Flighty

It was still blowing a hooley today and as a result everything seemed to be a bit flighty at Druridge.

I had a walk up to the Preceptory, the pink-footed geese were lifted off the fields by a passing tractor and didn't settle again. Whilst they got up a pair of marsh harriers had put everything up on the Budge fields and then flew towards the far, the male settling on the filed the geese had vacated for a while.

Pink-footed Geese

There were thousands of starlings skimming the fields and hedges in big flocks, before settling for a while. This flock had a bathe in a small pool.

About 80 fieldfare were also roaming about the damp fields.The Preceptory was bird-free.

Back towards the cottages, a buzzard was being mobbed by a couple of crows. As it got closer, It looked quite long-winged and I noticed really obvious pale patches in the upperwing which got me interested so I fired off a few shots. It was just a common buzzard, but an interesting bird.Variable things, Buzzards.

Buzzard

There are still two pintail on the Budge fields and the common scoter is still on the big pool. Also of note was two woodcock flushed from the bushes, my first of the winter.

76 long-tailed tit
77 woodcock
78 canada goose
79 marsh harrier
80 fieldfare
81 buzzard

PWC score 100

The end is nigh

The end of another year on the patch approaches. I don't know why we birders concentrate on our 'year lists' as much as we do. It is just another date in the calendar after all and doesn't really relate to natural seasons at all.

For me, a patch year list gives me a new challenge, an impetus to get off my arse in January and February and go bird watching on the patch. So regularly starting a 'new list' to keep giving me something to aim for needs a start and end date, so I guess January 1st makes sense.

Another way to keep interest fresh would be to change patches every few years. This would be interesting, but I think for it to work, I would have to move house, so that my new patch was closer home. I have mulled over the thought of a on-foot-from-home patch, a triangle between Ellington, the Lyne Burn and Cresswell. It would certainly have the potential to turn up new birds but I think the people and the activities they get up to on this patch puts me off, it would be even be worse than Druridge.

What a new patch might look like

So for 2014 at least, I will stick with what I've got. I've signed up for next years patchwork challenge now, so I may as well.

So back to this year, even with likelihood of adding anything to my year list diminishing, so had yesterday's storm, so I had a mooch around the patch. Nothing stirred in the bushes other than the goldfinch flock and a small roving tick flock and there was nothing new on the Budge fields On the big pool, there were still two long-tailed ducks and a 'female type' common scoter.

Offshore, there were lots of red-throated divers again, easily 45 in the bay. As I scanned through them, a bigger diver was its own and it wasn't a great northern, it was a black-throated. Not a common bird at all at Druridge, but there has been a few around this autumn, there was even one on East Chevington this morning. This is my first patch black-throat since 2010 and a welcome, if late, addition to the year list. A further scan also turned up a great northern further south and a harbour porpoise.

So, they year list rockets to 170, my best total in at least the last seven years. Not much chance of another new bird this year....

This evening I went to East Chevington for the starling murmuration. It was nearly 3.34pm before things got going with a small group of a couple of hundred birds. Small flocks seemed to arrive to join them from all directions and by 4pm there were thousands. It was very windy but the display was still excellent.

count them! some of the murmuration.

Word is out about the murmuration and there was quite a crowd tonight. I took this video, which is just some of the birds. Might try some video on the SLR if the wind drops.

A great hobby

I had the best weather of the week to do my territory mapping exercise yesterday morning, a lovely sunny morning. 

No 'fawn yawns' yet

Two large flocks, one of linnets and one of starlings, were on the short grass by the entrance, the latter were all juveniles. It'll be worth checking through these starling flocks soon for 'fawn yawns'.A single spoonbill was still loitering on the Budge fields.

surprisingly awake - spoonbill on the Budge fields

Still sedge, willow and grasshopper warblers, whitethroat and blackcap singing and a pair of reed warblers in the little reed bed. This lapwing was showing off in front of the Oddie hide.

"Look at me, aren't I smart" said the lapwing 

Beyond the hides, a barn owl took off from the fence, to quick for photo's, incredibly my first of the year on the patch, bird of the day surely?

A walk around to High Chibburn and back to the hamlet and a pair of breeding yellow wagtail, he was feeding the grass, she was going mental at my presence, scolding me until I moved on.

"Piss off" said Mrs. yellow wagtail

Just beyond the hamlet, I simultaneously heard the hirrundines alarm calling and spotted a  raptor flying low over the field, sparrowhawk I presumed, until I lifted my bins and saw a moustache...peregrine, no too small, the earlier barn owl was relegated to second best bird of the day. I was watching a hobby. It flew powerfully, low over the field, before banking up to get some height by the barn conversion, showing its red trousers in the process before heading due south, towards Hemscotthill Farm. 

With one, probably two, juveniles last autumn and this adult, hobby are becoming more common on the patch than merlin - a sign of the times?

meadow pipit

130 barn owl
131 hobby

A round up....and a marsh warbler

I've just been too busy to update the blog this weekend, especially on Saturday when I was up for 23 hours!

A brief seawatch on Friday evening produced 3 roseate terns and 2 little terns as well as 7 red throated divers.

On Friday I did another territory mapping survey, again in less than ideal conditions. I arrived at Druridge at 5.30, as had a sea fret, it cleared by 7.40 and then brightened up to be a real scorcher! I'm finding both house sparrows and tree sparrows that nest over by the hamlet are both feeding in the bushes at Druridge, must be a better supply of caterpillars there. Nothing else of great note, there are now three singing whitethroats.

On Saturday, Janet and I were ringing for only the second time this year. A calm morning soon brightened up to another hot day, which brought the plebs flocking down to Druridge with their England flags waving from knackered Corsas - makes you proud!

I had to go to work at 9am, but in total we caught 24 birds (19 new ones and 5 retraps) including our first sedge warbler of the year.

sedge warbler - caught and ringed

We also caught this blackbird which was first ringed in November 2003 as a first year bird, making this chap 7 this year!

Seven year old blackbird

Janet caught this juvenile starling, there are a lot of them about so I am surprised we didn't catch more, Janet wasn't concerned though, seemingly starlings are a pain to ring. I was disappointed, I've never ringed Starling.

juvenile starling

Saturday night ended at a BBQ in Stakeford, I didn't get to bed until 3.30 am, not bad going considering I had been up since 4.30.

I was in the office today when I got a call from Steve Holliday, who was sure he had a marsh warbler singing by the path to the hides. I called in on the way home and soon heard it singing, imitating a swallow at first, from the willows behind the bund.

It only sung intermittently and flew out of cover, briefly, once, in the hour and half I was there. this is my second marsh warbler for Druridge, the first was on the 1st of June 2008, which sang for three days by the Budge Screen.

Whilst I was bored, I took these shots...

Cercopsis vulnerata a red and black type of froghopper

northern marsh orchid

unidentified spider

Any thoughts on this spider?

123 little tern
124 roseate tern
125 marsh warbler