A New Year and Decade Dawns

31^st Dec 2019.  A failure to find the Waxwings in Whitley Bay found by Sam yesterday sent us off to Holywell on a bitterly cold afternoon (perhaps having been spoilt by warmth lately) with the light already fading.  The short visit was far from wasted as we watched numerous skeins of Pink footed Geese fly westwards and away from the coastal area, some Greylag Geese among the skeins.  The sky was clear blue as the geese called and painted shapes above and to the south of us.  A true picture of winter birding.  A Kestrel hovered above the hedge that skirts the pathway that separates the open farmland from the reserve, a usual hunting area for this species.  Folk in the hide were puzzled by a hybrid duck which appeared to be a cross between Gadwall and probably Mallard.  We enjoyed a chat with a guy who had attended a walk at Killingworth we had organised three years ago.  The highlight of the visit was the Kingfisher that perched on the wooden rails that run into the pond.  The tones of blue of this bird showed wonderfully in the dim lighting conditions and the bird was still there when we eventually left to return home.  It had entertained us as it battered a fish on the wooden fence before swallowing it.  You don’t necessarily need good light to appreciate birds and see them at their best.  We decided to give the Short-Eared Owls a miss and perhaps revisit next year i.e. tomorrow.  There seemed to be a suggestion of a couple of photographers behaving badly.  I remembered the evenings Sam and I spent alone at Holywell a few years ago watching Short Eared Owls, great stuff.  Alas I don’t think we’ll have that opportunity this year with so many folks about.  As we left only a few tits continued to visit the feeding station and the ground remained solid in the strikingly cold air.  We left looking forward to a new day and a new year.

And many a mingld swathy crowd
Rook crow and jackdaw noising loud
Fly to and fro to dreary fen
Dull winters weary flight agen
Flopping on heavy wings away
As soon as morning wakens grey
And when the sun sets round and red
Returns to naked woods to bed

John Clare (January/The Shepherds Calendar)

1^st Jan 2020.  I awoke to clear blue skies and after a quick breakfast fed and watched the garden birds which included Song Thrush, now a regular winter visitor once again and a pair of Coal Tits, a species that has visited for as long as I have lived here.  I counted thirteen species in the garden before Sam arrived to begin our New Year walk on patch.

We walked towards the lake via the village church grounds, facing an almost blinding sun and the bitter cold.  I noticed some very complicated patterns made by the ice on some cars we passed.  All seemed quiet nearby the church until Sam picked up calling, and we got our eyes on a pair of Nuthatch.  The other bird of note here was a low gliding female Sparrowhawk that went by us giving a good sighting.  I had been thinking that it was a good day to keep an eye open for Sparrowhawks, although I had expected to see one high in the clear air.  So, we were off to a good start.  Goldfinch was also seen, one of the few finches seen today.

Pochard

The smaller lake was still thinly frozen over in parts.  The most significant species here was the Gadwall.  I say significant because until the past year or two this species was rarely if ever seen on the lake.  Sam had recently counted almost thirty and today there was almost twenty.  This is a species where numbers have grown locally a good deal over recent years and we assumed the lake is taking overspill from perhaps the Rising Sun CP.  A beautiful species in our opinion, yet possibly passed over by so many.  Of equal significance to the number of Gadwall was the complete absence of Goosander.  I don’t remember a time when I have not seen Goosander on the lake in winter.  The larger of the lakes held its usual species including a good number of Pochard, Shoveler and Goldeneye.  A lone Greylag Goose was found amongst the Canada Geese and a Pied Wagtail was at the edge of the lake.  Great Spotted Woodpecker was heard and a number of Long tailed Tits were seen.   The lake was fairly quiet.  On our return towards the village we did find the Grey Heron standing in the reeds by the Sports Centre.

The day was a perfect beginning to the year, clear blue skies and the sun illuminating the lake.  I was beginning to feel quite warm as we reflected upon how even very common species can excite as they are entered onto the new year list.  There is of course no reason why common species should not excite and those who take note of them are the true naturalists in my opinion.  The area around the back of the village was quiet but offered up the likes of a lone Redwing, Greenfinch and Wrens.  As usual there was no shortage of Magpies.  The Rooks had gathered at the rookery.  I remembered taking a great interest in this rookery in the 1970s when it held far more nests.  We now stopped for lunch at home, hot dogs (lots of fried onion on mine), crisps, biscuits and a cup of tea.  We know how to live well!

Once we had pulled ourselves away from the banquet fully sated, Sam drove to Holywell as we had planned yesterday.  We didn’t intend this as a long walk today, but we did want to catch sight of the Short-Eared Owls if at all possible.

Tree Sparrow was seen at the feeding station where most of the feeders were empty before we moved to the public hide.  We added Wigeon and Teal to the list and had a chat with a very friendly couple.  A male Goosander was also seen so ensuring that it would appear as usual on the New Year’s Day list.  As we walked towards owl country we found two Redshank on the edge of the flash in east field.

A Short-Eared Owl was spotted briefly as we approached a good viewing site.  Thankfully my thoughts that there would be lots of folks about with long lenses etc proved to be wrong.  There were only two or three quiet photographers dotted about the area.  We soon had good sightings of the Short-Eared Owls, six of them eventually.  At one point there were six Short Eared Owls, two Kestrels and a Common Buzzard in the air together as behind them a small flock of Lapwing flew northwards.  It was quite a sight and a brilliant way to begin the year.  One or two of the Short-Eared Owls approached more closely.  Sam heard a vole in the grass beside us.  This little episode had to be the highlight of an excellent day and I was so pleased we had skipped the crowd of yesterday and visited today instead.  Passers-by were taking a positive interest and asked once or twice what we were watching.

After we had seen enough and began to feel the cold again we made off in the direction of the car and home.  We bumped into the friendly couple again who told us they had been watching the Kingfisher on the fencing.  We stopped at the hide and there it was in the same spot as yesterday, the Kingfisher, which again was still there when we left.  A great way to end our day.  We drove home as a huge red sun lowered in the sky and set by the time we reached Killingworth.  I was cream crackered, but had enjoyed our birding.  I later totted up the bird list and found we had fifty-two species on it.  I was more than happy with that, but in any event remembered my motto of 'its quality wot counts’.  A quality day indeed!

Only one stain on the day, the Magpies, the ones that play or attempt to play at St James Park.  What a farce at that club!  Even so, slept well.