St Mary's ......Bright "n" Breezy

I was going to bin this but actually I think it just sums up Purple Sandpipers.

A much brighter day today but with it the cold ,cold wind, just finishing off what I had to do at home and about to get sorted for a couple hours out , it start to bleach down with snow and lying ,here we go again I thought. But it did not last long now even more determined to get out so I headed off ,started off at the head of the prom Water pipit briefly but heading along south, I walked along but it was always way ahead of me and with the tide coming in I went along the prom and up to the wetland which was full but had plenty Teal , a couple of Wigeon , Gadwall, numerous waders and Gulls , it was looking good . I had not brought the scope ,which was just as well the wind blasting across the water, going further along the prom towards the causeway large number of Black headed and in with them an Adult Med, and 12 or so Purple Sandpiper, but it was not till I got around fully to the causeway that the scale of the birds present could be fully appreciated ,easily a 1000 Black Headeds, with Herring Gulls and a few Common Gulls picking off the water and on the beach , more Purple Sandpipers, Knot ,Turnstones , Sanderling, Redshanks all massed tightly on the beach as the waves crashed ashore ,obviously providing a feast of some sort , what a fantastic sight , birding's not just about rare birds, to me its this sort of thing, just being at the right place at the right time ,without doubt the most birds I have ever seen at St Mary's Island , stacks of Lapwings & Golden Plover wheeling around and a few hundred waders over on the island .Blisteringly cold trying to get some shots my hands where numb and I could barely stand so I put the camera away and just watched ,eventually the cold got to me heading back along the prom to the south bay hundreds more Black Headeds picking off the surface and a single Barnacle Goose dropped onto the wetland . Fantastic few hours out for a change , I nearly let the snow put me off, but now I just can't wait to get back out.

My(not very exciting) Week Birding

My week Birding is summed up very briefly , a run to Holywell sat frozen in the hide nothing special around as was a run to Cresswell checking a few spots both on the run up and back , the level dropping slowly attracting small roost of waders and about 100 lapwings, still no information re: the colour ringed bird from last year actually one of two , great Crested Grebes still around and 1/2 dozen Goldeneye, a few Yellowhammers with Reed Buntings in the corner garden which has had most of the bushes etc ripped out for a new fence, sure there is plenty of Wigeon around ,also Teal & Tufted, Pinkfeet numbers still high ,but boy was it dull .

Thurday and I had to go up to Morpeth so later I had a walk along the river then up into Borough Woods towards Mitford just for the walk , as expected a couple of small flocks of Tits, numerous Nuthatch, 3 Great Spotted, Jays four and one in a horse field , not a bad little walk along here plenty of open areas and other paths to take to make the route more circular .

Goosanders on the river still but again light a bit dull , its still odd to see them coming for bread ,walked back into town and through the new Sanderson Arcade , reminded me of the arcade at Newcastle , I think that was called Sanderson as well ,they pulled that down to build Eldon something or other ,(Garden ) ???

Three small flocks of Long Tailed Tits

Common they may be !!! but try and get near them

Sperm Whale dies at Beadnell

Not sure if this was on the local news but a 10 mtr Sperm whale stranded near Beadnell has died , again not sure of it's exact location or access, re it's removal in the coming days . link below

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/tyne/8478616.stm

Review :Collins Bird Guide 2nd edition

A review of the 2nd edition Colins Bird Guide By John M cLoughlin on Birdguides

http://www.birdguides.com/webzine/article.asp?a=1910 not sure if I shall acquire this just yet , I may await the large format edition expected later in the year. Fieldguides have certainly come a long way in the past few years, I know of some who collect them , but you will deep pockets these days to keep up with the range available . I, like probably many others started off with "The Observers Book of Birds", sadly I lost my copy but there was just something about those earlier bird books "Witherby's " 5 vols being the classic, but now you can get guides for your "I Phone "or media player ,with video, calls, etc. Birding has certainly moved on from the days of ringing "Nancy's Cafe" (you may have to Google that ) happy day's...........

Brian

Corn Bunting

Interesting short article re Corn Buntings on Birdguides.....some sight that.........check it out

http://www.birdguides.com/webzine/article.asp?a=1912