New arrivals

On Tuesday evening Janet and I wander up to the Preceptory and back. No new arrivals but at least 200 Sand Martins over the Budge Fields with the usual waders, one Yellow and two White Wagtails and Wheatear were also on the fields from the little hide. 

A schoolboy error on Wednesday morning though. I got up early intending to my third territory mapping visit before work but when I arrived at Druridge the wind was strong, about 20mph from the North East and gusty - too windy for a survey so I abandoned and headed for the little hide where it would be sheltered.

The highlight was a male Ruff, coming into breeding plumage, strutting it's stuff in front of the hide. 

Ruff - getting it's ruff

This Ruff was one of three, otherwise there was nothing new to report from the Budge fields. The light was nice and both Gadwall and Shoveler came close into hides.

Drake Shelduck

Gadwall Pair

Chiffchaff in the morning sunshine

I finally got my survey done before work on Friday. The map looked a bit busier with at least 13 singing Willow Warblers and both Sedge Warbler and Whitethroat were new for the year. Blackcaps were noted at three locations. 

Also of note was Wheatear in the dunes and eight Twite including some in full song from the top of as tree. Meadow Pipits, Linnets and Reed Buntings were plentiful in the dunes and three Grasshopper Warblers were reeling there. 

Meadow Pipit in a dune bush

Shelducks are numerous on the Budge fields and in the dunes, giving some nice 'fly-bys'  - I estimated 24 in total.

Male Shelduck

Tufted Duck between the turbines

Nesting Canada Goose with a stick through it's bill - wonder if this is a fashion statement?

This morning Janet and I had wander around the hides. On the Budge fields, two Whimbrel, two male Yellow Wagtails, one White Wagtail, 14 Avocet, three Ruff and five Pintail were noteworthy. There wasn't much on the big pool but a Snipe was feeding just in front of the Oddie Hide. 

Common Snipe

A single Reed Warbler was singing in the reedbed which was new for the year and Sedge and Whitethroat were back in greater numbers. Janet went off horse-riding and I had a look on the sea, it was quiet though with no new terns, but plenty of Sandwich feeding just offshore. 13 Red-throated Divers were mostly in breeding plumage and a raft of 24 Guillemot were loafing on the sea. Twite are still around, 'commuting' along the dunes

I spent the rest of the morning trying to photograph hoverflies and bees on the path to the hides. They'll get their own post later when I've identified them. Meanwhile here's a 7-Spot Ladybird. 

7-Spot Ladybird

Baltic

It's been really cold this week, with snow and ice dominating and a brisk easterly through to southerly wind making feel even colder.

Continuing restrictions have meant limited trips to the patch and a lot of birding on foot from home for the 5km patch list which is coming along nicely. I have been popping into the patch, if I've been passing that way and a 'change' in rules has meant that surveys like WeBS can continue as long as you stay local and obey social distancing rules. I suppose there had to be a relaxation given that it was legal to stand in a field and shoot birds but not to count them.

The cold weather has brought an influx of birds not usually seen in big numbers at this time of year. Hundreds of winter thrushes, particularly redwings are now on the coast, there are Woodcock, Snipe and Jack Snipe (we saw one today) in decent numbers and I counted 67 Meadow Pipits on the Budge fields today and 18 Stock Dove near the farm yesterday.

Snipe flushed from the Coal Road yesterday

One of many Redwings

Some of the Canada Goose flock yesterday with Pink-footed Geese in the fields behind

The WeBS count was busy with big counts of Wigeon (352) and Mallard (106) but lower numbers of Teal (64) than usual. A Long-tailed Duck on the Big Pool was a bonus. 

All of the wildfowl are looking smart now and this drake Shoveler was particularly dapper

The Budge fields were almost frozen over and devoid of ducks,  a few Lapwing and Curlew needed counting though.

The Lapwing were finding any shelter they could from the cold southerly winds

Carrion Crow looking for food on frozen ground

Moorhen legging it through the snow

Shrike...eventually

I finally got to see the red-backed shrike that has been Druridge at 8.15 tonight after it gave me the run-around this afternoon. It had been reported earlier in the day and been seen moving through the dunes, ranging from the turning circle to the just north of the plantation.

I wandered the dunes and bushes for a couple of hours or so with no joy, then hunger got the better of me and I went home for a very late lunch and to return to my chores. A lot of birders on a trip from RSPB Coventry turned up so it was also time to leave..

Visiting birders - route-marching up the road from their coach

Whilst I wandered I chanced upon a drinker moth caterpillar on a fence post, it was joined by a 7-spot ladybird and this happened (slowed down to 30% - make it full-screen for best effect)

After tea this evening I decided to have a look for either the shrike or listen for a rosefinch that has been heard recently. After a quick chat with Dave Dack I headed for the turning circle where I could see two birders on the cycle path looking intently towards the 'Druridge Bushes'... I headed their way and as I approached one of them ushered me towards them.

As I suspected they were watching the stunning male red-backed shrike - it was perched up in lovely evening light on the bushes nearest to the fence - distant but stunning.

First - distant views

closer but always obscured by twigs

digi-scoped effort

Tonight's red-backed shrike was my first on the patch since 2008 when a juvenile took up residence in the travelers encampment, and only my third ever. But this is my first spring record and it was a stunning male - as far as shrikes go, they don't get much better than that!

A passing barn owl

Some passing honkers

Signs of spring

In stark contrast to the cold and snow of last weekend it was quite pleasant out and about this morning, mind it was a bit blowy yesterday.

Yesterday we braved the winds later in the afternoon and walked up through the dunes and back along the beach. In the dunes we flushed up a covey of 12 grey partridges, my first of the year here and since the cattle returned. There were up to 2000 pink-footed geese on the fields beyond the haul road - some of them got up and flew over the dunes.

Pink-footed geese over the dunes

Despite being sandblasted, we had fun watching the sanderling being blown sideways along the beach, they were feeding in the sunshine were it came through a gap in the dunes - the same gap the wind came through. A small flock of eight curlew flew over from the sea.

Sanderlings

Two of the Curlew flock

Today we headed inland, first to the Oddie hide were there was little to be seen other than a huge flock of noisy Canada geese.

Canada geese

We continued towards the preceptory where we saw a single yellowhammer on the hedge (there are over 50 in a cover crop only two-fields away). Yellowhammers are hard to come-by these days and are a species that i didn't see last year on the patch. On towards the haul road our souls were lifted by the first singing skylarks of the spring, obviously enjoying the sunshine. There were at least six in the fields either side of the road.  Beyond these fields at least 30 whooper swan and handful of mute swans were grazing, it was impossible to get an accurate count though as some were in a hollow.

I ventured off the patch (I know, it's not like me and I thought I was going to have a nosebleed) for a wander to Chibburn mouth to check the beach levels where we put the fence up for shorebirds in the summer. I didn't hang about though and headed back down the beach and back onto the patch.

Passing Herring Gull

First ringing session

Finally there are enough leaves on the trees and bushes at Druridge to attempt a ringing session, with light winds and cloud first thing on Sunday morning the weather was ideal. The forecast said the wind would ease further throughout the day and become more cloudy - of course it did the opposite.

It was a good first session though with only three nets up. I caught a good number of warblers including grasshopper, reed and sedge along with willow, whitethroat and blackcap. I had some interesting retraps including a willow warbler first ringed in 2014, a blackcap ringed as an adult in 2013, a blackcap ringed as a juvenile in 2013 and a whitethroat, also from 2013.

A great white egret was found on the Budge fields on Friday morning by Time Dean, I saw it then and saw it again flying north over the big pond as I was ringing. A drake garganey was also on the Budge fields along with a three ruff, two of which had 'ruffs' and smart male yellow wag.

The warm weather had brought a few butterflies out - speckled wood were the most common and I saw my first orange-tip of the year.

This family of Canada geese goslings kept me amused for a while.

At least one of us can manage to stay awake

Pied wagtail

Still a few wigeon about - Mrs wigeon

Mr Wigeon

Back to the patch

Yesterday afternoon found me back on the patch after a weekend away on the Lancashire coast. We fancied a weekend away, but the middle of March isn't really a good time for anywhere, so as I'd never been to the Ribble estuary we headed for Lancs.

The highlight was the RSPB reserve at Marshside, an amazing place, featuring two freshwater wet meadows and some small pools, not unlike Druridge in some ways but much bigger. It has about 100 pairs of breeding lapwings and there were already about 20 avocet there when we visited. Get this though...they maintain the wet meadows as suitable wader breeding habitat by grazing them with cows...amazing!

The day before we were there, a spotted crake had been seen (early?) and a scaup was reported, which we didn't see, which by Sunday had turned into a lesser scaup!

Anyways, back to the patch and no new migrants. I was hoping to pick up at least a chiffchaff or wheatear, maybe a puffin or sarnie tern. Offshore, there was a razorbill and a single great northern diver amongst the red throats.

A young seal pup had plonked itself onto the beach, it looked perfectly happy and healthy until the dog walkers gathered around it, this really annoyed it. It amused me when it tried biting the man who tried touching it, he deserved that. Someone had obviously called the RSPCA, as an inspector arrived and ushered the young seal back into the sea.

On the pools, a pair of pintails were the highlight, shoveler, teal and wigeon all still present. Five Canada geese on the big pool were new for the year.

A chifchaff was singing outside my office this morning, so I fully expect to hear one at Druridge on friday when I start my territory mapping surveys again.

82 razorbill
83 Canada goose