Monday 9 January 2012

Bay Watch 09/01


The Waggonway today
More spring than mid winter, making a laughing stock of the 'alternative' weather forecasters who had this winter down as the start of the new ice age.

Hazel Catkins
Gold Finches and a Blue Tit taking a bath. No ice age this year.
Walking along the Waggonway towards Holywell Dene, I scored early with four Tree Sparrows by Whitley golf course - my first record of this species in Whitley Bay. A single Goldcrest by Churchill playing fields was also quite unusual. I rarely see these on the coast outside of autumn when they can be found in their thousands on a good year.

Tree Sparrow
Into Holywell Dene and the feeders were pulling in the crowds; Great Tit, Blue Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Coal Tit, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Nuthatch, Robin, Chaffinch, Bullfinch, Goldfinch, Blackbird......... and a Little Grebe on the Dene.

Nuthatch doing a classic pose
Great Spotted Woodpecker

Along past St Mary's Wetland, and I see there are now a number of bird tables. A lone Woodpigeon took advantage.

St Mary's - bird tables!

On passing by the Brierdene Car Park a Med Gull hung around for scraps.

3 comments:

  1. Hi thanks for your comment put these tables up after asking and getting no where.there getting well used after i loaded them up on sunday morning its just a pity about the rats feeding out the coconuts

    bill carter/ billcarter59@yahoo.co.uk

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  2. Thanks Tim i have put up five tables at Stmarys and also at Milkhope farm but can only manage to get them loaded once a week so people fell free to load the tables

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