Tuesday 18 December 2012

Late news from the weekend

The weekend was spent counting geese and waders around Lindisfarne.  There were 80+ Barnacle geese in Budle Bay. 1180 Bar-tailed godwit, 750, Knot, 1477 Light-bellied brent geese, 273 Pintail and 441 Eider were highlights from Fenham Flats as well as this strange wader that was close to shore near to the Fenham le Moor hide. 
The jizz and the photo would suggest that the bird is a semi-albino/leucistic Knot.  I have to admit it had my pulse racing for a while.  From head-on shots it looked like a 'fat' female Ruff!  There were also 8 Twite and a small number of Tree sparrows around the hide.  If you park next to the Fenham le Moor bird hide do not be surprised if you get a visit from the very confiding Blackbird that likes looking at itself in your wing mirror. It can also leave a lot of mess down the side of the car!

There were 29+ Whooper swans north of Fenham Mill feeding in an oilseed rape field.

The drive home from Berwick in the evening produced a Common frog hopping across the road at the bridge over the river Till close to Doddington (I think this would be a first for me at this time of year!)

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