A bit of sun

A nice summers evening after the turmoil of the day. The Meadow Pipits seem to have started a second round of display.

The Redstart is still feeding his young but has yet to give me a close up photo opportunity although Bill tells me (with the benefit of his all seing Leicas) that the male bird is ringed. That suggests it's possibly one of last years juveniles as I'm sure there was a ringing study here then ( 20 plus nest boxes don't just disappear over a year!) Unfortunately I don't know who carried it out.


Small Butterfly activity with one Skipper

and a few Coppers but no Green Hairstreak that I've been searching for since I heard RN found one on June 3rd last year.

Plenty of Small Coppers at St Marys' Island this afternoon where a couple of Blues drifted across the overgrown wetland as I chatted to BR.

Tasty damsel

Up at 5.00am for my webs count on the Tyne which was less than spectacular although very pleasant in the early morning sun. Most birds are still away breeding so only a handful of Redshank, and Curlew but nice to see Ringed Plover and Oystercatcher up river. The Shelducks now have young with two broods of seven and one of five. Plenty of Lesser Black Back Gulls and nice to see the Common Terns are back.

Once completed at the 7.30 I picked up the papers and headed up to Banks Pond where the Canada Goose still has five rapidly growing youngsters although her mate hasn't been around for weeks now. Female Mallard with three young, Moorhen and Oystercatcher but no sign of the Little Grebe this year which is a shame as they've bred there for the previous three years.

This splendid female Reed Bunting very kindly posed in all positions before heading off to her nest with the damsel breakfast.

Then up to Bellasis where it was heaving with cyclists so headed up to check for Quail at the top of the hill. Straight out of the car and a bird was singing in a Barley field just yards up the road. This spot has been a favourite for the last few years although last year was poor probably due to the amount of rape planted. This year there is only one field of Barley and that's where they are and quite close to the road at that.





Sorry about the background noise. I forgot to turn off the image stabiliser. All this kit and no clue how to use it!

Meanwhile at Prestwick Carr this turned up early on Saturday morning ending months of speculation regarding the purpose of the works being carried out by the Wildlife Trust. I had been betting on a viewing platform but now its access all areas.

Not sure what they're expecting down the bumpy road but I think the army could drive a tank over that. The locals probably will!

Shame the operatives couldn't show an example and take their crap home which has been lying for two weeks now.

Green day

Look who pitched up in my garden this morning. The Ponteland Parakeet on tour in Dinnington. It headed off east so watch out Big Waters specialisters. Nice addition to the garden list joining Budgerigar on the exotics!

Can you spot the bobby dazzler? After unsuccesfully chasing Spotted Flycatcher and Yellow Wagtail around Whittle Dene yesterday afternoon I returned to Prestwick Carr and ventured up the range bridleway. Not much doing other than Bill and numerous Swallows getting out of the wind behind the hedges. Then as I returned a flash, or should it be a start, and there he was collecting insects off the ground and returning to the hedge where joy of joys young were calling. I managed to get sight of the pair but couldn't count the young as the family kept a healthy twenty yard distance away.


One shot before they disappeared up the field hedge line to the west. The adult was actually in the tree above this juvenile but wouldn't come down and oblige my lens so eventually the youngster flew up and away with Dad.

On benefit of young birds being around is that Whitethroat are now easier photographic targets as they face you off.

Of course the sun always disappears when you get a good opportunity and shooting on settings previously set up for speeding Swallows didn't help.

But then I wouldn't have got this which when I took it was a sitting bird. Shame the quality is so low. Anybody want to give me a Mk1.4 with a super dooper lens?

Family parties

My repeated walks between home and the garage at Prestwick have been made pleasant by the number of noisy family groups in the hedgerows. Yesterday it was mainly Great Tits Whitethroat and Blue Tit with between three and five families of each but today nearing Prestwck was noisy group of three young Willow Tits being fed by an adult

I think the nest was in a dead tree near the Forster residence where I heard a bird singing last month and had seen a number of times since.

The adult had its work cut out with the endless demands of the young but they appeared to be getting inquisitive and seeking out their own food by climbing stalk and branch.

This one was a bit of a star as it repeatedly ran back and forth after Mum or was it Dad as I assume the other adult bird would be nearby with some more young. A good result for the Carr.

What a Lark

Had to work Saturday morning but managed to wangle a trip down the A19 and hence only a quick diversion to Blackhall Rocks for the Surf Scoter. Greyness and an east wind only served to increase the depression started by driving through Easington and Horden. The raft of Scoters was there as plain as day and the search began. Maybe I'm not a twitcher as I got little excitement when I eventually found the little begger and that was compounded by having to re-find it every five minutes or so as it disappeared in the swell or the whole raft dived. I explained to some curious locals what we nutters with scopes were doing and the why the bird was special but couldn't get excited about this lifer. Some even took to praying.

I found the aerobatics of the Fulmars more interesting and returned with a lot of grey photos although a grey photo can be cute.


Until I explain this is the last of eight I saw last week at Hauxley when observing the Terek Sandpiper. Now that was a pleasant twitch. Maybe I'm not cut out for seawatching. I know there are people standing at Newbiggin as I type who are delighted they've just seen a dot on the horizon, oh sorry ........Long tailed Skua.

Did my BBS this morning where singing Tree Pipit, Cuckoo and Redstart were a pleasure then returned home via the coast picking up Little Gull at East Chevington to find these two had emerged from their nest in my pine trees. Perhaps that means I'll not get my 4.00am wake up call this week.

Or perhaps I could employ the Lark to gently serenade me rather than scold me for disturbing her from the nest.

Banding together

2nd June and the sun was out so it was straight up to Bellasis in my lunch break to see what it had encouraged to emerge and sure enough the Banded Demoiselles were putting on a show.

Two flying males were occasionally joined by two females and then eventually I got a group photo as they perched next to a favoured feeding spot.

Then it became obvious there was more than feeding on their minds as a male displayed to a perched female.

One of his favoured tricks which I had never seen before was to land on the water and float by as she flew overhead. Is this the Bandy showing off? Anyway it seemed to work as a minute or so later some bonding took place in the still wind blown reeds.

Then off in a flurry of blue to start the whole process over again.

Mind the gape 2

All the House Sparrow young have emerged in the last week and the back roof is busy with young birds and feeding families

Siblings

Dad and kids

Mum and kids

and some that don't look old enough to be out yet!