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

Black Scoter Bamburgh 15-4-11

A very early start today headed up to Bamburgh for the Black Scoter  I didn't think it would have gone but thought there might be a few up for it ,picked it out straight away in with 170 Scoter  the light very dull but it was still early, as more birders arrived I headed off for a walk along to the outflow of Budle Bay  20+ Fulmars at the old Quarry ,about 100 Sand martins over the Golf Course near  hill top , Willow Warbler singing and my first Grasshopper warbler of the year  got a couple of shots before it stopped singing, 2 Yellowhammers, many Meadow Pipits and Linnets, no Stonechats although I did not go to far into the Gorse area. I was looking for my wide angle lens to get a shot of Budle Bay and realised I had lost it checked all over the area I had been sitting , re traced my steps and low and behold there it was on the lying on  beach and all after a couple of hours ,good job it was quiet and in a bag. The weather had not improved it was supposed to be sun , sun ,sun, tried to get some more digi of the Scoter as they had come in reasonably close very difficult to locate then get the camera on it , a few  Red Breasted Mergansers North, couple of Long tailed Ducks, and for me only one Red throated Diver, 42 Purple Sandpipers on the rocks at high tide.

I was  amused by a group that pulled up and they all scanned the sea  looking via the windscreen with bins,............and the sea was probably all you would see !!!

 Only some poor digi shots for me , could have done much better if the sun was out !

 Grasshopper warbler

 Bamburgh early morn a small group of birders in the left corner

 Mares tail ?

 Grasshopper Warbler giving me a real song

 Budle Bay from the edge of the Golf Course

 I forget what these are for now

 Another digi shot

Another I can't quite remember will get the books out 1

Whitethroat and Grasshopper.........Friday 23 rd |April

Friday was warm and sunny early on so I cycled to Holywell ,lots of Willow Warblers & Chiffs only one Wheatear and the odd Swallow over ,first Whitethroat of the year for me at Holywell, and Grasshopper Warbler , F Goosander still around no sign of GCG, mid afternoon the 6 0r so Swallows increased to over 60 Swallows ,Sand martins and a couple of House Martins again my first of the year,the flooded field is drying out fast and I have yet to see anything other here than Oystercatcher or Redshank, there was 80 or so gulls using the pool so it will dry out even sooner,although they will also help to make it larger.

The weather changed sharply late afternoon and turned cold with a slight mist.

This Whitethroat in exactly the same place as last year


If you do happen to see Grasshopper Warbler this is usually the best view you get
In full reel........................for some superb photos of Grasshopper Warbler check out these at JM 's blog. http://birdingsometimes.blogspot.com/2010/04/punkbird.html

http://birdingsometimes.blogspot.com/2010/04/reel-deal.html

That was the week that was...........ending with a nice wag !!

This week I have had problems with the blog being denied access for some infringement or other ? but it seems sorted now.

Anyway just around up of the week, had my first Willow Warbler near Morpeth on Sunday and also my first Butterflies Tortoiseshell , Peacock, Large White, Monday started off at Blyth estuary 150+ Redshank ,40 Shellduck, and 2 Bar tailed Godwits, on to Cresswell and then cycled to Hauxley Willow Warblers at Druridge and Hauxley, 3 Swallows over, 44 Curlew and 4 Bar Tailed also 3 Mergansers , just a pleasant day out out on the coast , the rest of the week I cycled three times through too Holywell the St Marys , as much to save petrol as anything , as that is all I seem to spend money on just lately oddly later in the week heard less Willow Warblers, Black caps singing at several locations , Grasshopper Warbler at Holywell numbers of Tortoiseshell increased in sunny spots . A pair of Great Crested Grebe displaying at Holywell .

Sunday with the weather looking changeable to say the least I delayed my plans to go to Hartehope Valley , but the message of a Black Headed Wagtail at Cresswell saw me pull up to see about a dozen birders already there, but boy was it cold lucky I have an old army jacket in the car then the rain eventually it was pouring down ,but the bird showed well and what a little stunner it was , Yellow wagtails are always great to see in the Spring but this was bonus in with the six Yellow Wags , I have looked them up again but what a nightmare to sort out , I will leave it up to much more experienced birders , also White Wag in with the pieds and a Common Sandpiper new for the year .

I also had another new tick for Northumberland while watching the bird a movement in the corner of my eye turned out to be the blogger of " From the Notebook" (aka Boulmer Birder, aaka Stewart) actually running back to his car for a camera ,as everyone was intent on looking at the wag , I was too slow and Stewart to fast, for me to photograph the action, all I could do was take a few notes , but without a photo its doubtful I will get the record accepted ,not sure if this is a County first , or just an action of being off his patch !! and slightly disorientated , but it was good to see.

Three heron feeding in front of the hide at Hauxley.

Several Blackcaps in the Dene and elsewhere.
Found this Rooks nest one of the largest Iv'e seen its got to be about 4-5' deep
However you estimate it this is one very large nest
This strange light effect at the back of the house the sun is out of shot to the left , but also a bit of other cloud that shows no effect ?
It stayed visible for some time

My efforts of The Black Headed wagtail, does not do the bird justice , cracking little bird,

Yellow Wags coming a little closer , but the rain and cold persisted ,yes its definitely Spring !!