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

Glaucous Gull at North Shields

We have just come back from North Shields Fish Quay to see the glaucous gull. We saw it straight away, it was much lighter than the other gulls. After getting some photos, we went to speak to Mike Hodgson who said it was an Iceland Gull not a glaucous, but birdguides have reported it and said that my photos look like a glaucous gull. I think the beak suggests Glaucous Gull, but the colour suggests Iceland. I think it it a Glaucous Gull but I'm not sure. Help would be appreciated!

Waxwings

Went to see the waxwings at Cramlington on Saturday. Luckily they were still there, but the tree they were in was in the shade quite a lot so I only managed one decent photo! The red-necked grebe wasn't at Blyth when I went to have a look and neither were the snow buntings so that was quite disappointing but the waxwings were good anyway! Waxwings

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

A good start to 2011

I haven't been blogging recent as I have had absolutely no time but I will try to blog more in 2011. I was at St. Mary's today and yesterday and there was a lot of birds there. It started in the car park with a reed bunting and redshanks in the field in front of the second car park. Both providing good views. In the north bay there was waders galore: turnstone, dunlin, curlew, golden plover, lapwing, knot, ringed plover and purple sandpiper. But the highlight came in the north bay on the posts. On the end post sat 2 fantastic snow buntings and they were the tamest snow buntings in have ever seen letting me get within 6 feet of them. They really were lovely. Then as we were leaving we saw a black bird on the sea which at the first glance I thought it was a Slovenian grebe but then after looking at the photos when I got back it looked more like a red-necked grebe but I wasn't sure, if anyone could identify it, that would be great.

Snow Buntings in the North Bay

Red-Necked Grebe?

Knot

Lapwing Redshank Ringed Plover

Reed Bunting

Purple Sandpiper

A lifer weekend

My weekend started on Friday at Tynemouth with the great grey shrike very fleetingly. It was on the priory for a couple of seconds then flew off and I didn't see it again. The goldcrests and other warblers were putting in a performance as well but nothing unusual.

On Saturday, we went to Hartlepool to see the woodchat shrike which was a new bird for me. A very handsome and approachable bird along with a lot of other things: redwings, goldcrests and a lot of other birds. Unfortunately I didn't get any birding in on Sunday because I was ringing all day which was also a success. 2 GS Woodpeckers, Redwings, Stonechat and a pied flycatcher were all ringed. There was a lot of other good birds ringed too. See the photos for details.

And yesterday, I was at St. Mary's getting my second lifer of the weekend, the red-flanked bluetail which was showing very well on the fence posts and stiles. There was plenty of other things too, goldcrest, redstart and a garden warbler which is a patch tick. I think it is a garden warbler but I have aphoto of it on this blog so feel free to tell me if it's not.

Overall, I think that is a pretty impressive weekend, shame about the light though.

Woodchat Shrike Garden WarblerRed-Flanked Bluetail

Redwing Meadow PipitGS Woodpecker Stonechat SiskinWillow Tit

A Dark-Bellied Day

I've just come back from St. Mary's Island, there was quite a bit there. In the north bay there was a Dark-Bellied Brent Goose, 2 bar-tailed godwits and plenty of ther waders like redshank, dunlin, sanderling and ringed plover. The golden plover numbers were higher than I've ever seen. Then as I looked round, there was a merlin that I just caught sight of as it flew over the rocks and out of sight. I've never seen a merlin there before. That's about all really, the merlin was the highlight with the brent goose a close second!

Brent Goose Bar-Tailed Godwit