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Last night on a cool breezy Carr I joined John and his mate from Cumbria waiting for some Owls to show. As the previous night and in fact for the last week a Whinchat was flycatching from the fenceline. I put the scope onto what I thought was the bird and blow me a Stonechat was on view. After the debacle of the last two winters this is the first of the year and No 108 on the PC list.
Great to see and craptastic record shot was taken as was one of the white chested Buzzard.

Closer to the lens I managed a nice male Bullfinch.

This morning my count struggled up to 40 species but included Golden Plover, Treecreeper, Crossbill and two perched Long-eared Owls in their favourite spot. More disturbing was the other type of chat. Now I know Prestwick Carr suffers noise from the airport but far more annoying to me is folk bawling as they pass through. It's normally cyclists or horse riders but this morning it was two power walking women who just couldn't shut up about their crap birthday night out and an old geezer shouting down his mobile phone, both audible from almost 100 yards away. Makes me feel like the Blue Tit above looks.

Scotland was cold and windy but a nice trip (thanks Kevin). Not many photo opportunities although had I been quicker I could have had numerous roadside Buzzards. This Turnstone just about sums up the weather!

O'er the border

Off to the even bleaker and no doubt colder north for a couple of days. Doing bit of business and hopefully some good sightings along the way.

Assuming the Crows don't scare the subject (unless they're Hooded of course).

Whoopee

Spent Saturday morning trying to photograph Mr & Mrs Big bird but was foiled by tosspots trying to catch the local deer. After a brief spot of business headed up country where Hauxley was devoid of life but Druridge had a flock of Whoopers (Howdon blogger take note of spelling).

The moment I lifted the camera off they went
Reports of a White fronted Goose at East Chev. Oh for pitys sake. That sort of weekend....

360 degrees

peek a boo

Chak and seee

This morning standing at the back window talking on the phone a flock of thirty or so Fieldfare headed west over the Carr. Later on at a meeting in Gosforth more Fieldfare and dozens of Redwing calling overhead, a situation repeated when I checked for Turtle Dove at Brunswick on the way home. There have been two other records of Turtle Dove this year in Northumberland. Priors Park Tynemouth on 11th May and Killingworth on 15th June. If you draw a straight line between these two locations and extend it through Brunswick, Prestwick Carr could be next. Come on down for a patch tick you beauty.
I caught up with the bird again at last night and conclude that the period between 3.30 and 4.30 seems the most likely to catch it, possibly due to a lull in airport activity or just forced out to feed prior to roosting. Met a nice chap there from Southport who wanted to find Prestwick Carr. No problem follow me I said and off we set. As we approached the best spot two Shorties were already in the air as the landowner was in the fields preparing to shoot. We watched as three to four birds hunted around him and his dogs. Meanwhile two Long eared owls were just visible at their roost. The lad left with some reasonable images I hope but the quest for pictures has brought shame upon the photographic community. I chatted to the landowner who said barbed wire had been ripped down and an area trampled up the side of the field. His comment was that should he catch those responsible he would remove their dangly bits until the coppers arrived. I assumed he meant bins, cameras, scopes etc but was not entirely confident about which bits he would be grabbing!

Duff ducks

Not the qulaity of the duck mind you but of the images obtained. Poor light, backlighting, over reflective water, whatever conspired a less than successful attempt at the Lesser Scaup. It's nice when they do something or appear alongside a comparision species but painfull when the result isn't sharp.Oh well, apparently Foghorn sends his birds to sleep. I remember that problem but not with ducks! Couldn't resist a shot at the Mandarin which kept under the canopy of a tree and avoided standard Oriental poses in favour of flapping about.

Preenings always a good one to stop any photogenius.

Meanwhile back at the Lesser Scaup TRD's dog just looked on in bemusement.

Watching

Many of the folk out for the Owl fest last evening mentioned a nice Wheatear at the first gate on the Carr. I have to admit I totally missed it but these are from Briar Dene car park the at weekend when I was out with Crammy birder.

The bird ran along the edge of the kerb and found a number of angles to keep a good eye out for us
and in so doing provided a number of photo opportunities.
I always love it when birds give you eye contact

Yesterday morning was spent hunting the Turtle Dove which of course appeared once the rain had ceased. Not as daft as this observer then. Here's Northumbrian Birding (right) just before the tree grabbed his cap and Wild up North (left) just before he successfully raided my patch.