Tit top condition

Was watching the male (I think) of the Blue Tit pair nesting in a box on the rear of my house who was just passing time as the female incubated her clutch when he decided to do a wash and brush up.

Pretty exhausting stuff just to look good for the old girl and no he didn't disappear after the last shot just in case the thought had crossed your mind.

Time to slow down

Some light relief to a frenetic Wednesday was had in Ponteland watching a pair of Grey Wagtails feeding young in a well concealed nest which I never did quite locate. The birds knew the way back and the pace never slackened apart from a pause if they caught you looking as they approached the nest.

Parrot fashion

Pontelands Rose Ringed Parakeet seems to have becomes Prestwicks of late and can be seen on the same window cill most days as posted by Liverbirder last week. A good few birders have picked up on it travelling back and forth from the Carr where it represents an opportunity for a novelty tick if they've dipped on real species previously. (RRP was removed from the county list apparently)

I am informed by the locals that it used the cill last year shortly after the building was completed (designed (crammed onto a small plot) by myself) but disappeared when the owners moved in. This year it is feeding on the Horse Chestnut opposite, bringing the buds back to this location to eat. Nice and sunny with a good view of the passing traffic who could crash if they notice it given the potholed road conditions.

ACo has a theory that the bird is seeing its reflection in the glass behind and possibly thinks it's feeding a mate hence the gunge on the window. That then may indicate it is lonely.

Bank Holiday morning was spent atlasing, finding more places I never knew existed and then after some work finished up near the range where things were quiet in the cold wind but the Tawny Owl was on its usual roost. That's six out of nine days recently and I didn't check two of those. Also found camouflaged Sedgedunum Warbler and Howdon blogger in the undergrowth.

Snatched shots

It was a morning of snatched opportunies not helped by having to use my 600mm F8 mirror lens as my other zoom has met its maker. Did get a typical shot of the elusive Garden Warbler that has established a territory for the Liverbirder in the copse 70m past the range sentry box. Was singing well though and accompanied by Willow, Sedge and Whitethroat.

The Redstart seems to prefer the copse further over to the west which I visited and manged to get some shots of the lingering Wheatears. Normally they just shoot through like a......

Then the harder stuff. No 96 on the Prestwick Carr 2010 list zoomed past with just enough time to focus (or not). Don't worry its not your eyes but the profile is unmistakeable.

Then still pointing upwards got a shot of a Snipe drumming the old tail feathers.

If not for the beak it could almost be a duck heading for a crash landing

Squirreling about

Was out sharp this morning to recover a skull for Northumberland resident bone collector (STH) and as soon as I reached the Carr I was overwhelmed by the chorus of Willow Warbler, Whitethroat, Grasshopper Warbler and new arrival No 94 Sedge Warbler.

As I walked up an old sheep track to the edge of the woods the Grasshoper reel that I thought was near the gate into the field followed me such that fifty yards in it still seemed about twenty feet away to my right. On the edge of the wood I was greeted with a curious look from tufty (anybody my age will remember his road safety guidance which from my experience of Red Squirrels they certainly do not follow) and the click of heels from departing deer. Quickly so as not to create any more disturbance than possible I recovered the skull in question and stopped to listen to the birdsong.

Lots more Willow Warblers, Whitethroats with occasional Goldcrest, Blackcap, another Redstart territory and No 95 Garden Warbler were all identified. Also Robin, Blackbird, Dunnock, Chaffinch, Linnet, Goldfinch and Great Spotted Woodpecker all joined in. Absolute bliss till the bell sounded and I realised that the working day must now start.

No not this bell which is some fungus or other that just loves Silver Birch trees or is it part of the tree? Not my strong point.

Reeling in the ears

The dominant sound on Saturdays count at Prestwick Carr was the descending cadence of Willow Warblers as they established territories in the hedgerows all over the area with at least twenty three found over my 2km route and probably many more. The backing track was Grasshopper Warbler with eight to ten reeling birds, one behind my house, five to six up the bumpy road and three to four up the range bridleway. Only one deigned to show itself briefly before dropping back into the grass. None of your Arcot show off's here much to my disappointment but my mood was tempered by the talking bush that is the Whitethroat (No. 91) who chattered away at three locations but was also a bit camera shy. You wait till next week and they'll be throwing themselves off the top of every bush around!

Up the range track the flock of neatly dressed Golden Plover remained numbering 100 or so with at least four Wheatear and still some Fieldfare. ACo and friends were looking without success for the Redstart but had found a Yellow Wagtail No.92 which I later re-located in the horses paddock to the south. As the intrepid threesome set off in search of the Whitethroat a sole Redwing 'kekked' then 'tseeeped' away above the sentry box. With winter and summer migrants in attendance I realised today would be a big count.

After optimistically checking near the golf course for Lesser Whitethroat I headed up to Banks pond and found N0.93, a singing Blackcap in the plantation near Curlew Cottage. The pond held the usual suspects, 2 Canada Geese, 2 Oystercatcher, 2 Mallard, 2 Coot, 2 Moorhen and a Little Grebe with a Chiff Chaff in the wood beyond trying to make itself heard above the clay pigeon shoot!

So the mornings count done, the score was 55 species. After a cancelled meeting in Morpeth up the coast for a nice White Wagtail at Cresswell but far too many folk for my liking so back to the Carr to find this Redstart and would you believe it, the place was heaving with birdwatchers! Howdon Blogger had found a roosting Tawny Owl.

Pretty good roost site with not a clear view possible from any angle, even grovelling on the ground didn't work. Beats me how John found it. Any hoo whilst watching the un-moving Owl the male Redstart flashed past only for the gathered to realise he was chasing another bird. Yes the missus has arrived and hopefully nesting can commence. Just a flash of rear was all we were rewarded with.

After hanging around looking for big bird No.84 without success I re-marked to AF that a Barn Owl on the way home would be nice and the gods duly provided No58 for the day hunting near Prestwick Road.

LO and behold

Managed half an hour escape from the torture to check out Prestwick Carr just before lunch yesterday. The flash water has all but gone now with just a couple of puddles remaining to keep the attentions of eight Oystercatcher. Further away 2 Wheatear hopped about feeding whilst 80 or so Golden Plover basked in the sun. As I turned to head up the lane a brown bird flushed from twenty feet away on the far verge. First thoughts from the low straight flight ran like Partridge, Mistle Thrush, Cuckoo! but the sound and vision was wrong. The bird perched on a fence post one field away and the size / profile instantly identified Little Owl. Out feeding in bright sunshine (as you can tell from the wretched heat haze) just on noon. It was soon mobbed by all the local Meadow Pipits and dropped to the ground for some respite.

Later in the day returning from a meeting I called at Bellasis Bridge. Great work ethic eh! Never mind, seven Mute Swans fed in the field to the west where they have been a fixture since the floods. Checking the copse singing Blackcap and Willow Warbler were a pleasant soundtrack along with a Starling doing a good impersonation of Curlew! In the fields a couple of very smart Pheasant were staying close to a female. Not sure I've seen many of this type before, the ones on the Carr are drab by comparison.

I checked the wood to the east for a Redwing I thought I heard last weekend. No Redwing but a Blue Tit who seemed to be excavating or doing some housekeeping at a prospective nest sight in a split tree trunk.


Was just thinking this would be a more suitable home for a Treecreeper then.....................

The very same crept past but didn't avoid the attentions of the house proud Blue Tit.