Late Friday afternoon I managed 30mins down at the Fish Quay and managed to spot 1 Adult and 2 Juvenile Iceland Gulls, had a look on the Middens and the small beach also but only managed a couple of Sanderling, a few Turnstone and the normal 100s of various Gulls.  Then off for a bit of Pasta at Sambucas

Saturday morning and a bit nippy on the ears but had to do my normal trip to Big Waters.  Was intending to stop at Arcot for a look but as I approached a Shelduck flew over heading in the direction of Big Waters so off I went looking for a patch tick.  When I got there it was nowhere in site and when I saw the state of the pond with anything that was breathing crammed into the two spaces of ice free water and the rest standing around I realised why it did not drop in.

So up to the hide looking for the elusive Brambling but without success although the place was littered with Yellowhammers and plenty of Reed Buntings.  Some of the stars of the show today are as follows:

 2 of the 3 Woodpeckers that were around most of the day with 2 of them drumming away 

for quite a long time

Up to 11 Long Tailed Tits around doing quick dives into the feeders then shooting off

A Goldcrest was in and out several times, feeding on the ground behind the posts and nipping out occasionally

although still feeding on the moss on the trees as well but not giving much time for a pic

Reed Buntings abounded in the feeding station but for some reason all my pics of the females, which I think are quite stunning, didn't live up to my exacting standards (LOL) so heres a male I took

A couple of Greenfinches came out immediately after refilling the feeders and stayed in the Feeding station for at least an hour

Finally a Yellowhammer which were all over the reserve today

Alan J and I went for short walk around but after getting jumped up at by 2 dogs and every dog we saw not under control, 1 couple had 5 with them which were running all over without the slightest hint of control at all, then the snow got a little bit heavier so we decided to head home.

River Tyne

Visited the Newcastle Business Park late this afternoon to have a look on the Tyne.  I failed to see the Ruff that had been there yesterday but it was a beautiful view as the sun set and there was a fair amount of activity on a perfectly flat smooth river.

Lots of Teals, hordes of Gulls, up to 50 Curlew, a few Mute Swans, a smattering of Redshanks, the odd Mallard, Lapwings lining the South Bank for a few hundred metres either side of Timber Beach and quite a decent count of Dunlin, 59 to be exact, but still a bit off Graeme B's count of the previous day.  A few Golden Plover passed heading up towards Blaydon and a single Grey Heron but most things were just standing or drifting taking in the last rays of the sun

Too Busy To Do A Full Blog

Saturday and Sunday I had my usual visits to Big Waters for the major part of the day with a trip to Gosforth Park Feeding Station post Big W on Saturday and Newbiggin on Sunday for an hour, adding Black Redstart to my year list, before shooting off to Big  W for a wander round with Alan, Ian and Keith.

I am quite backed up with admin chores around the house at the moment and doing lots of little jobs I have been putting off for a rainy day (its bloody bucketing now) so you wont have one of my diatribes to read (if you bother of course).  So here is a few pics from the weekend in no particular order.

One of a 140+ Greylags at Big Waters on Saturday

Reed Bunting pic with a bit of artistic flamboyance after playing with the settings

Partly frozen Big Waters but still plenty of birds around

Gorgeous looking Nuthatch at Gosforth Park

Med Gull at Newbiggin (7 on the beach)

Iceland Gull - North Shields

Shot off from work at 16.00 and was at the North Shields Fish Quay by 16.25 and the following pic was taken at 16.29 in the ever increasing dark

The adult Iceland Gull did put in an appearance but flew around then dropped behind the shed.  The gulls on top of the shed were spooked a couple of times but the Juvenile either stayed or was one of the last off.

Quiet Day On The Patch

Sunday morning and off to Big Waters for a wander round with Alan J and Ian D but the wind and rain conspired to put us in the hides but even then it got a bit wet and windy inside.  The pond had the usual collection of stuff although the numbers were a bit up on the last couple of visits.  Plenty of Goldeneye with the highest count reaching 13, the 2 Whooper Swans were still around, 3 Tufted Ducks stuck together like glue and more than half a dozen Cormorants managed to stick around in the wind.  We wandered up to the main hide inbetween squalls and found that the water by the hide was still frozen with a few Mallards standing or sitting on it.  Good look round but nothing much around and despite Alan's promise not to move from the Feeding Station windows until he had spotted a Brambling, nothing flitted into view and no new species for the year made their way onto my list.  Didn't take many pics but heres a couple I did.

Nice sunrise at St Marys but the wind was bloody awful and only stayed out of the car for 15 mins

12 of the 13 Goldeneye sticking in a tight group

The 2 Whooper Swans with their heads up for change

Why Mallards like to stand on ice beats me

Barnacles arriving with the Greylags.

Ducks gathering in the North East corner to avoid the wind and 

the 2 Otters that were patrolling the fringes.

Just another quiet day in that little jewel on the edge of Tyne and Wear

First Border Crossing into Durham of the Year

Couple of more shots from last week which I have just got round to taking off the camera tonight.  

The first one is the Greylags arriving at Big Waters with one of the Barnacles tagging along on the end.

At Killingworth the lake was 75% frozen with all the Mute Swans tucked away in the biggest bit that was Ice Free and with this Gull looking on wondering if there is any space left for a swim.

Back to today and I had all sorts of things planned but the weather changed that so I thought a venture over to the other side of water starting at Shibdon where I bumped into George on his morning walk and had a nice catchup chat whilst looking over the pond for the Glaucous Gull.  Next visitor to the hide was Stephen B, a new birder but one who has the same Fuji as me but also has a TCx2 which he let me try out, thanks Stephen.  Then Ron H and his bazooka dropped in but unfortunately it didnt get much use as the Glaucous still did not appear but we were told it had been seen at Stella.  We did see a Kingfisher, several Dunlin, Snipe, couple of Sparrowhawk although the wind and rain at times did make viewing rather difficult.  Heres a couple of pics.

Had a quick run up to Far Pastures where several others had had the same idea and were wandering around the car park looking for the Firecrest but to no avail.  Several Goldcrests, a couple of Treecreepers, and the usual tits and finches kept us entertained especially when you put a little food down.  A couple of Red Kites wandered over but had put by camera away by then and only had long distance shots although it was a year tick.  My last port of call for the day was Lamesley where I saw my 2nd Kingfisher of the day but there was very little variety with only Curlews, Teal, Mallards and lots of Gulls on display which I studied but couldn't turn them into anything more exciting.

Back home early to get my new router installed by son Gazza and my new phone connected properly.  I remember 25 years ago I was teaching them how to programme in basic, building computers, communicating with compunet, black boxes etc etc and now I need them to get my bloody phone working.

Looking forward to my Sunday tour of Big Waters tomorrow providing that the BBC has predicted correctly

Short Eared Owls & Other Pics From The Weekend

A few pics from last weekend which I have just finished doing post production (a little cut here and a little sharpen there) on as I went snap happy and took hundreds.

Mary Poppins tells us we must "start at the very beginning" but this is the final pic I took this weekend as I was heading home from Cresswell it was just perching next to the road about 200m before the purveyor of all that is fantastic (the Ice Cream Shop).

This beauty landed on the ice at Gosforth park hope it had a bit of protection down below as it seemed surprised that it was not water.  (Can they tell when they come in to land if it is water or ice??)

Once again a Short Eared at Cresswell but this time on the posts by the watch point.

Delightful Stonechat which kept us thoroughly entertained between bouts of Short Eared Owl activity

A couple of  "Happy Snappers" at their Roosting Area hoping a

Professional will come along and show them how the big black

things work If anyone sees them please take pity and give them a

bit of advice cos if you look at their places where they put their

happy snaps K's and M's you will see they definitely need help.

Coloured Rings

Have received a few reports back of Coloured Ringed Birds Nick A and myself saw in December which I had mentioned briefly in a previous post but have had a spare hour whilst waiting to go to the Doctors for my  annual 100 Blog Service

Sanderling

GreenYellow//GreenflagWhiteRed

Ringnumber 896215 First ringed on 19 May 2009 at Sandgeroi, Iceland and has been back and forward to Whitley Bay on at least  3 occasions since then and has been reported over 70 times in both places

Pic by Paul McMullen

Turnstone

YellowMetal//Red

Was one of seven birds ringed between March 1998 and February 1999 on the Amble to St Marys coastline.  A single ring is missing on the Right Tarsus

Turnstone

OrangeMetal/WhiteRed

Ringed 3 Feb 2000 at St Marys Island, Whitley Bay (BTO Metal Ring No SX83315) as an adult (born before Summer 1999) In recent years it has been reported at St Marys in December 2009, January, September and November 2011.

 Turnstone

RedMetal/WhiteOrange

Ringed at St Marys by me (Robin Ward) on 3 February 2000 as an immature (born in 1999) BTO Metal ring No SX83306.  I've no recent sighting of this bird so great sighting - Many Thanks

Unfortunately no pic of this bird

Bitterns

Saturday morning and before going to Big Waters I thought an hour at Gosforth Park might be worthwhile so arrived there about 07.30 and even then there was 2 vehicles already there but off to the hide I went but it took me over 35mins to get there, 10 lovely deer, 5 in the West fields and 5 in the woods kept me hanging around for a while. They ones on the field knew I was there immediately so had to keep still but after 5 mins watching I started along the path and they started also heading in the same direction but keeping the same distance, 3 more appeared on the path directly in front and another 2 wandered in from the woods but as soon as they saw me they were off.  

Them watching me watching them

Onto the hide but stopped again by 2 Greater Spotted Woodpeckers drumming away marking their territory and the woods were alive with Blue and Great Tits.  Eventually arrived at the hide and was surprised to only find Paul McM there who was staring through his lens and said he couldn't move cos he could see a Bittern through it (just) but when he looked away he couldn't make out where it was.  So after a lot of directions (blind leading the blind thing) and 25mins later I stumbled on it.  It was only 30m away but in the middle of the reeds.  After 10mins I realised there was another about 6ft away when it moved, Paul spotting it also.  Watching them both I took my eyes away from the scope and a Bittern took off from the reeds and flew  behind us, I asked Paul which one had gone and he said he had saw the one fly also but there was 2 still there, sure enough there was still 2 there.  A few minutes later one of them flew across the pond and landed about 15m from the hide where it started walking in and out of the gully and reeds for the next 2hrs.  Meanwhile the other one decided to get to the edge of the reeds and do that amazing balancing act that they do on top of the reeds.  It was without doubt a great 3hrs viewing (btw, didnt get to Big Waters).  Here is a few pics taken in amazing sunlight which makes everything look golden but for a special head and neck shot check Paul's here.

These 2 were the earliest shots I took when the sun wasn't that intense

and me and Paul were absolutely shivering in the hide

Can't remember the sun disappearing and the settings didn't change  but it was in 

an area where there was shade 

If you look at the Bittern's legs you can see their proper colour where the reeds are

putting them in the shade

Finally, I took several hand held videos (you can tell my the wobbling which was caused by the bloody shivering).  They are in full HD but they look much better if you view them in the UTube Viewer