Wednesday morning and a quick 30 mins before work on the Tyne just a bit east of the Newcastle Business Park. The tide was quite low and the mud was packed with birds. At least 30 Curlews were in view, without using my binoculars, Lapwings galore especially on the South side, about 25+ Redshanks and a couple of Shellducks. A couple of Grey Herons flew west along the river with 1 Common Tern having a go at both of them. The rest of the mud was taken up with Gull, Glorious Gulls many of them juvenile but just too many to count. Haven't seen any Teal or Mallards, with the exception of a solitary Teal on Monday which I flushed whilst walking along the Wooden Jetty. Just a couple of pics.
Would have taken more but was concentrating for 10 mins on trying to get a decent shot of a Blacked Back soaring, god knows why as the light was bloody awful. Thursday morning and a trip up to Kibblesworth and a walk along the lanes, light was a tad better this time, lots of Goldfinches and Long Tailed Tits flitting about and then spotted a Kestrel who looked as though he was having forty winks. Carried along the lane and got a couple of distant shot whilst he stayed perched for over 30 mins as I meandered up and down the lanes.
You get some great views from Kibblesworth which my equipment, expertise and picking the wrong time of day to take the photographs does not do them justice but heres' one anyway
Friday morning 0500 and its fairly hissing down. Off for an hour in Shibdon. Made it from the car to the hide in record time swerving between the raindrops. There were 5 Little Egrets on the pond, I had only ever seen 4 before although they never all came together.
Also present were at least 3 Snipe quite close to the hide but all in different places, normally I find they stick together but not this morning.
The trees on the island were full of Cormorants and the scrapes were packed with Juvenile Moorhens. Also had 10 mins of delight when 3 Dunnock chicks stood in a line with one of the adults rushing back and forward feeding them. The juveniles did not move once but just stood stock still and waited and they didn't even have an umbrella to keep them dry. A couple of Yellow Wagtails put in an appearance and a couple of Pied also. Lots of Grey Herons around constantly moving due to being mobbed by the Terns. Then George S arrive and we chewed the fat for about 45mins before I had to shoot off to work. Lunch time and the phone rang, wife reporting in saying she was watching a Garden Tick, our first ever
She insisted on using this photograph which was shot through double glazing from upstairs, pouring rain and about 10m away with her Finepix. She was ecstatic, a cute GREY Squirrel in her garden. It came back 3 times in about a 4hrs period. O Joyous Delight, I wonder how many of it friends it will eventually bring. I have never seen a squirrel round here, not even on the Wagonways, reckon they are sneaking through the new Tyne Tunnel LOL
1 comment:
Lol at the Kestrel sleeping on the haybale.... all the fieldmice running to and fro no doubt.
Good shot of the acrobatic squirrel. Many of my photos are taken from behind the window too. :D We've only ever seen a squirrel in our garden once, when it was walking along the washing line.
I love your account of the baby Dunnocks. They're lovely little birds. :)
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