I've made a New Year's resolution to try to post more often to our AWG blog. Nothing very exciting yet this year, but we had Great Spotted Woodpeckers already drumming at Titlington Mount in the week before Christmas.
Then on 31st December the Whin Sill cliff at Cullernose Point had several pairs of Fulmar already occupying nesting ledges.
Saturday, 10 January 2015
Friday, 9 January 2015
Wildlife highlights from the last few days
There have been a few interesting wildlife sightings from the last few days.
On Wednesday (7th Jan), a wetland in the Wansbeck catchment produced 20 Snipe and a lone Meadow pipit.
On the same day a Stoat in ermine crossed the road at Rothley East Farm. There were also three Lesser redpolls in woodland close by.
A Barn owl was calling in Glanton last night (8th Jan) and a Long-eared owl flew south over the road at Alnwick Moor.
The new leaves of Lesser celandine and Broad-leaved dock are also starting to appear in grassland and Great tits have started singing.
On Wednesday (7th Jan), a wetland in the Wansbeck catchment produced 20 Snipe and a lone Meadow pipit.
On the same day a Stoat in ermine crossed the road at Rothley East Farm. There were also three Lesser redpolls in woodland close by.
A Barn owl was calling in Glanton last night (8th Jan) and a Long-eared owl flew south over the road at Alnwick Moor.
The new leaves of Lesser celandine and Broad-leaved dock are also starting to appear in grassland and Great tits have started singing.
Saturday, 3 January 2015
Long distance birding......
Happy New Year to you all. A good proportion of the Christmas holidays has been spent in Lincolnshire. This means a 4 hour journey down the A697, A1, M62, M18 and M180. This can seem a bit boring but there are always things to see especially birds.
We went south on the 27th December. The highlights of the road trip included a Rough-legged buzzard (sitting on the side of the M18 just north of the M180 turn-off - black breast/belly patch showing very well with a pale head), 3 Red kites (York - Wetherby area on the A1 with excellent views of one individual drifting over the carriage way), 7 Kestrels (I try to count as many Kestrels as I can on long journeys - the best count on this journey was 19 but this is a few years ago), Lapwing, Golden plover etc.
On the way home (2nd January) there were again 2 Red kites (Wetherby area), 6 Kestrels, a female Sparrowhawk (that flew under the central-reservation barrier and carried on to a wood on the other side - it was very fortunate not to be hit by a vehicle), 3 Bullfinches, 10+ Lesser black-backed gulls (York area), and a good number of Fieldfares, Redwings and Blackbirds. 5 Roe deer were also counted on the way home in Lincolnshire and Yorkshire.
Road birding can be interesting!
We went south on the 27th December. The highlights of the road trip included a Rough-legged buzzard (sitting on the side of the M18 just north of the M180 turn-off - black breast/belly patch showing very well with a pale head), 3 Red kites (York - Wetherby area on the A1 with excellent views of one individual drifting over the carriage way), 7 Kestrels (I try to count as many Kestrels as I can on long journeys - the best count on this journey was 19 but this is a few years ago), Lapwing, Golden plover etc.
On the way home (2nd January) there were again 2 Red kites (Wetherby area), 6 Kestrels, a female Sparrowhawk (that flew under the central-reservation barrier and carried on to a wood on the other side - it was very fortunate not to be hit by a vehicle), 3 Bullfinches, 10+ Lesser black-backed gulls (York area), and a good number of Fieldfares, Redwings and Blackbirds. 5 Roe deer were also counted on the way home in Lincolnshire and Yorkshire.
Road birding can be interesting!
Friday, 2 January 2015
Shades of white and grey
On a very blustery day we headed off to North Shields Fish Quay where several birders were gathered on the quay beside the Trawlers, our gaze was directed towards the roof where a juvenile Glaucous Gull was lounging, instantly recognised by it's pale pink bill with a black tip which looked as if it had been dipped in ink. Further along was what looked like a second bird but this turned out to be a Glaucous/ Herring Gull hybrid, we didn't have to wait long when a second star made it's entrance in the form of a sleek, ghostly looking Iceland Gull, yet again a juvenile.
Our next port of call was Wesr Hartford where after 20 minutes standing in a very cold wind we were rewarded with a distant view of the Great Grey Shrike. After a while it disappeared, a small group of us stood and chatted about birds in general .when someone said it's heading in our direction, sure enough the distinctive shape of the Shrike got closer and closer until finally it landed in the tree above our heads. What views we had before it flew off and continued it's circuit, the only downer was that of the six people standing there no one had a camera.
Our next port of call was Wesr Hartford where after 20 minutes standing in a very cold wind we were rewarded with a distant view of the Great Grey Shrike. After a while it disappeared, a small group of us stood and chatted about birds in general .when someone said it's heading in our direction, sure enough the distinctive shape of the Shrike got closer and closer until finally it landed in the tree above our heads. What views we had before it flew off and continued it's circuit, the only downer was that of the six people standing there no one had a camera.
Wednesday, 31 December 2014
Seeing the old year out
As the weather was dry and mild we decided to go for one last birding walk in 2014, we headed for Ross Back Sands and naturally took the dog with us.
The sea was grey and quite choppy but there were a few birds out there including a total count of 21 Long Tailed Ducks , most of them stunning adult males. Cormorants ,Eiders and Common Scoter flew past but no sign of any Divers. There were 2 Porpoises steadily making their way towards Holy Island and as we took a last look before leaving the beach we noted a group of 6 Slavonian Grebes.
Our day was completed with the briefest sighting of a Fox as it's bushy tail disappeared into the dunes, this certainly livened up the day for our dog.
A fitting end to another great year, lets hope for more of the same in 2015, all the best and a Happy New Year to everyone.
The sea was grey and quite choppy but there were a few birds out there including a total count of 21 Long Tailed Ducks , most of them stunning adult males. Cormorants ,Eiders and Common Scoter flew past but no sign of any Divers. There were 2 Porpoises steadily making their way towards Holy Island and as we took a last look before leaving the beach we noted a group of 6 Slavonian Grebes.
Our day was completed with the briefest sighting of a Fox as it's bushy tail disappeared into the dunes, this certainly livened up the day for our dog.
A fitting end to another great year, lets hope for more of the same in 2015, all the best and a Happy New Year to everyone.
Monday, 8 December 2014
Looking for geese and counting dunlin
Sunday was another WeBs counting day. First stop was Budle Bay where 350 barnacle geese, 300 lapwing, 100 golden plover, 209 greylag and 99 pink footed geese fed in pastures around the edge of the Bay.
Lunchtime at Fenham le Moor and the tide was on the turn. What was interesting was the lack of light bellied brents (370) and the large reduction in wigeon numbers (<1000). There were good numbers of dunlin (950) and shelduck (1270). Other birds of interest included 2 black-tailed godwit, 6 little egrets, 27 twite, a female merlin, a shoveler, 2 long-tailed ducks and a male American wigeon. Good views were had of the last species as the tide reached its peak at Teal Hole - its pale cream forehead and the broad dark green stripe through the eye was very prominent. The bird flew off to the south with about 200 wigeon.
The American wigeon was not the only interesting sighting at Teal Hole. Many of the birds were very nervous and it turned out that there was a female peregrine hunting. It managed to kill and fly off with a redshank. At this point, the bird was mobbed by a very persistent common buzzard. It looked as though peregrine was going to lose its prey. Then in from the south appeared another very vociferous male peregrine. This peregrine continually mobbed the buzzard which included a bit of talon grappling. The buzzard eventually gave up. The second bird must have been its mate. I had not realised that pair bonds were maintained through the winter. Is this true or is there another explanation - I am off to my BWP and Poyser!
Lunchtime at Fenham le Moor and the tide was on the turn. What was interesting was the lack of light bellied brents (370) and the large reduction in wigeon numbers (<1000). There were good numbers of dunlin (950) and shelduck (1270). Other birds of interest included 2 black-tailed godwit, 6 little egrets, 27 twite, a female merlin, a shoveler, 2 long-tailed ducks and a male American wigeon. Good views were had of the last species as the tide reached its peak at Teal Hole - its pale cream forehead and the broad dark green stripe through the eye was very prominent. The bird flew off to the south with about 200 wigeon.
The American wigeon was not the only interesting sighting at Teal Hole. Many of the birds were very nervous and it turned out that there was a female peregrine hunting. It managed to kill and fly off with a redshank. At this point, the bird was mobbed by a very persistent common buzzard. It looked as though peregrine was going to lose its prey. Then in from the south appeared another very vociferous male peregrine. This peregrine continually mobbed the buzzard which included a bit of talon grappling. The buzzard eventually gave up. The second bird must have been its mate. I had not realised that pair bonds were maintained through the winter. Is this true or is there another explanation - I am off to my BWP and Poyser!
Wednesday, 3 December 2014
Another wetland along the Wansbeck.
An early morning walk around a wetland south of Scot's Gap produced 40+ snipe, 2-3 jack snipe, 3 mute swans, 1 green sandpiper, 30+ reed buntings, 1 kestrel, 1 grey wagtail and a water rail.
Tree sparrows and nuthatches were in trees around the farm.
Tree sparrows and nuthatches were in trees around the farm.
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