St Mary's Island 29-8-09

Friday I had to go to the town and I called in for a quick look at the new library,it has some of the latest technology,check out your own books ,put your card in a machine and the books on a pad , up comes the titles on the screen and out comes a receipt, simples yes!............it's funny I love modern innovations but I hate modern life !!!!!!
Late Saturday afternoon I just had a cycle ride to St Mary's Island for some fresh air ,the wind even stronger there than at home several Roseates on the rocks but too far away, a family of Stonechats on the way home so I tried for a few shots.
You would think this was taken with a floodlight !!!

Semipalmated Sandpiper 27-8-09

Well Thursday saw me drive back to Cresswell , it's where it's all happening at the moment, so many waders in one small area it's fantastic, A Water Rail showed saeveral timeson the far right even stopping to bathe at one point, terrific number of waders around I did not count everything but some counts where, 200+ Dunlin , 46 Black Tailed Godwits, 35Knot, 4 Greenshank, 4 Curlew Sandpiper,5 Bar-tailed, 6 Ruff & a Wood Sandpiper. A Merlin paid a couple of visits also 2 Yellow Wagtails at the north end of the main pool, the hide again rather busy so I went up to Druridge but alas nothing around so after a short visit headed back to Cresswell, and got sat down near the small pool , but wih the constant trek of people looking for the Semi-P I gave up.


Later back at the hide it was much quieter, around 6 as I was scanning the reed edges and picked out what I thought was a small Crake at least I was sure it was not a Water Rail, it was just about to come more in the open when a Moorhen spooked it I picked it out in the background as it moved through the reeds, so sure that it was perhaps a Spotted Crake that I gave it another hour scanning and re scanning the edge , the presecne of a Heron would not help , but it was not seen again. This was the area between the red fish box and the large square post . When I got home a message of possibleWhite Winged Black Tern at Woodhorn south flash I often stop there on the way home and have a scan but not tonight


2 of the 4 Greenshanks

Wood Sandpiper

Migrant Hawker

I had not niticed the line of hairs or bristles before , but actually the book does illustrate it.

Migrant Hawker ....according to the book the facial suture ( between frons & clypeus) is not marked with a distinct black line..........not quite worked that out yet

Cresswell Butterflies 25-8-09

Tuesday was a much warmer day and a lot more Butterflies around one small area I stopped at on the way Cresswell had 25 Painted Ladies, 8 Peacock, 10 Wall Brown & a few Tortoiseshell, but no Hawkers which was what I was hoping for, ST's blog had many more Butterflies on this day.
Cresswell still had the Semi-P now settled on the pond with a fantastic showing of waders including 30 Black tailed Godwits, Wood Sandpiper & 3 Curlew Sandpiper, the hide getting rather busy now .

Roseates & Semipalmated Sandpiper 24-8-09

Monday the 24th saw me check out the Roseates before heading back up to Cresswell ,not sure how many Roseates here, but there was a few Juveniles ,I think Roseate Juveniles are very smart birds in the early days of fledging as are Sandwich tern, with that striking pattern.
Moved on to Cresswell the Semi-P had been reported but was not on view so I decided to walk the beach hoping to come across it , which I did it was at the pond outflow and even flew over to the side I was on but kept it's back to me , it then moved to the waters edge , I had to walk around the large long pool to refind it , from here the tide pushed the birds over to the pool , Wood Sandpiper at the North end and in the field 6 Yellow Wagtails increasing to 10 later in the afternoon also 3 Wheatear, and a Whinchat, also a steady movement of Swallows south for most of the afternoon.
The Semipalmated Sandpiper again from the hide along with a Wood Sandpiper, 30 Black-tailed Godwits,4 Bar-tailed , 2 Greenshank, 2 Ruff, 1 Green Sandpiper,1 Adult Curlew Sandpiper, 70 odd Dunlin, Redshanks & Lapwings, of which I again picked out the same colour ringed bird seen awhile ago but again just the left leg...................so if you see the other leg please let me know
Roseates on the rocks this one with a juvenile

some very low tides of late keeping the birds well out

Semi-P back on the pond, when asked where is the bird after they all flushed, I said it feeds in a small area either side of the old tyre ..........................where's the tyre was the next question !!!

I'll just have a quick nap !!!!!!!!!!

Another out of focus flight shot of the Semi-P

and with Sanderling on the beach

HAVE YOU SEEN THIS LAPWINGS RIGHT LEG.....PLEASE LET ME KNOW !!

Harthope Valley 23-8-09

What you looking at !!!!

Sunday the 23rd saw me in the Harthope Valley in was a bit dull as we drove down into the valley ,Buzzard over followed by a second they both just hung in the wind over the crest of a hill hovering now and then before drifting off, Red Grouse just at the roadside ,I should have had the camera beside me ,I have often seen Red Squirrel along the wall just as you come over the hill, but not for the past few visits, several Stonchats, a mass of Swallows & House Martins which came down onto the path Beside Langleeford house , as did about 15 Goldfinch and a few Meadow Pipits , it was dull and grey for most of the morning ,till the rain came and then it was just miserable ,we waited in the car to see if it would brighten up , but no .
I was amazed at the amount of erosion from the July rain the run off must have been imense, the bridge pillar pushed over by large boulders and the shear force of the water, with large chunks of the bank gone and sand well up to the road at some points.
Just beyond Langleeford it looks fairly normal although the stream bed has been scoured

Looking back down the valley on a dull August day

Large area washed out by the force of water

Tree roots undermined

The bridge pillar pushed away by the force of boulders & water

Looking downstream, I presume the round boulders move easily with the force of water ,

Southern Hawker, Migrant Hawker

Just a few more shots from the region as I catch up with the photos for my blog , I took them so I might as well use them..............click any image and they should enlarge
Southern Hawker

Southern Hawker

A mass of Fughi ,but someone had kicked most of it ,lots of red topped ones

Young Spiders

Young Spiders starting to wander

Migrant Hawker

Migrant Hawker the same one just a little closer

Another visit to Big Waters looking for dragonfl;ies but only Southern Hawkers out

Male Southern Hawker, close-up

Southern Hawker

Comma, a few around this day

Sneezewort

Eyebright

This Common Sandpiper lay prone in the water for a good few seconds looking quite relaxed

Big Waters

A brief visit to big Waters
And a brief visit from a Kingfisher

Who's a pretty boy then !!!

A pair of Bullfinch making short trips in to the feeders