Little Bittern -1

 

 

Monday the news filtered out of a Little Bittern  seen and heard at Gosforth Park Nature Reserve, I was along the coast and rather than dash off straight there I decided to go home first and dress more appropriate to an evening at the lakeside  complete with insect repellent. It had been decided as with the recent Feruginous Duck to allow day passes to what is normally a private reserve of The Norrthumbria Nartural History Society so I suppose I should not have been surprised when arriving at the hide to find it filled to overflowing and being a nice warm sunny day  it was rather comical to see everyone sweating profusely , well at least I got in the hide with a few standing outside where you can see nothing, I was bent over trying to get a look out of the low shutters temperature rising by the minute so I decided to head around to the South hide which overlooks a lot of the reeds and has a small pool in front. Arrived at the hide to find it empty what a strange contrast , no sooner had  I sat down when a Kingfisher drops in sitting on a nicely placed branch  it has a couple of attempts at fishing but without success, numerous Reed Warblers feeding along the reed edges also a Reed Bunting, with Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, and Blackcap  singing beside the hide. Well I gave it my best shot spending about an hour and a half gazing over the extensive reed bed with no sign of the bird I could hear it calling but only faintly, (it resembles a small dark barking but in slow motion) with the surrounding area providing lots of traffic and aircraft noise pollution , the seemed to over towards the west edge where a screen overlooks another pool which are all collected with narrow passages . I decided to walk around on arrival only a family of Mute Swans to be seen with the occasional Common Tern trying it s hand at fishing , a Green Woodpecker called and sounded fairly close so I headed off to have  a look , surprised  myself at picking it out fairly quickly as it rested in a tree calling briefly giving me the rare opportunity of getting a few shots  , I did not go back to the main hide but the bird was reported as having been seen/heard at least it was still here , no chance to get back Tuesday but Wednesday was free so the plan to get there early. Round one Little Bittern 1 me 0 

 

 Kingfisher for company in a nice cool empty hide

 Preparing to make a dive

 Not sure how long  it sat around probably not more than a few minutes in reality but enough for me to get loads of shots

 Obligingly it change pose several times

 A Reed Warbler takes a moment to preen the  constant effort of feeding young takes it's toll

 Water Rail puts in a brief appearance but would just not come far enough out in the open

 View from the screen what a fantastic evening

 Green Woodpecker sits for me with the odd short call

 Unlike the Kingfisher it just sits there looking around ,not complaining though at last an opportunity to get some shots of this elusive bird.

So that's how my evening ended I'm not complaining no sight of the Little Bittern but nor did I have to spend hours in a packed out hide !!! Being a member  I can return as often as it takes . So why not think about joining from as little as £30 per year it's well worth it without membership this site would have just overgrown and slowly went over to woodland it takes money and  management  to preserve wildlife habitat

Big Waters

A visit to Big Waters to see if I could catch up with the Water Rails which had been showing well in front of the hide I did see a Juvenile but it was way off  to the side as the water levels had risen . Southern Hawker at the small dipping pool ,and several Wall Browns on the wing also a Small Copper the first for the year two Buzzards over the A1 section and several Speckled Woods on the wing .

 Southern Hawker

 Small Copper on Tansy

 Wall Brown a very active Butterfly always on the move

 Numerous Common Darters but away from the pools

 Two Buzzards soaring over the A1

Numerous Speckled Woods  at least they like sitting in sunny spots ,now I just give them a passing glance how fickle we are !!!

Holywell Pond Light Show n bats !

Looking over towards St Mary's as I headed down to the hides at Holywell

Well behind with my posting so I will have to catch up, this is from the evening of my last post I went to Holywell Pond to wait for the Bats to emerge and get some recordings , going up on the bus with the intention of walking down through the Dene the bus took a different route to the norm asking the driver he informed me the route had now changed so I had to get off along way from the normal stop,  as on a previous visit  in the evening the Little Grebes collected in a group of about 20 birds they settled in the weed about 15-20' from the shore and called to each other which I recorded . As it was getting dark I noted a Water Rail just coming out of the reeds very cautiously it slowly came nearer but the light failing fast , through the viewfinder it just looked like a black shape so I upted the iso to the max  and took some shots till it was right underneath me .  Looking out across the pond a flash of light from the direction of the Avenue seemed to come from the ground up , then to the right  a large low mushroom shaped cloud also lit up from the ground up just like a light bulb flashing on then off, it was the strangest thing Iv'e ever seen  it lit up again I tried to video it with the phone but it did not do it again , expecting distant thunder  of perhaps a storm in the distance but nothing  nor was there any mention of it anywhere or by anyone  very strange !!!.

Well about 30 mins after sunset the Bats appeared and I got some recordings of Pipistrelles very active they where and then a Tawny Owl started up in the wood opposite very vocal but with the air  being  so still the traffic noise spoilt the recording . Well as the bats drifted off to feed elsewhere I headed off home  soon realising when I left the hide even with a torch I could not see where the hell I was going and to go down via the dene would be stupid, I can be rather stupid at times and this one one occasion why the hell did I not just come in the car  and I would have been home in ten minutes  .not the hour and twenty minutes to find the new bus stop and wait for a bus  as they had also changed the times .

Water Rail  at iso 6400

Gosforth Park

Heading to Morpeth the other day I got excited seeing a Buzzard hovering low to the ground stopped and got the camera out of the boot the bird so low it's head is out of focus due to some long twigs from the hedge ,the hope of Rough legged soon dispelled and even the chance of a good photo spoiled the bird turned and disappeared rapidly. A walk along the river East & West did not produce much more than Black Headed Gulls and Mallard on the river

 A couple of views from the feeding station at Gosforth park

 Fungi frothing from this tree !!!!

Treecreepers are just too far for my lens but cracking little birds to see !!!!

One of three Water Rails seen also a Grey Squirrel , not seen any red in Northumberland for awhile. Little Egret just S/W of the reserve

Big Waters....Whoopers

A couple of hours at Big waters in the company of Whooper Swans which eventually came to the shore giving fantastic views , also a Water Rail came out along the far edge, the usual Tree Sparrows etc: on the feeders this is one of the best places to get good views of  Tree Sparrow, Two Great Crested Grebes  amongst the Wigeon and Gadwall , birds would get flushed from the edge in a panic and I was hoping for Otter but none where seen , a ring -tail passed over the corner which I missed,4 Common Darter sunning themselves on a fence rail ,the first I have seen for awhile and probably the last I will see for awhile !!

When the birds are settled on the edge of the scrape it gives fantastic opportunities to have some close views

After being on view mostly all upending (good chance to look for Darvic rings) they all flew to the scrape and settled to preen or sleep ,this one giving the classical and evocative honking call   !!!!

A very pleasant and tranquil scene as they all settled down, with the odd bird taking the time to relax.

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 .

Blyth Estuary/Cresswell/Shibdon Crake

17th August had a look at the Blyth estuary a Redshank every few yards along both shores , with Curlew spaced further apart all keeping to their patch,25 or 26 Heron sitting in the centre of a field showing the area does not much disturbance, beside the boat yard Ringed Plover on the mud Water Rail calling from the reeds but no sign of anything else, Kestrel and Magpie sat about 2' feet apart on the fence eyeing each other and a young Fox playing along the field edge.At least 25 Heron in this group
Looking across to the north west a footpath runs along the south but nothing on the other side

Most buuterflies looking a little worse for wear probably from a bird strike.

The 18th headed up the coast stopping at Woodhorn flash ,but only a couple of Common Darter around, also looked at QE11 pond for gulls especially looking for juvenile Common as you can get close here (with the right bread)but only a few Black headed around carried on to Linton pond not been much since the tip closed ,really miss my Gull watching sessions.

Snab point the next stop for a bit of Cetacean watching ,well thats the theory after an hour later still nothing so on to Cresswell.

The water level still high so no sandbar ,5 Greenshank Common Sandpiper & and a Ruff along the west shore, also 2 Goldeneye and a Pintail with a Buzzard high up. Stopped at the point for another 45mins but still nothing.
The 19th I headed over to Shibdon to see the Sptted Crake not seen one for awhile , it was a suuny day so I stopped at Big Waters to look for Dragonflies ,found a Southern Hawker hanging up so took my fill of shots , but only the one ,also Azure, Blue Tailed and a few Common Darter, Small Copper 3 , and a Wall Brown.

Shibdon ,went to the hide after having a scan from the edge, the Crake showed after about 10 mins coming into the open but someway off, you definitely needed a scope took some digi shots ,but the bird was not out the same time as the sun ,which makes a huge difference to digiscoping

One Greenshank (expected more waders) 5 Little Egrets, 2 Water Rail, Common Terns

Fungi always catch my eye ,so I have to take a couple of photos, not the usual look underneath !

Could only get three together.
The Egrets favouring this huge Willow as does the Cormorants
In company with a Juvenile Water Rail
Looking over from the hide , the bird being in the far corner !!! , the water level has been dropped.
It spent some time in the open , but the distance is really to far and the light not good

Water Rail .............. a garden tick !!!!!!!!!

Yesterday while scraping the snow off the car a neighbour said you are interested in birds Brian, I have a funny little bird running about the garden, oh ! I said (still scraping away ) what does it look like , well I have looked in my book and I think its a Water Rail !!!!. Not very likely I said giving my thought s on the likelihood of such a bird turning up just yards away , but the description given sounded very like one, can I come and have a look , so camera in hand off we went , seeing the area was from free from snow under the large Leylandiis after a few minutes a shape could be seen in the darkness , first the flanks, then the backside and then the head indeed it was a Water Rail, so I hung around getting glimpses of it until it wandered, for a second or two, into view , so I rattled a few shots off for the record....... apparently it has been around for 3-4 days. So if someone says they have a funny little bird in the garden at least go and have a look.........

Water Rail & Arctic Skuas

Just a few photos of a Juvenile Water Rail at Cresswell, and two of four Arctic Skuas chasing Terns & Terns chasing Skuas at East Chevington burn mouth, three Roseate Tern adults & four Juveniles in with the terns. Also just beyond the waves a Common Porpoise.