Bunting & Lark Fest

Can you spot the Buntings & Larks?

Thanks to a constant supply of seed from local birders, St Mary's is still pulling in Skylarks, Snow Buntings, Lapland Buntings, Reed Buntings and Twite. And the Black Redstart is still on the beach at Hartley just north of St Mary's Island.

Heads down for the feast

Skylarks are less confiding now they have a good energy source

Seasons Greetings

Snow Buntings & Larks

Went to Blyth first thing to find John (Howdon Blogger) photographing Snow Buntings. Seven birds in all including a cracking male. Then it was onto St Mary's where the Skylarks were feeding on the seed that was put down on Friday, a Black Redstart was feeding at the base of the cliffs at Hartley and a procession of Song Thrushes moved south. Enough words, here's some pics:

Male Snow Bunting

Female Snow Bunting

Sky Lark

Rock Pipit

Rock Pipit

Ten Grey Partridge in the fields at St Mary's

Icicles adorn the cliffs at Hartley

Skylarks in HD

Filmed at St Mary's yesterday

St Mary's - Skylarks in the snow

St Mary's in the snow at -3 deg C all day

I went to St Mary's with Tom to photograph and feed the Skylarks that have arrived overnight in large numbers. Here's some pictures.

Wader wise there were a couple Bar-tailed Godwit, Turnstone, Dunlin, Sanderling, Ringed Plover, Redshank, Golden Plover and Lapwing. Ducks on the sea included Gadwall, Goldeneye and Wigeon.

Lapwing

Pink-foot Geese heading south

A Robin worked it's way along the stream at St Mary's

4 Sand Martins and a Chiffchaff

Got a report of a Common Crane today near Eshott so I fired up the Quattro and spent an hour scanning the fields where it was reported. Couldn't find it but saw 3 Buzzards, 2 Kestrels and got some recordings of Skylark and Lapwings, the latter displaying with some impressive aerobatics. 31 seconds into the following recording you can hear the powerful wing beats of a Lapwing as it displays.



Turns out I was looking in the wrong field for the Crane. Birding Sometimes has a very helpful map here. And Dusted Off Bins has managed some pics.

Next it was a flying visit to East Chevington. I had 4 Sand Martins flying northwards and a Chiffchaff in the trees north of the reserve by the pay and display car park.

Whitley Report

600 + Skylarks heading south on Whitley beach during a 40 minute walk. A single kestrel and a grey heron being mobbed by a herring gull over the sea. Might go look for the Iceland Gull at Holywell in the morning.

Ducking Christmas

I managed to 'duck' the stress of Christmas and impending kitchen disasters with an early(ish) walk along Whitley beach. There was a lone Gadwall flying in from the south and landing in the surf at the north end of the beach. It swam along the shore, calling all the while, and then every 5 minutes or so it would take to the air for a lap of the beach only to return.



On the wetland was a beautiful pair of Wigeon along with a large number of teal.

The Water Pipit is still present at the north end of the beach.

Along the links were a sprinkling of Skylarks, Meadow Pipits, Redshank, Oystercatchers, Golden Plover, Pied Wagtail and a single Grey Wagtail. Also, a single Purple Sandpiper on the exposed rocks off the beach.

Seasons Greetings

Skylarks on the move

It was a wintry Whitley Bay beach this morning with a snow flurry to boot. Of note were Skylarks flying south along the surf line. I spotted 2, then another party of 8, and then another 8. I looked for the reported adult Med Gull, and thought I had found it, until closer inspection showed it to be a Black-headed Gull in summer plumage. Rock pipits were numerous, with several taking to the steets on Whitley Bay in search of food. I guess the cold weather has reduced the supply of insects along the beach.