Busy garden

The colder weather has brought more birds into my garden this week with todays tally (maximum seen at any one time) as follows:

House Sparrows 21

Starlings 15

Jackdaw 8

Goldfinch 8

Blue Tit 4

Great Tit 3

Chaffinch 3

Magpie 3

Robin 2

Collared Dove 2

Pied Wagtail 2

Greenfinch 2

Blackbird 1

Dunnock 1

Great Spotted Woodpecker 1

Coal Tit 1

Tree Sparrow 1

A very warm welcome to Willow Tit 1

and two fingers to Sparrowhawk 1

There was a large movement of Starlings over Prestwick Carr this evening with about 1000 birds in a tight dumb bell flying east close to the airport followed by 500 spread over a wide front and two further flocks of fifty or so. I drove over to Brunswick where there is a regular roost to see if there was any flocking display but couldn't find a single bird.

More Wax than Johnsons

Some of the 39 at Wylam today.

Squacco heaven

Is a close quarter walk past which after one and a half hours waiting was worth every second. Following a count on Prestwick Carr this morning when a Swallow again put in an appearance, once up the bridleway and later over Prestwick Mill Farm, I headed up to Morpeth for a second shot at the Squacco Heron hoping for some flight shots in the sunny weather. I arrived and got plenty of distant views of the bird heading off downstream as myself and many others were left in its wake. We followed up to a point but I decided to stay put at a clearing in the trees ideal for a fly past and waited for the bird to return. After an interesting chat with James who left in persuit of the Great White Egret at Alnwick and further discussions with a Yorkshire birder whose name I don't know we noticed some waving from AdMc back down the path and it was clear the bird had taken a short cut back to the bridge. Returning upstream those on the bridge clearly had the bird in view on the bankside below us. I propped myself up against a tree and scanned the waters edge as a volley of camera shots rang out from the people in front of me. Then I saw it, almost glowing in the afternoon light and took these shots as it stalked the riverbank.

The bird continued up and down the south bank for the next hour offering occasional glimpses and some short flights but no further great opportunity in poor light conditions. It did however make one gentleman from Manchester very happy for making the journey and a local scum bag very angry because his bridge was cluttered up with birders.

Great advert for the people of Morpeth thanks Chris! (name obtained from the plaintiff wailings of his girlfriend as she attempted to control the nutter)

Me to

Having suffered all Monday working whilst knowing a major year tick was just a few miles up the A1, Wednesdays fine weather broke my resolve and I headed for Morpeth. Parking in the lay bye at the bottom of Worral bank I walked back along the river to where the bird was being reported, passing a group of four Yorkshire birders heading in the oppsite direction, the bird having been seen flying downstream. After a chat with a chap I often meet on these occasions I decided to set up vantage on the bend in the river with views downstream and upstream to the metal bridge where many birders were already gathered. After fifteen minutes or so just as the numbing cold was beginning to take effect a small Heron, obviously my target for the day flew towards me and I snatched a few flight shots as it approached then filled the viewfinder and landed a mere twenty feet away.

The light was not good and the views obscured by reeds / grass but I watched as the bird hunted using floating vegetation on the swollen river as a platform. Amazingly small like an overgrown Redshank it worked its way down the river edge.

Becoming harder to spot in the vegetation frustrating TT and JM who had joined me with their big lenses it eventually flew back to near the metal bridge where the next fifteen minutes were spent chatting with the many birders, bloggers, photographers present and trying to spot the bird in vegetation. It then took off and flew toward the bridge amazingly white in the late afternoon sun it took a brief glance at the assembled throng and circled once before flying over our heads upstream.

Here it was nervous for a while crossing the river back and forth a few times before settling on the far bank where it fished for five minutes or so and some better images were obtained despite the poor light.

A generous bird and so much better than my previous experience with a Squacco Heron at East Chevington when mere silhouette views in flight were obtained. Strangely, this bird has probably been there two weeks as all the dog walking locals were familiar with it. On that basis I'm now off to find that Hoopoe at Hepscott a little old lady told me about at the weekend!

Creeping up

Two early starts on Prestwick Carr found the same flock of 99 Greylag Geese on both days bolstered on Sunday morning by a Treecreeper which becomes No 109 for the year. The geese fly off to Big Waters around 8.30 returning mid afternoon although shortly they may not have to bother as the flooding is getting worse attracting Lapwing, Golden Plover and Wigeon.

On Saturday after the count journeyed to Cramlington to feast on Waxwings and found a flock flycatching from a roadside tree. Lots of shots mainly badly out of focus except one.......

Typical!

Whoop-ee

No 108 on the Prestwick Carr 2010 list in the form of four Whooper Swans flying over west this afternoon and a relief after missing out on this species earlier in the year. Also present 93 Greylag Geese which I hope roost overnight because its goose count tomorrow. The Carr is flooded again after the weeks deluge so they may do so or equally they may return to Big Waters which is almost certainly from whence they came.

Also pleased to meet PRM who just happens to be the goose count organiser but he was counting Pied Wagtails at the time. Plenty of those on the flood but for photography it was just so grey as indeed it has been all week.

Grey Heron on a grey background.

A grey Hercules as well along with other birds putting in a show were Willow Tit, Bullfinch, Lesser Redpoll, Yellowhammer, shaved leg Buzzard, and a decent tribe of Long tailed Tits.

Red letter day

Well it could have been but maybe it should be red face day as I was contacted by young Foghorn whose keen eyes spotted that the Swallow posted on 24th October under Summer and Winter collide may have been Red rumped Swallow! The pic above is the only other I took which is amazing as, but for the time of year, I wouldn't normally have paid much attention. In my defence at not announcing the bird for all and sundry, I have no experience of this species, the sighting lasted fifteen seconds at most and I was distracted by having seen two Swallows over Prestwick Mill farm the week before so just assumed a late nest. The matter is now open for those who decide such things whether the pictures are sufficient to support adding the bird to the Prestwick Carr list. Thanks to Andrew, Mark and Tim for their comments.

Meanwhile my latest attempt at adding to the list has floundered as GB kindly pointed out that the possible White Wagtail has a black rump therefore is just a Pied.

As my Swan song I called in at Whittle Dene yesterday where nine Whooper Swans flew in for a drink after feeding in the nearby fields. The birds are a family party of two adults and five juveniles present for a week or so who have been joined by two more adults.

After half an hour or so the birds returned to their feeding with the encouragement of the local Mute Swans of which the male of one of the two pairs present is particularly bolshy. Also present 40 Mallard, 2 Tufted Duck, 2 Goldeneye, 10 Wigeon, 14 Teal, 2 Little Grebe, 1 Coot, 1 Cormorant, 1 Grey Heron, 2 Green Sandpiper in the sluice and a few passing Black headed and Common Gulls.