Ahoy! Ahoy!

Land, sea and sky; The Skids, 1979 and their brilliant ditty - Into The Valley, and it was into the Harthope Valley for me today from 07:45.  As a one-time angler, the best days I recall were the ones were an important but not vital bit of kit was accidentally left at home, such a the landing net still drying in the garage  Today's omen was my spare camera battery flat and so my ability to back-up my finds with evidence was gone.  And so to the birds....

Thirty seven species listed, the top five being (cue the late/great Alan Freeman (not 'arf!)):

In at 5 - Green Woodpecker (with two Siskins as escort), in the top of a tree just after Langleeford Farm on the left (outward journey); a brilliant male that sat still for five or so minutes.  Crackin'!

At 4 - The best Woodcock views ever, just before the second cattlegrid, on the left (homeward).  It flew up out of the fenced off area as if it was its maiden flight; slow, low and very flappy and landed on the other side of the road, making no attempt to conceal itself.  It flapped around in the grass and then flew perfectly back to whence it came, where it started the flappy behaviour again.  Five minutes of brilliance and then gone.  Do Woodcock use the same tactics as some other birds to lure potential dangers away from a nest, I wonder?  Needless to say, I did not go looking.

New at 3 - Garden Warblers, heard as soon as the car radio was silenced and the windows opened whilst entering the place and heading for the car park at Hawsen Burn.  On the homeward journey, the final copse to the left before the steep climb had several.

No. 2 - Whinchat at Hawsen Burn.  A male sat for ten minutes on a clump of heather about 100 yards up the Burn, chattering (or whatever they do) for England.  No Ring Ouzels seen though, which was very disappointing.

And straight in at No. 1 - Wood Warbler, and in keeping with the above theme, the best views ever.  Close up and singing, the cheeky chappy was nimbly nipping from branch to branch and tree to tree for about ten minutes, at which point I left to trek further.

The area past the Farm was not as busy as I have found it before.  No Redstarts, Tree Pipits, Garden Warblers or flycatchers, but after fours hours and fifteen minutes it was time to return to the real world, more's the pity!

Mixed bags

Tried again for Garden Warbler at The Carrs tonight.  Failed!  And Barn Owl were absent too. T he Wood Sandpiper at Bothal had turned into a Common by the time I got there today, a bit like last time when it had become a Green. Third time lucky? 

On a positive note, the Greenshank at West Hartford last night was there again tonight at 6pm.

Invasion

I was actually encouraged to take a few hours this morning by Mrs L, so that's what I did and by 7:00 am, I was walking the path to Holywell Pond's Members' Hide looking/listening for Davy Tee's Garden Warbler.  Consistent with yesterday's borin result, it was resounding NO!  Grasshopper to the left of the Public Hide, Sedge to the right, with essence of Willow, but nothing more.  Canada Geese had six wee ones, and a strange Canada/Greylag hybrid, plus Mute Swan, a pair of Common Tern and a few 'bits' were duly noted before a hail storm intervened.

So off the the Beehive, which contained five Mutes, two Lapwings and five Greylags.

John Masefield, English Poet Laureate, 1930-1967, wrote (Sea-Fever) I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky, so if it was good for him, it's good for me, off to The Sluice.

Steady streams of Gannets, Kittiwakes and auks north, with one Manx Shearwater, and a bloody freezing northerly wind meant the 08:00 - 09:00 period was shortened as the need for toast and coffee kicked in!

Borin' Afternoon

Spent an hour this afternoon up and down the path near the sentry box at The Carrs looking for Garden Warbler (Sylvia borin, hence the superb title to this page!).  Cold and windy conditions kept all but the hardiest warblers quiet and hidden, except Willows.  Before the drive to Mayfair Cottage, managed to bag this chap:

The horse field to the left before the box had Mistle Thrush, Fieldfare (tell them the flight ban's over), Swallow and House Martin.  The field to the right beyond the box had half a dozen Swift above it.

Hardly a Stone Curlew, but a pleasant time had by all, including Mrs L who was smitten by the goats!