Blyth Harbour - Meggies Burn Area 3-12-10

Friday I just headed back down to the harbour passing the apple tree with the camera at the ready not a thing on it today. The call of the odd Skylark over  increased as I got on the coast with a large number passing over South in the time I was there, 5 Snow Buntings still around at one point with 4 Reed Buntings, also 3 Linnets and a Pied wag ,1 Kittiwake but very few Gulls . I headed off for the   fields before it got too late , a couple of Skylarks dropped down by the road briefly,  a field held three groups of Grey Partridge total of 29, very few small birds in the trees only Great ,Blue Tit a few Chaffinch ,9 Greylag over a Woodcock lifted long before I got anywhere near. It Was not till I got into South Beach estate that birds where in any number  2 Snipe and a nice bright Grey Wagtail along the stream as where plenty of Blackbirds, greenfinch etc: a few Fieldfare over , very few berries around the Hawthorns having only a few on the lower branches.

 This bird left the others to feed on the dune grasses as where the Reed Buntings

Tracks of a Snow Bunting ............in the Snow !!

A Couple of Skylarks drop in along the roadside briefly

 One of three groups totalling 29 birds

A Walk in the White Stuff

I had a walk around the area past a couple of old reservoirs most birds seen where along a stream through an estate , its not till you look in the gardens till you realize just what a haven they are , last years tree with white berries which attracted a dozen or so Waxwings is still laden, the berries must be unpalatable to thrushes ( though I can't see why) the sides of the stream free from snow with a mob of Chaffinches & Tits just keeping ahead of me ,also a number of Song Thrushes, and a pair of Bullfinch , the first reservoir had some open water with a few Mallard and plenty Moorhen, its times like these that you realize how common they are at least 15-20 on this small area .

Out of suburbia and into the fields 4 Greylag in the middle of a field a long way off but still they took off instantly, more Skylarks over and 2 dropped into a field , an area usually alive with birds had nothing at all and this was the case for most of the walk, the area around the other reservoir also usually has a large mixed flock of Finches and several Bullfinch with the occasional Barn Owl but again nothing , it was not until I got back around to the estate , when a male Reed Bunting popped up just in front of me the perfect pose, camera raised & focused,refocused and focused again ,idiot I had knocked the close setting off !! another shot missed , checked the Waxwing tree again nothing, but just next to a bus stop a single Redwing caught my eye so popping away just as a Bus pulled up and me, pointing my camera up at what looked a bare tree........anorak !!
Slim pickings on this tree, don't just look at it get it down your neck !!
Its behind you !!! ........................ only two photos on this walk , my legs where aching when I got back home , it's hard going through snow