I saw a Ross's Goose on the patch today. Can I add it to my Druridge patch list?
The goose in question was first picked up lifting off from near East Chevington by Alan Gilbertson and myself as a white goose amongst about 1000 pinkfeets. From a long-way off, it looked like quite big and we guessed it was a snow goose. A better view was required, the geese had landed one field north of the patch boundary, how frustrating.
Alan left and Janet arrived, we went for a better look. Closer inspection proved it to be an adult Ross's goose, but it was still outside the patch.
We spent the rest of the afternoon chainsawing, reducing the height of some alders and ash trees around our net-rides and doing some much-needed coppicing. As we worked, the geese flock got up a again and circled over the northern edge of the patch. The 'white one' was easily picked out.
Now the conundrum. Ross's goose still isn't on the official British list, residing in category D. Identification isn't in question, it's the origin of these birds that hasn't been confirmed. There have been a few Ross's in the UK over the past decade that look for genuine vagrants (timing and arrival with possible carrier species). Alongside this, the world population of Ross's has massively increased from an estimated 3000 individuals in the 1930's to 188,000 in the 1980's making genuine vagrancy more likely.
So what do I do?
Add Ross's Goose to the Druridge List? (I see from BUBO Listing that some Northumbrian birders have added the 2004 Hauxley Ross's goose to their county lists)
Create a 'pending' category and add it as an 'armchair' tick when the BOURC add it to the British list?
or
Forget all about it
Time to ponder. Despite spending the whole afternoon chainsawing, as well as Ross's Geese I managed to add oystercatcher and whooper swan to the year-list and watch two fantastic short-eared owls in the dunes.
79 oystercatcher
80 whooper swan
81 Ross's goose??? (Pending)
Sunday, 26 February 2012
Sunday, 19 February 2012
Owls and Raptors
An abandoned point-to-point meeting at Alnwick meant that I got to spend the afternoon at Druridge rather than spending my money with the bookies!
I was treated to a fantastic short-eared owl display. At least three SEO's were in the vicinity of Druridge this afternoon. It was great to watch, especially when two of them came across one another...they would have a bit of a set-to before heading off to hunt. This happened a few times over the Budge fields.There seems to be a lot of SEO's wintering in Northumberland this year, I hope a few stay to breed. It must be ten years since I saw them in the Cheviots.
Whilst I was watching owl-fest, I also saw a merlin flying over the big pool and Budge Fields and later, a peregrine, which was high at first, over the farm. It then headed north towards Hemscotthill scattering various flocks of waders, corvids and starlings as it went.
Offshore, I saw my first gannets of the year, four of them on the horizon, flying north. There was also a harbour porpoise in the Bay among the red-throated divers, mergansers and shags.There was also a red-breasted merganser on the Budge fields briefly.
I walked through the dunes for a while. I came across at least six 'thrushes anvils' - this was the most impressive.
On Friday night, I drove home via the patch and scored a barn owl at High Chibburn Farm.
74 barn owl
76 merlin
77 gannet
78 peregrine
I was treated to a fantastic short-eared owl display. At least three SEO's were in the vicinity of Druridge this afternoon. It was great to watch, especially when two of them came across one another...they would have a bit of a set-to before heading off to hunt. This happened a few times over the Budge fields.There seems to be a lot of SEO's wintering in Northumberland this year, I hope a few stay to breed. It must be ten years since I saw them in the Cheviots.
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| various short-eared owl views |
Whilst I was watching owl-fest, I also saw a merlin flying over the big pool and Budge Fields and later, a peregrine, which was high at first, over the farm. It then headed north towards Hemscotthill scattering various flocks of waders, corvids and starlings as it went.
Offshore, I saw my first gannets of the year, four of them on the horizon, flying north. There was also a harbour porpoise in the Bay among the red-throated divers, mergansers and shags.There was also a red-breasted merganser on the Budge fields briefly.
 |
| red-breasted merganser on the Budge field pools |
 |
| and it was gone..... |
I walked through the dunes for a while. I came across at least six 'thrushes anvils' - this was the most impressive.
 |
| 'thrushes anvil' in the dunes at Druridge |
74 barn owl
76 merlin
77 gannet
78 peregrine
Sunday, 12 February 2012
No Pecker
Well, since hearing about the Druridge green woodpecker ( a patch mega) from Dave Elliott, I have put in about 7 hours in search of the illusive creature to no avail. I've tried staking out the feeders at the cottages and the Budge Screen where Dave heard it calling and saw it flying south with no success.
I wonder if it's moved on?
I have managed a few year-ticks in my woodpecker search though. A male bullfinch at the feeders was nice and a flock of siskin moving through the alders was new for the year. A male goldcrest, sporting a metal ring (one of ours?) was interesting. I don't normally see winter/spring goldcrests at Druridge, they normally get added to the year-list in the autumn.
On Friday, the national influx of woodcock was mirrored at Druridge with five lifting out of the bushes as I walked through. I wonder what they would've thought today when we started the chainsaw to do some net-ride maintenance and coppicing?
Today was also WeBS day. I did my count before we started the chainsaw work for obvious reasons. duck numbers weren't high with only 133 teal and 75 wigeon. three drake pintail on the Budge fields were the highlight. 53 curlew on the field next to the big pool was a good count for that species.
Whilst we were working on the rides, a short-eared owl was quartering the Budge fields, it, or another, had moved on to the dunes by the time we were packing up. I headed up there for a better view and was very impressed by the way the sun made the sea silvery, turning pinker as it set.
I've a busy week ahead so little chance of getting down to the patch before Sunday.....bring on March for some after work birding!
71 bullfinch
72 goldcrest
73 siskin
74 woodcock
I wonder if it's moved on?
I have managed a few year-ticks in my woodpecker search though. A male bullfinch at the feeders was nice and a flock of siskin moving through the alders was new for the year. A male goldcrest, sporting a metal ring (one of ours?) was interesting. I don't normally see winter/spring goldcrests at Druridge, they normally get added to the year-list in the autumn.
On Friday, the national influx of woodcock was mirrored at Druridge with five lifting out of the bushes as I walked through. I wonder what they would've thought today when we started the chainsaw to do some net-ride maintenance and coppicing?
Today was also WeBS day. I did my count before we started the chainsaw work for obvious reasons. duck numbers weren't high with only 133 teal and 75 wigeon. three drake pintail on the Budge fields were the highlight. 53 curlew on the field next to the big pool was a good count for that species.
 |
| drake goldeneye, one of two on the WeBS count |
 |
| Pink, silvery sea at Druridge tonight |
I've a busy week ahead so little chance of getting down to the patch before Sunday.....bring on March for some after work birding!
71 bullfinch
72 goldcrest
73 siskin
74 woodcock
Monday, 30 January 2012
Potential patch tick requires stakeout
Football and rain have prevented visits to the patch lately. Working 10 hours a day doesn't help matters.
I'm going to have to put some effort in though, on a stakeout for a patch tick....
So what's the species?
Dave Elliott texted me today, his friend who lives in the cottages, with a huge array of feeders in his garden has had a GREEN WOODPECKER coming to his feeders!!
Guess were I'm going to before work tomorrow...
Sunday, 15 January 2012
Caad but sunny for the WeBS count
A cold and frosty morning at Druridge, it was bright and sunny though. I quite like cold and sunny winter days.
As I predicted, when chatting to Dave Elliott counting twite near Hemscotthill Hill, the Budge fields were completely frozen, this didn't stop 41 curlew looking for tasty pickings ans as a result, the wildfowl were all on the big poool.
Wigeon were the most numerous (204) folowed predictably by teal (106). A smattering of tufted duck, mallard, goldeneye, coot and moorhen rounded things off for the WeBS count.
The, now regular, over-wintering chiffchaff is still hanging about. Today it was near the road by the path to the hides, seemingly, despite my tip-off, it wasn't seen by any of last weeekends bird-race teams!
Interestingly, there were a few song thrush in the dunes. I counted at least six....recent arrivals? Offshore, a great-northern diver was the highlight of the day. It wasn only about a third of the way out so worth having a look for if you're passing. Also offshore was my first shags of the year (fnarr fnarr), a handful of red-throated divers and common scoters.
No photo's again I'm afraid
63 robin
64 shag
65 great-northern diver
As I predicted, when chatting to Dave Elliott counting twite near Hemscotthill Hill, the Budge fields were completely frozen, this didn't stop 41 curlew looking for tasty pickings ans as a result, the wildfowl were all on the big poool.
Wigeon were the most numerous (204) folowed predictably by teal (106). A smattering of tufted duck, mallard, goldeneye, coot and moorhen rounded things off for the WeBS count.
The, now regular, over-wintering chiffchaff is still hanging about. Today it was near the road by the path to the hides, seemingly, despite my tip-off, it wasn't seen by any of last weeekends bird-race teams!
Interestingly, there were a few song thrush in the dunes. I counted at least six....recent arrivals? Offshore, a great-northern diver was the highlight of the day. It wasn only about a third of the way out so worth having a look for if you're passing. Also offshore was my first shags of the year (fnarr fnarr), a handful of red-throated divers and common scoters.
No photo's again I'm afraid
63 robin
64 shag
65 great-northern diver
Sunday, 8 January 2012
Mammals year-list under way
No photo's today, I forgot to take my camera with me. I was a bit out-of-sorts this morning, I'm blaming the Abbot Ale!
So an afternoon visit to Druridge was all I could muster. All very quiet indeed bird-wise, a few common species added to the year-list, otherwise quite dull. The highlights were a huge skein of pink-footed geese lifting off the fields by Hemscothill and flying north over the patch, there was maybe 1500-1800 of them, quite an impressive sight. A count of 38 sanderling was good, considering the number of dog walkers there were.
My mammal year-list finally got under-way and is now already up to three species, harbour porpoise, grey seal and rabbit.
59 dunnock
60 canada goose
61 long-tailed tit
62blackbird
So an afternoon visit to Druridge was all I could muster. All very quiet indeed bird-wise, a few common species added to the year-list, otherwise quite dull. The highlights were a huge skein of pink-footed geese lifting off the fields by Hemscothill and flying north over the patch, there was maybe 1500-1800 of them, quite an impressive sight. A count of 38 sanderling was good, considering the number of dog walkers there were.
My mammal year-list finally got under-way and is now already up to three species, harbour porpoise, grey seal and rabbit.
59 dunnock
60 canada goose
61 long-tailed tit
62blackbird
Monday, 2 January 2012
A good start to 2012
January 1st
I very rarely do any birding on New Years Day. Usually because of a severe hang-over or football or both. This New Years Day was different. I was our partying the night (and morning) before but still managed to make it down to Druridge albeit with a bit of a thick-head a good-deal of queasiness. I only had an hour though as we had another party to get to.
Highlight of the morning was a short-eared owl quartering the Budge fields and bunds. The wintering chifchaff seen in late December was still hanging around the willows by the Little hide, making an early appearance on the year-list. There were good numbers of duck on the Budge fields, including at least three drake pintail.
Little of interest on the pool, other than a water rail which was poking around the edge of the phragmites bed. A buzzard flew over, quite low, heading south.
I ended the day on 35 species. Not bad for an hours work with an hangover.
January 2nd
I felt a bit more chipper this morning. I did have a lie-in though so didn't make it to Druridge until 1ish.
I started with a look on the sea, 2 snow buntings flew north calling, a good start! A pair of eiders and a group three red-breasted mergansers were added to the year-list.
Next, to the Budge screen. I picked up a large wader on the far side, feeding amongst the grass by the fence that wasn't a curlew. When it emerged it revealed itself as a black-tailed godwit. A rare species in winter in Northumberland and especially at Druridge Pools. Without looking through my notes and lists, I think this may be my first winter patch record for blackwit.
Despite the strengthening and very cold westerly wind I decided a hike around the extremities of the patch was in order. I set off for High Chibburn Farm via the hamlet. At the feeding station at the cottages, tree and house sparrows are added to the list with goldfinch. At the farm, there were 19 collared doves, once a very rare species at Druridge, this wintering flock is nice to see. Also at High Chibburn were a flock of about 50 curlew with redshanks, in the same field as a covey of 12 grey partridge, which were later flushed by a sparrowhawk.
I got blown along the haul road, seeing very little. A walk through the bushes didn't produce a woodcock but in the willows by the bridge, yesterdays chiffchaff was still calling. This might be of interest to any winter bird-racers who are out next Saturday. Obviously, if I had been bird-racing next weekend (we've got Blackburn at home in the cup so I'll not be) I would have suppressed this!
So, 58 species by the 2nd of January. Not a bad start. It's going to be a hard-slog from now until the end of March, when the first migrants return though.
I hope to a review of 2011 in the next couple of days.
1 red-throated diver
2 guilliemot
3 common scoter
4 black-headed gull
5 common gull
6 sanderling
7 cormorant
8 pied wagtail
9 short-eared owl
10 carrion crow
11 herring gull
12 grey heron
13 chiffchaff
14 stonechat
15 blue tit
16 teal
17 wigeon
18 mallard
19 lapwing
20 curlew
21 shoveler
22 kestrel
23 tufted duck
24 coot
25 goldeneye
26 mute swan
27 water rail
28 skylark
29 song thrush
30 redshank
31 magpie
32 pintail
33 pheasant
34 buzzard
35 pink-footed goose
36 red-breasted merganser
37 great-black backed gull
38 eider
39 snow bunting
40 black-tailed godwit
41 snipe
42 chaffinch
43 redwing
44 tree sparrow
45 house sparrow
46 collared dove
47 feral pigeon
48 jackdaw
49 sparrowhawk
50 grey partridge
51 meadow pipit
52 woodpigeon
53 mistle thrush
54 wren
55 moorhen
56 rook
57 goldfinch
58 starling
I very rarely do any birding on New Years Day. Usually because of a severe hang-over or football or both. This New Years Day was different. I was our partying the night (and morning) before but still managed to make it down to Druridge albeit with a bit of a thick-head a good-deal of queasiness. I only had an hour though as we had another party to get to.
Highlight of the morning was a short-eared owl quartering the Budge fields and bunds. The wintering chifchaff seen in late December was still hanging around the willows by the Little hide, making an early appearance on the year-list. There were good numbers of duck on the Budge fields, including at least three drake pintail.
Little of interest on the pool, other than a water rail which was poking around the edge of the phragmites bed. A buzzard flew over, quite low, heading south.
I ended the day on 35 species. Not bad for an hours work with an hangover.
January 2nd
I felt a bit more chipper this morning. I did have a lie-in though so didn't make it to Druridge until 1ish.
I started with a look on the sea, 2 snow buntings flew north calling, a good start! A pair of eiders and a group three red-breasted mergansers were added to the year-list.
Next, to the Budge screen. I picked up a large wader on the far side, feeding amongst the grass by the fence that wasn't a curlew. When it emerged it revealed itself as a black-tailed godwit. A rare species in winter in Northumberland and especially at Druridge Pools. Without looking through my notes and lists, I think this may be my first winter patch record for blackwit.
Despite the strengthening and very cold westerly wind I decided a hike around the extremities of the patch was in order. I set off for High Chibburn Farm via the hamlet. At the feeding station at the cottages, tree and house sparrows are added to the list with goldfinch. At the farm, there were 19 collared doves, once a very rare species at Druridge, this wintering flock is nice to see. Also at High Chibburn were a flock of about 50 curlew with redshanks, in the same field as a covey of 12 grey partridge, which were later flushed by a sparrowhawk.
 |
| Low Chibburn Preceptory with a flock of lapwing and starling in front |
 |
| Another view of the preceptory |
So, 58 species by the 2nd of January. Not a bad start. It's going to be a hard-slog from now until the end of March, when the first migrants return though.
I hope to a review of 2011 in the next couple of days.
1 red-throated diver
2 guilliemot
3 common scoter
4 black-headed gull
5 common gull
6 sanderling
7 cormorant
8 pied wagtail
9 short-eared owl
10 carrion crow
11 herring gull
12 grey heron
13 chiffchaff
14 stonechat
15 blue tit
16 teal
17 wigeon
18 mallard
19 lapwing
20 curlew
21 shoveler
22 kestrel
23 tufted duck
24 coot
25 goldeneye
26 mute swan
27 water rail
28 skylark
29 song thrush
30 redshank
31 magpie
32 pintail
33 pheasant
34 buzzard
35 pink-footed goose
36 red-breasted merganser
37 great-black backed gull
38 eider
39 snow bunting
40 black-tailed godwit
41 snipe
42 chaffinch
43 redwing
44 tree sparrow
45 house sparrow
46 collared dove
47 feral pigeon
48 jackdaw
49 sparrowhawk
50 grey partridge
51 meadow pipit
52 woodpigeon
53 mistle thrush
54 wren
55 moorhen
56 rook
57 goldfinch
58 starling
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