Viz Migging!

Viz migging is the pastime of watching and counting the numbers of birds flying overhead when migrating - visible migration, hence viz migging.

Over night easterlies with very heavy rain resulted in good conditions for such a movement of birds over Howick this morning.

After checking a woefully quiet moth trap, it became apparent that birds were dropping in around the garden. Its days like these when work seems to get in the way, but I stood on our drive counting from 07.45am - 0815am before the work bell rang....

Redwing 428 ( in groups of up to 80)
Fieldfare 5
Blackbird 30
Song Thrush 12
Lapwing 8
Snipe 1

All newly arrived from Scandinavia, amazing.

Lapwings on the move.

News this evening  - Red breasted Flycatcher at Low Newton, Black Redstart Newton Point, Olive backed Pipit Farne Islands.
    

Thurs 11th oct

A quick walk after lunch, east of Wooler, produced a few species of interest.  Cat's ear and yarrow are still in flower.  Two chiffchaffs were still calling in young woodland.  2 herring gulls, 3 grey wagtails and a meadow pipit were loitering around the sewage works.

Earlier in the day there was a reasonable passage of common gulls (600+) down the Till Valley as well as a small movement of siskins.

Up the Breamish Valley yesterday (10th).  Sadly most items of interest were dead.  Two Slow Worms squashed on the road between Linhope and Ingram.  Three dead Brown Hare on the hills around Grieves Ash - no obvious signs of injury, so perhaps starvation.  The suggestion is that the nutritional content, especially protein, in the fodder available may be very low this year, so perhaps these animals have been having quantity and not quality of feed.

A flock of Meadow Pipit and four Skylark around Reavely Hill deserted farm and a couple of Kestrel above the Cunyan Crags ridge.

Sleeping Satellite...

These lovely clear cold days have certainly reduced moth catches at Howick. Only one in there the other day, but a nice one, the Satellite -

2256 Satellite, Howick ,07/10/12

Fresh individuals are found from now and can be caught right through until March if the weather is favourable. It also comes in a white spotted version ( below). Both are about equally common here. It is named from the two tiny dots either side of the large wing patch. Please click on the image for a larger view.

Another Satellite, a white spotted one this time.

Autumn beauty

Today has been spent carrying out vegetation surveys in the College Valley.  The Estate is at its stunning best.  There are a few plants still in flower including lesser hawkbit, tormentil, heather and grass of parnassus. 

Relatively few birds were seen but highlights included at least 3 ravens, red grouse (24), merlin (1), common buzzard (3), meadow pipit, skylark (1) and lesser redpoll (1).  2 red-legged partridge east of Goldscleugh were unusual but problably have escaped from the neighbouring estate.

A small number of waxcap fungi were also found.

George

October's best

Frosty mornings and clear blue skies - this is my type of weather

Green woodpecker (1) and a stonechat at Debden, Rothbury were a great addition to the general ambiance of the early morning.  There was also a large flock (15+) of mistle thrushes in the same area.

Jack Daw

Arran, Islay & Jura

Just back from ten days away on Arran and then to Islay & Jura.

Climbed Goat Fell on Arran (874m).  Higher levels had lots of Fir Clubmoss (Huperzia selago), Alpine Lady's-mantle (Alchemilla alpina) and Viviparous Fescue Grass (Festuca vivipara).  Lower levels had Goldenrod (Solidago virgaurea) still in good flower.

Birds v disappointing - only a few Ravens and a couple of Meadow Pipits.

Two other good finds (for me) were Black Bog Rush (Schoenus nigricans) in Glen Catacol at the north end of Arran and Oyster Plant (Mertensia maritima) still in flower on Kilmory beach at the south end of the island.

Then on to Islay.  On 2nd October the Barnacle Geese were just starting to arrive and by 5th there were at least 20,000 on the fields and flats at Loch Gruinart RSPB Reserve.  White-fronts were slower to appear and by 5th there were still only tens of birds present, but small skeins beginning to appear by dusk on that day.

We had two good Hen Harriers - a male on Jura and a ring-tail on Islay - but were disappointed not to see any eagles, either Golden or White-tailed.