Out west

I spent the weekend trudging the patch looking for Wheatear and Willow Warbler without success. Still large flocks of Fieldfare 250+ and Golden Plover 500+ with a few Chiffchaff singing / calling. In desperation I headed to the very west extreme and found two Sand Martin returned to the Ponteland colony and a bonus of Dipper on the Pont which along with a Feral Pigeon brought the PC2016 list to 89.

May as well be shooting in black and white given the photo results.

Old man

After a week of not seeing a Short-eared Owl I found this one perched on Thursday evening. Very pale head colour probably indicates older male coming into breeding plumage. It did a wing stretch and the flame colouring was spectacular but I missed the shot and apologise for the amount of noise on the picture taken as light was fading. Watched the bird for 3/4 of an hour until just before eight when low and behold two others appeared out of the grass. All three spiraled up to about 100ft then headed off north to hunt.

Blyth Red Throated Diver

Nice to see in the harbour but still in winter garb

Typical pose for RTD

Thinking about it

and back off out to sea

Wheatears are late

As an early report of Common Tern came in from Hebburn I sat down and plotted some graphs from data extracted from Birds in Northumbria for return dates of summer visitors over the last 20 years (as if I had nothing else better to do) First Sand Martin on 25th is a week late for their mode of 19th

 First Swallow yesterday 26th a keen individual couple of days early?

and where are the tardy Wheatears. Already a week late but in Durham so likely ahead of the abnormal 2013 performance and of course this is just gathered from social media. Some soul will be sitting on  a record from Cheviot no doubt.

Interesting enough though I see no signs of the tendency to arrive earlier that I had anticipated.

Waiting

For real migrants that is. The Curlew flock has peaked over 50 and so nice to hear their calls along with the Skylark song. Six Oystercatchers made enough noise for twenty as they chased yesterday afternoon and a three Greylag Geese added to the cacophony. The Golden Plovers have departed for higher ground as may have the Short eared Owls but a scattering of Lapwings remain, hopefully to breed. Most birds moving as pairs with the Willow Tits excavating a new nest and one other bird visiting the garden.

Digging it

Having sorted the first successful moth trapping of March with appropriately March Moth and Early Moth caught, I headed out into pleasant sunshine on Saturday morning with Skylarks, Song Thrush and Reed Bunting singing. Both Robin and Dunnock were abundant a Robin at my house on Friday evening having sung well after dark only stopping around 9.45pm 

A good count was made with Gulls noticeable by their absence. A duck out of water patrolled the bumpy road but late in the day a check on Banks Pond brought No 82 on the PC 2016 list with a pair of Shoveller

I spent a good five minutes listening to this bird singing its wonderful delicate whistful song with its back to me and then it turned around to reveal it was a female. I didn't know female Bullfinches sang but apparently they do.

Orange

Feeders on the Carr and in my garden attracting large numbers of birds as natural sources dwindle. Robin may be turning just a bit orangey but still got the attitude

Up the bridleway plenty of high vis as works on maintaining the culvert continue. Seems a bit overkill but no doubt the floods have taken their toll

Overflying Cormorants are becoming more frequent on patch with three already this year and number four decided to drop in for a dip at Banks Pond.