Surprise Visits

Having concluded that a lack of suet nuggets would lead to a lack of long-tailed tits, it was interesting to be proved wrong when they started turning up on the peanut feeders in similar numbers.  It left me wondering whether I should stop feeding the nuggets as you get a better view of them on the nuts.

Long-tailed tits

Curlew

I got out a couple of times.  On Tuesday I did a bike ride along the Tyne.  By the time I got there I was pretty cold and there were a few large chunks of ice floating downstream.  When the forecast sun finally got out on the way back, I saw three male bullfinches in a tree just before Newburn Bridge.  They were less shy than normal, probably focussed on the presence of a single female.  A bit further past Newburn where the trail leaves the river, there were a couple of thrushes flapping their tails at each other.  It looked like some birds are at least thinking about finding a mate.

On Thursday,  we did a walk from Seaton Sluice to St Mary's Island in a stiff and chilly breeze.  Apart from a few curlew in a cemetery, there wasn't much to see but it turned out most birds were hiding out on the rocks north of the car park, presumably out of the worst of the wind.

There were a good few oystercatchers, a few lapwing and several turnstone.  We reckoned there was also a large flock of golden plover nearer the lighthouse, but it was hard to be certain at distance.  On the island itself, a good few seals were lolling about as they are pretty much commonplace there nowadays.

Oystercatcher

Turnstone - with starling

Stoats

I have been bemoaning the lack of less common species in the garden this winter.  But this morning a couple of stoats turned up and started a major fight on the path by the lawns.  I though I'd captured the whole encounter, which lasted several minutes, on video but must have pressed the wrong button!  Presumably it was a fight between two males rather than a mating event.  

As stoats attack rats, I am prepared to extend them a cautious welcome.

Sunday 11th October

The last butterfly I saw was on 6th October, a probable red admiral at Chollerford on the way to a small group walk at Miltonrigg Woods near Brampton.  It was an impressive piece of ancient woodland and a pleasant walk, although not much wildlife was spotted.  I did see a few long-tailed tits, a buzzard and a thrush.  Otherwise there were quite a few funghi around.

Tree Fungus

There were of course examples of non-wildlife around and we met these welcoming sheep, though fortunately not the bull that was supposed to be in a neighbouring field.

Sheep

I was back in the same area yesterday for a walk with son and fiancée around the Geltsdale RSPB reserve.  Ironically we'd had a recent discussion about not seeing many kestrels but I've never seen as many as we saw yesterday - scores of them, often three or four in the air at the same time.

There were a few buzzards too.  While we were watching a faster bird passed over with pointed wings and we concluded it was a peregrine.

Unfortunately there was a much sadder sighting - a wee barn owl chick that had fallen from the nest and seems certain to die.  Ages since I saw one.

Barn Owl

Others we saw were tufted duck, barnacle goose, goldfinch and siskin (probable).

There were several things we hoped to see and didn't, confirming that there are good reasons to go back there,  It's far more strikingly pictoresque than I had remembered...

Saturday 20th April

Not so much evidence of smaller birds coming to the garden this week, but I was treated to the spectacle of a magpie devouring a vole on the back fence, cleverly using a bit of climbing ivy to hold it on for some time. While driving down to the Derwent Valley a couple of days ago, I saw another one eating horse manure.  I know that they do this but hadn't observed it before.

What had been a pretty cold spring so far drew gradually to an end on Wednesday so I decided to take the bike out to Prestwick Carr as I thought it might be a possible venue for the emperor moth.  It took a while before the sun to break through and there wasn't too much to see at the observation platform apart from a begging chaffinch, a willoe tit on the feeder and a tree sparrow or two.

Comma

As soon as the sun did come out butterflies started to appear. They were in flight so it was hard to identify but I think I saw enough to suspect they were painted ladies, as well as a couple of small browns circling skyward.

Having missed a turn off down a mud track leaving Ponteland, I happened on a couple of comma butterflies.  At first I thought they looked very fresh, but the one that landed looked distinctly tatty.  On refinding the route there were several more, perhaps as many as twenty.

Later on heading for Stamfordham Road, a small tortoiseshell and a peacock appeared, the first I have seen of either this year.

Before all that,  I encountered a bit of a mystery. I clearly saw a yellowhammer perching on a hedge opposite Ponteland Golf Course.  It disappeared before I could get the camera out and I got this (below) instead.  Someone has suggested a sparrow but I saw it as being the same size as the yellowhammer.  Another bird on the same hedge turned out to be a thrush. A discovery of this dead moth (below) found in the summer house made it two mysteries in one week, as I can't identify that either.

Mystery 1

Mystery 2

The day after (18th April) the first male orange tip of the year sailed across the garden.

Sunday 27th March

Back to wintry weather for most of Wednesday's bike ride and also to reduced sightings.

It started well enough with a nice thrush active on the cycle track, followed up by a couple of goosanders on Lochrutton Loch and, most interestingly, a small number of greylag geese in the fields just past Lochfoot. I certainly haven't seen them there before.

As the colder, rainy weather moved in, the ability and willpower to heep a good lookout faded and much of the ride was about survival.  There were a couple of buzzards around and lots of seagulls.

Thursday 22nd October

Nearly the end of British summertime and the sunny days are subsiding to wind and showers.  Again not much to report this week apart from a large flock of starlings at a farm near Milton, a couple of volleys of goldfinches and a couple of buzzards. The one redwing suspect I saw turned out to be a thrush. The coal tit is still visiting the bird table when I manage to replenish it.

Meanwhile I am wondering about learning to fly fish, assuming there's at least some fly fishing gear to be found in the garage. The thinking seems clear enough.  I'm growing a bit tired carting large amounts of coarse gear around and fishing in a pretty much stereotyped fashion. Flyfishing means a lighter apprach, more roaming around and spotting or sensing a quarry to cast to.

So I am reading this introductory book by John Bailey.  I remember being impressed by one of his coarse fishing books, particularly a chapter where he talked of systematically tracking down and snaring some huge roach on the River Wensum.

Up to now it's a bit inconclusive. Fly fishing is about the sort of things I think I want but there are an awful lot of subtleties to it and a lot of jargon, some of which Bailey for all his enthusiasm does not always explain well. So much stuff about different kinds of flies, leaders, and lines. It will need a lot of time and effort to get anywhere with it.

Obviously the first thing I would need to do is learn to cast. So the plan is to try some practice casting on the field at the top of the street.

12th May

Bike ride from Penrith to Hawes Water in pursuit of ring ouzel - unsuccessful.  Other results not spectacular.  Male redstart at same point just North of hotel on way there and way back.  Thrush, stonechat.