Shorelark,Avocets and Merlin 6-4-11

Wednesday the 6th I was going up to the Cresswell area anyway but the note of some Avocets around was a bonus , I was told the Shorelark was still showing at Druridge and a guy even offered me a lift despite having just come from there , so thanks for that,the bird was indeed showing well so rather than push it off I sat down and hoped it would work its way nearer, but other birders arrived and it kept its distance. Plenty of Skylarks and Meadow pipits around ,Wheatears also on the move I had 12 on the way back to Cresswell, Yellow Wagtail in the cattle field just north of the pond, 5 Pieds and 2 White Wagtails, I had seen no sign of the Avocets but there calling as they flew in allowed me to get a couple of shots they dropped on the pool but left , heading back to the village a Male Merlin shot along the dunes nice end to the day and some good birds for my Birder on the Bus list, even though I had missed two buses  back home !!!!

 While hoping for the bird to come nearer took a couple of digishots

 I have overexposed this one pity as it is not a bad shot

This was a smart bird I got a couple of others with the camera which I will use as a header

 Yellow Wagtail Cresswell

 One of  12 Wheatears along the coast from Druridge to Cresswell

Two of the Avocets I think 8 reported at one point

Rothbury Circular 2/4/11

Last Saturday I went up to Rothbury  for a wal over Blaeberry Hill  around Addycombethen over towards Debdon. Walked along the river looking for Sand martin still not seen one but it was a rather cold dull start to the day , Red legged Partridge right on the edge of Town its a stiff climb up and over Blaeberry Hill no chance of  much in the strong wind had up to 8 Chiffs singing, two Wheatears on the top and later Siskin and a single Crossbill over , 2 Buzzard came down low but to far for the camera stopped by Debdon stream a Grey wagtail dropped in just as I poured the coffee out and nearby a Robin feeding young , by mid afternoon it was getting much warmer but too late for me it was time to go.

A temporary bridge is being erected in Rothbury so they must be going to do some serious work on the old stone bridge .bat boxes erected along the river.

Red Legged much commoner than they used to be but this a first for the year.

View towards Simmonside  fro the edge of Rothbury

 Looking over to the north/north east

The climb over Blaeberry Hill still looks a bit bleak

 there must be a Geological term for this huge boulder with all the folds

hand holding for close focus does not work this a little blurred and overexposed in the strong wind

 The track around and down towards Debdon on the left

 A nice little picnic spot

looking back over to the hill 

Morpeth Circular Walk 1-4-11

Friday and its the 1st of April went up to Morpeth for a walk west along the river, passing through Carlisle Park over to the river then along to Scotts Gill woods back over towards Morpeth in a sort of circle.

near the Castle a a pair of nuthatch checking out a  tree hole Chiffs in good numbers thought I might get a Willow Warbler  but no , 2 grey wagtails near the stepping stones, Goldcrests calling but not seen , a pair of Goosander near the old bridge  and another  Grey wagtail, found the flowers I was looking for  in the woods, more Chiffs ,Wrens chasing each other around and singing frantically , had a look around the ruins of Newminster Abbey very overgrown area but they seem to be cutting back the ivy etc: I like  Morpeth it has some great walks in nearly every direction, talking to a dog walker he told me of a good site for Green Woodpecker which I will have to check out , I always find them a hard bird to get good views of !!!

 Toothwort pushing up through the leaf litter

 Wood Sorrell

 Butterburr all along the sandy river banks

 leaves bursting forth

 Yellow-star of Bethlehem, thanks to Nigel of  Abbey Meadows  blog for this one.

Sepals are as long as the petals

Some nice old trees around this one is hollow will check it out sometime for Bats

Cresswell 31-3-11

31-3-11 Another trip to Cresswell  it was not too bad when I left home but Cresswell was wild a West wind that nearly took you off your feet , viewed the pond from the path up by the farm sheltered from the wind but  with the nice warmth of the sun, American Wigeon still on show ,ended up down at the hide the water with plenty of white tops a nice rainbow over the farm at Hemscott. A total of 3 Med Gulls in with the Black-headed's ,the American Wigeon as did all the Wigeon moved from the grassy bank to the pond and back again, the hide was getting a bit of a battering with the wind so I decided to head home but 2 Sandwich terns dropped in on the spit gave me another year tick. 

Rainbow from the hide cresswell

 Keeping low with the strong wind ,feeding as they lay down.

 Choppy waters

Heading back to the bank where it walked out and fed again

Killingworth Lake-Whooper !

Called at Killingworth Lake  on Tuesday 29-3-11 only the one male Goosander present about 60 Tufted Duck ,2 Great Crested grebe, a few Pochard my first lesser Black-backs of the year and still around was the Whooper Swan,I had scanned for it on arrival but thought it had gone walking the roadside path there it was just near the edge ,it seems to have a hint of juvenile plumage on its  back  I wonder if it is a youngster that strayed from the rest and just settled here ,it does have a ring on which I managed to get a photo of unfortunately just the section with the BTO address if anyone has further details I would be interested, no sign of any Goldeneye today usually a good spot for them . (Apparently the Whooper Swan was ringed at Killingworth  in January this year, thanks to Ian fisher for the information)