Love is in the air!

Although winter has not revealed its icy grip yet, Fulmars on and around Cullernose Point are already returning to their nest sites and actively rekindling their relationships.
These are likely to be the older breeding birds using their experience to pre-empt any issue over the right to a nesting site.
So as we contemplate what still might be in store for us on the weather front, Fulmars are perhaps reminding us, that spring is around the corner!

What Smew...

8th January and I was out with my bird watching friends.  

We put off doing a survey due to the forecast for heavy rain which did not materialize.  However, standing outside the southerly hide at East Chevington gave us beautiful views of the visiting red-head Smew. When I read that only about 100 come to this country in winter I felt really honoured to have watched it preening, diving and flying with the Goldeneyes.  I am told this will be a female as the juvenile males will now be in their full, stunning plumage.  

We also enjoyed watching the courting Goldeneye ducks and drakes.  Two males were displaying to a female who eventually adopted the submissive pose with her chin right down in the water, being interested in one of them.  He then decided she was obviously too easy, lost interest, turned away and paddled off.  Now the second reckoned he was on to a good thing and took over throwing his head back and looking stunning.  It was no good, she'd become bored or hungry or was a one drake duck and tootled off.  It's rather like a soap on T.V.

Mora J Rolley

Branton Ponds 9th January 2013

What a difference a day makes,the ponds today were looking glorious in a lovely midwinter sunlight. The Shelduck numbers had risen to 6 and were joined by many Teal and Wigeon, along by the riverside I came across a lone Willow Tit. Back on the ponds 23 Curlew were on the East Pond island and 26 Herring Gulls were on the West Pond with 50+ Common Gulls. Kingfishers were also in evidence as I noted 2 on the East Pond with another bird showing well in one of the small bays.

Branton Ponds 7th January

Yet another dull,damp day but at least there are a few birds about.I walk around Branton Ponds this morning produced two pairs of Shelduck,the earliest record on the ponds for this species.Whilst watching an entertaining group of Long Tailed Tits I heard a thinner higher pitched call and noticed a tiny mouselike bird crawling up a tree,it was a Treecreeper.Another good sighting was a Barn Owl hunting the long grass in the early afternoon,an unusual time of day but could it be on a brood of chicks! or is it stocking up for worse weather to come?  

Alnmouth 6th January

Today we were in the Alnmouth area doing our Northumberland Estates bird survey,the weather was calm and very mild.There was nothing of real note but lots of different species seen,it was great to see Grey Partidge,a bird which has been in real decline recently,a total of 26 during the survey was not a bad count.Also of note was a single Stock Dove,a couple of Lesser Redpolls and a very striking male Bullfinch.  

Happy New Year

It has been a festive period away from the computer.  Christmas was spent in Berwick.  The only highlight was 24 red throated divers off Spital on the 26th Dec. 

The last week has been spent in Lincolnshire.  A summary of wildlife included a small number of grey seal pups (second largst colony on the east coast of England).  There were also a fly over waxwing and a number of little egrets.  On the 4th January, there were 3 little egrets, dark bellied brent geese and a good selection of waders and ducks.  The highlight of the trip were two peregrines talon grappling over-head.  It looked as though it was an adult and an immature female.  The male was very aggressive, targetting the head of the juvenile several times.

It was good to be back in North.  A walk on the beach yesterday at Boulmer produced 7 species of waders, five species of duck, good numbers of rock pipit (15), linnets (90+) with a small number of twite.

There was aslo a passage of pink-footed geese north - 45 north over Alnwick, 75 north over Whittingham

Druridge Bay December 3rd 2013

On a morning which was dull and grey but unseasonably mild we headed first to Newbiggin where about 12 Purple Sandpipers were noted on the rocks near Beacon Point.The beach was checked next and amongst the small group of gulls were at least 10 Mediterranean Gulls of varying ages.Next to Cresswell Pond where we added Scaup,Lapwing,Gadwall and a very smart male Pintail to the list.As we headed back north towards Chevington we were stopped in our tracks by the sight of at least 2500 Pink-Footed Geese feeding in a field next to the road.At East Chevington the north pool yielded up a single Slavonian Grebe and a couple of lovely Long Tailed Ducks.