Lockdown update...

Just realised it's nearly two months since my last post on here so here's a little update on my limited birding since the lockdown started a few weeks ago...

We are lucky to live within walking distance of Bothal Pond, so a two or three times a week we are heading there on our daily walk to see what's going on. Two female Scaup have been present throughout and other highlights have included a flyover Marsh Harrier, Egyptian Goose, Black-tailed Godwit and Wheatears.

Otherwise, we have also been having a few walks around the woodland and farmland close to home. Probably my favourite find so far has been Willow Tits in what I think is a new site for the declining species. We've also seen variety of other common species, and in a way it's been nice to take the chance to appreciate these.

Spending more time at home has led to three firsts for the garden so far: nocmig Common Scoter, flyover Goosanders and, most excitingly, a Red Kite yesterday afternoon - just my third in Northumberland.

Here's a few of my photos taken during lockdown so far, and I'll try to post any more I take over the coming weeks...

Willow Tits

Scaup

Male and female Grey Wagtails

Willow Warbler

Chiffchaff

Common Buzzard

Red Kite - a panicked record shot through my bedroom window!

Comma

RB Fly and a Franklin's

With yesterday's Pallid Harrier at Holy Island that was our first port of call this morning. There was no sign of our target although a showy Red-breasted Flycatcher in the Half Moon Slack was good compensation. A Yellow-browed Warbler was also here. Other birds on the island included 4 Whinchats, a Redstart, 3 Chiffchaff and a Wheatear.

From Holy Island we headed straight to Whittle Dene Reservoir where we had more success with the Franklin's Gull as it was picked up in a field at the south end. The bird lingered for about an hour, giving some good scope views although the light and heat haze ruined any photos. 2 Greenshanks were also around the lakes along with a Kingfisher, Yellow Wagtail and several Grey Wagtails.

Franklin's Gull

Red-breasted Flycatcher - a very nice bird!

Yellow-browed Warbler

Finally feels like spring!

With a much improved weather forecast yesterday morning we decided to have a family trip to the Harthope Valley, one of my favourite locations to combine birding and a family picnic!

We only stayed around the Hawsen Burn but still saw a nice selection of birds. Here's the highlights...

1 Cuckoo
10+ Whinchat
1 Wheatear
3+ Grey Wagtail
1 Redstart
2 Ring Ouzel
2+  Raven

We were also told about a couple of male Adders which gave great views in among some rocks.

After getting home we headed to Big Waters to try and catch up with a few of the influx of Black Terns. Sure enough a group of 10 stunning adult Black Terns we feeding over the lake and showed well in the afternoon sun. These were my first Black Terns which weren't autumn juveniles. I had to make do with record shots of the Terns as they were slightly too far away for the DSLR and I had to resort to digiscoping...

Adder

Whinchats - the males never cam close!

Singing male Ring Ouzel

Chaffinch

Black Terns - digiscoping terns isn't easy!

Great day! Allen Banks & Druridge Bay

This morning we decided to go for a family trip to Allen Banks, with hopefully a bit of birding as well. Almost as soon as we got out the car we saw a Common Sandpiper and heard 3 Pied Flycatchers, and it wasn't long before we heard a Wood Warbler. I managed to get to within 5 metres of the Warbler when I stood still. A walk further up the river and back to the car park produced a further 2 (at least) Pied Flycatchers, 3 Redstarts, a Dipper and at 3 Grey Wagtails.

On the way home we spotted our first Swift of the year - over the A69 near Hexham. Just before the turn off to get home, I checked birdguides and saw that a Woodchat Shrike had been seen at Druridge.

At first we were a bit unsure of where the report was referring to, so we went to the Budge Screen at first. There was no sign of the Shrike nor of the Great White Egret that I saw last weekend. We heard that it might be between Druridge Pools and Hemscott Hill, so that's where we headed next. Sure enough we found a couple of birders scoping the roadside hedges from the road, and when we joined them we instantly onto a stunning adult female Woodchat Shrike. Unfortunately it was too far for photos. The Great White Egret was also visible from the Budge Screen again.

Wood Warbler

Pied Flycatchers

Redstart

Woodchat Shrike record shots (they really don't do the bird justice!)

Allen Banks

A family trip to Allen Banks today produced a bit more than expected given the cold weather. First off we heard a Pied Flycatcher and Redstart as well as a Dipper, and before long, a Wood Warbler, which gave good views a few minutes later. Another Wood Warbler was singing on the opposite side of the river near the first bridge (which is impossible to cross due to a fallen tree). Further up the river we saw several Grey Wagtails along with a couple of Common Sandpipers. A few Early Purple Orchids were flowering in the woods. A Spotted Flycatcher was also in the car park.

Wood Warbler

Common Sandpiper

Spotted Flycatcher

Early Purple Orchid

Wild Garlic

Allen Banks

The ruined suspension bridge

Coldstream area

Over the past weekend I stayed in a cottage next to the River Tweed near Coldstream. It wasn't much of a birding holiday but I did manage to see a few birds, including 3 Whooper Swans, one of which was colour-ringed, a Peregrine and lots of common woodland birds, though I did manage to see an Otter within 10 minutes of arriving.

Whooper Swan

Grey Wagtail

Rabbit

Eildon Hills