That Old Chestnut Man ...............

Walking across the local market the other day I saw something I don't recall seeing for years ,a bloke selling "Hot Roast Chestnuts  " I remember  one used to stand on the same corner every winter in Blyth and you could see them on the streets of Newcastle etc:, and if I recall they used to be all from origins abroad , now the only thing I can't remember is the price they where back when ?????, but I do know the price now which  is £2 ,not sure what you get for that  though...........could be just the one,very large ! .looking on old google the "Hot Chestnut " section it seems I have been missing out as among other things  you can hire the actual ovens for your party ,anyone for a roasting ??, probably not me though I never even got to a Fondue party .

Name That Bird..............!!!!

Tuesday I called at Cresswell , huge number of Wigeon & Teal present , Long Tailed Duck, Scaup, and 4 mergansers present also about 5-6 Goldeneye Water Rail calling  c80 Dunlin dropped in with 2 Knot 85 Curlew and 2 bar Tailed Godwit, good light in between heavy showers , Barn Owl showed briefly till more heavy rain not a bad couple of hours actually apart from no photos I do not have a Digiscope camera now going to have to get one for those longer shots etc:, today sorting through my stuff on the computer I came across this, it was a card I  got sent , most are easy but one still eludes me , so I thought I would include here to make up for lack of photos of aforementioned birds ,but only one of these where seen at Cresswell 

Med Gull PAU2 ...Header

Details received of Med Gull PAU2 as featured in the header.

Ornithological Station
Museum and Institute of Zoology Polish Academy of Sciences
Nadwiślańska 108, 80-680 Gdańsk 40, Poland
phone (+48 58) 308-07-59, fax (+48 58) 308-09-82
e-mail: monikaz@miiz.waw.pl



Sightings and recoveries relating to the Polish colour-ringing programme of Mediterranean Gull Larus melanocephalus

Status
O trapped and ringed R roosting
V controlled; ring read * ring found
T controlled; bird trapped A ring added
X found dead C ring changed
& shot
B breeding

Colour ring number: RED PAU2 metal ring number: Gdansk FN 08382

Colour ring position: right tarsus metal ring position: left tarsus

Ringing data


St Date Age Place Coordinates Ringer/observer
OB. 07.05.2006 > 3 CY PACZKOWSKI RESERVOIR, KOZIELNO, WROCLAW, POLAND 50.29 N 16.58 E KOŁODZIEJCZYK, P.


Life history


VB 21.05.2006 > 3 CY PACZKOWSKI RESERVOIR, KOZIELNO, WROCLAW, POLAND 50.29 N 16.58 E KOŁODZIEJCZYK, P.
VB 27.05.2006 > 3 CY PACZKOWSKI RESERVOIR, KOZIELNO, WROCLAW, POLAND 50.29 N 16.58 E KOŁODZIEJCZYK, P.
VB 04.06.2006 > 3 CY PACZKOWSKI RESERVOIR, KOZIELNO, WROCLAW, POLAND 50.29 N 16.58 E KOŁODZIEJCZYK, P.
V 24.07.2006 CRIMDON BEACH, NORTH OF HARTLEPOOL, DURHAM, UK 54.72 N 01.24 W FORSTER, C.

V 18.12.2007 SEATON CAREW, NORTH EAST ENGLAND, UK 54.39 N 01.11 W ROWBOTTOM, M.
V 03.03.2008 AD SCALBY MILLS, SCARBOROUGH, NORTH YERKSHIRE, UK ADDEY, N

V 28.10.2008 WHITLEY BAY, NORTHUMBERLAND, UK 55.03 N 01.27 W HODGSON, M. S.

V 04.01.2009 AD SEATON CAREW, COUNTY DURHAM, UK 54.39 N 01.11 W DEIGHTON, A.
V 25.10.2009 AD NORTH SHIELDS, FISH QUAY, TYNE RIVER MOUTH, UK 55.01 N 01.30 W TURNER, D.

TB 23.05.2010 > 3 CY MIETKOW RESERVOIR, WROCLAW, POLAND 50.59 N 16.40 E KOŁODZIEJCZYK, P.

V 05.10.2010 ST MARY'S ISLAND, NORTHUMBERLAND, UK BULLOUGH, B.

V 21.10.2010 WHITLEY BAY, NORTHUMBERLAND, UK 55.03 N 01.27 W HODGSON, M. S.




Monika Zielinska

Squacco........My Snaps !!!!

Started the day off with a quick look at the sea from Seaton Sluice it had flattened off amazingly but the sun was so bright a group of Scoter & Eider was all I had ,called at St Mary's Island only a few Goldcrests around so I headed back to Morpeth for another try for the Squacco..................boy did it show well giving great views as it fed in the shallows, it seemed to have no problem getting fish the water was not as high on Monday but now a large shallow area with some good cover was its preferred area, the sun was very strong it was a problem to get the right exposure. Mid afternoon it started to fly up and down river  even coming over to land just below the wall a great bird giving us all a good show 

I must have taken loads of shots like this 

                                        

 Not in focus at all this shot but I do like the pose  !!!!

 Off on one of it's flights down stream

 Dropping in with the Mallards

 I think these are set on auto .........and the guys have gone off to the pub !!!!

 Another couple as it drops in on the far bank !!