Spring underway in style...

 Despite less than ideal winds, spring has slowly started to get going since my last blog post. The undoubted highlight was the male Citrine Wagtail at Lynemouth Flash on the 3rd. An usual record being so early in the spring, and also because it turned up at exactly the same place as the showy female in 2017! 

Other nice sightings have included the Todd's Canada Goose again, as well as an adult Greenland White-front and 3 Russian White-fronts, all in the Cresswell area, a Black Redstart at Snab Point, Glaucous Gull past East Chevington and my first Willow Warbler of the year. 

Citrine Wagtail - please view the video in HD at 1080p

Todd's Canada Goose with the Pink-feet west of the hide at Cresswell

Black Redstart

Holy Island

With a bit of east in the wind and some misty weather overnight we decided to spend yesterday on Holy Island. While the hoped for rarity didn't materialise, it was nice to see a female Red-backed Shrike on the fences near the Straight Lonnen. It largely remained distant along the far end of the fences but did come a bit closer for a few minutes, although we were always looking towards the sun.

We managed very few other migrants with single Willow Warbler and Lesser Whitethroat, and a couple of Common Whitethroats. However, the always stunning scenery made also helped to make it a very nice day.

Red-backed Shrike

Swallow at The Lough

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

Common stuff...

A few photos of common birds from the patch recently...

Willow Warbler

Redshank

Black-headed Gull

Bar-tailed Godwit

Oystercatcher

Back again...

On Sunday we planned to spend the morning on the patch. We were at Druridge Pools just long enough to find a Yellow-browed Warbler in the pine plantation before some good birds were reported from Beal and Holy Island.

We decided to head up there and the first couple of hours proved frustrating with no sign of the scarcities at Beal. We moved onto the island where things did pick up, with the best birds including 7 Yellow-browed Warblers and the incredibly confiding Snow Bunting still on the Crooked Lonnen. The counts included the following...

7 Yellow-browed Warbler
1 Ring Ouzel
1 Pied Flycatcher
1 Redstart
5 Chiffchaff
2 Willow Warbler
1 Lesser Whitethroat
1 Wheatear
40+ Brambling
1 Snow Bunting
1 Swallow 
1 Short-eared Owl

Yellow-browed Warblers in Holy Island village

Yellow-browed Warbler at Druridge Pools

Snow Bunting

Lesser Whitethroat

Patch Greenish!

We were just getting ready to head out this morning when news came on of a Greenish Warbler at Chevington. We quickened the pace, although when we arrived the dreaded no sign message came on.

We continued around to the bushes behind the L-shaped hide and it was obvious how difficult it would be to see the bird given the thick vegetation. An hour later we had seen nothing more than a couple of Willow Warblers, but thankfully a slight movement at the back of the bushes proved to be the Greenish Warbler. While not a long view, I was lucky to get a look at the bird as it sat side on in the open. A very welcome patch tick!

A short while later a flock of Long-tailed Tits moved through the same bushes, and a vocal Willow Tit was with them. At the north pool a juvenile Curlew Sandpiper had arrived, along with 3 Pintail, and the 2 Garganey were still around. Another Garganey was at a Bothal Pond on the way home.

For a photo of the Greenish, check out finder Dave Elliot's blog here.

Spring on the patch...

Over the past week or so we've had several trips up to the patch to make the most of the actually quite nice weather, and it has definitely started to feel like spring has arrived...

Last Sunday saw an influx of Willow Warblers on the patch, while Sandwich Terns and Swallows were also new for the year. The Budge Fields were holding good numbers of waders with 7 Ruff, 50+ Black-tailed Godwit and a Whimbrel, while a drake Garganey also put in an appearance there. A Water Pipit was looking smart in almost full summer plumage.

Stopping at Cresswell provided us with our first Yellow Wagtails of the year, and it was a nice surprise to see one of them was a male 'Channel', and this one has been seen on and off in the bay since.

This weekend there has been a bit less variety, but a lot of the summer migrants are in, with our first Whitethroats, Reed, Sedge and Grasshopper Warblers and Common Terns. More unusual were the 3-4 Garganey at Druridge Pools (probably two drakes from the hides and a pair on the pools by the old coal road).

The patch year list now stands on 134 (166 points).

Garganey

Yellow Wagtail

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Water Pipit - please select to view in HD at 1080p

Pec double

I mentioned to my dad as we were leaving home today that I'd like to find a Pec Sand in the area as there had been quite a few reports from other counties recently, although didn't actually have very much hope...

Our first stop was Hauxley where a few hours produced a good count of at least 108 Black-tailed Godwits, as well as 2 Ruff, a Common Sandpiper and a Knot among the more usual waders. The Estuary at Amble held 77 Black-tailed Godwits which included a lot more adults than at Hauxley, so it is possible that there are some very large numbers in the area. One was colour-ringed, and a Kingfisher and 6 Goosanders gave good views, while the injured Whooper Swan was visible towards Warkworth.

Next we headed to Druridge Pools and were pleased to see our first juvenile Curlew Sandpiper of the year when we arrived, as well as a Greenshank, 5 Ruff and 30+ Dunlin. We walked around to the south facing hide and gave it about twenty minutes. We were just getting ready to move on when I decided to have a last scan of the far edge looking back towards the screen.

I noticed a bird feeding alongside a Redshank which I thought looked interesting - it was slightly larger than a Dunlin with quite a pot-bellied look and I thought I could see a sharply defined dark chest - although the views were very distant, which combined with the heat haze to make confirming it impossible. I headed back down the path to view from the NE corner but there was no sign.

On reaching the screen again I set the scope and started scanning the Dunlin and was pleased to see a really smart juvenile Pectoral Sandpiper feeding among them. I then realised the bird stood next to it was another Pec Sand! The first time I've seen more than one together, and a very welcome set of bonus points for Patchwork Challenge!

Cresswell was quieter with 8 Black-tailed Godwits, 2 Little Egrets and a Yellow Wagtail.

Pectoral Sandpipers - video should be viewed in HD at 720p/1080p

Curlew Sandpiper - video should be viewed in HD at 720p/1080p

Goosander

Stonechats

Willow Warbler

Unseasonable...

Just after leaving the main car park on Holy Island this morning, I heard an unfamiliar song coming from close by. We quickly located the bird in question, and initial views were of a phyllosc that we thought had just one wingbar and a broad supercilium, which made us think we were watching a Greenish Warbler.

However, as the bird started to show better and sing more, we could see the start of a second wingbar, a hint of pale edges to the tertials and could better appreciate it's compact shape. We were now pretty sure we had found a singing Yellow-browed. Eventually, and after receving some helpful comments online, it started to give the classic call of a Yellow-browed Warbler. Perhaps not quite as exciting as finding a Greenish, but we were still quite pleased, as we were told it was just the third spring record in the county!

A flog around the rest of the island didn't produce anything quite as exctiting, but still a nice mix of common migrants...

7 Spotted Flycatcher
7 Willow Warbler
1 Lesser Whitethroat
1 Tree Pipit
2 Chiffchaff
1 Ring Ouzel
2 Wheatear
1 Fieldfare
1 Blackcap

Hopefully a few more blog posts over the next few days, including the stunning Citrine Wagtail at Lynemouth and our last two days on Mallorca...

Yellow-browed Warbler

Spotted Flycatcher

Decent start to April!

Headed out to the patch on Saturday, hoping to catch up with a few migrants and ended up having one of our best days of the year so far...

Up first was the north pool at Chevington, where it was quiet except for a single female Scaup and a few Sand Martin. However, a Bittern suddenly appeared flying into the SW corner where it sat for a few minutes, giving great scope views as it was dive-bombed by Black-headed Gulls. At the burn mouth 3 Velvet Scoters were still on the sea while 2 White Wagtails and a 30 Twite fed on the beach, a a male Marsh Harrier hunted the reeds.

Druridge Pools also provided a great selection of birds with the Great White Egret and Eurasian White-fronted Goose still around and a single Water Pipit showing well in front of the screen. New in was a smart drake Garganey, a singing Willow Warbler and a White Wagtail. A northwards passage of hirundines included our first two Swallows of the year and a dozen Sand Martins.

PWC 2017
Species: 118
Points: 155

Bittern - video best viewed in HD at 720p/1080p

Water Pipit - video best viewed in HD at 720p/1080p

Great White Egret - video best viewed in HD at 720p/1080p

A slightly scary looking Reed Bunting!