Beadnell

We had a few days earlier this week staying in Bamburgh. A couple of trips to Beadnell brought a nice sighting of a Grey Plover. We located it on both visits.

There were good numbers of Bar-tailed Godwit 

and just off the pier Goldeneye

Burdon Moor

Seeing that I was in the area I thought that I would spend an hour at Burdon Moor  which happened to be part of my first wildlife watching patch around sixty five years ago.
Its adjacent to the car park for Tanfield Railway which used to be the site for two rows of houses, namely, Andrews Houses, my home for the first eleven years.
Burdon Moor used to be the site of a drift mine, with a great pit pond for newts, but I digress.
I started right on the crown of the moor and the sound of the Tanfield Railway loco whistle put the first Short-eared Owl  to flight. As it flew from left to right, a Buzzard went in the opposite direction, then a Red Kite drifted across.
I drove down to the Burdon Moor NR and as I approached on foot there was a Shortie atop a hawthorn and showed its displeasure at my presence.

 It was not long before there were three Short-eared Owls in flight together.

A couple of Red Kites drifted over

and fifty Golden Plover flew South

followed by a large flock of Lapwing.

Driving home back across the crown a Short-eared owl landed on a roadside post just as I passed. I must do that again.

Prestwick Carr

This afternoon's visit to Prestwick Carr started with a couple of Whooper Swans, a single Greylag and two Short-eared Owls in the fields just north of Prestwick village. One of the owls having a successful hunt.

Up the bridle path there were Kestrel and Buzzard.

Returning to the bumpy road there was plenty of owl  activity, I reckon about seven Short- eared 

Gosforth Park N.R.

My first visit to Gosforth Park N.R. for quite some time, in this afternoon's sunshine, meant that I had my first look at the new feeding station. All of those involved deserve a pat on the back.
Straight away both male and female Great Spotted Woodpecker made a visit.

Nuthatch made short but busy trips into the area.

There were loads of Blue, Great, Coal and Long Tailed Tits. Also feeding were Goldfinch, Chaffinch, Robin. At one point all of them disappeared in an instant and within a second a Sparrow Hawk shot through the area and away without a kill. It was interesting to watch the Hawk speeding away through the woodland only a few feet above the ground on the look out for its next target.

I left the hide and wandered north west through the woodland where I soon had to decide - woodland walk or lake hide. Although I had been advised that the lake was frozen I felt that that may provide the best chance of seeing something. For once -correct call.
Once into the hide and looking over to the left  there was a Bittern quite happily sunning itself in a sheltered spot.

Then from the right of the hide a strange croak call and there was a second Bittern which flew, from right to left and just a few feet above the other.

Within thirty seconds the bird in flight appeared once again from the right and once again flew over the other. (Now I'm wondering  if there were three?)
Only a small area in the centre of the lake was unfrozen and attended by Mute Swans.
Returning from the lake, Woodpeckers were hammering away and a Jay was seen calling loudly from the tree tops.
Cracking visit!

Prestwick Carr

Thought I'd better visit Prestwick Carr this afternoon, since PCF has had less numbers of visitors of late.
The Short-eared Owls were up from the start and provided a couple of half decent pic
opportunities

 Total number was difficult to set since they seemed to be appearing all over the area. I reckon at least six

Peter, Bill and myself were standing chatting  when this fellow below popped up not three feet way. Peter shared some of his multigrain bar.

Prestwick Carr

Heading North up the bridle path, I soon spotted four or five Buzzards perched on isolated bushes on the edge of the wood. This one had a smart light coloured bib.

On the other side of the path a Kestrel perched on a fencepost.

and there were good numbers of Fieldfare and Redwings. A couple of Song Thrush brightened the walk

I had been giving every hedge line bush a good thrashing with the bins as I walked up and down the bridle path, to ensure I didn't miss anything, but when I got back to the crossroads I could see PCF scanning the same hedge line and sure enough the Great Grey Shrike had been there all the time

As the light faded I managed to catch sight of two perched Short-eared Owls before heading home

Short and sweet

Its been a while since I was last out, so I was pleased to be able to catch the final  half  hour of today's sunshine at Prestwick Carr this afternoon.
Had a bit of luck when a Short-eared Owl perched on a tree top not far from a gate upon which I was leaning.

There were possibly five or six about before the sun went behind the cloud

Many Blackbirds were in the hedgerows including Fieldfare after a large flock flew over towards the wood

As I made my way back along the bumpy road I had a close but brief view of the Great Grey Shrike before it dived off its perch before disappearing in the reeds