Bonus

Having ticked in the morning I returned to the platform yesterday afternoon with dodgy lens in an attempt to get a record shot of which these two were the best. (Frank G has posted a far superior shot on Birdguides and better still Allan on his blog). With all gatherings of birders it's surprising what else is turned up and despite not having found either Greenshank or Tree Pipit that had called in the morning whilst straining our eyes to see the Woodchat Shrike in the far distance ADMc called Egret and there, flying west about 100 foot up was the bird. My heart jumped as I've been waiting for a Little Egret on patch for the last few years but my view and the general consensus was that it was a Great White (already patch ticked!).

Then this morning I returned to see if the Shrike had remained. With clear sunny skies ideal for night or early morning travel and navigation I wasn't surprised to find the bird had gone but some serious scanning of the hedgerow found a greyish warbler with eye stripe slightly smaller than the Whitethroat it was next to and clearly the Lesser variety. Would you credit it. After months of inaction four year ticks in two days.

Chatty pic

There I was having cleared my outstanding correspondence just settling down to some productive work and Dick texts me about a Woodchat Shrike. What Wood hat Shrine as my phone corrected the spelling. So off I trotted and there on the platform the assembled throng was all focused on the bird. Without a serviceable zoom lens it was sods law that such a beauty and a species new to the Carr would turn up. Anyhow good views were had of a cracking female bird with a rather faded yellow head and I'll leave it to others for the stunning photos. If you can find the arrow above you can just see the bird!

Bonus also had as a Whinchat was flycatching from the adjacent fence bringing the PC all time list to 198, my all time PC list to 162, the PC year list to 105 and the much maligned platform list to 68.

Out of Africa

I can't remember the last one of these I saw on patch so nice to see a Painted Lady this year in among the large numbers of Peacock, Wall Brown and Red Admiral currently on the wing. On the down side Blues and Small Coppers have been few.

Back to a neglected patch

After a couple of months off due to circumstance an enforced walk back from the garage on Friday saw a return to my normal routine. The patch was very much as I left it if a bit yellower, more overgrown and quiet in the sense that there were no singing birds other than the occasional Wren. A family of Buzzards in the wood made plenty of racket and there was contact calls from the many juveniles present overhead and in the hedgerows particularly flocks of Swallows, Goldfinch, groups of Bullfinch and scalding tacks from Whitethroat, Sedge Warbler and a family of Blackcap which is the first time I've managed to prove breeding of this species on the Carr. Plenty of photo opportunities you may think but the results of Fridays and Saturdays efforts were all deleted as problems with my lenses continued (or maybe it's just the shakes and that my eyesight has gone).

Red Admiral and Peacock Butterflies were about when the sun shone and a hatching of Wall Brown counted 14 basking on the bridletrack. A Weasel with prey, Common Darter made up the count with an unusual summer record of Grey Wagtail overhead edging the PC list to 103. Very dry so little hope of passage waders although a Curlew called from the range. Hopefully Stonechat and Whinchat will put in an appearance as they return to wintering grounds and I dream of a rare warbler.

A rant (no pictures, I was driving)

My life of late has required me to drive frequently, sometimes with great haste between my home at Dinnington and my parents at Cramlington both on the north edge of Newcastle. This outer ring road is straightforward with minimal junctions nor hazard other than the rolling roadblock that presents itself on each journey.

In normal times this is represented by the old git driving his Honda / Toyota at pedestrian pace between those excellent establishments with food and beer that I would love to visit had I the time. Easily identified by the hat worn whilst driving and the cushions on the back shelf I have always despaired when pulling up behind. Perhaps they should speed up as they will shortly do what my father has just done.

Then there's the motorcycle or hgv learners being introduced to life in the quiet lane where they can do little damage other than squander my time. Are there not enough vacant industrial estates for them to ply their trade?

But now a new phenomena in the school holidays. The visitor to Northumberlandia often in a people carrier and with kids in tow but unable to read even the most basic road signage. Poor kids taken to view huge tits of grass by mothers with lovely big milky white..........sorry I got distracted.

But low or should it be slow it is now harvest and every farmer is leading grain to Delaval and bales of straw apparently just back and forward for the sake of it. No wonder they can't make a living with kit worth thousands used but once a year to cut / transport low value product to central distributors who rake in the profit.

So if travelling in my locality you get a Blue Nissan Note up your tail gate get a fucking move on although frankly it's too late to make any difference.

I'm baaaaack

and the moths will be recorded in my moth trap (cardboard box). The Large Yellow Underwing thugs are doing their best to disrupt this however we will prevail.

No summer holiday

For me or my pair of Collared Doves now on attempt four for the year.