Wednesday 27th January

There has been a surprise visitor to the garden last week - a chaffinch.  Not the rarest of birds by any means but another example on one that isn't seen too much up here. 

I was over in Dumfries at the weekend and did a walk round the Mersehead reserve.  On a pretty cold and bright day, the low sunshine meant the scenery was beautiful but made it hard to identify and photograph the birdlife.

Heading for the beach there were some canada geese in the fields and a little egret flew past overhead.  When we got there the tide was as far out as I've ever seen it and there was a clear view across to Skiddaw on the other side of the Solway.

Skiddaw across the Solway

Several flights of barnacle geese flew in from the West and landed on the reserve.  It was also very still and the only bird of prey we saw was a buzzard on a dead tree who steadfastly showed his back to us.

We went along the coast towards Southerness some distance in the hope of spotting some merlin after small birds but in vain as there werfe only a few corbids in the fields.  All we saw on the shoreline was one of several robins encountered and a wren.

On moving back inland we encountered the first of two groups of deer.

Roe Deer

Moving through the woodland strip we did see several throstles feeding in a field.  It was hard to make them out properly but on careful observation they seemed to be mainly fieldfare and some mistle thrush.  We didn't see any redwing in the group.

Tits and chaffinches were visiting the feeders on the way to Meida Hide but nothing more exciting. The hides were still closed and almost all the wetlands still frozen and the only ducks were too far away to be seen with binoculars.  Nevertheless a very pleasant walk.

On a brief exercise bike ride today there were some nice bullfinches on the way to Greenside and by Blaydon Burn.  Back home three long-tailed tits were on the peanut feeder at dusk.

Friday 15th January 2021

Another lockdown and some snowy weather have restricted activities more than somewhat.  

I have managed another couple of pleasant but eventless walks in Chopwell Woods, as ever distinguished by the lack of birdsong.   The second in distinctly wintery conditions on New Year's Eve was slightly better, producing five robins and one blackbird but I cut it short as it was quite strenuous negotiating the ice packs on the main trails.  I'm at a loss as to why such a large area of woodland isn't more productive.

Snowy Weather

By contrast a walk down the bridlepath towards Rowlands Gill produced a good deal of song.  There was nothing spectacular, mainly tits and more robins but it gave a more postive feel, as if some birds are already thinking of asserting their territories before mating.  There are less walkers here than in the Woods.

Long-tailed Tit

I ended up on the Derwent River Walk and got a good view of a red kite but it quickly soared off and settled in some trees to make mewing noises.  Things were quieter on the way back.

The normal visitors have been turning up and long-tailed tits have been quite frequent.  They often arrive at the feeders in groups of four or five.  I'd like to photogrpah a group of them but, like the coal tits, they never hang around for long.  Nothing special here either and no sign so far of the blackcap that turned up last year.  No woodpeckers for some while either.

There were at least a couple of rematches between robin and nuthatch on the birdtable.  On the first occasion, the nuthatch arrived second and the robin gave way a bit but didn't fly off, which I adjudged to be a draw.  The second time, the nuthatch was there first but flew straight off leaving the robin victorious.  In this case maybe the redder bird rather than the larger bird has the upper hand.

The robin behaves as if s/he personally owns the bird table, which may also be a factor.