Mandarin & Short Eared Owl

Just a few images from the month 

Short Eared Owl from near Stobswood /Widdrington never came close harried by Corvids for most of the time

 The Barn Owls at Cresswell are certainly drawing the crowds this late evening just before darkness drops in digiscoped image

 Whilst it out flew the Crows it did prevent it from hunting over the grassland

 You can see the fascination  of Owls with the bright eyes looking down at you as they drift past silently

 Probably the closest it came lucky I had brought my DSLR as as good as it is the SX50 struggles with flight shots

 When Shorties drop on the ground they just blend in , I don't know why its wing is outspread it was not successful in hunting

 Slightly out of focus shot but I do like the wing spread

The recent Mandarin on the Wansbeck and with some sunshine to boot what a stunning bird these are  oddly the DSLR shots where very poor whereas the SX50 seemed to handle the bright sun and bold colours very well.

                                      

These two shots taken from the bridge before it went to settle with Mallards on a small island 

                                     
A section of the large flock of Pinkfeet at Stobswood that held the Ross's  goose spend some time on the pools with more a couple of fields over but no where near as many as previous it seems at this stage that many have moved on taking the Ross's with them

Boulmer

Boulmer  was the chosen site for a walk from the small village to Howick Burn not a long walk  just a gentle stroll the tide was well out on arrival ,so we set straight off taking food etc: with us and taking the top path rather than go along the shore .I checked the fields and fence-lines for any birds  but it was not till we had gone two thirds of the way that a flock of about 40 Linnets where encountered near the cattle feeders , I scanned as best I could but all seemed to be Linnets . Crossing the bridge at the burn and up through the gate i noticed a sign "Howich Hill Fort" so off we walked , I had no idea there was a hill fort here despite having walked the coast path a few times , it's only a short walk but it's not until you climb up the hillside and see the outline from within that it shows as a hill fort , so it's well worth the small detour . Back at the Bridge for a coffee stop the wind cool but it was sunny and dry , some years ago I found some large  dressed sandstone blocks laid out in the sand from an old structure , I sent off the photo and it featured in Northumbrian magazines section for any information but I got no reply so still intrigued as to what it was , no sign today it must have been buried ,heading back via the beach nicely sheltered from the cold breeze , Rock Pipits and Pied Wagtails a plenty feeding in amongst the rotting seaweed, by the time we got back to the car the tide was coming in strongly pushing the birds ever nearer , I scanned with the scope and made a loose count , nothing you would not have expected just a good number of waders frantically feeding as the tide pushed the line of birds up the sand I was looking for any colour ringed birds , six Grey  Plover flew past heading north .
Check out these stunning images of Northumberland , I just love the one of the bathing house which is just about 1/2 mile from the burn and taken the same day as our visit .Anita Nicholson Photography

 The familiar Yellow helicopter which I believe is to be replaced by a private service 2016? , It just hovered for awhile circled and hovered again before heading North

 Difficult to show the hill fort in a photo , you can make out the outline edge , with the burn to the right

 Looking back towards the burn there is a bridge across , and a path leads through to Howick Hall gardens

 Heading back via the beach looking back at  the burn as it meets the sea