I have decided to give Norfolk a miss this year and, instead try a spring visit.  i am going to have a week visiting my family in Ramsgate and have had an idea of going down to Dover and pop over o France for a couple of days on my push bike.  Around Calais there is, apparently, some good birding.  Other places I am not sure on.  If anyone out there could give me any ideas, places or hints then please contact me on this blog or on my email welshweasels@aol.com.  Thanks.

I managed to limp around the square after an early call out and saw Grey Heron, Skylark, Mallard, carrion Crow, Common Whitethroat, Cormorant, Yellowhammer, Wren, Blue Tit, Linnet, Starling, Corn Bunting, Swallow, Stock Dove, Chaffinch, Swift, Wood Pigeon, Common Tern, Magpie, Jackdaw, Robin, Collared Dove, Mute Swan, Yellow Wagtail, Reed Bunting and Tree Sparrow.  On the way home I stopped off at he rather duckless quarry pool and added Canada Geese, lapwing, Pied Wagtail, Ringed Plover, Sand Martin, Oystercatcher and a Garden Warbler warbling away in the wood over the road.  

8.00 am to 6.30 pm working so all I could muster was a walk around the river with my dog (oh and a quick pint beforehome).  Birds I saw were Starling, House Sparrow, Wood Pigeon, Blackbird, Swift, Wren, Mallard, Black-headed Gull, Grey Heron, Great-crested Grebe, Dunnock, Magpie, Collared Dove, Mute Swan, Sedge Warbler, Carrion Crow and Moorhen.

I'm back.  Sorry to my regular readers for going AWOL but a mixture of socialising, work, illness and injuries has prevented me from any birding over the last two weeks.  This weekend I am on call so I am limited to where I can go and I have also hurt my foot so walking is a bit tricky.  A bit of a pain really as I have got to drag myself round a golf course on Tuesday.  Anyway baxk to the job in hand and I managed a walk around Whitemoor before getting called out and ending up working all day.  Here is my bird list.  Dunnock, Wood Pigeon, Yellowhammer, Corn Bunting, Wren, Grey Heron, Carrion Crow, Common Whitethroat, Skylark, Chaffinch, Pied Wagtail, Linnet, Starling, Black-headed Gull, Magpie, Jackdaw, Blackbird, Swift and Pheasant.  The highlight of the day though was a probable pair of juvenile Stoats.  Me, my mother and the two dogs managed to get about thirty foot away from them and they were happily playing in the puddles on the road.  we watched themn for about ten mins before they noticed us and disappeared. 

Since returning from Northumberland, I have been struggling to get out due to illness, weekends out etc, etc.  I am writing this on the 18th of June and the weeknend coming is no different.  I have a fishing competition all day Saturday but I will keep a list of birds seen.  Back to the 14th June and I did get out with the dogs around Whitemoor.  This was the first walk since I got a horrible bug which zapped all of my energy.  A walk to the shops had me out of breath.  It was nice to get out and a slow walk around Whitemoor produced Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Common Whitethroat, Yellowhammer, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Lapwing, Blue Tit. Greylag Geese, Yellow Wagtail, Dunnock, Swallow, Wood Pigeon, Magpie, Wren, Swift, Corn Bunting, Starling, Skylark, Stock Dove, Kestrel, Linnet, Jackdaw and Blackbird. 

If you have read about my trip to Northumberland, you will see I queried whether I had seen a Short-eared owl and a Long-eared Owl.  I have downloaded the photos to my computer and I am convinced it is a Long-eared Owl.  The bird flying around in the next meadow was definately a Short-eared Owl which I knew anyway.  Check out the photos and tell me what you think.  The local birder I told was not convinced.

 

I set off for Northumberland on the Monday morning and arrived in Seahouses at about 2pm.  I'd booked a B & B for a couple of nights in Seahouses, but first I parked up and had a fish and chip lunch.  Once I'd found the B & B I gathered my bins and camera and had a stroll around the large village/small town of Seahouses, and along the shore and harbour.  I saw House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Starling, Black-headed Gull, Starling, Eider, Common Gull, Herring Gull, Shag, Great Black-backed Gull, Fulmar, Razorbill, Oystercatcher, Kittiwake, Carrion Crow, Collared Dove, Pied Wagtail, Rook, Gannet, Guillemot, Sandwich Tern, Swift, Rock Pipit, and a distant but probable Arctic Tern.  Also, whilst driving to Seahouses, I saw Kestrel, House Martin, Yellowhammer and Coot.  From Seahouses I got my glimpse of Farne Islands through the sea mist.  I could not wait to get over onto the islands.

 

 

I decided to head upto Holy Island in the afternoon as this would be the only chance of the holiday.  The causeway would be accessable from about half four.  i arrived about threeish so had to chillout until it was clear.  I saw Whimbrel, Fulmar, Sandwich Tern, Shelduck, Oystercatcher, Eider, Grey Heron, Swallow, Skylark, and Red-breasted Merganser from the car park.  A message was on my pager about an organised flush in early evening to find the Great Snipe which had been around a few days.  I was not too bothered about this so once we were on the island I set off for the beach to see what was at sea.  I did see Chaffinch, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Linnet, Reed Bunting, Manx Shearwater, Gannet, Kittiwake, Common Scoter, Knot, Sanderling, Dunlin, Ringed Plover (hundreds of them), Meadow Pipit, Pied Wagtail and Kestrel.  I was walking back to the car when I saw the birders heading off to the area where the Snipe was flushed in the morning so I decided I might as well tag on.  I got there and there was about thirty people hanging about.  One chap picked four peole with wellies to hang on whist the rest of us walked along the dunes.  The bird hand been seen in a damp area within the dunes so this place was the area we were all watching.  Also there was a guy with his huge lens.  He had seen it land in that area but not lift.  The wellied people started to move through the marsh when a Snipe lifted and people started asking if this was the bird.  Fortunately the guy with the camera was able to get a few good shots and the organises of the flush identified the bird definately, as the GREAT SNIPE.  I walked back to the car.  Now usually when I get a lifer I have a grin of a Cheshir cat on my face.  This feeling was different.  Yes, I had seen the bird lift and fly into the dunes.  Yes, it was positively identified as a Great Snipe.  But the way in which we got to see the bird, I was not comfortable with.  I know without doing this, you might never see some birds but I did not feel right in doing this and I will have to think hard if I was ever asked to partake in flushing a bird from its resting, feeding area again.  What does everyone else think on this subject?  Maybe I am being a bit over the top, I don't know.  Birds I saw or heard driving upto Holy Island were Wood Pigeon and Blackbird.

 

 

On the way back to Seahouses, and more importantly, the pub, I stopped of at a very nice spot by the roadside called Budle Bay.  The tide was going out and there was a vast expanse of mud.  This waould be excellent in the Autumn months.  Today I saw Jackdaw, Herring Gull, Shelduck, Curlew, Oystercatcher, Carrion Crow, Mallard, Black-headed Gull, Eider, Swallow, and Great Black-backed Gull. Other birds I saw or heard near were Willow Warbler, Common Whitethroat, Blue Tit, Goldfinch and Pheasant.   

 

 

Today I was booked on a boat to go over to Farne Islands.  Big problem, it was lashing down and the forecast was all day.  I walked down the the booth near the harbour and cancelled my seat as there was no point going.  The lady said I had made the right decision and the forecast for the next day (Wednesday), was much better.  I confirmed my place on that trip and then walked back to my B & B, feeling a bit gutted.  The birds I did see were Herring Gull, Black-headed Gull, House Sparrow, Starling and Eider.  

 

 

The forecast  for the day was awful on the east coast.  rain, rain, and rain, clearing up in the evening.  A normal person would find a tourist guide and find places to visit.  Castles are high on the agender in this area.  Banburgh castle looked very impressive when I drove past it the night before.  However, I am not a normal person.  I don't do tourist things.  Impressive the castle might be, but walking around them, that is not me.  I wanted to watch birds.  So I decided to get my gear in the car and drive west.  Keep driving untill the rain stopped.  I was thinking of St Bees Head in Cumbria, but the drive was a bit too much.  Instead I optedfor Kielder Water, as here there was an exhibition, cafe, and also a bird hide.  The rain was still falling, but in showers so there was some hope.  I walked around the exhibition which was very interesting and the had a spot of lunch int the cafe.  I sat by the window which had feeders set up.  The rain had eased off now and I saw Chaffinch, Blue Tit, and Siskin on the feeders, and Swallow, House Martin, Song Thrush, Carrion Crow, Blackbird, Wren and Common Whitethroat in and around the bushes.  I also heard several Willow Warblers.  Things were looking up.  I decided to head for the bird hide which was about a five mile drive up the resevoir.  Birds I added to y list for the day were Curlew, Tufted Duck, Mallard, Robin, Grey Heron, Long-tailed Tit, Chiffchaff, Buzzard, Teal, Goldcrest, Great Tit, Oystercatcher, Little Grebe, and Rook.  I spent a couple of hours in the hide, avoiding the now showers.  I met a guy in there and he told me about the Little Tern colony, not far from Seahouses.  This would be my next destination.  Birds I saw driving around were Lapwing, Magpie and Greenfinch.

 

 

Having found the car park, I sat watching the drizzle fall.  I watched a few birders leave their cars and head off along the dunes with all of the waterproofs in place.  They walked in a straight line for some distance before disappearing over the dunes.  Could I be bothered getting all of my gear wet?  It was about a mile walk to the colony and I was seriously thinking not to bother.  There was a pause in the weather and I got out to stretch my legs.  I asked a guy, who was getting back to his car, how far away the terns were.  He replied "About a mile from here and there is a Lesser Grey Shrike on the fence near trhe pool."  WHAT? Sod the weater.  I got my gear on and I also took my brolly and about three quarters of a mile later I was standing next to six, very soaked, people.  On the way up I also saw Stonechat, Skylark and Meadow Pipit. I did see the bird from a distance but on arrival it flew down into the grass.  I knew it would show eventually so I hung around.  I wanted to get a photo of the bird so I decided to drop back from the group so I could put my brolly up.  Eventually it popped up out of the grass and I had my first LESSER GREY SHRIKE.  Whata bonus and what a great bird.  Apparantly, it was on the pager but mine was not working to well in the part of the country.  It kept perching and then dropping for the next hour, untill I decided to go and see the Tern colony.  This was just over the next group of dunes.  This was excellent.  There was mainly Arctic Terns which were flying upto two feet away from you.  There was also a few Little Terns but they stayed away.  I stayed ther, chatting to the volunteers, for about an hour.  Other birds I saw were Herring Gull, Ringed plover, Great-Black-backed Gull, Pied Wagtail and a fly over from a Cuckoo.  Fortunately the rain was very light so I did not get too wet and this place was a great place to end the day.

 

 

In my own bed I sleep rubbish.  That is why I started writing this up on Saturday morning at 06.00.  When I stay in B & B's it is even worse.  04.30 is my usuall time of waking up and this was made worse by knowing that this could be the day I go and visit the Farne Islands.  I was like a six year old on Xmas Eve night.  I try and get an early morning walk in, especially when I am in a seaside town, see what the area is like before the tourists wake up.  Before I went out I checked the forecast.  It was brilliant for the day.  I was well excited.  On my walk I saw House Sparrow, Starling, Wood Pigeon, Black-headed Gull, Herring Gull, Eider, Razorbill, Fulmar, Gannet, House Martin, Swallow, Oystercatcher, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Kittiwake, Grey Heron, Sandwich Tern, Great Black-backed Gull, Rock Pipit, Rook, Swift, Sand Martin, Mallard, Ringed Plover, Linnet, Blackbird, Wren, Goldfinch, Pied Wagtail, Dunnock and Blue Tit.  I got back to my B & B and got all of my camera gear ready and I was off (after my massive full english brecky that is).

 

 

I caught the boat at 10.00.  There was about seventy of us crammed into the back of the boat.  As we sped towards the island, the skipper gave us a brief commentary of the history of the Farnes.  We sailed past a Cormorant colony before going to the seal colony on a fars island.  This was all right but the people on the edges of the boat stood up and spun round.  Us in the middle of the boat had nothing to hold onto so we couldn't stand, and we could not see over the boat as everyone was standing up.  Fortunatley seals do not excite me that much, but I am sure other people were annoyed.  From their, we headecfor Staples Island.  This was the first of two islands we could get off.  The othe being Inner Farne Island.  We had about two hours on Staples Island and I saw (at very very close range), Razorbill, Guillemot, Kittiwake, Puffin, Shag and passing Arctic Terns.  There was also Herring Gulls, Eider, Great Black-backed Gulls, Oystercatcher, Fulmar, Turnstones Black-headed Gulls, Lesser Black-backed Gulls, Pied Wagtails, and we had a flyby from about thirty Canada Geese.  The two hours went very quickly and I did manage to fire a couple of hundred shots.  Next it was off to Inner Farne Island.  Again we had two hours here and this was by far the best of the two.  Here you had to walk along the boardwalks.  Eider and Arctic Tern were nesting right next to the boardwalks.  The Eiders stayed perfectly still but the Arctic Terns led an aerial assault on anyone who dared walked past the nest.  This was an experience of a life time, being pecked on the head my a small bird, but feeling a fair bit of pain.  One bloke had blood tricklling from his head.  were there's a blame, there's a claim.  The day was slightle stained from a large group of young school girls with brollies that stood in the area where the terns were and screamed constantly.  There was also a small colony of Sandwich Terns which stayed away from the masses and got on with their lives.  This is where the Roseate Terns also nest but they have not appeared for the second year.  The two hours were over very quickly and we were soon back on dry land.,  it was an unforgettable experience and I will, without doubt, be coming here again.  

 

 

After this long day I was very tired.  There is a small pool just out of Seahouses so I drove down and had a look.  On the pool was Stonechat, Meadow Pipit, Skylark, Common Tern, Moorhen, Black-headed Gull, Mute Swan, Herring Gull, Coot, Lesser Black-backed Gull, House Martin, Carrion Crow, Mallard, Tufted Duck, Teal, Shelduck,and Sand Martin.

 

 

It was home time.  I tucked into my last massive breakfast.  The last two English breakies were very filling so I went for a small brecky of Caister kippers.  Well I was assuming they were going to be small.  Instead Kirsty (the owner) bought out what looked like two smoked whales.  They were huge.  Again I was stuffed with breakfast, I paid my money and I departed for the long drive home.  I wanted to stop at a place on the way home and I opted for Druridge Pools (thanks Brightside Birder for mentioning this place on your blog).  It is a small nature reserve on the coast.  It consists of a couple of ponds and three hides, two of which I was to find had been recked by the local nutters.  First I had an owl problem.  I parked up near the entrance and immedieately saw wgat I thought was a Buzzard sitting in a low bush.  I got out and set my scope up and nearly fell over.  It was only a Long-eared Owl, or so I thought.  I took some photos, cleared my stuff away to go for a walk when I saw a Short-eared Owl.  This was a definate id, as it was hunting in the grass near my car.  But had I mistook the LeO for an SeO.  I had the evidence on camera so I would find out when I downloaded to pictures back home.  I walked around the rest of the reserve and added Grey Heron, Linnet, Skylark, Sedge Warbler, Lapwing, Wood Pigeon, Chaffinch, Swallow, Mallard, Gadwall, Willow Warbler, Mute Swan, Black-headed Gull, Common Whitethroat, Starling, Carrion Crow, Teal, Coot, Pied Wagtail, Reed Bunting, Magpie, Wren, Meadow Pipit, Snipe, Swift, Shelduck and Shoveler.  To be honest, I did not fancy leaving my car too long as this felt not the nicest of places.  This was re-inforced by a police car checking up on the area.  He pulled up, had a chat and said there was a Spoonbill on a pond about half a mile away.  Nice one officer.

 

 

This was a fair size pool with not a lot of birds on it.  I saw Spoonbill, Shelduck, Black-headed Gull, Wood Pigeon, Lapwing, Coot, Wigeon, Grey Heron, Stock Dove, Skylark, Common Tern and Mallard.  I was just about to leave when a gull landed next to the tern.  Black-headed Gull I assumed.  I took a look anyway and it was a Little Gull.  It was a long way away, in misty coditions but I managed to get a rubbish photo of it.  I decided to end myNorthumberland trip on that fantastic year tick and head off home.

 

All in all it was a fantastic couple of days.  I stayed at a great B & B (if anyone wants the address, contact me), had some pints at the Olde Ship Hotel which has a fantastic, must see bar, and met some great people.  I saw 86 species, 2 life ticks and 10 year ticks.  I took about 900 photo and I will wade through them in the next couple of weeks and put them on the blog.

  

June all ready.  Where is this year going.  Xmas before we now it.  I fancied an early visit to Croxall.  From the car park I saw Tufted Duck, Magpie, Sedge Warbler, Coot, Herring Gull, and Mallard.  Walking up to the first hide I saw Wood Pigeon, Wren, Common Whitethroat, Blackcap, Great-crested Grebe, Moorhen, Canada Geese, Jackdaw, Chaffinch, Reed Warbler, Garden Warbler, Cormorant, Common Tern, Black-headed Gull and Blackbird.  Through to the East side I added Rook, Mute Swan, Redshank, Lapwing, Shelduck, Stock Dove, Grey Heron, Swift, Skylark, Great Spotted Woodpecker, and Oystercatcher.  Back throught to the main side I got Ringed Plover, Dunnock, Reed Bunting, Grey Wagtail, Greenfinch, Great Tit, Blue Tit and Kestrel. 

The pair of Black-winged Stilts have had a chick.  The day I was there someone mentioned that they had mated and one chick has been produced so far.

A late evening walk, hoping for Quail,  got me Chaffinch, Starling, Tree Sparrow, Yellowhammer, Corn Bunting, Carrion Crow, Blue Tit, Skylark, Blackbird, Kestrel, Grey Partridge, Lapwing, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, Common Whitethroat, Magpie, Black-headed Gull, Pheasant, Yellow Wagtail, Swallow and Robin.  With not too much excitement I had a look over the quarry pool and added Mallard, Greylag Geese, Canada Geese, Tufted Duck, Pochard, Ringed Plover, Common Tern, Little Ringed Plover, Pied Wagtail, Mute Swan and Great Spotted Woodpecker.

I opted for Rutland Water.  The main reason was I would be driving a long way to Northumberland on Monday so Rutland, only being an hour and a bit away , would be an easy drive.  The other reason was the Marsh Sandpiper.  This would be a lifer for me.  I arrived just before eight and headed to the Mallard Hide which overlooked the area it has been seen.  A few people were in thee and there had been no sign of the bird.  I then went to the visitor centre at nine but there was no sign there.  No sign either at the Harrier Hide and it was not looking good.  Birds I saw through the various hides were Chaffinch, Garden Warbler, Pheasant, Wood Pigeon, Common Tern, Wren, Robin, Chiffchaff, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Blackbird, Coot, Egyptian Geese, Mallard, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Black-headed Gull, Teal, Tufted Duck, Greylag Geese, Oystercatcher, Cormorant, Mute Swan, Wigeon, Lapwing, Song Thrush, Canada Geese, Moorhen, Common Whitethroat, Turnstone, Gadwall, Herring Gull, Reed Bunting, Pied Wagtail, Pochard, Little Ringed Plover, Dunlin, Swallow, Great-crested Grebe, Sanderling, Sand Martin, Grey Heron, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Blue Tit, Starling, Willow Warbler, Turtle Dove, Sedge Warbler, Shoveler, Kestrel, Cuckoo, Blackcap, Redshank and Common Gull.  I gave up on the sandpiper and decided to go and see the Ospreys.  Once through the visitor centre at the Lyndon area, I added to my list :- Goldfinch, Magpie, Dunnock, Bullfinch, Osprey, Buzzard, Reed Warbler, and Grasshopper Warbler.  Now, hands up those of you who have had close up views of a Gropper for a long period of time.  No, not me either, well, not untill today at Rutland.  I was walking along the track back to the car when I heard a tick tick  noise.  I thought it was a Blackcap and had a look to see if I could see it.  Then a bird flew from the grass and into the front of a hedge in a dead bit, only thirty foot away.  I got my scope on it and could not believe what I was seeing.  I had a Grasshopper Warbler filling my scope.  I scrambled for my camera in case it flew (which is usually the case), but I did not have to bother.  I watched this bird for about fifteen minutes, just pruning itself.  I took loads of photos as did a couple of other peolpe.  I then saw the grass moving and another Gropper appeared, proberbly its mate.  The grass was still moving and these birds were started the tick ticking  again.  I put this down as an alarm call to what ever was in the grass.  The birds kept following what was moving untill they chased it out onto the track.  A stoat had a mouse or shrew, not a baby bird, but the Groppers chased it up the track and then into a field before giving up.  I think I might have had the views of a life time of this very secretive bird, and I feel very privileged.

I am back.  A week off birding due to winds and I was ready for a bit of weekend birding.  I had a dilemma, East Yorkshire as there had been windfalls of migrants, or Rutland Water which is always a good days birding and a Marsh Sandpiper was there.  First I had a walk around Whitemoor in the evening, hoping for a returning Quail.  I stopped off at the quarry pool firstly, and had a quick walk in the quarry itself for the Garganey which keeps getting reported.  I had Corn Bunting, Canada Geese, Mallard, Song Thrush, Pied Wagtail, Lapwing, Greylag Geese, Redshank, Gadwall, Black-headed Gull, Tufted Duck, Swift, Swallow, Stock Dove, Carrion Crow, Wood Pigeon, Grey Heron, Starling, Coot, Cormorant, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Common Tern, Skylark, Linnet, Pheasant, Ringed Plover, Chaffinch, Great Tit, Great Spotted Woodpecker and Blackbird.  No Garganey so I drove to the square were I added Yellowhammer, Common Whitethroat, Wheatear, Buzzard, Robin, Blue Tit, Wren, Kestrel, Dunnock and Moorhen.  No Quail heard today.  None were heard last year but the year before I heard three when the crop was cereal.  last year it was rape but this year it is another cereal, hence the hoping of a return.  Not yet however.