Snow Buntings

A run over to North Blyth/ Cambois area which is only yards across the river but about 15-20 mins drive,  primarily to check the beach for any Little Auks  or perhaps a Black Redstart ,  failed to find either but I did come upon a flock of at first 22 Snow Buntings  which I had  just behind Alcans loading facility , they relocated to the start of the pier area where there was also a flock of Linnets and a flock of Starlings . The Snow Buntings where rather restless so I just sat on the edge of the breakwater and eventually they came nearer , just had my SX50  which was difficult to pick the birds up amongst the grass  but it does have some reach , and with a bit of sun for a change it was great to just sit and watch them in the hunt for seed , till they would lift and then quickly re-settle always giving that tinkling little call .   Wishing I had taken the scope as a flock of 100+ Common Scoter with some Divers amongst them would have been good to check out , actually the bay seemed to hold lots of birds scattered far and wide , with 3 Mergansers coming out from the Wansbeck. Oddly Blyth Bay never seems to attract more than the odd RTD  and a few Eider  off the Sluice 

 One of these days I will get down and have a look  for some seed myself

 Snow Buntings one of the delights of Winter , and even more so when you find your own !

 The concentration is evident  !!

  It's easy this balancing on one leg lark   !!!!

Wind Farm Turbines , love them or hate them (I'm the latter) they are here to stay , this one the largest in the area on the River Blyth

Blyth to St Mary's

Another cycle ride last week I started off at Blyth Harbour (a Woodcock in off the sea ),a report of 3 Snow Buntings along the road in , no sign for me but when I got to the pier and looked along the beach a flock of birds lifted from the shore and headed to the dunes going back along I re- located them in the dunes before they headed back out onto the sands, not seen Snow Buntings this far down the shore usually they stay on the tideline I was sure there was a Shorelark in with them in the dunes but no sign when they where on the beach where I counted 19 , seems to have been a bit of an influx with numerous reports of un specified numbers . Stopped along the Links road the fields are attracting a large flock of Golden Plover , Starlings and Corvids with a small flock of Linnets and hopefully some Twite, single Dunlin and 4 Snipe in the mud. Continued on to St Mary's and down past the wetland a group of birders on site so nothing to see there again no sign of any Med  Gulls  so a peddle back along the coast  Golden Plover settled back in the field they will surely bring in a Peregrine over the Winter.

edit : in the early afternoon I had the bright idea to get my kayak and paddle along to see if I could get the Snow Buntings on my list alas too many dog walkers by now and no sign of them ,nor Sunday either

 Snow Buntings heading for the dunes

 And down on the shore

 I can only assume they are gritting

 Although here they look as if they are feeding

 They where not too approachable , I usually find the smaller the number the more settled they seem

 Stonrchat beside the farm and I notice its got a BTO ring I think it was 2011 I also had  a ringed bird here ,for that one I went back with the scope to try and get the ring number but it was not seen again , I will give this one a try

 Snipe soaking up the suns ray's

 Golden Plover,Lapwings, & Starlings take to the air

 Single Dunlin also present

 Looking over the harbour at Seaton Sluice for Kingfisher I noticed this on the pipe , what the hell is that I thought

 Zoomed in to reveal this, someone has gone to a bit of effort to make and hang this ?

 Looked over one of the screens at the wetland to see these a guy turns up with bins asking is it a rarity of some importance , no I said I think they are looking for the outflow , well I hope that's what's going on or I am party to suppression and I have no idea as to what !!!!!

Golden Plover settled back in the field which will no doubt also attract some Geese over the Winter

Snow Buntings

Very few photo opportunities of late resisted the temptation to go for Waxwings but have tried to find some in the Parish with no luck as yet these two Snow Buntings are from Whitburn area I found them along the beach from South Bents or I should say they found me dropping in nearby before heading up the grassy bank, always nice to see them one of Winters delights . 

Holywell Pond

Visits to Holywell Pond of late have not produced much even the gulls don't seem to be in the numbers that can visit the site ,presumed to come from Seghill Tip but not sure if it's working ? I went that way around the whole area with only a hundred or so gulls around. Two Buzzards are providing the main entertainment along the north edge of the pond one trying it's luck to catch one of the thousand plus Wood Pigeons that seem to sit around most of the day, three Roe Deer  2d 1b the first I've seen here for some time small numbers of wildfowl around and an assortment of geese seem to drop in now and then but not while I'm around it seems.

The Snow  Buntings are still near the Cemetery Blyth Links , I got a couple of digi shots , but I must confess they can be hard to pick out in the stubble.

Common Buzzard with a couple of mobbing Magpies  (one on the right)

Not sure if it's the Magpies or something else that has it's attention

Roe Deer only this one showing enough to digi

Kicking off the New Year with 60

Well I made it out fairly early for a New Years day ,the first bird seen a Blackbird as I walked home in the early morning as it was still dark, got sorted and was out ,first stop the stubble field Snow Buntings flying around within seconds also a large flock of  Yellowhammers,Tree Sparrows Greefinch & Reed Bunting ,(Yellowhammers)some years I have found these hard to get in the early days of the year ,next stop Marden Quarry took about twenty minutes to get the Lesser Scaup with Goosander as a bonus . Desert Wheatear the next port of call ,parked at the power station I was the  only car but when I got to the beach I could see about a dozen birders tracking the bird along the beach much nearer Newbiggin, great I thought going to have to leg it right along the beach , a guy coming towards me asked is there something around ,yes a Desert Wheatear I said but its right along there ,but as luck would have it just as I said it the bird dropped in about 30' away  so there I was standing looking right down on it as it sat on the cliff side ,luckily I had brought the camera not thinking I would get to use it ,what a little star.

Headed further up the coast checked the Geese at Woodhorn most over a small rise no sign of the Bean Goose but White-fronts just over the hill , next stop Cresswell  checking fields for geese as I drove along, most of the Pinks where a field over from the road checked the few I could see, a helicopter over put the lot up but instead of them heading off they circled and most landed in the field near the road , I picked out some Bean and White-fronts as they first landed all with heads up but as the fed it was hard to find them , a Pinkfoot with a neck collar noted as IVD waiting for info on it, swing your scope round 180  and you could scan the finch flock which had mostly Linnets with Greenfinch ,Goldfinch, Chaffinch and some Twite . Stopped at Cresswell on the way back three Short -eared Owls near the car park two settled along the hedge before they all disappeared, also a pair of Stonechats nearby. Second last stop of the day back at the windmill to look over the ash lagoon but no sign of any SEO's , so the last stop of the day checking the geese out as they where now more in the open, picked out the Tundra  Bean Goose, and the four White -fronts of the Greenland race, so even though it was still light I was frozen stiff and unable to think where I could get anything new for the day I headed home , great start to the New Year 364 days left to go birding this year  !! 

 Lesser Scaup always gives itself up eventually ,but why is it always dull here

I digiscoped this one as it was some way off , so I thought  better get something before it disappears

 There must be several thousand Gigs of photos of  this bird around , so obliging for the patient  !!!

 That Alula is still dropped somewhat

Neck Collared Pinkfoot IVD

 Short Eared Owl hunting the dunes at Cresswell

 Not the best of shots this but I do like the look of concentration !!

 Another shot which looks a little odd as you can hardly see the left wing

These shots are actually the wrong way around as the bottom photo is with the camera ,I then set up my scope and took this , but trying to get the twigs out of the frame I moved just to far and it was off.

Stonechats  working the wall as I went back to the car

Tundra Bean Goose Woodhorn the White -fronts just too far.

Desert Wheatear

A Very Pleasant but very cold afternoon along the beach at Beacon Point Newbiggin  for the Desert Wheatear which performed remarkably well giving views done to a few feet, what a little star , it seemed to have a bias to pose to the left with most of the shots facing that way , you would think you couldn't fail to get some decent photos at this range , mine seem a little soft I think it's time to get my lens serviced .  Purple Sandpipers on the shore and a single Snow Bunting on the Golf course and 4 Short Eared Owls on the ash lagoons area, it took me till near home to get warmed up in the car with the blower full blast , I'm getting soft.

I also added a couple of different poses to Birdguides might as well add mine to the many others.

 Alula seems  displaced on this side

Swallow,Holywell, Blyth Harbour.

!6th February had a run to Swallow Pond  for a change of venue with reports of Mealies in with the Redpolls  it was a nice sunny day  which had brought out people in  numbers , the only sighting I had of  Redpolls was a flock that circled over the track then headed back west, so I headed off for the quieter  site of Hollywell Pond which was very quiet , so to take advantage of the light I thought I would head for the harbour again , not many gulls around , but the Snow Buntings still present sitting on the security fence their favourite perch, they where obliging enough to sit around so I took a few shots, thats my header  for next month sorted..

 The only two photos I got at Swallow Pond this one has a twig in front, and the frenetic Long Tailed , but I do like that face , cute or what !!!!!

 That does not look like a comfortable perch  does it !!!

 Trying to sport the Waxwing look .

Its been great to have these around for the Winter ,they brighter up any slow day .