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.

A Changing Landscape

Only one visit to the patch this weekend - Saturday was spent watching the Toon get three points, too little, too late I fear.

So today wasn't an early start. I checked the dunes from the haul road first - there is a nice little flash pool holding water again on the northern boundary of the patch, just along the haul road towards to East Chevington. If it doesn't dry up this week, it will be worth checking for waders. There were only two gadwall on it today.

Under construction

The new wind turbines have been delivered this week for the wind farm next to the inland sea at Widdrington. Now I am not anti-wind farm, as long as they are in the right place. This place would have been okay had the opencast mine not left behind a massive pond that would obviously, and has, attracted birds. Not much thought or planning gone into either scheme which results in nature losing out again.

It will certainly change the landscape of the patch - I will try to get down more often and document their construction.

Back to birding, with my back to the new wind farm. There was a steady swallow passage with a bird headed north every minute or so along the dunes whilst I was there. There was very little on the sea other than a handful of red-throated divers - some of which were sporting their summer garb. Strings of gannets heading north on the horizon were a welcome year-tick. No terns were in the bay.

A willow warbler was singing by the car when I headed to the Budge screen, with another by the screen hide.

Jonathon Farooqi had been to the Budge before me and reported an adult little gull. I couldn't find it, but did see the three ruff and four black-tailed godwits that he had also reported. There was a second-summer med gull amongst the black headed gulls.


Patch year list 109
PWC Points 139