Decent Weekend

Saturday saw me and a few mates twitching the wintering Hoopoe in Dumfries. We didn't see it in 4 hours in summary! However we did get a drake Smew and Slav Grebe on Loch Soulseat. Just before we left, another mate of mine rang me to inform me that the unringed adult Red-Breasted Goose was showing at Loaningfoot with Barnacles again, and after considering a twitch of this bird last weekend, we soon left the Hoopoe site to look for it. After about an hour of looking from West Preston Farm, we finally picked it up in the flock, mega! It was a superb bird and one that I'd been looking forward to seeing for a long time!

Red-Breasted Goose (Copyright - Andrew Kinghorn) 

Then Sunday had me up at East Chevington after some Redpolls! 2 Mealies showed well on the feeders at the top end, and the Red-Necked Grebe was still present.

 Comparison between Mealy (Right) and Lesser (left)

 Mealy Redpoll

Lesser Redpoll

Some surprises at Killingworth and Big Waters 21/2/11

Went to Big Waters and Killingworth Lake yesterday. Stuck for places to go at the moment with terrible light for photos. Big Waters was full of siskin, there was 30+ siskin around the feeders very close to the hide. There was over 20 more that I saw in the trees as well, I have never seen so many. There wasn't much else apart from as we were just leaving, a lesser redpoll dropped in to the feeders which was a lovely addition to the day. Onto Killingworth next to see what was around. At the end where the road is, there was 2 great-crested grebes displaying just past the island, shaking their heads and diving together. However, the car park end produced a lot more, there was a juvenile whooper swan in amongst the mutes which was very tame and was feeding on bread. There was also a male goosander that was swimming about 6 feet away from where I was standing, then it got out the water and walked across the path towards the grass. I have never seen a goosander so tame. Unfortunately, no sign of the nordic jackdaw, but hopefully I will see it sometime this week.

Goosander

Siskin Lesser RedpollWhooper Swan

Birding Then Bird Ringing 23/1/11

Went to St. Mary's on Saturday to check what was around, the north bay was very active. There was turnstone, sanderling, purple sandpiper, knot, rock pipit and an eider on the sea. No long-tailed ducks today so we moved on. A trip to gosforth park paid off brilliantly with a kingfisher coming right next to the hide and the bittern showing very well. The bittern was a magnificent bird to see, it flew from the far side of the pond into the reeds to the right of the hide and didn't show again.

Then to Cherryburn on Sunday for a ringing session. Quite a few good birds caught with greenfinch, bullfinch, 7 lesser redpoll and a treecreeper. Greenfinch and treecreeper both ringing ticks for me!

Treecreeper (Highlight of the day)

Lesser Redpoll

Bullfinch Rock Pipit SanderlingKingfisher