Patch Peace!

17^th Oct. At last I found time to enjoy some tranquility on patch. Tranquility and Killingworth might seem an odd pairing, but seeking out the appropriate spots ensures it isn’t such a misnomer. I saw few people about and the ones I did see were mainly on the backs of horses. I did keep bumping into three young lads on bicycles who I felt thought I was some kind of novelty value. Pleasant kids though, and one of them said to me ‘hello, are you having a good day today’. It sounded like he was repeating something his mum had taught him to say to elderly men and women. When I came home I spent a few minutes examining my face in the mirror just to check if I was indeed ageing fast! I thought not, but I guess I would say that. I may hunt out the moisturiser tonight anyway!

Anyway there was no great excitement on patch today although I did enjoy the peace. Birds found included two Kestrels, two flocks of Long Tailed Tits, a small flock of Yellowhammer and as I was about to return a flock of Lapwing was seen over in the direction of the Rising Sun Country Park, very likely having lifted from Swallow Pond. I did take a wander around a patch of scrub and trees which I’ve never really looked at before. It seemed a likely area for something out of the ordinary and I shall keep an eye on it. Today it turned up one of the flocks of Long Tailed Tit and I watched their acrobatic antics at close range for a good time.

The flock of Lapwing were seen at distance and thankfully I recognised the flapping wings immediately, which was just as well as I had given a talk at St Mary’s Island concerning waders just yesterday, and I had explained that flocks of Lapwing can be quickly picked up. It had been a good day yesterday with twenty-eight participants. The sun shone and gave ideal condition for pointing out the waders. We found ten species very quickly, with the Golden Plovers winning star prize for beauty, as the sun picked out their plumage so well. I was pleased that some Purple Sandpipers had turned up too.

Despite it being a wader day I encouraged everyone to take a look at a bird that had drawn a small crowd near the wetland. I admit my encouragement had been given chiefly as I wanted to take a look myself. It turned out to be a Redpoll. A Lesser Redpoll in my opinion, although I realise that Common Redpoll had been reported too, and there was a bit of discussion going on.

My talk had meant a little research into all things ‘waderish’, and I had been interested in the following. The scientific name for Eurasian Golden Plover is of course Pluvialis apricaria, said he, as though this simply rolls off the tongue as soon as such a species is seen. Now the English translation of pluvialis is ‘rain maker’ and the translation of apricarius is ‘living in sunny places. This may seem odd, until one knows that the species was thought by early naturalists to actually be two seperate species, such is the difference in the summer and winter plumage. No doubt a common error made with many species in the past. The winter plumage bird was often seen at the start of heavy rains. So there’s nothing unusual about the name at all when seen in this context, as it is simply made up from what was once the names of two separate species.

South of the Border Down Rainton Meadows Way!

Towards the end of the expedition!

Fungi found on walk. Jews Ear Auricula judae, I'm told (Thank's H B).

Yes I crossed the Tyne yesterday, 23rd Jan, and entered Durham. I was visiting an area that I didn’t know at all so I had some empathy with that guy in Conrad's, Heart of Darkness. I was blessed with luck when an elderly lady in Chester le Street pointed me in the right direction with the comment ‘isn’t it awful when you don’t know where you are?’ I hopped on the correct bus and was soon at my destination. I was rendezvousing with Andrew K (Foghorn) who had promised me during a Durham Bird Club trip that he would show me around his patch. This promise was made twelve months ago, so he having also promised to deliver so much, I was confident he would, he having taken twelve months to plan the expedition! ;-) On finding Andrew, I also found that he had developed a constant twitch, as well as having grown several inches, or had I shrunk I wondered. Anyway I found the change in height was not an optical illusion caused by him standing on the higher part of the pavement as when he moved I still had to look up. Anyway, we were soon off in the general direction of Rainton Meadows, or so I was told, and I soon realised my host’s birding knowledge had also grown over the past year. He must be mixing with the right type! It seemed to take a very long time to get to Rainton Meadows such was the nature of this expedition. Would it deliver the promises I wondered. The area certainly looked promising. I shall try to refer to many of the species found, but as Eric Morecombe might have said ‘they are the correct species, but not necessarily in the correct order!’

We were soon checking out large flocks of Yellowhammer and Reed Bunting in the hedges, and we were to come across many of these species today which was quite different from the small numbers I see on my own patch. Other birds seen in this general area included House Sparrow, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Long Tailed Tit, Linnet and Jay. The latter being a year tick for me. Other corvids and Wood Pigeons were ever present of course. Andrew got his eye on a Sparrowhawk which flew low into a hedge and there were numbers of Kestrel in the area.

I was soon realising this area had much to offer in habitat, including wide open spaces of farmland which seemed to include wild areas with ideal habitat for birds. One bird we did spend some time trying to track down was Jack Snipe. This led to some climbing of fences and jumping of streams, none of which I fell into, I’m proud to say. I realised I was going to get some exercise today if nothing else. We never did find Jack Snipe, but we did have several Common Snipe during the day, which gave me another year tick. That re-paid all of my efforts of walking along frozen ‘glassy’ pathways and through the pools of water and mud. Bullfinches appeared, and we found another party of them at the feeding station at Rainton Meadows. A Willow Tit gave out its very distinctive call and we got sightings of it. Another year tick. I remember the calls of Wren and the odd calls of Curlew, but it wasn’t until the end of our walk that we saw a flock of Curlew flying overhead. I got my eye on a flock of Lapwing and realised later that they had been flying over the pond at the reserve. We did find a few Redwing and a flock of seventy Fieldfares.

I was beginning to feel a bit peckish, but we had started out quite early so I was surprised to find it was only around 11.30am when we arrived at the reserve at Rainton Meadows. Andrew was hoping for a rare gull or two here (nowt like wishful thinking is there?), but I seem to re-call only Black Headed, Herring and Greater Black Backed Gulls. Did I miss Common Gull? There were a number of both Canada Geese and Greylag Geese in the area, a single Grey Heron, and on the water Mute Swan, Mallard, Wigeon, Teal, Tufted Duck, Goldeneye, Coot and Moorhen. The odd Pheasant was about. Now Andrew tells me the hide here is known as the coldest in Durham. Come on guys, its sheer luxury, although that wind was a bit cool! Anyway Andrew promised me warmth in the reserve centre for our lunch stop. Unfortunately it was closed so we had lunch at Joe’s Pond (I think). Not before having found flocks of Goldfinch and the odd Lesser Redpoll in amongst the alders. The Redpoll being another year tick for me.

It was interesting to find what I took to be Joes Pond still frozen. As we ate Lunch we were joined by Mallards, Dunnock and a friendly Robin looking for tit bits. We were soon off again, initially along more icy pathways, in an unsuccessful hunt for Jack Snipe. Never mind there were other birds to keep us happy. We came across some guys out shooting and they flushed out more Common Snipe and other birds.

Towards the end of the walk when the Curlews flew overhead and we found a few more Fieldfare and a Mistle Thrush, I began to wonder why I was feeling a wee bit tired, then I realised we had been walking six and a half hours with only a couple of short stops. Andrew has long legs relative to my short ones so I reckon I was using up the energy fast! We passed some Durham Bird Club members as we neared the end of the walk and we found Collared Dove. Andrew took a look for Mediterranean Gull as I lent against the bus stop. By this time I was kinda pleased he didn’t find it as I was stiffening up, but I did manage to get back home without falling asleep and I think even my host was beginning to feel tired, although I note he has recovered today and gone to find his Ring-Necked Duck. He’d received a txt about it whilst we were walking and I’m sure he was tempted to send me packing so he could go and tick it, but I’m not shaken off that easily.;-)
It had been a day of birding of the type I enjoy the most. A great day had been delivered! I make the count forty-eight species and that doesn’t include Chaffinch which I’m sure we must have seen, but my minds a blank on that one for some reason, nor does it include Common Gull which I’m not sure we saw to be honest. We had quite a few laughs along the way although I was on good behaviour as I want to go back. Thanks Andrew.