Less is more

Not much to waffle about so here's a pic of Lesser Black-backed Gull taken yesterday on route to dipping the White-tailed Sea Eagle at Prestwick.

White-Tailed Sea Eagle - Man Arrested

A model plane enthusiast from Newcastle was in police custody late last night after flying one of his creations, a life like White-tailed Sea Eagle, near Newcastle International Airport. The police said that he had caused a serious threat to aviation.

His actions were also reported to have created chaos on the ground as local bird enthusiasts chased it around Prestwick Carr and beyond.

A police spokesperson said that to anyone looking closely it was obviously a fake as a receiver could clearly be seen coming from the back of the 'Eagle'.

A local landowner was also taken in by the hoax and, believing his lambs were in danger, brought the 'eagle' down with a single shot from a 22 rifle.

Experts told us that the radio-controlled eagle is what's know as an ornithopter. Investigations are continuing.

Bay Watch 31/03 starring Phoenicurus ochruros

The patch walk today started along the Waggonway past Churchill playing fields and on to the Brierdene. Then over the fields to the cemetery and along the sea front home. The star finds were two Black Redstarts in Whitley Bay cemetery, a male and a female, gerrin! Other birds of note included a Chiffchaff and er, not much else.

The route was interesting thanks to the heavy rain yesterday.............

.......the footpath is under there somewhere.

Many of the Elders have this on them. Wonder what it might be?

Whitley Sea Front

I passed the fair being erected on the links and a painting on one of the rides caught my eye.........

You can't tell me that wouldn't hurt!

Also picked up a Blogger tick - Birding Sometimes

Harwood hike to take a butchers at a Shrike

Knackered. That was after yesterday's failed attempt to see the Great Grey Shrike at Harwood Forest. Rather than take the easy route to Tutehill Moss from Harwood village, I opted for the scenic route starting from Fontburn reservoir. Big mistake.

Setting off around Fontburn Reservoir

Heading over the top to Harwood Forest to the sound of Skylarks.

Finally I entered the enchanting Harwood Forest.

Unfortunately, I grossly underestimated just how long and hard this hike would be. And to add to the woe I made the error of 'shortening' the route by going 'off track'.

There are lots of these off track.....

..... I fell in most of them.

Soaked to the knees I stumbled on and as I approached what I thought was Tutehill Moss I spotted a light coloured bird on top of a very distance spruce. Through the scope it was impossible to ID because of the distance, wind shake and by being slightly obscured by branches. It could well have been a ball of 'string'. I got as far as the metal tower but no bird to be seen. As I now know I was looking in the wrong place. With only 3 hours of daylight left I headed back and collapsed in Fontburn at sunset, wet and disappointed.

This morning I decided to have another go, especially as winter is set to return tomorrow - Harwood is not where you want to be in bad weather. This time I drove to Harwood village and walked back to the tower (fourty mins instead of two and a half hours), and then down the hill on the track to a cleared area where a couple of birders had seen the Shrike an hour before. Thank you gents!

Here's the sweet spot:

View Shrike in a larger map

Ground Zero (Shrike is on far horizon on a dead tree stump)

With gale force winds from the NW I took shelter amongst the trees south of the area to scan for the bird. After an hour and no joy I headed around the area to the North and after another hour getting battered by the wind (strong enough to blow over a heavy duty scope and tripod) and dampened by horizontal rain showers, I sought refuge in a shooting hide. It was never going to be easy to find a small grey bird amongst the twisted remains of felled trees which are by sods law, grey!

It was from here I struck lucky after another hour. 

Scanning with the scope, there was my first UK Great Grey Shrike!

As you can see from the video below they're not called 'butcher birds' for nothing. Here it impales it's latest prey, a vole I would guess, on a branch.

Plenty of other birds too, including Buzzard, Goshawk, Redpoll, Crossbill, Siskin, Mistle Thrush, Song Thrush, Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, Treecreeper and Chaffinch. And Roe Deer.

The cherry on top was this Red-legged Partridge on the way up on Saturday.

Hope you all had a good weekend. Mine was brill :)

Dodging Balls

Two Wheatear at Newbiggin golf course today, western edge by the first horses/ponies. No sign of the reported Ring Ouzel.

Wheatears in the rough

Also saw my first butterfly along the beach here, probably Small Tortoiseshell - blew past in the wind so no clear look.

Thank Frog for That!

Every morning for the last couple of weeks I've pulled back the bedroom curtains to find no frog spawn in the garden pond. Last year this went on for weeks after which the frogs nipped over to next doors pond and laid all their spawn there.

To be honest, this year it had become a bit of a concern; were there no females, were they infertile, could the females not get to the calling males due to next doors fence having no way under??

No need to fret anymore. Result!

Moth All

Another mothless night for the moth trap. I may have to move house.

Crane Video

Got to Eshott late afternoon and the Crane was showing well, albeit a mile away. I checked the distance on a map and it's a mile almost bang on.

Thankfully it's not too distant for videoscoping........



If you want to see the Crane close up then Dusted Off Bins got a bit closer and bagged some pics.

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.

Frog Chorus

It's 2am, it's raining and I'm standing at the doors to the back garden recording frogs - scary. Must fix that dripping gutter. A poor recording as I was quite a distance away so turn up your volume.

Common Frog (Rana temporaria)