Monday 28 November 2011

Northumberland 26th-27th Nov' 2011

A weekend in Northumberland with Sean J birding the areas around Holy Island
wa very productive. Highlights were: Pomarine Skua, White-fronted Goose,
Red-necked and Slavonian Grebes, Great-northern Diver, Long-tailed Duck
and top of the list, the Greater Yellowlegs at Hauxley.

Oystercatchers with Lindisfarne in the distance



around 30 Purple Sandpipers were at Stag Rocks


Bamburgh Castle

Brent Geese


Curlew

Common Seal

Greater Yellowlegs

Sunday 13 November 2011

Eider, Upper Foulridge 12th Nov' 2011

After missing double-figure counts of Little Gull, 6 Red-breasted Merganser
Grey Plover and best of all, an immature Eider on the Foulridge Res's while
at work on the 11th. I visited the following day hoping at least one Little Gull
would still be present. As expected all the birds had moved on.

After an hour on the Lower res' i popped up on to the Upper res and there it was!
A stunning male Eider. Initially, i thought it was an adult bird but after a little fact-finding
the bird is not a fully mature male, owing to it's dark, not pure white tertial feathers.

My first in East Lancs, and my second Foulridge tick within a week, following the
Bewick's Swans earlier.
It spent most of the time sleeping but was much more active the next day.
Two Eiders at Foulridge in as many days, thery're like buses........






'hooked' Great-crested Grebe

sunset at Lower Foulridge 12th Nov 2011



Wednesday 9 November 2011

Bewick's Swans

9th Nov' 2011 and for fifteen, short minutes today, Lower Foulridge was graced
with two adult Bewick's Swans, a first for me at Foulridge, lovely.



Sunday 6 November 2011

Reed Buntings

6th Nov 2011 On the grass moorland above Clowbridge reservoir i came across a
group of around, forty Reed Bunting. After a little gentle 'pishing' msot came out of
the thicket and showed quite well. Unfortunately, there was nothing unusual within
the flock.