Holywell Pond

Tuesday 11 Feb
Not been to Holywell for some time so headed up this afternoon  one of the first birds noted was a Whitefronted Goose in with the Greylags just off the track, the pond water level high but more wildfowl than previous visits , with about 60 Mallard 15 Tufted , a few Pochard and Gadwall , walked the fields to look for Pinkfeet but only had four well hidden in a potato field till I flushed them as I walked the path also a flock of about 50+ Stock Dove in with about the same Wood Pigeon , the feeders in the Dene saw a party of about 10 LTT come through how I would love to find a Northern one, a Sparrowhawk landed nearby no doubt was going to try his hand at the feeders till it saw me , Dipper on the stream let me get close enough to try a shot or two with the iso pushed right up , these are another of my favourite birds and I watched it for some time as it walked in and then under the water popping out again like a cork !!!

Holywell Pond Twitch ( sort of)

1st Feb and it was off to Holywell Pond for the reported Whitefront  turning into a right twitcher , well not really but I suppose any bird that you specifically go to see is a twitch , so heading down the side track had a quick look in the feeding station ,there is  screen  looking onto a feeding station in the copse, always worth a look might pull in a Brambling or two , or even the elusive Yellowhammer, there was plenty of Tree Sparrows 25-30 the most I have seen here but its good to know there are numerous birds about . A Kestrel passed me close and low over the field heading back up the track and settled on a tree it's a very obliging and confiding bird , I walked back and got some shots . Walking around the track as it turns into the next field I could here some Snow Buntings they flew across in front of me and headed over the pond , I had put the camera in the bag and the time I got them out it was to late , 8 birds I thought  but the photo shows 10 , couldn't re-locate them in the area  though I did try , it was good to see them I had looked in the harbour and beach area since the New Year in the hope the hard weather would have pushed some over.

Just further along the Whitefront was soon located in with Greylags , the end os last year I had a single Whitefront in with Greylags at south Woodhorn Flash as well as the ones to the North so it could be this bird,  a Greylag with bright orange legs also caught my eye so I will check out the net , did I not read of birds thought to have come from further east ?

Well it's now becoming tedious  that I still have not seen Yellowhammer so I scanned hedgerows etc but still none , the Kestrel came and hovered just above and in front of me  so I took shot after shot only to find the light was all wrong and despite the closeness the photos where rubbish , a flock of Pinkfeet lifted from the Oberlisk field and headed west, going along the old rail track the Whitefront was now on the small pond much favoured by the Greylags.

Tree Sparrow , I had not noted the overhang of the upper mandible before 

looks back not in anger but more curiosity or slight disdain !!!

Not the best photo I have of Snow Buntings but it just shows at least ten birds , they have to date not  been re found .

Whitefront in with the Greylags and from what I could see it could hold its own with the Greylags

 Orange legged Greylag ,it's probably commoner than I think, who looks hard at Greylags other than winter !

Kestrel actually came and hovered just in front of me , I thought it was fantastic till I saw the results , disappointedly this was the best of the bunch ,enjoyed the encounter , I was standing still at the time which is still the best way to see wildlife  at times ,let it come to you   !!!

I picture the Fox that gets on the trail of this dead Pheasant , puzzled that it can't find the quarry , but I'm sure it will work it out in the end ..........it's to good a prize to leave

Pinks heading west (and Lapwings)

Whitefront  now on the small pond

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

Maiden Hall Lake and the Coast (again)

Had a run up the coast to Cresswell  but only checked the pool to the north because I wanted to get to Maiden Hall Lake area parked along the West Chevington road and had a short walk no signs of any raptors only 2 red Legged Partridge , further along the 2 Bewick's Swan (adult & Juvenile) in a field near the roadside I pulled over and there was such a crunch, getting out to investigate a manhole cover was missing and I had gone over the corner lucky I didn't go over the middle or that would have been the end of the day and my car . The Geese where as far over as it was possible to be along the east shore and beyond, I scanned through them still many White-fronts mostly keeping to themselves , Greylag and Pinkfeet but I could see no bean Geese , Two Pinkfeet  with neck collars oddly right next to each other way to far to read , a passing RAF jet put them on edge and every one dropped onto the lake for a bathe so I took some awful video just to give an idea of numbers . East Chevington was the next stop got there slowly as I checked every likely tree in the hope of Little Owl, rather blowy at Chevington picked out the Slavonian Grebe plenty of wildfowl but I wasn't in the mood to count them looking over the south Pool a Merlin came over and sat atop a small hawthorn before disappearing, another flock of Pinkfeet about a thousand just west of the south pool but no sign of any  SEO today nor any sign of the Whoopers at Ellington as I stopped there on the way home.

 A couple of very distant digi shots with the two Pinkfeet sporting neck collars

 These Bewick's  have been here for a week or so it seems an odd location hope they are both OK

A bit of dodgy video just to show the number of Geese around

Around the Ponds , looking for something Smew !!

A run up the coast last week starting at QE11 lake which was heaving with wildfowl , 10 Gooseanders (7 male) , and the redhead Smew was still around but more to the south end  good numbers of Goldeneye also around  I did not count everything it would have taken all morning. Next stop the east side of Ellington to have a look through the Whoopers (92) no sign of any Bewick but they where reported there later in  the afternoon , I did have a colour ringed Whooper which till now I forgot to send in . On towards Maiden Hall Lake 2 Buzzards low over the new plantation, still huge numbers of Geese on the and at one stage the surrounding grass ,Pinkfeet , White-fronts, Greylag and some Bean Geese where noted but not counted ,3 Kestrel and a SEO in the distance. East Chevington was the next stop with three SEO being of note one sat on the steel pole for awhile but the news of Jack Snipe showing at Cresswell had me heading that way as it was now getting late in the afternoon , Snipe noted but well hidden , I got a few digi shots before the light went, another 2 SEO also  here made  a good end to the day.

 Goosanders QE11 lake

 Smew also QE11

 Just a couple of lucky shots as it stretched

 PD4 amongst the Whoopers it has probably  already been recorded but I will still send it in.

 Short -Eared Owl East Chevington one of three

Jack Snipe Cresswell pond

Maiden Hall Lake and the Coast

A run up the coast at the weekend picked up a Peregrine sitting on the fence when I stopped to look for the Twite etc:, which I did not see  anything of ,watched the Peregrine for awhile as its nice to see one perched even if it was facing away but a couple of jets going over persuaded it to turn slightly it was still there when I moved on . Called around to this new site Maiden Hall Lake , indeed large numbers of geese around the White-Fronts started to separate and move out onto the grass  I counted about 254 with lots still on the water but  a helicopter over sent everything onto the water, they all drifted into the shore below the gate eventually every single one of about 2,000 birds (Greylag, Canada, Pinkfeet , Barnacle 20, White-fronts) was out of sight  and anyone stopping for a quick look would think there was nothing there, they did eventually drift back out and start to come back ashore , 2 Buzzards, and 3 kestrels in the area.   East Chevington the next stop the 2 Bewick's still around but at the time fast asleep, 4 Short -Eared Owls   two sitting on posts and 2 over the dunes  the 2 Bewick's took off and headed south.

Called in to Druridge Pools   on the off chance the Bewick's had dropped in plenty of Teal  and  Wigeon around and a pair of Pintail but no Bewick's .

Back along the coast towards Cresswell a SEO on the ground and another flying further along was the end to the day 

Holywell Pond

A couple of hours at Holywell Pond the other day ,very few duck around does not seem to get the numbers it used to, there was a Buzzard along the north hedge now that is something you did not see in the past, numbers of gulls low ,I presume the tip has not yet got back to full working and perhaps some of the gulls have spread out. Seven Eurasian White-fronts dropped in silently followed by an adult Med gull which as always did not stay long , I think it dropped into the east shore but as I had not long come from that end which is always the first port of call to check any gulls with colour rings , so I thought by the time I pack up and go down it will be gone. Three Tree Sparrows on the feeders none of them ringed there seems to be an influx in the County of late, I always thought they where fairly sedentary birds.  

 Silently they came and silently they left , but it did give us something to look at.

This must be a photo effect ,that Herring Gull looks huge  !!! 

1st Winter Common Gull

 Tree Sparrows at the feeders ,perhaps the nucleus of another colony

More "Legs"

Is it just me but isn't it a mouthfull saying Greater Yellowlegs numerous times then add Lesser Yellowlegs into the conversation , then try saying either when your numb with the cold ...............................

What a difference a couple of days makes in birding terms, I and several others headed off to Hauxley in the semi-gloom of Saturday night in the hope of seeing this County first, just in case it  was one day wonder, I was going to say it now seems settled but I see it has relocated to Chevington again. There are now many images of this great bird ,but there is nothing better than getting your own photos .

 This one from the wader hide , as I said it was odd this is a very big hide and everyone crowded around the end window as the bird although it could not get much nearer was hidden in the corner. It did take two brief  walks out , till eventually it flew off from right beneath us .

 While looking at the Grey Phalarope , I turned to answer a comment from another birder and right in front of us the "Legs " just walking past

 I'm guessing that is some sort of snail it is about to swallow

I noticed this White- front  as I walked past it had its head up although distant, till I walked along to check it out ,where it lay prone either playing dead or doing it 's best to hide. What do you do in this situation , carrying all my gear and trying to get over the fence to check it out  seemed a non starter , having seen the geese further along , this bird was gone on my return, so lets hope it  caught up with the others  !!

I thought I had been tracking the wrong bird till I had a good look at this photo . The Redshank is having a real go at the Greater Yellowlegs , which is nearly submerged.

There where a few opportunities of flight shots but always too distant this is the best I could get as it came over to the right of the Ponteland hide

This is near as I got to the Phalarope you could see it across the pond right outside the "Eric" hide  a mass of lenses sticking out the windows  with somebody using a flash, it eventually came over but only briefly , long enough for a digi shot in the previous post.