Teesdale. May the Force be With You

 We were not going to get a better weather forecast this week so Sam and I opted to visit Teesdale and we were initially rewarded with a blinding winter sun and stunning land and Skyscapes as we travelled through Weardale and onwards to Teesdale.  I had recently benefitted from a reading the Durham Wildlife Trust’s book The Natural History of Upper Weardale so I took special interest in places we passed through such as Stanhope, East and West Gate, Frosterly and St John’s Chapel.  The sun ensured that our outward drive was rewarded with a sharpness of light and clarity.  The higher ground is really stunning which made p for a lack of wildlife in this Red Grouse area.  In any event we knew this was not the time to visit the area to gain the most of bird and botanical interest but there were to be some highlights.

Red-flanked Bluetail

Before we hit Weardale we sighted a Common Buzzard but found only one short sighting of a Red Grouse, this species apparently hunkered down out of the strong, and as we were to find out icy cold wind.  I was extremely comfortable in Sam’s heated seats and so when we arrived at Langdon Beck to look for Black Grouse the wind chilled me to the bone.  There were no Black Grouse to be seen, only four Pheasant in the lower fields, so we continued to the area of Bowlees in hopes of finding the long staying vagrant Red-flanked Bluetail.  This bird should be wintering in S E Asia, but clearly likes it here as it has been around for some time now.  We found the area that the bird has often been seen in among the Beeches but we had no luck until Sam scampered down to the lower pathway.  He quickly waved to me to say he had found it and I followed more slowly.  So, we had good sightings of the Red-flanked Bluetail that spent all the time at ground level, and were able to put one or two other birders onto it.  We had previously seen this species only once before in Britain and that was on Lindisfarne a year or two ago.  The sighting we really remember however is of this bird in breeding plumage in the forests of Finland.  One of our top ever sightings.  If you don’t know what this bird is like in breeding plumage it might be worth looking at an image on the internet.

Red-flanked Bluetail

We enjoyed a wander along the woodland paths and had sightings of Wren, Robin, Treeceeper, Nuthatch, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Coal Tit, Blue Tit, Long tailed Tit, Siskin, Chaffinch and Brambling.  The male Brambling being a highlight.

Low Force

We then made for Low Force a series of waterfalls which tumble over the dolerite of the Whin Sill an intrusion which formed 295 million years ago.  This is a stunningly beautiful area, but potentially very dangerous.  We approached over the Wynch Bridge.  The first bridge at this sight was built in 1704 and is thought to have been the first suspension bridge in Europe.  This first bridge collapsed but was replaced, and users included the local miners.

Sam at Low Force

Standing beside this waterfall you soon appreciate the force of the water and the power of nature.  The sun was occasionally behind cloud but when the cloud passed by the sunlight hit the river and air bubbles causing a sparkling gem like effect and a rainbow by the falls.

Gem Pool

We couldn’t visit Low Force without taking a walk to High Force also.  By the way, the name force is derived from the Nordic word foss meaning waterfall.  High Force is not by any means the highest waterfall in England but it is perhaps the most dramatic and has the largest volume of water in a single drop.  The geology here is fascinating and clearly seen with the Whinsill dolerite at the top, softer sandstone in the centre and limestone at the bottom.  The actual gorge was mainly formed by the meltwaters of the last ice age.  Even at this time of year there was several visitors, but not enough to spoil the atmosphere and what is an exciting experience with nature.  Junipers were growing along the top of the far bank and small lone Scots Pine was surviving on the rock face of the force seemingly well dug into a crack along the rock.

High Force

High Force

I had really enjoyed my walk to the force, taking note of the geology, ferns and other plant life beginning to show as we began to hear the flow of the force and eventually catching sight of it.  We spent a bit of time at the foot of the falls before making our way back up steep steps and upwards on onwards.  The return walk I did not enjoy, being cream crackered and breathless.  As Sam suggested, it’s an age thing!

High Force

By the time we were back to the car it was time to make back home.  We decided to return via Langdon Beck.  That proved to be a wise decision as on stopping we found Black Grouse at lek.  We got the scope out and initially counted fifteen Blackcock before noting two Greyhens flying away from the leking ground and landing in the distance.  Another Blackcock flew in taking the number of males up to 16.  We watched a little action as pairs of the males faced up to one another before the cold defeated us and we returned to the car and heated seats.

We left the area as grey leaden cloud appeared to set in for the rest of the day, but it wasn’t long before we were in sunshine again.  This time the light was much softer giving the whole area a rather fresh look of soft pastel colouration.

It had been an excellent day and we certainly had the best of the weather despite the bitter wind at times.  It was good to see the Red-flanked Blue Tail but for me the stars of the day were the Black Grouse, birds so evocative of this area and wild places in general.  Brambling joins these two birds to form my top three species of the day.  On the journey home we saw a large flock of Fieldfare and a large flock of Starlings plus two Kestrels.   After an hour or so rest we had fish and chips for tea.  Top day, and as Sam said at the time, one with a Nordic feel to it.  Today I’m writing and resting.

 

 

 

Sights and Sounds. S E Northumberland.

 We made off towards Druridge Bay on what was a cloudy, cold and in places windy day (despite the reports of a warm day).  We picked up Kestrel at the side of the road from the A19.  But before reporting on sightings and sounds of the day I will include a couple more images from the patch as we took no photos today.

Oystercatcher in town.

Orange and Harlequin Ladybirds.  Numbers keep changing so they clearly are on the move during hibernation.

This was my first venture off patch this year and our first stop was at Castle Island.  Birds seen here included Little Egret, Redshank, Curlew, Mallard, Wigeon and Teal.   The sound of Jays alerted us to their presence before hearing and tracking down five Greenfinch which flew overhead. Such was the pleasure of finding the rapidly declining Greenfinch species, we got the scope onto them when they perched in the trees.  Any naturalist worthy of the title will be aware of the importance of noting sounds.  I always struggle to remember the name of the disease that has wiped out so many Greenfinches.  The bloke we spoke to just called it the pox so maybe I just need to stick to that, although to me it has connotations of something entirely different.  Maybe that is just me regressing to thoughts of schoolboy banter.   Our next stop of only a few minutes was at the QE11 Park where we saw noting of great note which was not the case at our next stop.

Widdrington pool delivered some good sightings once again with the likes of Smew, Goldeneye, Slavonian Grebe, Red Necked Grebe, Red Breasted Merganser, Marsh Harrier and Common Buzzard.  Sound once again alerted us to Siskin and Coal Tit.  The cold chill contrasted to the warmth we had found here on a previous visit.

We arrived at Cresswell Pond to note that the water was very high and to be told by a bloke leaving that there was nowt about but Wigeon.  I have to say that I would rather not be told this and be allowed to find out myself that there is nowt about.  In truth there was not much about apart from many Wigeon, their whistling soon heard.  In fact, with the cold, wind and high water levels and broken-down hedges the area was quite bleak.  We did find Stonechat on the wire, but the hedges down to the hide were very quiet with only Blue Tit, Great Tit and Dunnock seen here.  A Skylark flew over.  There was no sign of the usual Tree Sparrows.  The farm buildings had taken a battering in the gales too.  The high water level ensured there was no mud bank for the waders but we did see numbers of Oystercatchers and Curlew.  There was little on the water other than the Wigeon and most of there number were on the banks.  There was a single Greylag Goose, but numbers of Pink footed Geese in the field to the north of the pond.  The dunes at different times provided separate flocks of Chaffinch, Linnet and Goldfinch.  We checked the flocks but found nothing else amongst them.

It was time for lunch before we visited Druridge Pools.  The pot of tea warmed me up nicely before we set off again.

Druridge Pools provided sightings of yet more numerous Wigeon, along with Teal, Shoveler, Pintail, Moorhen, Coot, Curlew, Grey Heron and three very nice Ruff amongst a larger number of Redshank.  Once back on the road and out of the cold wind we experienced some rare moments of complete silence.  There were very few folks about and that is a rare thing in Northumberland even on a dull winter’s day these days.  A lone silent Reed Bunting was seen to fly into the bush at the side of the road.  On the road to East Chevington two Red Legged Partridge walked across the road in front of us.

On arrival at East Chevington we heard and watched Long Tailed Tits in the hedges.  Same noted a change in their calls and called Sparrowhawk before we saw a female Sparrowhawk fly above the hedge and across the field.  More of winters sounds, and the one I most associate with winter was provided by several skeins of Pink-footed Geese making varying shapes above us.  Then we got our eye on what we thought was a dead sheep but it proved still to be alive but unable to rise from its side.  Sam alerted the NWT who said they would get an appropriate person out.  The North Pool was quiet but held numbers of Goldeneye, Gadwall another Greylag Goose and other species. 

Before we set off towards the burn Sam noticed another sheep in distress, stuck firmly in the wire fencing.  Sam tried to shift it, but it looked as though it would need wire cutters so he made another call to the NWT.  Our walk to the burn was quiet and on arrival we found the tide high.  In the distance we had seen five Common Buzzards flying together over the woodland.  Two or three Sanderling and similar number of Ringed Plover were seen at the tide edge.  The light was beginning to wane now and we stood, relaxed, and listened to the tide hitting the shore.  There are not many better sounds.  As we left to return to the car swans were seen in the far distance.  By their stance I thought they were Whooper Swans and once we had the scope on them we found that was what they were.  Another Stonechat was seen and just before we got back to the car another Kestrel was seen and the call of Grey Partridges was heard.  We eventually picked out at least four Grey Partridges moving across the field.

It had been a cold but excellent day with sixty-seven bird species seen, twenty-eight of them new for my year list which makes it feel a little more respectable.  So infrequently do I see Greenfinch these days I put them up there with the better birds of the day.

As we left there was no sign of anyone coming to deal with the sheep.  I do hope our alerting the NWT was not in vain.

 

January on Patch

 I’ve not left the patch to seek birds and nature throughout January, and I think my mind has benefitted from a return to basics and the enjoyment of nature on my doorstep.  I’m mindful that my interests in nature began on patch many years ago, so it has felt like a return to those years and I have had much enjoyment from the short and on occasions longer walks which helped to shake off the cobwebs and clear the mind.  I’m hoping that I still have readers of the blog who I know enjoyed the focus upon patch wanderings.

1st Year Winter Scaup

Has January ever provided so many clear blue skies and sun during the years of my watching?  I think not.  It was only the gales of the later days of the month that blighted the month and took numerous trees down across the area, some of them of good age.  Possibly because of such fine weather the bird numbers have in general been low across the patch.  Of course, birdlife present around the area has changed over the years.  I’ve yet to see a Greenfinch this year, so badly effected by disease over the years and I was doubting that I was going to see a Coal Tit until one returned to my garden on the 30^th.  The lake too has been noticeably quiet with the Goosanders leaving early, probably enticed to their breeding sites.  The fact that the lake has been affected by the Avian Flu taking a toll on the Mute Swans and we think Canada Geese has been depressing.  I know many other areas of Northumberland have been affected to a lesser or greater degree.  The Gadwall which have begun to frequent the lake in recent years have also left and I have seen no sign of Shovelers.  It was the lake that Sam and I visited during the later days of the month to find the Scaup.

1st Year Winter Scaup

The first winter Scaup provided exceptionally good photo opportunities for us and many other photographers.  It is an interesting bird just beginning to come into summer plumage so we are hoping it may hang around for a while so that we can watch the plumage developing.  Already more noticeable over a couple of days is the vermiculation on the back of the bird.  The greater size of this bird compared to Tufted Duck is very noticeable when the two are seen close by one another.  No doubt a life at sea and feeding habits for the Scaup has played some part in the evolutionary development.

Displaying Goldeneye

Goldeneye

Goldeneye

We took the opportunity to photograph other waterfowl including the Goldeneye.  Finding a suitable angle was not always easy so bright was the sun.  The Oystercatcher feeding in the pools on the grass took our eye as did the much-underrated Jackdaws one of which is white winged and we believe has been around for years.

Togetherness.  Jackdaws are attractive birds.

Sam and I have watched and studied Great Crested Grebes on the lake for many years and we have given a presentation about them to several groups, and we are always available if required.  We were glad to see that a pair have returned in the past couple of days, perhaps encouraged off the sea by the gale force winds.  Over recent years the Great Crested Grebes have taken to over wintering on the lake, only leaving for a brief period if the lake freezes over.  We noticed this winter they have not been about and can only think that calm seas and mild weather have encouraged them to stay on the sea.  They didn’t provide good opportunities for photographs today, but there’s plenty of time for that and the likelihood is that at least one more pair will turn up.

Pochard.  Good numbers on the lake.

The smaller lake held a pair of Little Grebes and the Grey Heron was back at its usual spot.  Sadly, one of the Canada Geese seemed to be down with Avian Flu.  Sam informed the appropriate agency but they won’t come out until the bird is actually dead.

Mute Swans

We’ve been taking note of the budding trees and the first signs of plants in leaf.  A Snowdrop was found almost in flower on the 1^st.  An eye has also been kept of the hibernating Ladybird species.  One of the better sightings of the month was a sunlit male Sparrowhawk over the lake and our heads.  It eventually perched in the trees and disturbed the Goldfinches. 

I heard a Drumming Great Spotted Woodpecker quite early in the month and mid-way through the month watched male and female Mute Swans carefully gathering nesting material by pulling out one by one reeds that had been flattened to the ground.  In recent years and since the reduction in numbers of the swans on the lake, at least one pair have produced cygnets.  I was chatting to a chap at the lake and he was keen on watching bird behaviour and felt that was the element of birding he enjoyed most.  I couldn’t agree more that that is where the fascination lies.  Forget lists and listing and simply watch!

I’m hoping to widen my travels soon.