Saturday 3 July 2010

Still Alive

Inundated with messages of concern from avid readers of this blog, I thought I had better confirm that I am alive and well and still getting out with the old bins!

Went local-ish, first stop today being Big Waters.  As entertaining as the Tree Sparrows are, you can only watch them for so long, so after about ten minutes or so, it was back to the car.  Next stop the burn through the Great North Park looking for a Kingfisher.  No joy!

On to the Tyne at Newburn Haugh.  The gulls were getting numerous as low tide neared but nothing unusual.  I don't think I have seen as many LBBGs as I have this year.  There's hods all over, more numerous in sunny ol' Crammers than HGs and following suit, plenty on the south bank of the river.

The birding 'excitement' was surpassed by a monster fish that lept out in front of where I stood - 2 to 2 1/2 feet long, like a LBBGs underwing it was.  And so a walk clockwise around the place, the pond between the path and the access road was full of wee birdies - Whitethroats and Moorhens - and a vole (Usain) bolted across the path.

Arcot was quiet too.  Two unringed Mute Swans, three Oystercatchers, a Mallard plus seven very new arrivals, three Grey Herons, plenty of Moorhens, and fledged Sedgies.

Sunday 27 June 2010

Home Sweet Home

Stayed local today - the Curlew Sandpiper at Hauxley was tempting but that would have been an hour's time and diesel and only an hour for the birds.

Beehive Flash was quiet for birds, mayhem for dragonflies and their cousins.  At least three Emperors and mnay more species.

Birdwise - three Lapwing. two Redshank, one Mute Swan and one Moorhen, with hirundines over.

Backworth Flash had three Redshank, corvids, seven Canada Geese (parents plus five), two Mute Swan, a Tree Sparrow, Pied Wagtails and a Green Sandpiper.

Arcot on the way home was very quiet, with Moorhens, Coots, two Mute Swans, Mallards, Teal, five Canadas (Dad, Mum and three), five Crows (parents plus three), one Common Tern and one Grey Heron and most interesting, a Red-eared Terrapin sunning itself on a log.  S/he's a cracker, 10' round with limbs like tennis rackets!