Going Cuckoo

I had a nice walk around Slaley Forest yesterday morning with the family.  Didn't see a great deal in the forest, but it was really just to have a look for suitable areas for Nightjar as it's been a few years since I've been down to see them.  The highlights were Jay, Bullfinch, Tree pipit, Redstart and a Red Kite over the Quarry.  In the afternoon we had a look around Derwent Reservoir but didn't see the Osprey that has been hanging around although it was reported on Birdguides.  Near the Dam on the South side of the reservoir was a very showy Cuckoo giving probably the best views I've ever had of a Cuckoo.  Unfortunately the light was on the wrong side for photographs but with a little help from photoshop I did manage to get something usable.

When we retuned home I checked Birdguides and saw that a male Red-Backed Shrike had turned up near Ashington.  So I jumped back into the car and headed up the A1068 to find it.  The report on Birdguides said roadside bushes but it seemed to be favouring an area about 200m west of the road.  So no photos, but still a cracking bird to see.

Hello Yellow

Driving between Druridge Pools and Cresswell Pond this morning I spotted a Yellow Wagtail in the cow field.  So I slammed the brakes on, grabbed my camera and jumped across into the passenger seat.  Snapping a couple of quick shots, it then took off and flew straight towards the car.  I looked up from the camera expecting it to fly straight over or veer off,  but it didn't.  It landed on the fence right next to the car.  I quickly took a couple of shots with the wagtail just about filling the frame, expecting it to get spooked and fly off and once again this didn't happen, it just sat there looking around, so I zoomed out a bit to get it in frame better (now there's something you don't say in bird photography very often!).

It eventually got spooked by some passing cars, who's drivers were probably cursing me for being stopped in the middle of the road.  I think these photos are worth their inconvenience!

Pie Eyed

I had a nice walk around a small wood in South Northumberland this morning.  It’s a place I like to visit every Spring if I get the chance.  Today I saw six male Pied Flycatchers, on top of the four I heard singing last week at Allen Banks, so it’s looking like it’s going to be a good year for Pied Flycatchers in Northumberland.

I also had four singing Redstart but unfortunately none would pose for a photo.

Allen Banks

I had a nice walk this afternoon with the family from Allen Banks to Plankey Mill and back.  We heard four or five Pied Flycatchers singing but only saw one.  It’s nice to hear so many singing though.  I was getting a little bit worried because we didn’t hear any Wood Warblers until we were nearly back to Allen Banks.

 Some of the other birds seen during the walk were Blackcap, Grey Wagtail, Common Sandpiper and Common Buzzard.  A bit of a surprise was that we didn’t see or even hear a Redstart, although the afternoon is not really the best time of day for finding birds. 

All gone a Wry

News that the Wryneck was still in Whitley Bay was too much of a draw to resist, so my first stop this morning was Whitley Bay Cemetery.  After searching with other birders for about an hour with no sign, it wasn’t looking good.  Then just as I was thinking about giving up it popped up right in front of me.  Then it was a case of catching the attention of other birders to get them onto the bird.  Although once found it showed superbly for everyone to get really good views and photos.

 I then headed to Druridge Pools.  Viewing from the budge hide the Great White Egret flew in and landed in front of the South facing hide.  So I ‘hot-footed’ it round there to find that the Egret had moved out into the middle of the budge field., where it stayed the whole time I was there.  Other birds of note were a couple of White Wagtails and good numbers of Whimbrel mixing with the Curlew and Black-Tailed Godwit.

Driving slowly back towards Creswell pond with my window down I heard a call from the side of the road which I recognised.  I stopped the car and looked back over my shoulder to see a stunning male Yellow Wagtail sitting on the fence, but as I reached for my camera it flew off into the field.  Passing the little burn near Bells farm I heard the call again although I couldn’t see anything, then another male Yellow Wag came out from the burn and flew off into the same field.      

Sunny Druridge

I had a nice trip up to Druridge Bay yesterday with my first stop being at Cresswell Pond.  I only had a quick look at the North end of the pond hoping for Yellow Wagtail, but unfortunately with no luck.  I didn’t even see any Avocet although other birders had seen them.  There were a few Wheatears in the cow fields between Hemscott Hill and Druridge Pools.  On the Budge field the only bird of note was a Little Ringed Plover that flew off high to the North.  In the field to the North of the big pool the Egyptian Goose was feeding with the Curlew.  There were also a few migrants with Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Blackcap and Whitethroat all singing.

                                                 
Next stop East Chev, where a Stoat was lurking around the rabbit burrows next to the path.

                                    

A walk around the East end of the South pool produced my first Sedge Warbler of the year.  I also had three Marsh Harriers including a fly-through 'cream crown' and the regular pair drifting around the South pool.

                                 

Driving out of East Chev I had a nice Lesser Whitethroat singing from the hedge at the side of the bumpy road. 

All work and very little play

Due to a change of shift pattern at work I haven’t really been out much over the last month.  I did manage to escape to Kielder for a day at the beginning of March and even though the weather wasn’t ideal, I had some nice Goshawk displays.  The interesting thing though was the number of Ravens, with a total of seven or eight being seen at different sights throughout the day.

I also tried for Snow Bunting at East Chevington. Despite there being eleven reported the day before, I only managed to find a single female on the morning that I went.

The two Slav Grebes and the Black-Throated Diver on the North pool were also nice to see.

Last week I spent a couple of mornings watching the Redpoll coming to the feeding station at the North end of the North pool at East Chev.  Although there was a lot of variation in plumage, all were Lesser Redpoll.  One of the days I was there, the Mealies were reported just after I had left, although I think this was a case of confusing a couple of very pale Lesser Redpolls as Mealies.