More surveys

Saturday dawned  - the new month of May. I didn't expect to be scraping thick ice from my car windscreen in May but that's exactly what I had to do at 6am before heading Druridge for my fourth territory mapping visit. 

As well as the cold start, a wintery shower passed through as I arrived, I sat in the car and let it pass. Once cleared, the sun came out and it was quite pleasant but there were dark clouds on the horizon.

The cold weather has blocked a few arrivals I think, other than Reed Warblers, of which there a few singing away in the small patch of Phragmites in the corner of the big pool, warbler numbers are pretty-much what they were seven days ago with the addition of an extra Grasshopper Warbler maybe.

There are three scarce breeding species at Druridge already this year:

I've already mentioned the Long-tailed Tits, they are now feeding young. One of the adults is ringed, almost certainly by us last Autumn. I can't remember the last breeding Lottis at Druridge.

There is also a male Song Thrush that has been singing his heart out for at least four weeks. I'm assuming that if he hadn't attracted a mate by now, he would've been off and that she is sitting on eggs somewhere. Again, I can't recall Song Thrush breeding at Druridge.

And thirdly, a new find. A pair of Great Tits gathering nesting material. Great Tit isn't an uncommon species on the patch, but not as a breeder. They are hole-nesters and the trees and bushes aren't really old enough to have developed holes yet. They have bred in boxes around the farm and in the buildings at High Chibburn before.

I think this shows that the narrow belt of scrub is maturing and attracting different species. Lesser-Whitethroat and Bullfinch both bred last year. 

I managed to dodge the showers. The only new bird for the year was a single House Martin.

Male Reed Bunting - common in  the dunes

A white hen Pheasant - she's been around a while and is nesting in the middle of the grass field north of the big pool - I assume she thinks she is camouflaged?

Cock pheasant

My second survey was the Breeding Waders of Wet Meadows Survey for BTO. It is all a bit odd,  as the big pools is mapped as suitable (!!), but the field to the north, which is a wet(ish) meadow isn't. And then, most of East Chevington Reserve is included, again with no wet meadows.

Female Stonechat along the Coal Road

Still about 20 Twite about in the dunes, with pink rumps on show!

A migrant - White Wagtail

Anyhoo, I did what I could and found a my first Lapwing chicks of the year. As I write this, the rain is lashing down, it's blowing a gale and it's freezing. I wish them well!

Finally, this weekend is the City Nature Challenge. ERIC the local records centre is coordinating CNC for the North East of England again. I really enjoyed last years event and got stuck in, submitting lots of records (including my first ashy mining bees and the northernmost in England at the time). This year, a combination of chores and shocking weather has meant less records submitted from me. Others have done well though. 

Twite and Blackbirds

Saturday on the patch was dominated by Twite and today by Blackbirds.

On Saturday Janet and I had another go at ringing in the dunes north of the turning circle, our first attempt last month was reasonably successful and since then the Twite have arrived back.

Some of the Twite flock

At first we caught Reed Buntings with Tree Sparrows and a Chaffinch. The Twite flock was very mobile, feeding for a while, then moving on, we estimated that about 180 of them in two flocks with Goldfinch and Linnets.

Patience paid-off and we eventually caught four Twite -the first we've ever caught at Druridge despite being part of a colour-ringing scheme a few years ago. 

Twite

Tree Sparrow

The flock came down to a small pool beside the coal haul-road which enabled me to get some photos as they assembled on the barbed-wire fence.

Twite after bathing

The male on the right is showing off the nice pink rump

Twite

Also notable yesterday were three Mistle Thrushes - My first on the patch since the 1st of January!

Today, we had planned to ring in the bushes, probably our last chance of the year but we awoke to heavy fog/fine mizzle, it was too wet to ring. So we went for a wander instead. 

Our walk was dominated by Blackbirds. There had obviously been a big arrival of them overnight. There were a few Redwings too and a handful of Song Thrush and Fieldfare but it was Blackbirds that dominated - we estimated well over 140 in the bushes.

A typical scene this morning - Blackbirds everywhere

Other than thrushes, it was quiet. The Siberian Chiffchaff from Thursday was still in the same spot, we flushed a Woodcock and a few Redpoll flew south and over 40 Goldfinch were by the turning circle. We walked back by the beach to look for Snow Buntings or Shorelarks without any luck - then the drizzle set in so we headed home.

There aren't many leaves left on the bushes now so I think another autumnal ringing session is unlikely. 

Gone West

The wind had gone back into the west and with it some of the excitement of birding the patch, when there's a hint of an easterly at this time you just never know what will turn up, but after a couple of days of westerlies anticipation levels wain a bit.

My morning walks this week have been dominated by the Pink-footed Geese that have been roosting on the Budge fields - about 3000 of them are on the water at first light but they soon lift and head off south to feed. A single Yellow-browed Warbler hung on until Tuesday, it was ringed so presumably the bird we ringed on 16th it was very vocal and made a couple of sound recording of it. 

Goldfinch feeding on Alder cones

Reed Bunting - at least the twig is sharp

After work on Friday evening I checked the bushes to the north. I had the briefest views of Sylvia warbler, as soon as I had my bins on it, it flew and I couldn't relocate it. The upperparts had too much rufous-brown in them for the lesser whitethroats I've been watching, my guess would be Whitethroat but it is very late for them 

Further north, I got onto a Phylloscopus warbler, initial views showed a very broad supercillium and then I lost it, I phoned Janet as it was an interesting bird. I got back onto it with limited views but it showed a peachyness to the under-parts but olive-green above and then it called - Tristis Chiffchaff!

It wasn't very vocal, only calling a few times and I never managed to record it, despite that it was nearly dark, I did get some record shots.

Siberian Chiff

You can make out the light peachy-wash under the tail in this shot

The sky was a fiery orange away to the west at sunset. 

Sunset over the big pool

Sunset over the big pool

And fire in the sky

Lapwings flying south at dusk

Yesterday I had another evening walk and the highlights were another Treecreeper - that's three for the year now, I'd previously only seen six since 1994, Water Rail and Great-spotted Woodpecker.

List here

Today, Janet and I had walk along the Coal Road, inland to the Preceptory and back by High Chibburn and Druridge Farm. It was very windy and we didn't see much of note (list here) but here are some photos.

A small group of Redshank on the fields

Coming in to land

Rook

It looks like south-westerly winds are going to dominate until at least next weekend.

Ringing or twitching?

I had a difficult decision to make yesterday morning - do as I had planned to do, and go to Druridge and ring some birds or go and twitch the (probable, as it was then) Broon Shrike on Holy Island?

I like seeing rare birds, especially in Northumberland but I hate twitching and I hate twitches - they usually end up disappointing, I either don't see the bird (usually because of I've put going to see it off for too long) or I do see it but the experience is disappointing. Twitching does attract the worst kind of birdwatcher, and occasionally, twitches bring out the worst in otherwise perfectly normal birdwatchers. Ethically, driving 100 miles to see a bird doesn't stack-up either.

We went ringing.

It was worthwhile, we caught 42 birds (38 new, 4 retraps). Amongst the usual autumnal species we caught two Lesser Whitethroats, both were carefully examined to eliminate rarer eastern races but nothing pointed towards to that. Lesser Whitethroats are scarce anyway but arriving with Yellow-browed Warblers (we caught one of these) in mid-October, they need to be carefully scrutinised. We caught a few Long-tailed Tits, Goldcrests, Lesser Redpolls and probably the rarest bird for the patch  - Treecreeper.

Again this was scrutinised for 'northern' race but it was a 'brittanica'.

Treecreeper

Yellow-browed Warbler

Lesser Whitethroat

Other than ringing, a Woodcock was flushed as we set the nets up, first of the autumn, and a Short-eared Owl arrived in-off the sea. It was immediately mobbed by crows that pushed it higher and higher until it disappeared off west. A female bullfinch was interesting as was a flock of 17 Greenfinch heading north over the bushes - a really notable record for the patch. 

Short-eared Owl - in-off.

I had a quick look offshore in the evening. There was strong Gannet and Kittiwake passage, a Slavonian Grebe and a handful of Red-throated Divers were on the Sea.

Juvenile Great Black-backed Gull

Friday was forecast to have lighter winds and generally settled and was time to hatch our much procrastinated plan to try and catch the finch flock in the dunes north of the turning circle, Holy Island and the Broon Shrike would have to wait.

It was windier and brighter than we would've liked but we set up two two-shelf nets through the weedy dunes where the finch-flock congregate. Whilst we were setting up, a Lapland Bunting went north, calling. 

Despite the 'nice' weather (not nice for ringing) it was quite successful, for catching Reed Buntings at least, ten of them, we also caught two Chaffinch, two Linnet and a Dunnock. This operation had potential but the window is narrow before the cows arrive.

One of ten Reed Buntings

It was quite mild in the sunshine and out of the nor'easter wind, which brought out a few insects.

Small Copper butterfly

Eupeodes sp Hoverlfy

After ringing, I had a wander around the bushes. By the turning-circle there was a Chiffchaff, Yellow-browed Warbler (the one we ringed yesterday probably) and a Lesser Whitethroat that was only seen briefly but the head looked good for an eastern-race bird. 

Wren

Goldcrest - a male, doing an impression of a squash ball

Inquisitive or miserable-looking?

I finished with a look on the sea. As I was staring out into the horizon, I was startled by a voice from below " Excuse me, are you the chap who writes the blog?"

Me - "Druridge Diary? yes that's me"

Him - " I follow it and read it regularly, I thought it must be you, so I though I'd say hello"

What a really nice thing to do. I'm pleased someone reads this. I forgot to ask his name, but whoever you are, do leave a comment below if you read this, it was really nice of you to stop and say hello!

I might go to Holy Island tomorrow...

A bit of a damp squib

With the wind of the northeast and rain overnight, today could have been mega or as the winds were only originating from the near continent it could've been very disappointing. 

It wasn't a mega by any means, but it wasn't without some highlights. One bird could've made all the difference, I just couldn't find it despite spending the best part of eight hours on the patch. 

Janet joined me and we started at the Plantation and worked our way north, checking all suitable habitat. The male Blackcap that has been guarding his patch of elderberries by the entrance was joined by two or three more - we saw at least nine Blackcaps this morning so a small arrival.

Young male Blackcap guarding his Elderberries

Other than a few Goldcrests, Redwings and flyover Skylarks, things were quiet until we reached the patch to the hides and heard a Yellow-browed Warbler calling, it flitted about in the willows and Whitebeam, showing well for a Yellow-brow. It was nice for Welsh Joe to get some pics as he's been complaining he hasn't managed to photograph one well - they are so tricky. Whilst we watched this bird a second Yellow-browed called beyond it and then a real patch Mega showed briefly - Treecreeper! Not even a year tick after the one in the plantation earlier this month.

Yellow-browed Warbler with a caterpillar

Same Yellow-brow, side-on. They don't normally stay still long enough for photos like this

Look, I'm not an Eastern-crowned Warbler

By the bridge, it was sheltered and a couple of Speckled Wood butterflies were on the wing and this stunning Comma sunned itself.

Comma - a very uncommon butterfly on the patch, especially in October!

A common autumn butterfly nowadays - Speckled Wood

We wandered north. Up at the turning circle, in the Blackthorn thicket, we had at least three Chiffchaffs and another Yellow-browed Warbler. We also saw another Phylloscopus warbler briefly that remains unidentified. Five Pochards were on the big pool which are notable as they are increasingly scarce species at Druridge. 

Patch scarcities - five Pochard on the big pool

Hunting Kestrel

After lunch, I headed back to look for the mystery phylosc but with no luck. A flock of Long-tailed Tits came through, which we hadn't seen  in the morning, with a Yellow-brow in tow. In the dunes to the north, the finch/bunting flock was restless, when they did land, there was at least five Twite with them, my first of the Autumn as well as 30+ Lesser Redpolls and handful of Tree Sparrows, Goldcrests and other finches, otherwise they were mostly Linnets. Over 30 Reed Buntings fed independently of the flock.

One of over 30 Reed Buntings in the weedy dunes - ISO3200 so it's turned out bad!

At 4.30 I gave up and tried a seawatch. It started quietly and then it pissed-it-down. I stuck it out for an hour seeing very little. Two Goldeneye with a Slavonian Grebe on the sea were noteworthy. 

Cold and wet I headed home after over eight hours on the patch and 65 species. 

Full list here 

I'll be back tomorrow.

A walk to the extremities

I set out to explore the less-frequented extremities of my patch today with a walk out to High Chibburn Farm, Low Chibburn Preceptory and the northern dunes. I included the farm and the Preceptory in the patch boundary for some variety but I rarely get out that far. Today I was in search of Collared Doves and Yellowhammers. I failed on both counts. 

Low Chibburn Preceptory

The right of way back to the Reserve

The farm is good for House Sparrows and the countryside around it can be good for Red-legged Partridge and today was no exception, otherwise I didn't see much. Walking back along the path to the hides, it was quite warm in the sunshine and out of the northerly wind and it brought out some late insects. 

Male Common Darter

Male Small Copper on Ragwort

Migrant Hawker

A single Whooper Swan was on the big pool and a Kestrel hunted along the road.

Kestrel hunting

The Kestrel successfully caught a small mammal and flew off into the bushes with it

In the weedy dunes there was a flock of at least 27 Reed Bunting - probably an undercount. I grilled them for any rarer buntings and the finch flock (about 120) didn't contain any Twite. Given that I walked 6km, I didn't come away with a huge list an the year list remains on 170.

One of the Reed Bunting flock

Male Blackcap in the Elder

Last night I had an hour grilling  the scoter flock for the potential Surf Scoter, no luck but there were 22 Red-throated Divers and a handful of Razorbills with the Scoters. 

Six Whooper Swans came in-off and another five went south and landed on the sea opposite the Drift Cafe. Here are a couple of arty-shots as the first six flew west. My first Whoopers of the Autumn

Whooper Swans headed west

Into the clouds...