Back to Harwood

Another run over to Harwood Forest started at the Gibbet ,Kestrel, Crossbills , Goldfinch, Chafffinch,Buzzards displaying, a bitter cold wind reduced the time of our stay here, going into the forest it was warm in the sun so I looked for perhaps a basking Adder , checking out an open recently felled area , the edge was alive with birds also taking advantage of the warmth of the sun but where the sun did not touch the ground was frozen solid , a walk along the tracks and you soon realise just how large this area is , Crossbills over but not settling ,but again when I got back to the near the car Crossbills  feeding along the road edge and coming down to water, so I just set up the scope and spent the rest of the afternoon watching their behaviour.

 Harwood from the air the trees tightly packed

Great Spotted drops in beside us

 Harwood from the air---actually a clump of Moss!!!!

 Crossbills feeding along the tree edge

 This one coming down to drink

 Juvenile feeding on bark ? or insects below

 looking North towards Cheviot

 looking East ruined cottage which would have been very remote in it's day

 This male also seems to be feeding /stripping bark, mineral content perhaps?

 Talking to one of the locals who said Crossbills regularly come down to  their garden , I could only think of the photographic opportunities if a suitable pool was available all year.

 The wind ruffling up the feathers

 Coming down to water with the dark forest behind

 Not the best of shots but I liked the way it showed the bill and tongue, this one was getting something out of the end of this branch

Also coming to drink , a good water source being essential in their daily life.

Rothbury Circular 2/4/11

Last Saturday I went up to Rothbury  for a wal over Blaeberry Hill  around Addycombethen over towards Debdon. Walked along the river looking for Sand martin still not seen one but it was a rather cold dull start to the day , Red legged Partridge right on the edge of Town its a stiff climb up and over Blaeberry Hill no chance of  much in the strong wind had up to 8 Chiffs singing, two Wheatears on the top and later Siskin and a single Crossbill over , 2 Buzzard came down low but to far for the camera stopped by Debdon stream a Grey wagtail dropped in just as I poured the coffee out and nearby a Robin feeding young , by mid afternoon it was getting much warmer but too late for me it was time to go.

A temporary bridge is being erected in Rothbury so they must be going to do some serious work on the old stone bridge .bat boxes erected along the river.

Red Legged much commoner than they used to be but this a first for the year.

View towards Simmonside  fro the edge of Rothbury

 Looking over to the north/north east

The climb over Blaeberry Hill still looks a bit bleak

 there must be a Geological term for this huge boulder with all the folds

hand holding for close focus does not work this a little blurred and overexposed in the strong wind

 The track around and down towards Debdon on the left

 A nice little picnic spot

looking back over to the hill 

Hen Harrier ......................20-01-2011

Today it was in tended to go to Prestwick Carr for the reported Hen Harrier Female , so I thought I would go to Big Waters first as I have not  been for awhile , along the boardwalk  20 + tree Sparrows and the treetops alive with Siskin 80 + checked through them as best I could looking for Redpolls. The Pond half frozen  but c60 Teal and a few Goldeneye with a single Pinkfoot in with the Greylags , the usual coming in to the feeders  it was bitter cold with a heavy frost and I thought even colder in the hide , a Water Rail showed briefly but totally the wrong settings for me to get it , light is always a problem here ,headed up to The Carr pulled over where MH was already scanning it was he that picked it up in the distance got the scope on it and it came nearer and nearer getting larger and larger in the scope passing what seem like right in front of us actively hunting looking for that last kill before dark, turning,it again passed us giving stunning views till  it went over the hedge of the lane and was lost to sight ...great end to a very cold day but well worth the wait .

Round up of the week

Just a round up of the past week ,with visits to ,Holywell pond, St Mary's Island, Druridge pools ,Cresswell Pond, Big Waters, Dinnington area,

This Herring Gull sat like this for 1/2 hour or more till it eventually lay on the ice, a session at Holywell ,large area of the pond frozen, still plenty activity at the feeders, with a male Brambling dropping in briefly
Greenland Whitefronts at Woodhorn, also two Med Gulls (ad/2nd w)
Cresswell also the water levels very high with the area in front of the hide flooded, Goldeneyes displaying nearby ,but the afternoon dull, about a dozen Yellowhammers on the track with Reed Buntings the buntings feeding from the sheep troughs,
This day was bright and sunny so I went straight to Druridge for the Smew, which where located on the far side good to say four together ,plenty of Tufted also present , and it has not taken long for birds to use the new island ,with Redshanks roosting on it , some heavy showers kept me in the hide for awhile, but I went into the Oddie hide for my coffee, plenty or Curlews around at least 100 spread over the extensively flooded fields , un fortunatly your looking into the light but it was just good to have some sun on you, I checked the bay from the dunes ,but the bitter cold wind meant I did not stay long, several Red-throated Divers was all I saw.

Checked the geese flock on the way back all I got in with them was four Barnacle Geese.

Rainbow after a heavy shower Druridge
Redshanks on the new Island at Druridge
A (short) visit to St Mary's Island, another bright sunny day so I headed for St Mary's Island to catch up with the Water Pipit again, but I soon realised just how cold it was with a bitter wind coming in from the sea, no sign of the Water Pipit, the wetland still had numerous Teal and a few Gadwall , as I headed around the prom a trip bus pulled up and loads of people headed onto the rocks , so I thought better to cut the day short ,and I headed to Holywell , walking the hedge down to the hide it was like a summers day compared with the coast , but alas not much around today .

Mink at Big Waters a fairly large animal this one , unfortunately this was the best I got

Big Waters , as I had not been for some time I thought it time for a visit ,most of the pond frozen but there was a large number of Teal around ,I estimated about 250, could have easily been more as lots where on the edge and some just in from the edge , Goldeneye & Mallard. A large croup of Siskin along the boardwalk with a male singing and a few coming to the feeders, at least there is always something to see here plenty of Reed Buntings giving great views I only wish I could draw them properly, the call of "Mink" just outside and below from the hide , its a long time since I have seen one , it must have crossed the ice and flotsam as it was dense furry black and looked stunning in the second or two I saw it before it got into the thick branches, I got a couple of photos but they turned out rubbish, but they do reveal it now looks brownish in the shade !!.

Drove home via Dinnington had a Short -eared Owl, a couple of Buzzards, several Fielfare & a few Redwings , Long-tailed Tits seem to pairing off as I saw three separate groups of just two birds.