Mora's mouse...

We've been away on holiday for a couple of weeks and on our return found this little fellow had discovered the fatballs. I don't expect him to be back again as the rosemary in which the fatballs hung has obviously died and is now on a neighbour's bonfire so there is no cover. The birds are still visiting but I've not seen the mouse.  Hope he's found another source of goodies.

Mora Rolley, Alnwick

Long tailed Field Mouse

Branton and Powburn 8th of May

Our early morning walk around Branton Ponds saw yesterday evenings "squealing" Water Rails replaced by a mini influx of Garden Warblers(our first of the year) many of which gave unusally good views.The male Blackcaps finally appear to have been joined by females and from the riverside scrub came the distinctive nasal buzzing call of a Willow Tit which obliged us by coming out into the open and showing us it's pale wing panel.The ponds hadn't revealed their final bird of the day until we reached the shallower west end where a faint melancoly call alerted us to a brief Little Ringed Plover.
After breakfast I was dropped off at what is locally known as the"killing shop"for a walk back along the old railway line towards Powburn,the first bird seen was a female Redstart,Which was soon followed by Blackaps,Nuthatches and Willow Warblers.
Ian    

A good Skye lichen

On Skye a week ago brought my first sighting of a large lichen that I may have seen before, but never bothered to take note of.  Lobaria pulmonaria or Lungwort is quite common in the damp, comparatively mild western highlands.  It prefers sheltered damp lochside woodland.  It is now very rare in our north eastern areas.

My photo has some moss growing in the middle of the rosette, but the lichen is quite distinctive and large -  this rosette was about 12cm across.

Insect heaven

The garden insect scene has really livened up over the past few days at Titlington Mount.  We've had White-tailed and Buff-tailed Bumblebees around, particularly on heathers, for at least two weeks, but now they've been joined by Red-tailed queens.  Plenty of Small Tortoiseshells and the occasional Peacock taking advantage of the Aubretia.  But my particular spring insect, the Bee-fly (probably Bombylius major) has been present in twos and threes since we returned from a short break in Skye last Tuesday.  Again it's the Aubretia it prefers.

Little upland gems

A walk up the Fallowlees Burn west of Fontburn Reservoir produced a range of interesting species.  The Fallowlees Burn is flanked by upland mixed deciduous woodland with ash and alder dominating.  Opposite leaved saxifrage and primroses were in full-flower and there was early evidence of both common and hare's-tail cotton-grasses.  Creeping willow was just coming into leaf.  Early and red-tailed bumblebee were on the wing searching out grey and goat willow flowers. 

There was a good selection of upland woodland birds with cuckoo (1), tree pipit (4-5 males), redstarts (10+ males calling), lesser redpoll, and treecreeper.  The star bird was a singing pied flycatcher - it took a while to find but the search was worth it for the views.  Several paries of roe deer were located close to Harwood Forest and a very obliging red squirrel was searching fo last year's hazel nuts.

Very little was seen on Fontburn Reservoir with the exception of 2 cormorants, 3 Canada geese, numerous hirundines and a yellow wagtail - rare for this part of Northumberland.

A long day in the field

It was an early start this morning as we met up at Slainsfield Moor at 5 am for the North Northumberland Bird Club dawn chorus outing.After a chilly start the birds started coming thick and fast,with Redstart, Wheatear,Blackcap and Grasshopper Warbler topping the bill,after a delicious cooked breakfast at Heatherslaw Mill we headed back home.
After a quick cuppa it was off to East Chevington for a reported Purple Heron,the wait to see it was enlivened by super views of a food pass between a male and female Marsh Harrier,to our left a Grasshopper Warbler "reeled" in the reedbed accompanied by a less obvious Reed Warbler and then the main course as a tall ,elegant Purple Heron stepped out of the reeds and gave brief tantalising views of it's long stripey neck and dagger like bill.   

More spring arrivals

An early morning walk around the ponds at Branton turned up yet more Blackcaps "chacking" in the undergrowth and Common Whitethroat calling in scrub near the river.On moving to the west pond a small falcon like bird flew up onto a fence and then back onto the ground,on closer inspection it tuned out to be a Cuckoo with it's bright yellow eye gleaming in the early light.Further on and yet another spring migrant in the form of a dapper male Whinchat,foraging around on the ground near the ponies,probably new in and on it's way to breeding grounds in the hills.