December 8 2010

After a  relatively late start today, I drove along the coast road between Lynemouth and Cresswell in the very bright sunshine, very bright but also very cold. The birds that I saw appear to have lost their fear as the search for food becomes more desperate. Large numbers of  Pink-footed Goose are next to the road in fields that they do not normally use and Woodcock are abundant; on the stretch of road between Lynemouth and Cresswell there were at least fifty and some of them are feeding on the grass verges, giving fantastic views, a photo tick for me…
  
…while here photographing these, a big disturbance in the birds is created by a ringtail Hen Harrier, which flew by down the side of the road. Hen Harrier is a bird that I always jump out of the car for and today was no exception, unfortunately I flushed the Woodcock doing this, but I saw the harrier flush a Merlin which had been on the ground and some Snow Bunting which I heard but didn’t see. As I get back into the car a Woodcock flies up the road and lands less than five feet from me in the middle of the road.

Moving on to Cresswell Pond itself, which is nearly completely frozen many more Woodcock are seen when a Peregrine passes through causing panic as it goes.

Heading on to Bells Dunes the Twite are right next to the road along with Skylark…

…there is also a Brambling in with the flock, but too far for pictures. On the other side of the road, more Pink-footed Geese and with them, seven Whooper Swan.

Back at Cresswell, the Barn Owl is out and hunting, so while waiting and hoping for some action, a Reed Bunting performs…
  
… I gain a little height to see if I can see where the owl has gone and I see Roger off in the distance walking my way, so I head in his direction for a bit of a chat. Walking along the road, a bird in flight has a shape that can’t be ignored; Bittern, up from under Roger’s feet as he walks through the dunes, we watch it drop into a small reed bed, but in true Bittern Style it’s not seen again. Roger gets some canny flight shots, I have to be content with seeing it!