Let it snow!!

More snow overnight covering yesterdays melted slush and the garden feeding station is once again active, although nothing spectacular, except the Robin is back.

Much to my surprise, me laddo Tom, asks is we can go birding! Pinching myself to see if I am still asleep and finding I am, I quickly agree, get wrapped up and shoot off to pick up Trish for an unexpected trip to Hauxley. Once I left North Tyneside the roads were S***, especially around New Hartley but were OK with reasonable care. Jesus though - some other drivers make me swear! If they get any closer to my ass I will need lube!

The trip up to Hauxley wasn't too bad to be honest and we passed a field just past the Country Park which was litterally black with geese and swans. Not willing to stop, I left this until later and all the geese had all gone. However, there were 19 mute swans and a handful of curlew left behind. The road to High Hauxley seemed fine and the fields here were also busy, with over 100 Greylag to the right and a nice little group of 14 curlew to the right. As we entered the reserve, some curlew were visible in the the field to the right and it quickly became apparent that there were more than just a few. A quick scan revealed 123 (probably more), impressive total for one location!

Embarrasingly, my Volvo was unable to negotiate the hill into the reserve - I say that because someone's Nissan Micra had managed!

We spend a bit of time watching the feeders and picked up the usual birds; chaffinch, dunnock, 4 robins, blue, great and coal tits, with a single redwing and fieldfare. A maximium of 6 tree sparrows and a song thrush arrived before we noticed our lower limbs had become lifeless, so strolling onwards we made for the new hide.

Taking a quick detour to view the curlew again, I flushed a woodcock, which gave me quite a shock but was a thrill as I always seem to miss these beauties!

I have to say the new hide is a great addition to the reserve and we were rewarded with good numbers and species including 6 Goldeneye, 2 Pochard, 2 Shelduck, teal, wigeon, mallard and 6 mute swan. The closest island held 20 oystercatcher (later joined by 11 more and a nice group of 63 golden plover). A few snipe were also visible plus a single redshank, making itself known to everybody but not moving much, which is unusual.

Whilst stuffing my face with tea, biscuits and bargains choccies from the Asda sale (yum) I noted a single wader on a snow covered rock in the distance. My first reaction was grey plover. I tried to scope it with my knackered Spacemaster (must get a new one soon - it's embarrasing) and could pick out black legs, pale underside and a dark grey but not uniform body. Unfortunately it had it beak firmly tucked away. Checking out a field guide, Trish reminded me that grey plover have distinctive black armpits. "Chuck out the Arrid Extra Dry and see what happens" I quipped to much amusement just as a crow landed and the bird (plus one other that wasn't visible earlier) took fright and skipped off towards the far side of the pond, totally out of sight! So not a confirmed tick unless anyone else saw these birds at Hauxley today!

Thinking we would get a view if we moved around, we set off down the path. Welly wearers, Tom and myself had no problems, especially with the wetter bits but Trish found parts of the path hard going in walking boots. With the sun dipping and the sky turning pink, our day came to a rapid end when Tom found a ditch and took an early and very cold bath - thus requiring a rapid withdrawal to the safety of a warm fire and cuppa. A bonus kestrel almost made up for the awful road conditions on the return journey, proof indeed of the minus 2 temperature outside (!). Brilliant day for us all with a decent list of 35 species in just a couple of excellent and enjoyable hours.