2018 Birding Ends on Northumberland Coast

30^th Dec.  It was surprisingly mild for the time of year and apart from some grey and threatening cloud we passed under on our way north, the skies were clear.  Our first stop at Fenham Flats was to be very different in terms of temperature than last winter when we were here in thick frost and biting temperatures.  Our first birds of any significance were seen as we walked towards the hide, these were Brent Geese (pale bellied), and not too far distant.  We spent a good bit of time outside of the hide and watched what appeared to be a movement of Skylarks overhead, and photographed the geese as best we could.  At some point Sam picked up the distant call of Peregrine Falcon, but we never had a sighting of the bird.

Brent Geese

Once in the hide we found the sea fairly quiet of birds but did pick up a small raft of Long Tailed Duck in the distance, Red breasted Mergansers and Eiders.  A flock of Dunlin in flight put on a bit of display, More Brent Geese flew in to feed and a few Wigeon also landed at the tide-line.  To the north there were large numbers of Shelduck and many Dunlin and Curlew, and amongst them we counted into double figures Grey Plover and the odd Knot.  Some birds were just too distant to make out with the scope.  Other waders seen included Oystercatcher, Turnstone, Black-tailed Godwit and Redshank.  We left for Stag Rock only because we would run out of time if we had not.  Befoe we left we had a Queen Bee checking out the area.  There can be great birding in winter light but the days are so short.

Brent Geese

We were surprised to find so many people on the beach at Bamburgh and it wasn’t easy to park.  A walk along the beach brought us little other than Pied Wagtail and Rock Pipit.  It seems the number of folks about had disturbed the birds and this was confirmed when we met AJ who informed us that the Purple Sandpipers had flown north having been disturbed by a dog walker.  Nevertheless, we had good sightings of close in Long Tailed Ducks and eventually Common Scoter.  A single Slavonian Grebe was seen briefly nearby a flock of Eider Duck.  Other birds seen included Shag and Guillemot and over the fields to the east Kestrel and a mixed flock of Linnet and Twite, but I can’t say I personally found Twite amongst the flock.  Conditions here today were far calmer than on our last visit.

Brent Geese

On the way to Seahouses we took a cursory glance at Monk House Pool where we saw little of note.  After lunch we decided to try for the Bean Geese reported nearby Seahouses.  We found large numbers of Pink footed Geese but no Bean Geese were identified.

We decided to end our day with a bracing walk at Long Nanny thinking we might still have a chance of finding the Shore Larks even though the light was beginning to fade a little.  We found no Shore Larks but had an excellent walk in a wonderful atmosphere now that we almost had the area to ourselves with all other visitors making their way home.  It was a very pleasant way to end the day and we did see a pair of Stonechat and a Little Grebe.

Having ended the day with long Nanny almost to ourselves and in peace with the world I’m mindful of one of the best books that I read in 2018 which was The Outermost House by Henry Beston (1888-1968).  Beston spent a year of his life in the 1920s living a solitary life in a beach house on Cape Cod.  We should use all our senses when with nature, although how many people can say that they do I wonder?  Well, whether you do or you don’t I would suggest that anyone would benefit from reading the Outermost House.  My copy has already been shared with two other people who thoroughly enjoyed it.

I usually end the year with a recap of lots of experiences during the previous twelve months.  Well, not this time.  I don’t wish to become predictable!  I will say however that my best experiences of the 2018 were during the two weeks I spent touring with Sam on the Out Hebrides.  The year has not all been plain sailing for me, but I am not going to make any complaints.

All the Best for 2019. 

Let it Snow, let it Snow, let it Snow Bunting

Oh, the weather outside is frightful

But the fire is so delightful.
And since we've got no place to go,
Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!

22^nd Dec.  Well there is to be no white Christmas, but I thought it best to set the mood, and at least we have some local Snow Buntings to admire.  The scientific name for Snow Bunting is Plecrophenax nivalis.  The specific name of nivalis is Latin for snow white and is also used in the scientific name of the flower, the snowdrop, Galanthus nivalis.  The specific name nivalis is most appropriate for the Snow Bunting in summer plumage, but such is their winter plumage the name remains appropriate.

We took the route past Backworth and Earsdon as we made our way towards St Mary’s Island and the hoped-for Snow Buntings.  Passing the fields along the way we passed flocks of both Greylag and Pink-footed Geese.  Kestrel was also seen.  On arrival we began a search for the Snow Buntings, a search made very easy when we very quickly spotted a keen young lad taking photographs of birds which we guessed were what we were after and we were correct, and so went on to make use of some very good photographic opportunities.  The Snow Buntings were far from retiring and even when disturbed by dogs and walkers they would take flight, but remain in the area and soon return to feed.  There was quite a lot of calling between feeds.  As per the norm most folk walked past without paying any attention to the birds, a few of them slowing to take a look simply to see what was being photographed, but seemingly with little real interest.  A small minority of folk did show real interest and asked what species we were photographing and one elderly lady knew that they were Snow Buntings.  Probably because of the length of time the Snow Buntings have been in the area we saw no other birders the entire time we were present, time very well spent.  Although in theory temperatures were quite high, around 8 to 9C, the breeze made it feel much colder.

After a walk around the wet-land area where Teal and Gadwall were seen, Sam and I decided to try our luck looking for another reported Water Pipit.  There were plenty of Rock Pipits, but the nearest thing we saw to Water Pipit we decided was a littoralis Rock Pipit.  We found that there were few waders about but we did eventually find numbers of Lapwing, Redwing and Turnstone, the odd Sanderling and Curlew and once back on the road to Seaton Sluice numbers of Golden Plover in the fields.  It had been well worth the trip for the Snow Buntings alone and warmed up over a fish and chip lunch plus complimentary glass of Sherry.

Next stop was Holywell Pond.  In my mind this reserve is simply not what it used to be.  I remember when I first began to visit this reserve there used to be large flocks of both Teal and Wigeon on the pond at this time of year.  There were a few Teal today, but not in the numbers of the past.  Other bird sightings were sparse here today, but included Grey Heron and Mute Swan.  As the light began to fade we walked a circular route back to the car but saw little in the way of birds, but the 3 Bullfinches in flight and lit by the low but bright sun was a nice sighting.

A good day out with some decent images amongst many taken to show for it.

Merry Christmas.

So Water Pipits Exist and Killy Birder Returns!

9^th Dec.  We drove north on Sunday under a clear blue sky and with the occasional flock of Lapwing flying above the A1 and hovering Kestrel at the road edge.  It was good to be out and about on such a clear winters day.  Our first stop having driven by Spindlestone was at Budle Bay where we found the tide receded way out in the bay.  There were the expected Wigeon and Teal, Shelduck, Shoveler, Mallard, Curlew and Bar-tailed Godwit but nothing to keep us standing around in the biting cold for too long as we watched from the roadside car-park.  A Grey Plover with an injured leg did catch the eye and I felt unless the leg improved quickly the bird may not last for too long.

We’d set off early and so found Bamburgh still quiet as we passed through and made our way to Stag Rock.  It was slightly warmer in the sun here if you managed to avoid the northerly wind.  We were out to find the Water Pipit recently reported.  There were certainly many Rock Pipits which we checked out thoroughly before finding our target bird.  We failed to find the Water Pipits in Druridge earlier this year after several attempts and I think Sam was wondering if such a species really did exist.  It had been a bogey bird for him, but he now has a new lifer.  I have to confess I ‘ve seen few Water Pipits, the first encounter being with a summer plumaged bird in the Transylvanian Mountains of Romania some years ago.  Anyway, we checked our bird well against identification details so were confident of ID.  Once we looked at the sea through the scope we found it rougher than first appearances would have suggested.  I think I caught sight of one Long tailed Duck just a little way from a small flock of Eider Duck.  Guillemot and Gannet were also seen along with a cetacean species near Inner Farne.  Although we could not be definite about species it was an interesting find.  We ruled out several species and Sam plumped for a possible Bottle-nosed Dolphin.  Waders here included the expected Purple Sandpipers, Turnstone, Sanderling, Ringed Plover and Redshank.  A sizeable flock of Linnet flew nearby and may or may not have held other species.  A walk along the beach brought us a pair of Stonechat and a Pied Wagtail.  We left happy with our Water Pipit sighting.  Cloud and a thin mist began to encircle Bamburgh Castle and as we headed for Seahouses a passing shower of rain fell but the sky was soon clear again.  I was surprised to see so few people were out on such a wonderful day.

We decided to have an early lunch in Seahouses having checked out a quiet Monk’s Pool where we found little but Mallard and Shoveler.  We drove down the coastal route and decided to take a look at Buston Links, an area neither of us had visited before.  Well, we drove down a road that Sam described as Medieval.  It certainly makes the pot-holed road down to East Chevington, North Pool look like an autobahn!  We were rewarded with one Redshank and a Blue Tit, but admit we had little time to explore what seems to be a very nice area of habitat.  We’ll be back when we have more time.  We may walk!

Setting off for East Chevington we passed a sizable flock of Goldfinch flying over the fields.  We walked to the burn missing out the pools today, where after some minutes a small flock of thirteen Twite flew in and landed close by.  There were flocks of Ringed Plover and Sanderling on the shore line and when they took off and flew low over the advancing waves it looked almost like snow being blown along the tideline with the sea blue making for a very pleasant effect.  A flock of Pink Footed Geese flew overhead and Whooper Swans were heard but remained unseen.

It was very cold indeed when we stopped at Widdrington in the hope of seeing the female Smew.  We failed to sight it and I admit we didn’t stand around too long.  If it had ben a drake Smew we may have been more inclined to face the cold.  We’d seen Tufted Duck and Pochard.

Cresswell Pond was generally quiet.  Lapwing were there on the mud in number along with a few Golden Plover and Dunlins.  Two pairs of Red breasted Merganser were on the pond.  It was mid afternoon and already the sun was heading for the western horizon and the light beginning to fade.  Good numbers of Tree Sparrow fed along the pathway to the hide.  We made for home having really enjoyed the winter’s day, perhaps not that much of great note bird-wise but an excellent day anyway and very few folks about to get in the way.  I did note that the Drift Café was still doing a roaring trade as we passed.  I wonder how many of the customers had been out and about on their feet and how many were talking about the renewed consideration being given to Banks Mining!

In the main I had travelled light today hence no images from the day.  It’s good to be back.