Harwood and Beyond.... (revisited)

This year is as memorable as last , but for different extremes , I looked back at last year for the same date and apparantly we where up at Harwood Forest  as soon as I read it the post I could remember the day ,although it was supposed to be very warm and sunny  it was a thick mist while others basked in glorious sunshine . Contrast that with this year and today we have more snow and freezing temperatures no way I'm going to Harwood today !!!, so all I have planned is a seawatch later today not expecting anything , but hoping for perhaps a passing Glauc or Iceland  or even a lingering Med Gull which I have still to see in the Blyth Valley area this year. A seawatch on the 1st of March produced well over 600 Kittiwakes heading North where as prior to this I had only seen 3 individuals in January and February , so it's not just scarce birds to be seen , flocks of Kittiwakes in purposeful flight in blue skies across a dark menacing sea topped with white horses , that'll do for me !!!! 

13-3 2012

I forgot to mention we had another run to Harwood Forest and the Gibbet it was supposed to be record breaking warm and sunny but the reality was a thick mist over the whole area, so what do we do wait and see if the sun will burn through and improve visibility, still plenty Common Crossbills working along the trees of the road edge but no chance of any shots, came across a Common Newt it too was probably waiting for the warmth of the sun. A walk over the moor 60+ Fieldfare chacking away as they fed in amongst some short grass, 2 Kestrels and a single Buzzard. We decided to move on and headed home via Rothbury stopping to look for the Fallow Deer at Billsmoor, it was brighter as we started dropping down into the valley but very windy picked out 2 Fallow grazing and a further 12 or more sitting in shelter, a stop north of Caistron to have a look through a flock of  Geese about 600 Greylag , 65 White Fronts and 30+ Pinkfeet, not sure of the access to Caistron these days as it is now a Trout Fishery , there is a path past the south edge giving some views, a look around Rothbury ended the day with the bridge works still ongoing not sure what happened to the bats that roosted there.

Waxing ...............2010

Finally caught up with a few Waxwings which I found for myself , and a couple of hours along the estuary ,a lot of the snow has gone but so has the nice sunny days and it was rather dull and overcast over  the last couple of days of 2010 , about a dozen Waxwings feeding on a few berries of White Hornbeam, a flock of about 80+ Fieldfare  feeding on those orange berries of Pyracantha  also present a flock of 120 Linnets with about 12 or so Twite in amongst them, they are all very flighty though this area is popular with dog walkers  .The field opposite was awash with waders obviously feeding on what ever has come to the surface after the thaw

 Waxwings dropping in to feed on White Hornbeam, they like to perch on a higher tree nearby and then drop in to feed

 They seemed to drop a few and I should have checked them to see if they where being selective or just clumsy

 Fieldfare a winter speciality had some over the house the other day but not in the garden

Two of the Twite in with the Linnets ,the flock very mobile when not sat atop the tallest trees

Fieldfare will probably end this year and start 2011

March 15th Winters Gibbet & Harwood

Sunday I had the day to myself and being bright & sunny with a bit of a breeze I headed for Winters Gibbet near Harwood , its a smashing drive up but as soon as I got out of the car you could feel the cold and much stronger wind , Siskins along the wood edge and briefly Crossbills which later came and sat on and around the gibbet , a few Buzzards flying and a single Goshawk soared higher and higher , later a short walk around a section of the forest Siskins looking stunning in the strong light, Goldcrests and Chaffinch,plenty Frogs in evidence , M.Hp later told me he had an Adder taking advantage of the sun I have never had one this early, not being geared up for a long walk and with the intention to come back for a day with the bike and get deeper into the woods. I headed off stopping at a couple of places Buzzards well evident in the area sitting on posts and one or two soaring , a flock of about 100 Fieldfares crossing in front of me and dropping into a field , but then the rain came and I thought it was time to head back

It was great to see some Crossbills drop in
They have a top heavy look , as though it will tip forward at any time !!
Picked out this Squirrel before he saw me ,but then it was up the tree !!!
It was great he did not skip off, but just eyed me with caution
Now he's got bored with me as something else gets his attention & I leave him to it !!!

Another Week in Winter Wonderland

Well we are into February already, with another fall of snow I have just been local the past week had a walk along to the estuary ,Fieldfares still around ,Merganser and Great Crested Grebe also , a run to Holywell which was still partly frozen a couple of areas had open water not a great deal around, also a visit to Blyth harbour no sign of the Iceland gull and it looks like there is to be no Snow Buntings here this year, with little around to tempt me too far I just kept local it was good to find a Barn owl still around and having hopefully survived the winter, a Roe deer crossed my path and for once did not make a dash for it but just looked at me with curiosity , the light was very poor and I had on my cam jacket so perhaps it was not sure.

This winter I seem to spend a lot of time looking into the garden, one day the alarm calls where sounded and everything shot up a flash across the fence so fast I thought that has to be a Sparrowhawk so I legged it upstairs just in case it either had caught something or was sitting because it had not, and there it was in the neighbours garden so I took a couple of shots through the window.

Nothing to do with birding but I watched that new Sherlock Holmes movie this week ,its nothing like the others done before , like when Watson is trying to hold onto this big villain by pinning his arms back using the guys jacket and urging Holmes to "nut him", so Holmes takes a run leaps up (the guy is very tall) and " sticks one on him"............ its funny and not a magnifying glass or deerstalker in sight .

Redpolls

Roe I seem to have put up two of virtually the same shot
It was good to see this Barn Owl has so far survived the winter , they seem to have been decimated in some parts of the County, I just took this shot and left it in peace
A covey of 16 Grey Partridge
Wren Holywell it was the only bird I took the camera out of the bag for
Holywell Fungi in the feeding station, the feeders are now placed high incase of vandalsim


I have done it again posted 2 near identical shots , this Sparrowhawk from the upstairs window ,who would have thought they would become a fairly common sight in town gardens !!!

Where's your fatballs ....Please !! !!

Blyth Estuary

Doing a bit of shopping the other day (fatballs only 49p for 6) I left the car in the carpark and had a walk along to the estuary fist birds I saw three Mistle Thrush , Song Thrush, and a Fieldfare, but further on a large patch of those orange berry bushes (Pyracantha ?) had attracted a flock of about 50, not the most confiding birds and I could not get anywhere near them, save for one or two while chasing Blackbirds would land briefly on a fence post or bush.

Golden Plover on the grass banks, and a few loafing gulls but on the farthest pool which you can only see birds that sit near the top of the bank, several small flocks of Skylarks over , several Snipe flushed even one or two on the exposed mud, I got a brief view of Jack Snipe and took a photo but it was rubbish I have yet to get a decent photo of one .

Reed Bunting , and a couple of Water Rail calling ,also loads of Moorhens with several Redshank and a couple of Oystercatchers again on the grass banks with A couple of Gadwall and afew Teal on the pool, a single Meadow Pipit working the fence edges in the long grass, usually a few around, more Song Thrush along the track on the way back.

As I have already posted the area is fenced off and in the process of redevelopment, so not sure what benefit or detriment the housing etc will bring could be a good patch for some birder moving into the area !!!!

P.S. I always take the netting off .


I seem to have lost the plot just lately three shots of Fieldfare was all I came back with

Just a Couple more photos ......................

Just one more photo of the Glossy Ibis from Druridge Pools taken yesterday as it dropped in just in front of the hide also 2 Greenshanks and a couple of Dunlin, no sign of the Buff Breasted Sandpiper, had a look along the beach and a good number of waders feeding on the rocks counted about 100 Knot, Dunlin 40, Redshanks and numerous Sanderling , Gannets feeding very close inshore right into the waves , of course I had left the camera in the car missed these and the tight flock of Knot as they wheeled around.
Friday just went along St Mary's mid afternoon bird of note a Fieldfare just in off , the first of the winter , a fishing boat well out attracted 200+ Gannets which where strung out behind for some way no idea what was going on a few duck moving but not much else

Stonechats along with Robins always give you something to photograph when there is not much around , and why not fabulous little birds all year round !!!!!!