On yer bike!

Did a bit of birding by bike today, heading down to Holywell Dene, then onwards to Seaton Delaval Hall for an expensive bowl of national trust soup.

A couple of roe deer ran across the track in the dene, nearly resulting in a fatality - the bike rider not the deer!

A kingfisher flashed blue on it's way down the dene, and two dippers were in full song.

Overhead two jays were seen, an unusual record this near the coast.

In the fields towards the obelisk a single wheatear was spotted on a fence post.

But the highlight of the day had to be the Hummingbird Hawk-Moth that returned to the garden again.

Great Spotted Garden List

Great Spotted Woodpecker

The bird species at my new gaff are still throwing up a few surprises. How about Kingfisher flying through the garden yesterday, on it's way to poach a few Sticklebacks from my neighbours pond.

The Greenshank flyover was probably less of a surprise!

The garden list keeps growing:

Black-headed Gull
Blackbird
Bluetit
Carrion Crow
Chaffinch
Chiffchaff
Collard Dove
Dunnock
Feral Pigeon
Goldfinch
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Great Tit
Greenfinch
Greenshank
Grey Heron
Grey Partridge
Grey Wagtail
Greylag Goose
Herring Gull
House Martin
House Sparrow
Jackdaw
Kestrel
Kingfisher
Lapwing
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Linnet
Little Owl
Magpie
Mistle Thrush
Moorhen
Nuthatch
Pheasant
Pied Wagtail
Robin
Snipe
Sparrowhawk
Starling
Swallow
Swift
Tree Sparrow
Willow Warbler
Woodpigeon
Wren

Bay Watch 11/02

I picked up two patch ticks today; a Kingfisher at the mouth of the Brierdene and a Med Gull in the adjacent car park. The latter has evaded my gaze for the last 3 months and I was starting to think it was an elaborate wind-up.





The tide was high so the last leg to St Mary's was along the cliff top. Not the safest of routes as it is retreating at an alarming rate.

My patch is shrinking by the minute!

The south beach at St Marys had 3 Purple Sandpiper, a number of Knot and 2 Bar-tailed Godwit.







The wetland had 3 snipe showing well, a pair of Mute Swan, Mallard, Teal, Gadwall and a Fox.



The fields to the west by Feathers Caravan Park were populated by over 200 Golden Plover, a good number of Curlew and a solitary Grey Heron.

The tide had started to recede on the way back so I took the route along the bottom of the cliffs. This wasn't too safe either with a couple of landslides witnessed. It can only be a matter of time before the council extend the sea defences as the loss of the pitch and putt could be the final nail in the coffin for Whitley tourism :)