Pipit but it may be a bit early although this site isn't what it used to be for the first 2 species.

Black Terns

Couldn't resist the sight of 3 Black Terns at Shibdon Pond so responded to a Birdguides email alert and drove down to get some great views. Haven't been to Shibdon for ages and I forgot what a canny little spot it is. Last visit was for a singing Golden Oriole several years ago.

Spring in the Bay

A cheeky day off work with some nice Spring stuff around at last at Druridge Bay. Highlights below.....

CRESSWELL POND
Quiet and too full of water - Whimbrel, 6 Tree Sparrows and 2 Sandwich Terns being the highlights.

DRURIDGE POOLS
Some great stuff around.... Long eared Owl (hunting in ditches next to Budge hide) + 8 Whimbrel on the flooded field. 5 Black tailed Godwits and a Peregrine overhead.
Lots of Willow Warblers around with Swifts, Swallows and Sand Martins overhead.
ALSO no less than 4 Otters seen together on the main pool !!

Common Sandpiper's at Longhirst flash and Bothal pond but not much else.

Pallas no show

Tried for the Pallas's Warbler at Swallow Pond on Sunday but the little blighter decided to lay low for a while (well it is Wallsend after all and the locals were out in force). Typically it showed the next day right next to the screen - par for the bloody course.

It's been a long while since I visited but there was a good grebe selection there as well as a massive Red Deer lurking around in the willows at the back of the pond (where's that come from?). Plenty of Chiff Chaff's singing too.

Just heard a Red breasted Goose is up at the 'Bay'. It's ringed but may still be a good'un so I may dabble after work!!

Garganey in the snow

Got the male and female Garganey and a couple of Snipe at St Mary's wetland on Sunday en route to Tynemouth. Stood there in a huge blizzard until the birds showed but worth the wait.
Cracking birds - I haven't seen one for a year or two so nice to catch up.

Pond life

Had a full morning out at a few sites on Thursday 1st April. Nice warm day with plenty to look at - it actually felt like Summer was round the corner. Highlights were:

LINTON POND
3 Chiff Chaffs singing in the woods and one 1st Winter Glaucous Gull on the pool.

DRURIDGE POOL
Firecrest in the willows near the Budge hide screen.

CRESSWELL POND
Smew (f) still there, a Dunlin and 4 Red breasted Merganser (2m, 2f) + the usual Yellowhammers (12), Tree Sparrows (3/4) etc feeding near the sheep troughs.

No Martins or Swallows anywhere though.

Kite flying

Another nipper trip to Tanfield Lea for a ride on the cracking little steam train. We were heading out of the car park when a wing-tagged Red Kite sailed over the car and gave excellent views.
A great bird no matter what the circumstances!

Spring Cranes

Had a family drive out in freezing weather to get the 2 Common Cranes near the QE11 Country Park. I've had Cranes twice before in the general area so there's been a good history of this species (once at Chevvy pools and an adult and a sub-adult at the Longhirst area). You've got to go for these things when they're on your patch and for me, this was a good sign of Spring although the weather was certainly Winter.

They were far away but I had fair views in the 'scope. Tried for the Buntings again at Bell's dunes but couldn't get onto anything other than Skylark, Twite and Linnet.

Lapland Bunting

Another belated post for Sunday just gone. Nailed the smart looking Lapland Bunting at Bell's dunes in the morning although it felt like Lapland it was so cold - probably why Cresswell hide was so full. Plenty of Twite and other bits and pieces in the flock too but couldn't spot the Snow Bunting. 2 Pink feet near Cresswell Pond and a Peregrine was sat for a short time in a large dead tree behind the pond.

Tried for the Glaucs (again) at Linton but the gull flock was out of view and none made it to the pond. 2 Roe Deer were in willows opposite the hide.

Birds - Quiet, Work - Hellish

Apologies for the lack of posts of late but a couple of large projects at work have left me with little time to go and watch wildlife, never mind post about it.

I managed a trip out to Druridge Bay a couple of weeks ago and nailed a few bits and pieces. Pintail (m) on Chevvy Pools + the usual Smew and Scaup + a Whooper on Cresswell pond. Highlight was great views of the otter eating an eel on the bank of Druridge Pool.

Cresswell farm buildings had a really good mixed flock of birds inc. Tree Sparrows.
The whole dunes area from Cresswell to Druridge looks great for birds that prefer grazed land with cattle and I see a Lap. Bunting is in amongst the Twite today with a Snowy already seen. I swear we'll get Chough here one day!

I'm already making plans for orchid hunting in Spring (sites for local Burnt, Bird's Nest identified) so I can't wait! A trip to Mallorca in May should get me all sorts of birds, butterflies and orchids. Happy days.

Island Pips

Had nice views of Water Pipit in amongst Rock Pipits at St Mary's Island on Sunday 17th Feb. Bird was at the back of the beach to the left of the causeway.
At least this makes up for the West Allotment bird I missed earlier in the year.
If it stays longer it may start turning pink!

Jezzy Dene

More nipper time on Sat 9th Feb this time at Jesmond Dene but I took the bins and saw the following: Dipper (good bird for the Dene. The water looks a bit grotty but there are some good areas of water flowing over exposed rocks), Grey Wagtail, Nuthatch, Long tailed Tit, and Treecreeper. No sign of the kingfishers this time but I'm sure they were around somewhere.

Druridge Bay visit

Managed to get a morning out along the Druridge coast which started well with a Common Buzzard a mile or two from Gosforth flying low over the car as I made my way up.

Just outside Cresswell Village opp. Golden Sands caravan Park on the beach had 20+ Ringed Plover, 4 x Grey Plover plus good numbers of Sanderling and Dunlin. Cresswell Pond had Smew (f), Scaup (f) and 70 x Goldfinch. Barn Owl had been seen that morning and a Snow Bunting had been seen with the Twite the day before at Bell's Farm dunes but I couldn't get either.

Red Breasted Merganser (f) at Druridge Pool but no Otter this time.

Tried for the 2 Glaucous Gulls at Linton Pond and met Brian Bullough there but had no luck.

Bolam Bramblings

Took a walk around Bolam Lake, mainly to tire the nipper out but took the bins just in case. People put grain out for the birds on a wall close to the main visitor centre. We had the usual assortment of woodland stuff includingTreecreper but the big draw was a large flock of Brambling - approx. 70 birds though there was probably more. Hard to get a shot as they were really flighty and kept getting disturbed by walkers. This is the only large group in N/land I've heard of this year.

Good numbers of male and female Goldeneye on the lake too. The shot attached is of a Nuthatch hiding a cache of grain in a stonewall.

Wild buzzard chase

Took a last minute decision to drive up to the Wooler area to see if a Rough Legged Buzzard was still hanging around. It had been around for over a week in a wood behind the Jet Garage just South of Wooler. No birders around and no buzzard either. Guy in the garage said it had moved on so another dip.

On the way back detoured to Hulne Park in Alnwick as 2 Hawfinch had been spotted here recently but no luck again. Just some great views of Siskin near the gatehouse. just one of those days I guess. There's always next time......

Happy New Year

Traditional first day of the year birding session started bright and early up at Long Nanny (Newton by the Sea). Weather was absolutely atrocious with rain, cold and fog. I was the first person up there and after a bit of searching soon located the Short Toed Lark which looked like a different bird to the one I saw in good conditions a few weeks earlier. This has been a real long-stayer and at the time a UK first for me, having seen the species previously in Majorca. I took a grotty record shot but I still need some kit to link the 'scope with the digi camera.

There had been Twite around the last time but I couldn't locate any but found the flock of Snow buntings that had been hanging around. Some very well marked birds - excellent views too.

Some other birders started to arrive so I got them onto the Lark and set off for the car in the pouring rain.

Next stop Cresswell Pond to catch up with a few species that I'd seen a week or two ago - Swew (f), Scaup (f), Ruff, Goldfinch x 2, Golden Plover x 70, R B merganser (f + m). No sign of the Kingfisher I'd found last time. Too cold and wet to continue anywhere else so off home until the next time.