Coquet Island visit

As  I wrote in the last post  a trip over to Coquet Island with the Natural History Society and North Northumberland Bird Club at the end of last month  weather was a bit dull and cool to cold with some fresh seas on the way out ,but we stayed in the lee of the Island which was reasonably sheltered . The was not a photography trip as all you can shoot is from the swaying boat but they did go in fairly close what does not come across in photos is the noise and smell of a large colony it is very impressive , a Seal popped up to investigate and several more nearby . Birds shot overhead in every direction and I braced against the rail to stop swaying tried to follow some with little success , Roseates could be picked out on the rocks etc: but I did not pick any out in flight , and all to soon it was time to head back by now the seas had calmed some  or we where going with it , everyone remarked how good it had been and for a mere £7 (return) what a bargain .

 We Near the Island ,last year we went around and then towards the jetty ,this year  it was straight to hang around then drift south slightly

 The other boat of the party it looks quite flat but not onboard

 I would love to visit the Island sometime even if there where no birds

 It does have a small beach

This is from the south the other boat now holding station off the jetty

 Crowds of Puffins and many flying off in all directions

 Not sure if this is a prime spot or not.

 Plenty of Juveniles on the beach I will leave you to ID them all

 The terraced nesting boxes

 Numerous Seals around the Island

 Roseate Juvenile on the jetty

 The Puffins just too quick for me and the lens

 Light improved for a few minutes

 Not sure if the hide is to be out of sight or out of falling debris lets say !

Roseate with Juvenile 77 pairs was the last count I heard ?

Back to the calm waters of Amble where I had a red  colour ringed Med Gull probably the Serbian bird but the photo did not reveal any detail and it would not play ball for me.

Druridge Pools

I am a bit behind with my photos for the blog of late,partly due to the lack of storage and the processing speed of my computer it's time for a complete reboot I think but boy what a task that is . While on the way for an evening visit to Coquet  Island( for another post) the end of last month I called at Druridge Pools 

Black Headed Juvenile drops down and chases the Common Tern away I used one of the shots for my header this month

 Fortunately for us birders, birds do like to have a bathe in front of the hide even if you have to stand up to see out the window and between the grass stems . The classic Tern wing stretch now there's a design for flight , pity we cant get someone to design a hide you can actually see out of without having to stand between seat and shelf. One of the best hides in the area is at Hauxley the wader hide and I must confess I did see the Greater Yellow Legs from there .

Taking a bath now those wings just don't look real at all !

Juvenile Yellow Wagtail also drops in for a bath

 Presume from the same same brood but very individual

 One of the Little Gulls drops in to the shore

 They always look so delicate the ones observed at Blyth earlier in the year would often paddle on the water surface as they fed in the surf zone.   Fab birds.

I do like Little Gulls would love to see them on there breeding grounds in large numbers

 Here with a Common Sandpiper I did also have the Yellow Wagtail in with them just as I pressed the shutter its head went down behind a stone spoiling the threesome shot.

Banded Demoiselle & More Dragonflies

Some more Dragonfly photos from a trip out to look for Banded Demoiselle a nice sunny day again we are getting spoilt this year but it will perhaps help species to make up for last year and even give the chance for some to expand North such as Broad Bodied Chaser, and recently Four Spot Chaser also Speckled Wood which are now very common. I enjoy looking for Dragonflies  a very pleasant way to spend these sunny days  next to seawatching that is . Which is where I'm off now  must be a Sooty and a Minkie out there tonight 

 Banded Demoiselle  male on territory 

 Banded Demoiselle another with those black beady eyes

 Signal Crayfish one unwelcome expansion species

 Banded Demoiselle 

 Banded Demoiselle tried to get some flight shots video would have been much better

 This is a Damselfly larvae

and this is one that has emerged

Common Blue Damselfly on a goose feather not hard to guess from what species

 Numerous Leaches seen not sure what they feed on this about the width of your hand

 Male Emperor showed well in flight but always landed  facing me

 Four Spot  Chaser several seen

Starting to show some wear from battling with other Males

Female Emperor egg laying there was also another just out of shot as I could not them both in first time I've had two together 

 Another Leach this one even larger , I wonder if you still use a Cigarette to get them off  I had better carry a couple of Woodbines !!!!

Blyth River

I forgot about this visit along the River Blyth last month where I had 17 Goosanders mostly Juveniles in two groups of 10 & 7 and my first Sandwich Tern Juvenile for Blyth Valley (although they are numerous now) about 30 Sandwich Terns had taken to sitting on the tyres now covered in seaweed and just like a rock thus keeping them up off the surrounding mud ,Redshank by far the most numerous wader with a few Dunlin and the far bank held a few Knot 4 Black Tailed Godwits and 2 Bar Tailed the incoming tide pushed off the Terns and the waders all went over the far bank to an area they roost unless a big tides moves them from here also .

Goosanders this from a short video they where so busy bathing and preening they had drifted towards the old Bates Pit jetty and briefly the two groups merged how they knew which group they where in as they separated ?

 Digi shot as they paused from preening great to see so many on the river

 Digishot of  Juv Sandwich Tern occasionally it would land in the mud and not on the seaweed only recently fledged

 Took the camera off the scope as this Tortoiseshell landed nearby

and this bee on a sweet pea which is why I like to still carry a digiscoping camera around

Druridge and the Dunes

Recent visit up the coast Cresswell had up to 9 Avocets and 2 Common Sandpipers a look of the dunes saw several large flocks of Common Scoter and many Terns feeding in the bay also 3 Red Throated Divers. Druridge pools although I was looking for Dragonflies of which I could find none a Little Gull on the shore was a nice find a large group of Sand Martins feeding low over the water and some resting on branches single Dunlin also present

Bushes held numerous Sand Martins with also many feeding over the pools

 Swallow alights on the shore , not sure what the strange growth is ?

 Dunlin looking for food along the shore

 Little Gull sat with it's head in most of the time till disturbed by a Black Headed

 Betony out in force

 And here with Burnett Moths

 Good numbers of Common Blues and masses of Meadow Brown

St John's Wort but I forget which

 Dune Helleborine now fully out some 20 specimens in this group

 I had Meadow rue nearby last year but could not find it on this visit