Mr & Mrs

Given the birds name the females are less impressive.

That's a cute bum you've got there dear.

118118...............both members of the pair have moustaches

and the commentators nemesis. The moment you say there's none (see the last post) hundreds turn up in the fields around the rifle range.

Scandewegians

Not many of these on my patch at the moment but travel a few miles inland to the Stamfordham / Matfen area and some of the fields are lifting with them.

Also beginning to look smart coming into breeding plumage

Tubular Bills

Always nice to watch the Fulmars. This one of eight at Cresswell.

A nice way to end the day

Saturdays sojourn started on the Carr then to Alnwick (nice Nuthatch), Boulmer (good numbers of Sanderling, Dunlin and Shelduck), Amble (snack attack), Hauxley (flooded and all the Wigeon on the sea), Druridge (aborted due to invasion organised group) and finally Cresswell where the Barn Owl showed well between 4.20 and 4.40 before heading back into its barn.

Also at Cresswell Graeme B found the overwintering Ruff claimed in the bird race a few weeks ago feeding with Redshank, Oystercatcher and Turnstone in the fields to the north west of the pond.

A glowing Turnstone at Amble. Oh for more good light as the days stretch out.

You'll need to see one of these......

before you see one of these.....

Present on the patch since 23rd December at least two SEO's but almost never seen in the daylight. I spent the time between Christmas and New Year trying to justify some sightings by non-birders and saw or heard them but only after dark. Since then it's been the same pattern so unless you have night vision don't bother bringing a camera. This shot was the first time in a month I'd seen one perch and despite the daylight appearance it was almost dark 17.09 on the 4th (camera pushed to 12800 ISO 1/25th sec at f5.6 for those of a technical bent, more grain than Kelloggs even after some removal).

Why they haven't read the book and only hunt after dark is anybodies guess but I think food supply is so abundant they haven't been forced out in daylight, even by the bad weather.

Interestingly I was chatting to a lady recently returned form Deesside (Scotland) and she said the SEO's up there had developed the same nocturnal habit however due to vole shortage had taken to Dunlin as their staple diet!

Bleak

At Grindon Lough yesterday the temperature still on zero at lunchtime and the wind whipping off the lying snow made for a chilling landscape.

Even bleaker for one duck having succumbed to the weather or a bird of prey. This Buzzard chased off two Crows and then started lunch.

Meanwhile just 50 yards away the remaining ducks gathered around the few areas of water remaining unfrozen. Mainly Wigeon and Teal with a handful of Tufted Duck and one male Mallard along with some Greylag Geese and a Great Black backed Gull. Canada Geese grazed the field behind but unfortunately no sign of any White fronts.

A flurry of snow

Taking the cowards way out yesterday it was birdwatching from the car to avoid the pernicious wind. With news of Little Auk passing St Mary's I headed to North Blyth in the hope of a sighting plus the Snow Bunting flock.

When I arrived it was there was a parked car I recognised adjacent the testing station and 30ft or so away a pile of grain. RC had the place staked out already so I pulled up behind and waited. In due course the birds appeared on the frames inside the metal fence of the station and progressed to the fence where after a couple of false starts they descended onto the feed.

17-19 birds were counted and between flights as the wind disturbed their peace some excellent views had although they could disappear for 15 minutes or so only to return through the protection of the fenced area.

I don't know about protection but this razor wires bloody awkward to land on!

Lovely birds on the ground and in flight I'd love to see the male in breeding plumage being almost all white with just black tips to the outer and inner primary feathers and a v in the tail. No auks were seen in the course of the visit so I presume they were well out to sea.