See duck

Upon reading a report of Black throated Diver at Druridge Pools I headed up there in my only time remaining between appointments on Saturday afternoon. Fat chance of it likely to be sitting in front of the Oddie hide but I opened the shutters carefully so as not to disturb the ...... zero birds nearby. Oh well, I settled down and ID'd  a far distant Long tailed duck and pair of Red breasted Merganser. Then from my right appeared the long staying Common Scoter.

A nice paddle past ensued allowing good views of this bird normally seen in a raft among it's relatives out at sea.

She headed purposefully off to see her other sea bird mates and they had a brief conflab, presumably discussing the better weather conditions before the two ducks stayed and the Mergansers flew back out to sea.

And so the sun starts to set on 2013

Seasons

Looks like I've acquired a bleak midwinter rather than a Merry Christmas. All the best to all of you.

Hover boys

The recent winds have made hunting for the three to four Kestrels around the Carr that much easier of late. Nice horizontal balanced position and the odd flap to keep balance and station in comparison to still days where the position is more vertical and lots of flapping is required.

On my many trips to Cramlington recently there's also been a geo stationary Buzzard on the Horton Grange Road using the updraught from the wind hitting the berm that surrounds the open cast site. I've tried to get the pic but I've either had another car up my tail end or the bird has moved off the moment I pulled up.

Looking down their beak

Maybe I'm getting an inferiority complex but even the thrushes are looking down on me. 

Difficult not too if you're in the top of a tree but it's the attitude.

Christmas is coming

and the geese have a slight look of concern in their eyes

but not half as much as their domestic cousins.

Grumpy

This Blue Tit looks how I feel after a day flogging a quiet (I'm just spoilt) windy patch. Now why's the spell checker telling me I spelt spoilt wrong, and spelt. A quick check in the dictionary tells me I'm correct or at least partly so as unusually the yanks prefer spoiled and spelled. Oh how very posh. Gave me something to write about anyway and just for good measure ......colour. Bloody heathens!

Look at all those berries

many blown off in the recent winds but some good fare still remains.

Sitting pretty

Magpies are doing well but Christmas is looming

Will they shoot skyward like a gun or drop to the ground and play among the cats?

That's high

The unusual sight of the Pilot boat at Blyth last night steaming past level with the quayside as high tide reached the boardwalk level.

As I watched it eventually topped pavement level and started flooding the road. This was about five minutes before high tide.

The Pilot headed off upstream with the water now breaching the gaps on the quayside left for mooring bollards.

Followed by his escort fortunately at dead slow for a wake would have inundated the quayside. Just as the vessel passed hide tide was reached and the water started to recede.

Full fare

Trees heaving with Fieldfare preparing to roost on the Carr last night

and as soon as you approached for a photograph off they went.

Streak

An excellent weekend on the patch although the Pipits and Snipe needed to keep their head down! Saturday saw a large singing flock of Fieldfare, Redwing and Starlings up the Bridle track numbering between 800-1000. A walk in the woods flushed two Woodcock twice (can I count that as four?) which brought up 107 on the PC list and I found my first pair of wintering Stonechat since the freezing winters of a few years ago wiped them from inland localities. Tonight was duller and unfortunately calmer although a large female Sparrowhawk was making repeated sorties down the bumpy road.