Sunday, February 27, 2011

February 27 2011

No lie-in for me this morning. After the day out on Tuesday, I was all too keen to get back up there with them and have another go, and the weather forecast was favourable for what I planned to do.
I arrived on site at 6AM, just as the eastern sky was starting to brighten, which it did for about 30 minutes and then I was let down by the BBC weather forecast; I don’t know why I chose to believe what they said, but it was windy and wet!

Black Grouse were seen in three different areas, one of which was lekking. 11, 7 and 3, that was the Blackcock, 5 and 4 were the Greyhen.

Red Grouse, Common Snipe, Curlew, Lapwing and Golden Plover were all displaying as dawn was breaking, but all went quiet with the change of the weather, so I changed tack and headed North.

Turning onto a small forest road that passes an outcrop of rock, six Common Buzzard are in the air together and a Peregrine is on the rock, soon joining the buzzards in the air. Further up the road, another six Common Buzzard are in the air and with them are two Goshawk.

Driving further into the forest, I stop at an area with a good all round view and have a Sparrowhawk, a Goshawk and a Buzzard in the air together. I tried to get pictures of  any of the three together, but the Sparrowhawk was avoiding the Buzzard and both of these were avoiding the Goshawk.
Goshawk
not the best image you’ll ever see of a Goshawk



Plenty of Crossbill, about forty (finally managed to record a singer) and plenty of Great Spotted Woodpecker, four seen together and two heard calling but just out of sight and a Green Woodpecker heard yaffling off in the distance.
And you know, when you get that feeling that you are being watched?
Fox

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

February 22 2011

A planned very early morning was knocked on the head when I woke at 07:00 this morning; I had planned to be on the moors by this time, but my body clock disagreed with my plans!
So after a slightly more relaxed start, I headed out west. The further west  and higher I went, the temperature dropped, till, at Allenheads it was 2ÂșC and rather snowy.
Initially no sign of my target, but I did get some…

…followed by a Raven overhead, that flew over the valley and joined up with three others. I managed to record the single but it is a very faint recording, I’ll just have to go back for some more of that!

Further down the valley, my target showed itself. A bit too far off for pictures and recordings, but I got some of both; it’s another excuse to go back!

Black Grouse

While here, I got a couple of texts, telling of a pair of Smew at the QEII country park, Ashington; a fair old hike from where I was, but it’s on the way home (if I go the long way).
When I did arrive there, there was no sign of the birds, so I went and had a look at the White-fronted Geese that have taken to residing just up the road.

White-fronted Goose

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Yellow-bellied Tit

China

Yellow-bellied Tit

Willow Tit

Northumberland kleinschmidti

Willow Tit

Slovakia montanus

Willow Tit

Japan restrictus

Willow Tit

Varied Tit

Japan

Varied Tit Varied Tit Varied Tit

Sombre Tit

Turkey

Sombre Tit

Marsh Tit

Hungary

Marsh Tit

China “Asian Marsh Tit” hellmayri

Marsh Tit

Japan “Asian Marsh Tit” hensoni

Marsh Tit

Long-tailed Tit

Northumberland

Long-tailed Tit Long-tailed Tit

Great Tit

Northumberland

Great Tit

China “Japanese Tit” minor

Great Tit

Japan “Japanese Tit” minor

Japanese Tit

Coal Tit

Northumberland

Coal Tit

Blue Tit

Northumberland

Blue Tit

Morocco “African Blue Tit” ultramarinus

Blue Tit

Bearded Tit

Northumberland

Bearded Tit 


Bearded TitBearded Tit