Domestic beasties

A while ago we occasionally started to find tiny round flattened 'bugs' on our bathroom floor.  At first I assumed they were dead dessicated ticks that had got caught in our clothing while out on the moor, but closer examination suggests they are mites.

They appear to be living in the cracks between the wooden flooring and the skirting boards and recently we've been finding some live specimens.  I had assumed that all mites were parasites of animals or plants, but these must be living on dust (which in a bathroom will be largely dead skin flakes).  What they do for moisture is anyone's guess.

I've emailed the photo to FERA (Defra's sceintific arm) to ask them for an identification, but if any of our members has seen these and knows what they are then do please let me know.  The size of individuals varies from 1.5 to 3mm across.

Back from the south!

The last week has been spent out of the County in Lincolnshire - with no internet access.  The highlights included a flock of 70+ snow buntings on Cleethorpes Beach, lots of little egrets everywhere, two red kites over the A1, in the York area on the way home and Smaug the dragon in the Hobbit!

A walk on Boulmer beach today produced a good selection of birds in stormy conditions.  Highlights included red-throated diver (3), purple sandpiper (6), grey plover (18), bar-tailed godwit (1), sanderling, turnstone, knot, oystercatcher, golden plover (120), lapwing (230), curlew, ringed plover and dunlin.  There were two stonechats and a selection of rock pipits and pied wagtails.  There was a good passage of auks (guillemots, razorbills and a puffin), kittiwakes, Manx shearwater (1n), gannets (6+), and at least 2 little gulls.

It is good to be back in the north!

Boxing Day in Kielder

On Boxing Day we were in Kielder walking up the Lewis Burn.  It was cold and the path surfaces were frozen, but there was no hoar frost.  However in various places small dead wood branches showed this ice phenomenon.  Our daughter said that in Kielder it is known as Angel Hair, but googling that gets you only nonsense beauty product sites or references to vermicelli pasta.

Does anyone know what causes this particular extrusion of ice crystals?

The third photo was taken in the ruins of Low Long House where there is a range of memorial stones and mini-monuments.  I just wondered if I had missed George's demise?

Boxing Day birding

With the weather looking settled at last we had a walk around Branton Ponds, a Pink-footed Goose joined the resident Greylags, Coot numbers reached about 40 and were joined by a large number of Tufted Ducks, Wigeon and Teal, small birds included Bullfinches, Lesser Redpoll and Siskins.
After lunch we decided to drive to Bamburgh for a reported two Grey Pharlaropes of which there was no sign, however there were still good numbers of birds including Long Tailed Ducks, Eiders, Slavonian Grebe, Red Throated Diver, two very large flocks of Common Scoter and to top it all a winter plumaged Great Northern Diver just off the Lighthouse.

Return of the prodigal

My New Year Resolution will be to return to the early days of our AWG Blog when I used to post with some regularity.  But for some reason I lost the habit and was embarrassed to have to ask Stewart how to access this posting screen!  But I thought if I put formal notification of my intention to resume periodic contributions, then I'd be forced to go through with it

Recent sightings of note have been:
*  seven Buzzards over our house at Titlington Mount on 16th December.
*  while in the hide on the southern shore of Cresswell pond on 18th December there were c. 350 Pink-footed Geese (from the reputed several thousand in the area at present); many hundreds of Wigeon and Lapwing;  plenty of Redshank, many moving about by repeated hopping on one leg with the other tucked up;  a nice pair of close confiding Merganser.  But perhaps best of all was that on the western shore, some distance away from the hide, was a large adult Otter happily eating something - probably a fish since this time of year doesn't really offer much in the way of young chicks to catch.  It stayed put for a good five minutes so all in the group I was with had plenty of time to get decent views, but not close enough to get any useful photos.

A festive scene....

This unusually festive scene was sent in by Michael & Marian Hall from Ellingham who commented 'There's no truth in the rumour that wood pigeons like brussels sprouts!'

It certainly makes a change from the obligatory Robin ( nice as they are). Looks like the pigeon is about to blame a Magpie for stealing the Christmas dinner!

Thank you....

Colour from Summer...

This photograph above was kindly sent in to the blog by group member Gordon Plews from Eglingham. It shows a lovely scene in his garden in May this year of a mixed flock of Siskins, a male Blackcap, a pair of Lesser Redpolls ( look at that male!) and a Greenfinch. Delightful.

Superb Gordon we hope to see more pics in future...