Around the Derwent Reservoir (Again)

I was down in the Derwent Reservoir a couple of days ago with Carole and did a bit of videoing.  

Here are the results

 and a couple of pictures

How to identify a Tree Pipit 101

Note the smallness of the rear claw compared to Meadow Pipit

(Thanks AJ)

We then moved on to some very accommodating Common Sandpipers who

were calling for England at one stage

Once again a couple of stills to go with the action

Decent views of the bird I go to see there still escape me but here is a video of it gracefully

soaring around in the distance

Finally a few odds and sods which I encountered around Derwent Reservoir and on the Moors

 ?????????? Escapee from local smallholding 

Added to my "Exotica List" as Wild Chicken with Barbara Windsor Bun on Head

 Big AAAAHHHHsss from Carole

Had loads more to post but you will no doubt be getting bored by now if you have even reached this point - So its 04:12 and I am off to Howdon Wetlands to see what Sunrise looks like

ps.  Hi and thanks to The Reservoir Birder

Sedge Warbler at Big Waters

Treecreeper

Some close up views of a Treecreeper at Big Waters at the weekend

Not where I was expecting it to return to so settings not quite correct

but I quite like the effect

Then it flew further away

Then it went into the classic pose but not quite were I was expecting it

Why cant these pesky little beautiful things read the photographers

book on how to take pictures of birds easily

Rain, Rain and more Rain

Saturday was a very early start and John A and I headed up to Beadnell Flash to check if the Lesser Yellowlegs was still there.  After a couple of minutes of looking we found it, unfortunately it was the same second as the rain started and it was well hissing down within a couple of minutes.  We hung around for 30 minutes hoping it would stop but it actually got a bit worse so the odd pic I took went straight into the Recycle Bin.  We then headed onto Budle Bay where we spent an hour looking, drinking coffee and eating sweets.  Couple of photos but the rain once again was still coming down with the odd slackening off for a minute or so.  

The rain got slightly heavier so we decided to go and do some proper birding (we went and sat in one of the Spindlestone Hides - at least we were dry) and watched quite a number of birds including Nuthatch, Woodpecker, Tree Sparrows and a pair of Yellowhammers along with a couple of Roe Deer which made an appearance on the opposite side of the lake.

We stopped at Stag Rocks but it was still raining so not a good view so we then moved on and headed back to Seahouses for a spot of lunch and after purchasing the most expensive Fishcake and Chips I have ever bought we positioned ourselves conveniently watching the flash/pond just North of Seahouses and proceeded to eat a great fishcake but John commented first saying he was not impressed with the chips which I was also finding dry and seemed old so needless to say I wont be frequenting Neptunes for a while.  We then headed back to Stag Rocks where there were 3 rafts of Common Scoter viewable from the entrance to the Golf Club.  We sat and watched them and a couple of dozen or so Gannets that headed South.  Also a few Purple Sandpiper were on the rocks along with Redshanks and Oystercatchers but not much else.

One of the three rafts of Scoters

We then dropped into Foxton Bends where a couple of Swans were having a bit of a tussle and then the tussle got quite serious after a couple of minutes.  The following video just shows part of what happened as just after I stopped the video I was convinced one of the Swans was about to be killed as it got out of the water and onto the bank when the more dominant dragged it behind some gorse where it stood on its neck for a couple of minutes then went of with its mate who had been watching from close quarters.  The defeated one got into the water a few minutes later then swam a short distance and got out onto the bank and after a short "preen" went to sleep.  It did move around after a short nap and seemed quite compus mentus.  Nature is extremely beautiful but can also be extremely violent also.

Time for home but we dropped  in at Druridge where there was a very close Snipe and at Lynemouth Flash 3 Ringed Plover and a Dunlin were feeding.

Even with all the rain it was still an excellent day out but will remember my phone next time.  Thanks for the company John

Bank Holiday at Derwent Reservoir

Bank Holiday Monday John A and I headed out to Derwent Reservoir.  We arrived very early and literally stepped out of the car walked 10m and John was wittering on about a possibility of an Osprey when I spotted something in the distance so raising my bins and a quick glance through confirmed it was certainly an Osprey.  Watched if for a little while then decided to take a picture, should have done it earlier as this was the result:

We had a great day and the particular things that come to mind where the Cuckoo calling and the Snipe Drumming right overhead, I couldn't concentrate on one as the other one was always in the background.  The 2 Common Sandpiper canoodling on a rock with fishermen no more than 10m away on either side was great to watch.  The four families of Greylags with one of the possible parents being a Pinkfoot.  An hour in the hide with Steve F and friend getting our 3rd view of  an Osprey using the GB method of counting or 3rd Osprey of the day using my counting method (wink wink) and some great banter was only topped by the views of a Pied Flycatcher in full song.  On the way back we got a Ring Ouzel and Wheatear.

An artistic effort

Yes, definitely a Ring Ouzel

Finally as usual a few Videos

Sunday and back to the Patches

Sunday early and off for my usual visit to Howdon Wetlands before the Sunday Walk around Big Waters.  It was quite muddy on the approach after a couple of nights of rain and looked very quiet as I approached but there was certainly plenty around with quite a lot of Swallows and when I got to the hide they were having a break on the posts and perches just outside the hide itself along with the odd Sand Martin.

 Next surprise was a Greylag which was on the water but didn't stay too long

as the resident Mute Swan soon moved it onto the banking but seemed happy

to let it wander around but kept close

 Then I noticed a little movement quite a way along the banking and blow me down if

it wasn't a Wheatear which fed for about 5 mins then stood still just moving occasionally

a couple of inches then standing still again. It did a couple of quick flits of a couple of metres although it was still there when I left not having moved out of a 2m square in about 90mins.

The first youngsters were spotted on the small deep pond with at least 3 young Moorhens

As usual the Shelducks were the most active and noisiest birds on the Wetlands 

with continual bickering and fighting.

Onto Big Waters for probably one of the quietest walks in quite a while, 

hopefully the lull before the storm FALL.

A couple of female Roe Deer which were closely followed by a Buck#

were a nice sight as they scampered across the fields

Now for the inevitable Videos, firstly a rather badly filmed one of a Common Tern

 trying to eat the biggest fish I have ever seen one catch.  It was very distant so had

to zoom up to 300x digital but it eventually finished it off (missed that bit though as a 

BHGull chased it off the frame) but watched it through the Bins in the end 

Towards the end of the Howdon Wetlands video note the  Swallows being 
attacked by House Martins as they tried to share the same perches although 
they eventually came to a compromise and settled for a pair at each end

Saturday Around The Doors (as John A would say)

Have been too busy birding to sit and wade through the masses of pictures and videos but eventually got a couple of hours last night.  First of all a few pictures and videos from Saturday

Early morning stare out at Killingworth

Common Tern having a turn round Killingworth on Saturday

Sedgie in the gold of the morning at Cresswell

Great White Egret performing well for the public at Druridge

Note the bit hanging from the centre top bird, I saw it several times in a couple of hours

and it had the same bit hanging down at the same angle

Bit of a distant Little Gull at Cresswell

 Standard Wheatear pose at East Chevington

Now for a few videos

Firstly a couple of nice sequences of the GWE at Druridge

More for the sound than the sight 

(just love bird song, pity I cant identify them like others)

A greedy Common Tern who nearly bit off

more than it could chew