Ready For Noah

With the alleged onset of very poor weather today, I resigned myself to dealing with some work-related, indoors activity.  My charitable deed was to tell Davy Tee of the Whitley Bay cemetery Black Redstart as I knew he had dipped the Druridge one last weekend.

The weather failed to get nasty, my work became tedious, and the thought of a few miles to see another BR got too much, so at 2:00 pm, off I went.

I met another guy outside the place, both of us apprehensive about entering somewhere where there was a sizeable funeral concluding.  There's something not quite right about getting excited when others there are grieving.

Anyway, as we entered, Alan Jack was leaving, three short bursts of BR in 30 minutes his 'tally'.  We entered and began a search.  Forty minutes later, and one other birder added to the duo, it was 1 - 0 to the BR.

But then a stunning male started to show in the SE corner, and after ten minutes of following him, a female showed too.  They had clearly gathered as a twosome in anticipation of an ark arriving as a response to the meteorological mayhem that was on its way.

And here are the expected shitty-shotties.

Great Grey Shrike

Had The Good Lord not interviened, the title to this page would have been Hate Grey Shrike.  In fact, the 150 or so minutes I stood motionless, on the south edge of Tutehill Moss, in the rain, then snow, then rain, then sleet, then rain and so on, oh, and the wind, gave me time to imagine the GGS landing where I was told it was yesterday, with numerous rodents to eat or store, and whilst having these pre-hypothermic dillusions, I tried to think up moderately humourous titles for yet another blog entry where I travelled and saw bot all!

And then The Big Man Upstairs took pity on this weather-beaten mortal below.  A sound like no other in my modest experience - like a Jay squawking, but not as harsh nor loud.  It drew my eyes and ears to the right, to the saplings on the east side of the Moss, where one taller tree was adorned by a white tip.  And after drying the scope's lens, well feck me, a picture of Lanius excellence. 

And after several short views, punctuated by trying to contact by phone Messrs McLevy/Bradley/Cowell who were watching from a point to the north, and too far away to see my twitch (oooo-errrr!), the Lord, having giveth, did take away, as an unladen log artic drove north and put the bird to flight.

In the remaining hour and a half before I left, KB had a glimpse in the shorter conifers to the north of the saplings, and AMc had the bird flying south from one set of tall conifers to another a little more south.  Only AC left to see it, I hope he did so, the all of the Musketeers would get home cold, wet but very happy.

Swanning Around

Tired of endless drives to see very little, thought I would stay local this afternoon.  Dropped in at Arcot at 2.00 pm and was pleasantly surprised by to find 25 Whooper Swans.

Also noted was a drake Shoveler, four Tufties, several Coots, a few Mallards, three Grey Herons and some crackin' views of  Common Buzzard, with very pale underwings and a liking for flying into the woods at head height, somewhat Goshawk-like, as those who have seen one this year tell me!  I did not see Crammy's female Goosander tho'.

Chiffchaffs were calling to the east, west and north, two Long-tailed Tits moved through the hawthorns, and I watched a Kestrel drop like a stone into the SE field where the small flash is.  A Snipe flew up and the Kestrel retreated to a nearby bush.  Would a Kestrel dine on a Snipe?  Or are they a little too gamy!?!

I was very disappointed to see MSD building on the wetland they used to use to give local schools a taste of Mother Nature.