Birder on the Bus

Twite digiscoped ,slight camera shake with the wind the links at Druridge

Well I have reached (actually past ) the age when I am entitled to a Bus Pass so this year I am going to see how many birds can be seen using public transport including the Metro which I also have a pass for ,a couple of trips out to get me started visiting  Morpeth ,Fish Quay, Amble-Cresswell  & Newbiggin .
My motives are more Mean than Green Warrior given the outlandish cost of petrol,but I am sure it will reduce my carbon footprint,this weekend I was supposed to be going over with the NTBC to Kielder but I now see the date was changed from the 20th to the 19th so it looks like I have had that ,I think that area  will be out of reach via public transport .Its not just for birds, should be able to cover many ponds over the Summer looking for Dragonflies hopefully walking between sites then hoping on a bus back home , I have assembled a pile of timetables for the area if anyone else has done something similar I would be interested to hear.
I have a few photos to post later from outings to date and a tally of sightings which obviously at the start increases easily but some like a visit to the Fish Quay did not produce anything given the fact that its fairly quiet time of the year anyway, also I can't see me waiting for the bus to Cresswell when something Mega turns up there or anywhere else for that matter,I'm only human.

A major problem birding on the coast is the crowded beaches it may look empty but actually there are three people in the distance !!!! should have got there earlier.

Only two bike tracks and a few footprints to spoil the scene , all with a low carbon footprint (at least till they get back to their huge 4X4)
It was a scene like this when I saw what I thought was a very large dead ?  Seal on the shoreline,so I headed off into the distance to get some close-ups ,I walked and walked it did not seem to get any nearer and this was opposite to the direction I was going , kept looking through the bins till eventually I realised it was a large rock that now looked nothing like a Seal so I could't even string it .

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

3 April Great White Egret..then on to.......Dunstanburgh

News of a Great White Egret on the Friday night saw me head up the coast Saturday it re located at Druridge pools smart looking bird took a couple of digi shots as it was a long way off , then headed up the coast to try and find myself a Black Redstart , headed for the beach beside Dunstanburgh , 6 Goldeneye and 2 Mergansers on the sea several Stonechats along the dunes and lots of Meadow Pipits taking advantage of the huge number of flies among the rocks , picked up a flock of 60 or so Twite with also a couple of Linnets ,walked along to Newton the path to the hide and area well flooded , no sign of any Black Redstarts anywhere , only more Stonechats 2 stunning males not letting me get anywhere near them, 4 Goldcrests working the bushes and 2 Kestrels , 6 Goldfinch, headed back just before the rain.Reed Bunting singing ,not the best songster in the bird world
Egret rather distant although nearer than it would have been at East Chevington

Goldcrests

Dunstanburgh Castle in the distance
Newton Pool looking towards Newton-by -the Sea
Flock of Twite
Twite

March already ...............at least its sunny

At least March has started off nice and sunny rather than those dull grey days of Feb,I went to Druridge to try and catch up with the Green Winged Teal, stopping at Cresswell and walked up to the hide as there was only two cars in the carpark I was surprised to see the hide nearly full not just that but all the shutters where down everyone having a picnic lunch , so not wanting to squeeze in amongst the rustling crisp bags I decided to go over too the dunes , only a couple of RTD, large flock of Wigeon 100+, and a small number of Eider with a couple of Scoter also, typical the perfect light and I was enjoying just sitting in the sun but not much to go at. also stopped to check the geese beside Bells about 1000 Pinkfeet and looked for the Twite they are not very mobile now and take some finding about 10 and as many Skylark but as usual some way off.

Druridge I waded through to the Budge screen to find about 6 Teal and a few mallard , not worth getting the feet wet for, I noticed a couple on the bank looking over the main pool and thought perhaps the path was flooded , so I dug out the wellies but it was not to bad , I did mention to them that the mound was not for viewing from , and the reply was he could not make it all the way along the track , seemed to get up the mound OK though , and with scope & tripod.

I counted about 80 Teal no sign of the GWT, although there was also plenty you could just see bits of, the only birds I took any shots of was some Male Goldeneye feeding beside the hide, another look on the sea 4 RTD and 30 odd Scoter, it was just nice having some sun and warmth.............looking forward to Summer more than any other year before !!!!

The Naked Birder......................

No not that sort of naked, just going out without bins around your neck sort of nakedness !!!!!

Monday18-01-10

A nice bright sunny day so I had a drive towards Linton Pond for the Smew, which this year has chosen to spend some time on these ponds, on the way along stopped to look at the Swans in the field(north of QE11 lake) that the Cranes visited some while ago, got out the car went to raise the bins which is more just a reflex.............but crap left them at home , I have only done it a couple of times but it's very annoying , I had the scope and thought it not worth the drive back so I just scoped everything all day or used the camera to get a better look at stuff, but reality is you need bins.

Anyway scoped the two flocks of Swans first to the east mainly Mute with 2 Whoopers but the other flack much further along the road were all Whoopers 60 (15 Juv) ,no sign of any Bewick's , but I did pick out a Peregrine on the ground with prey , after it finished it waddled around, not sure what was going on it looked rather ungainly but it eventually took off looking rather laboured after its heavy meal and just landed on a nearby pylon , scanning for more Whoopers(as some just over the brow) I also picked up a small raptor on one of those square fence sections they have in the field ( no idea what they are for).the bird was facing me and I thought Merlin,but it was a long way off it just looked like a Merlin , I kept checking it to see if I could make anything positive on it ,but it had gone , only to the next fence block this time sitting side on a fem/juv Merlin, there seemed a few Skylarks around ,the field looked like it would attract flocks of small birds.

Linton picked up the redhead Smew just out from the hide working the edge of ice in the free water always good to see , would be nice for a male, one of the things I noticed immediately "NO GULLS" this was one of my favourite winter haunts checking through the gulls for white wingers,but it seems the closure of the tip has sent them elsewhere ( was talk of a new tip at Darras Hall area :) ?) so checked what was there ate my sarnie and left for cresswel.

Cresswell water level very high it was good to see the Pinkfeet back ,in with the Canadas 9 Brent geese which ended up feeding on the grass, my plan was to go for a walk trying for some Shorelarks etc: but without bins a none starter so I drove along to Bells for the Twite set the scope up just in time for them to drop on the fence, just as well because I could not pick them out on the ground .

Just happened to look along the road to see a herd of cattle and me stopped in the gateway ,luckily they where heading further along but I put the scope away just in case, ( carbon fibres strong but not that strong ) accompanied by a very large Bull,they where heading for the Twite field and from then I did not see them again other than flying around , so I headed home , just as a huge flock of Pinks filled the air , a great afternoons birding !!!!!

A covey of Grey's in the open near Bells
Smew Linton

Goldeneye Cresswell

Twite Bells farm dunes