Singing for his supper

Let's hope he gets something better than bread and a little bit of cheeeese

I guess that's what's called a Yellowhammer post.

In the hide

All of us keeping out of the rain!

Shelling out

A youngster all alone apart from his two siblings swimming alongside at Hauxley. Fast food for the gulls and where is Dad?

Oh...just a few hundred meters away and not a care in the world. I've been reading an interesting article in July issue of Bird Watching magazine regarding Shelduck who appear to be not the best of parents. They produce copious young but as most birders will know, most fall foul to predation. Two reasons.........one, that pairs remain antagonostic throughout breeding often to the detriment of the young.

These two without young were displaying to a pair with four young for no apparent reason other than jealousy. The other pair defended their brood but put them at risk during the process. However pairs steeling young may be quite acceptable in Shelduck society.

Most Shelduck in the North west of Europe decant to an area in Germany during July to October to fraternise and moult. This is Grossen Knechtsand between the Weser and Elbe on the northern coast. Unfortunately many are too keen to get there so creching of the young often takes place allowing some adults to absolve their responsibilities to reach their favourite place early. They return in the new year and Budle Bay has numbers in excess of 1000 in January as they disperse. The youngsters meanwhile have either grown to adult or succumbed to lifes pressures. It's a hard life being a young duck.

Going south?

I called in at Hauxley today on the off chance that the Spoonbill would be there but as on my last three visits the bird had flown. I guess it must roost there and fly off to feed elsewhere mid morning and so a third dip but, having just settled in the tern hide a bird flew into the grass to the right of the hide. It fluttered up a couple of times and I was fairly sure it was a Cuckoo but for the next ten minutes it stayed pretty well hidden with just the odd glimpse of evil eye.

I waited on 1600 ISO ready for the fly past and duly the bird appeared flying toward the hide. I missed my first two shots in flight but as you can see it had the good manners to settle and pose for a moment just twenty yards away. Nice when they do that!

Obviously aware of my presence it gave me a good looking over before flying off in front of the hide south.

Off on the long trek to Africa, I wished it luck, good speed and thanked it for the photo op.

House smarten

A nice sunny day but still a few puddles at Widddrington so the House Martins took advantage to do some maintenance on the home.

 Hopefully the first brood has flown and we're looking forward to a second.

One, two, three it's as easy as pie.............mud pie that is.

Bambi

I trespassed on some of my fellow bloggers patch today and found a couple of young deer feeding with mum.

A little bit too calm for comfort as I know many of my acquaintance who would happily take a pot shot.

Roe, roe ,roe the boat, gently down the stream, merrily merrrily merrily, life is but a dream.

Gad abouts

A brief trip up the coast calling at Cresswell which was very quiet then Hauxley where Gadwall families were the order of the day. One female with five youngish chicks fed constantly below the Ponteland hide..........

and another with seven older young paddled by. (Yes I know there's only six in the shot but there's always one). I didn't find the Marsh Warbler but heard a Quail whilst watching the big birds at East Chevington. Now back to my latest relaxation..........watching Veg's (Never Seconds) counter go round and round. 5,700,000 and counting.