Spoonbill etc:

A few from the past week or so been out walking and on the bike Spring is definitely here , I had a fledged Wood Pigeon in the garden a couple of weeks ago ,how common are they now in your garden ,weather changeable as always it was good to catch up with the Spoonbill at Cresswell I also had 4 Yellow Wagtails at Lynemouth flash and 8 Wheatear near Cresswell , Whinchat for the year at St Mary's and I have started to look at flowers again surprising how many species there are in flower hidden amongst the dunes and tall grasses   

 Swallow landed outside the hide at Druridge  a pleasant interruption from my search for a Garganey

 This must be a sheep skeleton viewed from the hide at Cresswell

 These three Scoter of ST Mary's Island later that day they had moved to Seaton Sluice

 First Whitethroat of the year at the butts St Mary's , now they are everywhere

First  Grasshopper Warbler in the field opposite the butts and I had another at Meggies Burn

 Spoonbill at Cresswell it sat tucked in the corner and was hard to see till it hopped over into the field west of the hide

 A very smart looking bird sporting some serious bling !!!

Also Cresswell a pair of Avocets feed or it could be the prone position before mating as they did mate soon after

Avocets

I forgot to upload this video etc: of the Avocets at Cresswell  just as the young where hatching  it was  a bit windy even in the hide I tried some stills  but the video is better to show the action and reaction of the birds as the chicks appear, it's great to see these fantastic birds breeding in the County but alas it seems the novelty has already worn off with complaints of the adults not allowing any other wader to land anywhere near there offspring , the fault lies not in good parenting but the lack of good habitat put some effort in providing this for all either breeding birds or passage waders. One birder said he was tempted to nip over with an air rifle at his local patch to rid it of Avocets , why do we always think stupid before thinking smart !!!!

 It took awhile before this chick showed ,amazing how they soon become stronger on their feet

While one parent broods the other chicks or egg, the other seems to crouch down to provide shelter for the chick that is wandering around

The bird gets up to reveal another chick has hatched and picks up the now empty shell ,although it seems to settle back down on it

Around the Ponds

Just an assortment of photos and a couple of short videos of visits out over the past week or so, not many photo opportunities of late but still good to get out.

Chiffchaffs  singing in good numbers but no Willow Warbler or Blackcap for me first Orange Tip of the year ,weather on the turn again typical bank holiday . 

Caught up with the Common Crane near Warkworth Lane walking down the track from the main road ,actually I thought perhaps it had gone as there had been no reports first I looked for the Whoopers it had  been in company with, but the bird was alone, it was rather distant and there was a terrific heat haze , one of my digi shots showed some red on the mid crown but I could not see this through the scope, it eventually flew off going North but apparently returned  a short while later always a nice bird to see in the County.

I walked from the Crane down to Cresswell via the bridle path which has been cut back and some of the wetter parts gravelled ,this brings you to the pond from the West and provided the causeway is not flooded , eventually the road , two Avocets on the spit and later from the hide they came onto the sandbar.

Still a few geese around these where on Holywell Pond a few Pinkfeet and the single White-fronted Goose

I have seen the Prestwick Carr Great Grey Shrike a few times but never more than a distant view hence the very distant shot here

 just a short clip of the Common Crane before it flew off.

Two Avocets at Cresswell Pond here on the small sand bar beside the hide where they fed in a shallow pool

Avocets 12-6-11

Called at Cresswell last weekend surprised to find a pair of Avocets with a large chick thought to be from the original pair that had three young and last seen going away from the pond , it looked OK just fending for itself with the Adults in nearby attendance . ( unfortunately it has not been seen since lets hope they have again moved it away from the pond) . Carried on to Amble a quick look around the harbour area more at the market than anything else then headed  along the river Coquet past Warkworth looking for Damselflies in the form of Banded Demoiselle  ,not a single one seen conditions not ideal I suppose and the river seems to have changed in it's flow , some very large salmon leaping now and again, and a Sandwich Tern fishing never seen one well up river before  but I don't see why not, called at Cresswell again on the way back but nothing to add.

This chick had put on some considerable growth since last seen lets hope it's still around somewhere

 These huge swarms of Tadpoles in the many thousands just lying near the edge the bank very steep so I only got a couple of shots from the top, no sign of legs on any of them that I could see !!!!

Shorelark,Avocets and Merlin 6-4-11

Wednesday the 6th I was going up to the Cresswell area anyway but the note of some Avocets around was a bonus , I was told the Shorelark was still showing at Druridge and a guy even offered me a lift despite having just come from there , so thanks for that,the bird was indeed showing well so rather than push it off I sat down and hoped it would work its way nearer, but other birders arrived and it kept its distance. Plenty of Skylarks and Meadow pipits around ,Wheatears also on the move I had 12 on the way back to Cresswell, Yellow Wagtail in the cattle field just north of the pond, 5 Pieds and 2 White Wagtails, I had seen no sign of the Avocets but there calling as they flew in allowed me to get a couple of shots they dropped on the pool but left , heading back to the village a Male Merlin shot along the dunes nice end to the day and some good birds for my Birder on the Bus list, even though I had missed two buses  back home !!!!

 While hoping for the bird to come nearer took a couple of digishots

 I have overexposed this one pity as it is not a bad shot

This was a smart bird I got a couple of others with the camera which I will use as a header

 Yellow Wagtail Cresswell

 One of  12 Wheatears along the coast from Druridge to Cresswell

Two of the Avocets I think 8 reported at one point