Up and down

An up and down weekend in every sense of the word. Saturday started bright so out to the Carr for my weekly count notching up 51 species including new additions of Swift and Garden Warbler but amazingly couldn’t see or hear a Curlew so hopefully this is a sign of birds on the nest. The Garden Warbler is at the same location as the last two years although I’ve never seen any sign of a mate or breeding attempt. He’s a bugger to photograph to boot.

87 Garden Warbler
88 Swift

The cold wind then returned so the afternoon was devoted pasting up the March BiN returns whilst trying to hep the Blackbird pair in the back garden beat off repeated Magpie attacks. We failed of course even after picking up one young from my neighbours lawn and returning it to the nest. It was well developed but feathers still 50% in pin therefore not viable to leave out. The wretched Magpie didn’t wait long before returning and finishing the job. Sad at this loss and in fear for the Jackdaws in the front tree who now are clearly audible and attracting the attentions of the Cat that saw to two nests last year, I considered the merits of controlling these predators (in the ‘kill them’ sense) but sanity prevailed with the help of a good bottle of wine. Thanks Ed!

Sunday morning up early to do my BBS count near Longwitton. Good weather and reasonable count although couldn’t find or hear any Lapwings which is unusual. Four Wheatears greeted me at the start and found four singing Tree Pipits which is a high for the site.




Back home the male Blackbird is still looking at me like I was responsible and worse still, two naked House Sparrow chicks were dead under the rear box. This happened last year as well and I can’t work out what is responsible. The male House Sparrow spent all weekend on top of the box and the female is inside so hopefully not all is lost.
Off up the county to try and forget the trauma. Druridge Pools gave up splendidly with Little Egret, Garganey and nine Black tailed Godwit. Then three playful Otters on the island in the main pool. The gentleman in the hide informed me that three Avocets had been reported flying north so the rest of the afternoon was spent in enjoyable pursuit finding Barnacle Geese, Bar headed Goose, White Wagtail and Whimbrel but without Avocet success.

...and after all that, was reading other blog's and realised I'd forgot to do my webs count......plonker!

Wanderer

I see the wandering White Stork was following the A1 north again yesterday. Four weeks past Monday having been watching the bird at Big Waters the previous night I woke up to find the bird standing in the field 100m from my bedroom window.

Nipped up to get some better photos despite having plenty from the previous evening. Definitely a non standard ring on the lower left leg just visible on the walking image. Was tempted to add it to the Carr list but it must go down as an escape and wasn’t really within the target area although it must have flown over the Carr when it headed up to Weldon Bridge then Rothbury later in the day.

Driving back from Cramlington late last night was passing the Blackpool Plantation when what I thought was a Rabbit appeared in the headlights. Not being a farmer I braked to avoid the animal which appeared to be squatting upright on the edge of the road and it then flew up into the trees to my right with talons clutching some prey! The upright figure was obviously a Tawny Owl so far missing on this years Carr list.

86 Tawny Owl

Latest arrivals

Out Saturday early in excellent weather with Snipe displaying and a light breeze. Looking north from the bumpy road a Grasshopper Warbler reeled in the grass competing with a Sedge Warbler in the hedge for attention. Suddenly the Snipe started zig zagging at low level and called in alarm and, with the Meadow Pipits squeaking, rose high as a Merlin sped across the reed tops looking for the unwary.

48 species for the morning with a female Redstart (presumably the same bird as last year) nest building at the same location. Couldn’t see the male but Keith from Woolsington found the pair together at the nest later in the day. The picture is the male from last year who was a bit camera shy.

84 Merlin
85 Redstart

For the third year in succession the pair of Canada Geese at Banks Pond have produced a brood, this time four with the parents currently being very protective. Now the Oystercatcher can hopefully have use of the island.

At home the count is at least four active House Sparrow nests with one brood calling, two Jackdaws, two Starlings and a Blackbird nest with young in the top of my conifer hedge which I now can’t trim. Should have done it earlier but then they probably wouldn’t have nested there.

The tits seem to have shunned my garden this year but Robin and Dunnock both look like they have nests close by.

Ducklings

Out this evening after the rain to see if anything interesting had dropped in. A Snipe displayed overhead as I walked up the bumpy road and a male Mallard flushed from the ditch. Just as I approached the bridge there was the female Mallard with nine new ducklings following close behind. So close in fact it took three or four attempts to get the count right!

This morning did a circumnavigation of the eastern Town Moor whilst waiting for Kwik Fit to rebuild my rear brakes which I had managed to weld together. Two broods of three and five Mallard ducklings on the lake at Exhibition Park but much more tame insisting on coming to the lakeside to beg some food. (that’s my excuse for poor use of depth of field demonstrated above)

Good count around the moor with 36 species the most unexpected being a Garden Warbler singing near the entrance at the University. Loads of Starlings and Jackdaws coming in from the houses to feed and heading off presumably back to broods with beaks full. Not many Swallows yet and it took me over two hours to find a Sparrow in the elegant gardens on the east and North boundaries! Sign of the times or just too much traffic noise?

Now that's more like it

Perfect weather for the best two weeks of the season with an excellent count of 53 species including those at Banks Pond. New arrivals of Whitethroat(3), Sedge Warbler(2) with my first singing Blackcap of the season anda lingering Fieldfare above the sentry box.
Warmth also brought out the Butterflies with lots of Orange Tips and smaller numbers of Peacock, Small White, Small Tortoiseshell, and Red Admiral.

Was just approaching the pond when a text came through regarding the Great White Egret at Arcot so made my way home and off there but the bird had only stayed briefly. Whilst standing with those assembled the Garganey flew in and a Lesser Whitethroat passed by so worth the trip. Was discussing the merits of photographing Grasshopper Warblers with JM (see his great shot on Birding Sometimes) and how I spent years photographing the bird, or not that is, as usually all you get is a speck in a yellow background. Now is the time to try though as they establish territories they will ‘reel’ against each other working their way up the reed or branch as they get more intense. My best shot came by chance whilst talking with JSB and EC, when a pair of squabbling birds came into the hedge next to us and I got this out of character shot. Bird does look a pit peeved though!

Choose a bright sunny day with a light breeze and best of luck! Yesterday four birds at two locations on the Carr with others heard at Arcot and either side of the metal box at East Chevington

25.04.09 Weather bright and sunny, light breeze 7.45-10.30
The list update for this week

80 Lesser Black backed Gull
81 Whitethroat
82 Sedge Warbler
83 Blackcap

Break

Thank goodness the weathers broken. The weekend count was cold and dank but provided some 42 species with a further four in the evening. New to the list was Grasshopper Warbler but the reeling was hardly impressive and yesterday saw the first resident Swallows at the smallholding with House Martin over my house.

Still a flock of 31 Fieldfare just south west of the sentry box feeding up for the trip and the Golden Plover were in the air most of Saturday morning contrary to my previous comments about disturbance!

Three Great Spotted Woodpecker territories with a male visiting my garden last night and at least three Long tailed tit territories although I've yet to locate the actual nests. Pair of Stonechat in the same place as last years nest and plenty of Chaffinch building nests. All the Blackbirds I saw were male suggesting females were nearby and the Curlews are all flying in pairs.

The Buzzard has taken to loafing around on the fence line between Prestwick Road and the bumpy road which, with the ground drying out, seems to have discouraged any Lapwings in that area although territories are being well to the North. All seems set for the season then.

78 Grasshopper Warbler

79 House Martin

Dull

Potentially the dullest photo posted on the web today but it matches this period of weather and there are at least 200 Golden Plover in it starting around the telegraph pole. Amazingly having such great camouflage they are barely visible with the naked eye unless they flex their wings

Also unmoved by the horses or their owners. Watched a lass with her dog walk within 25 meters of the flock and they just shuffled across.

Hoping the weekend will bring some better weather and interesing birds