Tuesday 26 July 2011

Storm Chasers

The Storm Petrel passage, witnessed by many over the last couple of days, is still showing no signs of abating.

Somewhere in the photos below you might just see a small black spec that is, believe me, a Storm Petrel.

From Seaton Sluice I had 8 moving North in just over 40 minutes, and at St Mary's I had at least another 10 in the same period. Simon P had already counted over 30 in an hour and a half at St Mary's.

This passage is quite unprecedented for the North East, or maybe I'm just too young to know any better :)



Sunday 24 July 2011

Monkey Business

The North East coast was taking a pounding from a big Northerly swell today. There were good movements of Storm Petrels and Skuas reported.

While a single Artic Skua sat on the sea just off Seaton Sluice, and Oystercatchers fed along the shore, a group of pink monkeys were learning about natural selection.

St Mary's Island, as viewed from Seaton Sluice.
Oystercatchers
Monkey business

Friday 15 July 2011

A queer fella at Arcot


While do a spot of mothing at Arcot I noticed lots of these little fella's in the grass which turn out to be Common Green Leafhoppers (Cicadella viridian).


A few other highlights included a reeling Grasshopper Warbler, posing nicely in the open.

Moth wise there was just a few including Udea lutealis, Straw Dot, Silver-ground Carpet, lots of Agriphila straminella, and a single Latticed Heath.

Agriphila straminella
Latticed Heath

Saturday 9 July 2011

North East Biodiversity - have your say

A day later this was mowed!
An online forum has been set up for the discussion of North East Biodiversity. The aim is to provide ecologists, biodiversity officers, naturalists, recorders and the public, a place to share ideas and concerns.

You can get involved here http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nebiodiversity

Go on, vent your spleen have your say.

Saturday 2 July 2011

All the fun of the Farnes


So what is it that attracts 40,000 visitors a year to the Farnes? Travelling cheek by jowl with 60 clumsy people with tripods, cameras and unnecessary rucksacks on a fishing boat? Paying over the odds? Watching idiots drop litter on Staple Island? Seeing how many numpties ignore the request not to cross the blue rope? The sweet smell of guano? Sunburn? Well for me it's the fantastic scenery, and of course the birds. Oh, and watching the Artic Terns terrorise the visitors to Inner Farne :)



The good news is that this year is proving to be a very successful breeding season on the Farnes with many species fledging very early, and in good numbers.




I think I might visit again next week!

Some more pics on my website: Farnes Island Photos