Home and away

At home the Collared Doves fledged and left the nest yesterday only to return to the roost last night.

Meanwhile a young Blackbird lower in the same tree looked on whilst it waited for mum.



and I escaped for a moment only to hear another Blackbird call from this little tyke.

Most entertaining he was to. The only other Marsh Warblers I've seen were flashing glimpses at Cambois and St Marys but this chap almost played to the crowd. Shame the crowd were so heavy footed.

Pipit on/in/at the post

Another dull day beckons and my mood is not lightened by having left Druridge only minutes before the Marsh Warbler was found and been unable to get back. Note to self. Remember to empty your text messages more frequently. Thanks for the effort anyway Crammy birder.

Memories of sunny days with a Rock Pipit at North Blyth on Sunday

and Meadow Pipit at Prestwick Carr.

Around the Temple of Mammon

Did an Atlas tetrad around the Metro Centre early Sunday morning and its amazing what a rich habitat surrounds this edifice to greed. When the car parks are empty and there are no shoppers it's a pleasure so if you're stuck there with the other half you could always sneak off........for Ringed Plover and young just 100m from Marks and Spencer.

Beats me how they have survived with two young given the number of gulls and corvids around. When I did the first visit Plovers , Oystercatchers and Lapwing were all in the air driving off Jackdaws and Magpies. Ideally camouflaged site though unlike the Herring and Lesser Black backs on Vickers over the river out on the open roof with fluffy young just becoming visible.

Or try down on the Derwent where I had an interesting chat with George S whilst a female Mallard with eight new young paddled upstream. Went back for the photo later but the birds were hiding from a gull under the bridges hence no light and duff picture. Grey and Pied Wagtail put in an appearance with the usual Mute Swans wanting some feed.

Meanwhile nearer Costco the Lapwings were behaving like they had young but non were showing. Blackcap, Chiff chaff, Willow Warbler, Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat, Blackbird, Greenfinch and Song Thrush were all in good voice though and expect some broods of Shelduck to emerge shortly.

Also found Bullfinches aplenty around the southern car parks, a House Sparrow colony in the storage area between Staples and Asda and way too many Pigeons for comfort. Thats the problem with steel bridges, perfect nest sites for the flying rat or am I being unkind.

Bellasis blues

Definately not in the moods sense. Visited at lunch time on the off chance the sun had brought out the Banded Damoiselles and three males flew intermittently, one taking a regular perch in good view from the bridge and allowing a chance of some flight shots.

If ever their paths crossed a battle ensued but they all seemed to have their own patch to hunt. Meanwhile upstream Whitethroat and Sedge Warbler sang and a Pied Wagtail was flycatching before feeding young in a bank side nest.

As I concentrated on the Damoiselles something caught my eye in the ditch and a grey form pushed a black object across the river. Otter registered in my befuddled brain and my fingers became like the arms of Shiva as settings and focus were changed in panic. Fortunately the Otter (actually a Mink see comments) stopped on the shingle bank having crossed the river, dropping the prey and allowing a few shots before it realised where the camera noise was coming from and headed off downstream.

If you enlarge the shot the a rear foot of the messy black bundle is visible seeming to confirm that it is mole for lunch.

Well that's a good hour well spent and before that I'd visited Banks pond where Common Bluets were in abundance and four Four spotted Chasers proved a moving challenge too far but there's always one that likes to stop and show.

Still earlier I'd done my usual Saturday count on Prestwick Carr which returned 46 species with breeding now being confirmed for many of them. Also found a Small Copper and can't remember ever finding one there before but then my brains shot.

Cracking day...........now if that Black Kite would only follow the A1 south there's a patch just off to the west.......

Bugs

The problem (if it can be described as such) with digital cameras is there is no restraint so when the bird life is a little subdued as it has been on Prestwick Carr recently you can become a gunslinger shooting at anything in sight (with apologies to the Cumbrians for the phraseology).

The Redstart is still around but not showing well, Great Tits are feeding three nests I know of and the Warblers continue to sing which doesn't appear to disturb the Tawny Owl who has returned to his roost after a weeks sojourn.

Therefore in a moment of quiet I started looking around for targets and having chased numerous Butterflies settled on some bugs all around the same square meter next to the viewing gate.

Unfortunately I'm no entomologist so their names escape me but I've named them myself based on their obvious feature.

I like these red ones especially when they take off and become red and black whirlygigs. I really must get a handbook and become a bit more technical. Off on my wanders this weekend so watch out northumbrian bloggers as I may steal your soul in photographic form.

Where there's mud

There's building material and the Swallows and House Martins at Druridge yesterday were making good use of two puddles near the Country Barn shop and cafe.

Up to fifteen Martins at a time constantly retrieved beakfulls of the stuff and I noticed the two Swallows even came prepared with some straw to which they added the mud. I always thought they built the nest and just lined it. Very labour saving of them.

Of course being on the roadside they were constantly disturbed by passing cars but despite being able to predict when they would take off I never got close to a good flight shot.

On reflection a good half hour despite the tourists not quite understanding my fascination with roadside puddles. One gave me a good glare when I was photographing birds behind his car as he tried to make sense of his road map and later on a Northern Experience Landrover unwittingly splashed through said puddle scattering birds in a directions!

Sitting tight

In the darkness of her conifer tree a Collared Dove on her nest and judging by the way she's moving round there's a couple of chicks underneath her. Her mate spends most of his time chasing any other Doves out of the garden but I noticed he roosted on the nest with her last night. The Doves nest in one of my three overgrown conifers every year with varying degrees of success. Last two years they have lost their eggs in storms but they hatched and fledged two in this tree the year before that, only for both youngsters to be killed in the garden by a wretched cat. I think this killer has had its day as it also did for the Jackdaws in the past which currently have one very noisy youngster in the front tree.