The remains of the day

I don't like Mondays - normally.


However, today I managed to escape the early morning management meeting for a meeting with Dr. Clive Waddington to look at the Low Hauxley excavation site we completed two years ago. 

Despite the forecast, Hauxley reserve was bathed in sunlight for most of the day and the bushes were full of robins, goldfinch and lots of redwing, song thrush and blackbirds, obviously newly arrived. I was surprised when a chiffchaff started to call from the rosa rugosa thicket, creating the feel of spring rather than autumn. 



The new path through the reserve gives the visitor a much greater range of habitats including reeds and scrub woodland and new screens provide opportunities for views into bits that were previously out of sight. This rewarded me with a great view of a group of 20+ oystercatchers lurking at the edge of new scrape. The light was excellent and the birds were quite close. This group were all perched on one leg and it was hilarious watching them jostle for position without putting the second leg to the floor. It was as if they were iron filings on paper with a magnet beneath! When the music stopped, the bird without a chair proved to be a Grey Plover which had been hidden by the throng. Nice!

On reaching the beach, it was apparent that the erosion of the dunes (and the dig site) was severe and the peat's that had been revealed was stripping back faster than expected. However, the visit proved useful as Clive found some in situ stones within the peat layer which suggest the presence of a man-made structure, probably a fire hearth. Having excavated a similar feature with Clive and a few volunteers, it was exciting to think another relic from the neolithic ages was tantalisingly close but could be gone with a single high tide or storm. 

Whilst chatting I asked Clive about what looked like a piece of metal in the peat. On examination this transpired to be a nodule of ironstone within the peat, ochreous enough to be visible. Clive was excited with the find as this material has shown up in excavations as a residue on flints and it is a component of the material mixed with tree resin that waterproofed animal skins used in the construction of boats. Wow!!!


The peat is a perfect record of the local environment after the last ice age and the erosion is stripping back the pages to reveal some of its secrets, in this case a perfectly preserved silver birch trunk with the paperlike bark as good as the day it formed. Every little bit recorded makes the picture clearer and its brilliant to be able to use this to add structure to tell the story. 

It was also amazing to look at the new visitor centre, build by volunteers from straw, clay, wood and stone only to think these techniques would have been utilised by the residents who arrived in this area after the glaciers had retreated. The only difference is probably health and safety. And chocolate biscuits.

Just to add more sugar, I found a well preserved vertebrae from a cetacean, possibly a small neonatal porpoise, to add to my growing collection. 

I think Mondays should be optional if they are not like this.

Rain Rain everywhere!!

What a day! Thrashing about SE Northumberland on a range of work errands this morning, I was wishing I had a boat rather than a car! Cresswell, Ashington, Arcot - all areas with much more than their fair share of water! Both the Blyth and Wansbeck look extremely swollen and we also had to stop work on a bridge at Prestwick Carr as the water level came dangerously high. 

No Waxwings in sight during my journey through Ashington but I understand they are still around Asda. a number of Mistle Thrushes seen amongst small parties of redwings around Acklington, Amble and Hauxley - perhaps suggesting a mini influx? A quick stop off for some scran at Cresswell Pond, where mud is still showing, produced a couple of Goldeneye, a dozen golden plover, good numbers of curlew, lapwing and dunlin with a few redshanks. 5 whooper swans flew over the hide as I left, heading inland. Someone in the hide reported a med gull amongst a group of Black Headed but my bins just didn't allow me to confirm them! Two sparrowhawks, both male, one at Hauxley reserve and one in Ellington reminded me of the excellent talk last week from Ian Newton.

All in all, not a bad return for so many short journeys and brief stop offs but that rain is going to have an impact and it will be interesting to see how much over the next few days.

 

Halcyon Hauxley

Saturday dawns as a fantastic autumnal morning, crisp and clear, with an inviting forecast. Perfect for a bit of birding.

Leaving the choice of site to others can sometimes be a dangerous thing but this time Toms choice of Hauxley feels right - not too far and we always feel guaranteed to see something worthwhile. We haven't been up there as a family since the fire so I am also curious to see the reactions to the new facilities as well.

Checking out the sightings board in the new and temporary visitor centre, now open, there is a decent list but nothing outstanding. This board has been enhanced by some great sketches by John Steele, worth a look if you're up there. We decided to head down to Erics Hide because of the position of the sun and the wind (its pretty cold today but also very sunny).

Despite the lateness of the year, there are still plenty of wildflowers in bloom, including devil's bit scabious looking majestic. The haws and hips are weighing down the branches, yet to be discovered by winter thrushes, whilst sloes, black just a few days ago are now turning dusky purple following the first of the frosts. Sunning itself on a hawthorn bush, a drowsy speckled wood butterfly languidly took to the air once brushed by the shadow of my camera, joined by another further on along the pathway. Recently common in the area, this was still a surprise view given the relative lateness in the year.

Equally late, the reserve was alive with swallows, urgently stocking up for their impending overseas sojourn, their in-flight menu presumably mainly tipulids, which appear to be commonplace today. Swooping and darting across the sky, these birds appeared to consist mainly of juvenile birds, their urgent feasting suggesting imminent departure. Although young, their mastery of the air was wonderful to watch. Alongside the few perched precariously on the fence-line, a solitary wheatear sits tucked in the sun, its buffs and browns in sharp contrast to the dark scrub. Obvious to me, it took an age to alert my companions to its location.

Amongst the wind blown spume and stranded seaweed, redshank and dunlin feast while mallards and teal sit out the wind, unsure to stick or twist. The nearby fields are full of curlew, hidden from view until disturbed but settling again, just out of sight apart from one individual which continues to probe the mist soil. Alongside is a single godwit, probably bar-tailed, probing the depths, showing clearly the differences in size, shape and colour as well as bill shape.

A dark blob dips and weaves across the water, low to the surface, a sudden shift catches the full light, a turquoise streak as the kingfisher reveals its true colours before passing from view. Poor Tom, dipping on the wheatear as he positioned the scope, double dips, his disappointment palpable.

Perhaps this explains his unusual haste as we move hides, the cathedral space of the new hide fittingly reverential as we sit in hushed tones, searching the sky for a renewed view of the jewelled vision. Three little grebe bob and weave close by, their feeble airborne sojourns creating laughter and some amusement as I try and recall words from the Mikado: “three little grebes are we.....”

More curlew, dunlin and a group of lapwing are sheltering from the growing breeze, curlew numbers rising during our stay until a good size flock approaching 200 is formed. Three snipe hide at one end of the spit, nervously watching wigeon as they graze the waterline. The gang of geese, constantly fidgety, provide a constant background noise but stick to one side of the site, leaving space for a group of 15 cormorants, one of which is diving so frequently he appears otter-like for a brief moment.

Deciding to head down the coast for a while, we wander down the tree lined path, small flocks of tits and finches occasionally breaking cover to dart into safety once again just ahead.

“Kingfisher” - two voices simultaneously trill as an unmistakeable cobalt and copper flash breaks the skyline ahead. Smiles all around prove the value of the day and everyone is happy heading back to the car. Sunshine shines on flower rich banks amongst which goldfinch hang from umbel-heads, a group of over 50 as big as any I have seen for some time. A single tree sparrow joins them from time to time as they wend their way from plant to plant, perpetual motion, a charm in every sense. Tom couldn't wait to add his score to the tally board.

East Chevington and the sky is darkening almost menacing.

A walk through the dunes to the burn mouth for a change, drawn by the glimpse of whitecaps on the sea. Unexpected colours adorn the sand, late blooms from bloody cranesbill, alongside waxcaps and rose galls drawing the eye to a mass of cowslips, proof positive of a hefty crop earlier this year. As we progress, a skein of geese appear from the sea, ragged V's form a breakdance across the sky, these Canada Geese oddly attractive in the air, my least favourite on the ground.

Amongst the beach debris, wrack, kelp and trunks of trees, pied wagtails trill and dip, with a grey wagtail providing some colour amongst the monotone debris. A rock pipit catches the eye, hidden amongst the trash, suddenly popping into the air before dropping out of view. Along the top of the beach, a small bird rises, followed by others, until 9 birds are moving away along the dune edge – surely too early for snow bunting!!

The waves are crashing against the base of the dunes, surging upwards and scattering a large group of dunlin and sanderling into the sky. Forming and breaking, constant movement, their antics comical yet purposeful, I find myself thrilled by the scene. Trish is equally hushed. A single ringed plover lurks amongst the group, his mask suggesting nefarious purposes that belie his true intent. Gulls of all sizes , creeds and colour crowd into the small space at the edge of the waves, searching weed, salad tossed by the waves to reveals scraps of food, requiring robust jousting for a rewarding morsel . Spume topped waves remind me of instant whip, peaks and troughs of creamy foam creating a backdrop to the scene, which completes a memorable day.

Cold hands and face remind us of the approaching winter, but this is my favourite time of year. And to hear my youngest proclaim a love for birdwatching crowns it all.

School Gull Fantasy

As I approach/pass my 50th birthday (delete as appropriate), I find myself confessing to lingering around the margins of Monkseaton High School, armed with my binoculars hoping to catch a long lingering look, and perhaps a bit of action?

Because the school fields at Monky appear to quickly becoming one of THE places to see gulls, which are gathering in increasingly impressive numbers. I have yet to spot anything hugely significant but personally that doesn't worry me. It's the growing numbers and variety of birds of all ages, almost like a living larus manual in one place, as well as the opportunity to watch these birds interact.  

I thought it had gone quiet at home, where the Herring Gull nest has seen the last of its fledglings and its now safe to walk the streets of Monkseaton free from a gratis guano helmet. Because the birds have found somewhere better, hidden amongst the legoland spaceship that dominates the landscape of this part of North Tynesides coast.

Sitting behind a large metal fence, just in front of the "carbuncle", one presumes the birds feel especially safe in this seat of learning. It's often a case of a few birds acting to pull in more and more until the site becomes significant. There has always been a decent gull roost here in past but it appears as if this may be getting bigger. To my shame, I haven't been undertaking any counts and I also find gull plumage to be tricky at times but this site is close to home so worth dropping in for a look whenever I can. It will be interesting to see if the numbers grow, if they respond to tides, etc. This might also allow me to check the nearby fields more regularly for curlew as they sometimes pop up here at high tides, especially in rough weather. Bearing in mind that the whole lot will probably get built on in the future where the hell will these birds go then (I will make space for curlews om my roof if possible).

I now have to brush off the guidebooks (Grants Gulls has rarely been used previously to be honest) and make use of whatever else I can find such as;

 http://psychology.exeter.ac.uk/lundy/gullid.htm

Footnote

It was totally safe to do this at anytime a few weeks ago but now the schools are back its best to avoid the hordes of scantily clad nubiles and visit in the evenings!

Breakfast Epiphany

Blearly eyed, unshaven and groggy, I wandered into the kitchen and threw back the curtains (rolled back the blind really), revealing a murky morning, mirroring my demeanour.


But all was quickly shaken off by the image that confronted me.

Not a naughty neighbour, caught in flagrante delicto, or an alien mothership waiting to take over North Tyneside ......... but a breath catching moment nevertheless!

Because right in the middle of the glass was a perfect image of a bird, caught in perfect freeze frame and looking just like a fossil.

The image was immaculate, every little detail of the feathers crystal sharp, the graceful arc of the wing - ironically the opposite of the clumsiness of a moment of collision caught like a photograph on the glass.


But I was immediately struck by that prehistoric similarity, a fleeting and chance record of millennia of evolution, resulting in the collared doves that occupy my garden. Sadly, one less now and not long before the rain or a window cleaners shammy removes this final memory.

Majestic Tree gets a Trim

I am pleased to report that the Black Poplar (yet to be confirmed) at Acklington has recently had some gentle pruning of the main problem branch. This may have removed the major threat at present and it is worth noting that the tree fully retains its majesty.

Meanwhile another cut means that the DNA testing may not be undertaken this year as the funding to do this has become a victim of the current public spending restrictions. Other avenues are being pursued - after all we have used DNA to track down Pine Marten this year, and to confirm that all NE water voles are from Scotland, so its proven its value and with a bit of luck we can squeeze a little it more out for this importnat tree.

As a footnote - all my cuttings have failed. They were doing great but appear t have succumbed to fungal disease.

Many thanks to John Davison for the update and photo.

Wild Goat Chase????

Whitelee National Nature Reserve has its own flock of "Wild" Goats (Capra aegagrus), which roam at will across the moorland, well almost! In fact, they are constrained to Kielderhead and Whitelee by a fence (although I think they have learned to walk around it now.


Very occasionally there is a need to intervene with these animals, usually if their numbers get too large (which may result in damage to the population as well as the site. Thus an annual census is taken to make an informed decision on whether a cull may be required (which is very rare).


Thus a beautiful sunny day in June 2010 saw us deposited at Whitelee, armed with binoculars, sun cream and Mars Bars. Joined by rangers from the Forestry Commission, we divided the ground up. My colleague for the day, Anthony, and myself elected to climb to the White Crags, circle across the top of the watershed and then descend down the Batinghope Burn.

At 1510ha, a NNR, SAC and SSSI, this is Northumberland Wildlife Trust’s largest reserve and is notable for its active blanket bog and heather heaths. Some of it is even in Scotland!

The ground that we covered was principally moorland, with a little bit of recently planted woodland.  At first view an open vista but once entered its full of small gulley's and peat hags, many of which could easily hide a Billy Goat and his hareem.

Within five minutes, I remembered my age as my first wind went and the second never really got there! Its pretty steep and being out of condition, it was very hard going across the tussocky heather. Despite my stertorous gasping, the trip was enlivened by the soaring of Skylarks and numerous Meadow Pipits, darting from under my labouring feet in places. Breeding appears to have been reasonably good for these species, although for nearly an hour these were the only birds we saw (the exception being the odd wood pigeon flapping around the nearby conifer blocks).

Reaching the top was a relief to my aching lungs and the ground flattened off. Most notably, the entire blanket bog was a dry as I have ever seen it, crusted in places. Water lurks beneath the surface still, but the availability of insects for feeding young is bound to take its toll this year, adding to an over harsh winter. A couple of small-leaved sundew were noted.

Crossing the watershed, still with naught but "mipits" and skylarks, we entered the rough ground around the top of the Coomsden Burn and dropped in to the Batinghope Burn, where the ground is fairly steep and broken in comparison to other areas. Within minutes we had  picked up additional species, the most obvious being a pair of Common Buzzard with two young, both of which were able to fly and join their parents for short periods, being coaxed by the female. Willow warbler, stonechat and pied wagtail were later joined by a single juvenile wheatear, just close to a large sheep stell, where it probably had recently emerged from a nest. On the burn, we startled a dipper and a couple more pied wagtails. In the shelter of the valley, there were a few butterflies, small white, small copper (3) and a single brown job that we couldn't quite see for long enough.

The valley bottom has a few small flushes and standing pools, one of which was alive with the biggest common toad tadpoles I have seen for years! A few small frogs were also noted and by taking the time to look we also found the pool to be full of Palmate Newts, one of which was extremely pale, almost white.

Shortly after this we flushed another dipper, presumably a mate to the previous one. It was at this point that I decided to entertain Anthony by plunging off the bank side into the burn, soaking myself in the process as well as crunching my leg on boulders. One look at my leg and it was," I think we'll look at that WHEN we get back" (a later visit to the General confirmed it wasn't broken-so what was that mystery white object projecting from the shin?).

On meeting the others and comparing notes, we had the addition of Golden Plover (with young) and everyone agreed it had been a lovely day - but NO GOATS!


http://www.natureonthemap.org.uk/map.aspx?map=nreserves&feature=1008709,nnr,REF_CODE,LABEL

Great White Eejit

Well worth traipsing to Druridge Bay through the hail and rain to get some cracking views of the Great White Eejit (as Tom continues to call this magnificent bird). Seen close up to grey heron the bird was fishing well in the flooded grasslands. Obviously the excess of rain has added to the amount of standing water but the new sluices also appear to have helped by raising the water table. The downside of this is the poor state of the paths, especially around the entrances but those of us keen to see the bird were well prepared.

To make the visit even better, we were rewarded when a peregrine took a teal and sat in full view consuming the meal - thanks to all the birders present for lending their scopes for even closer views. Plenty of shoveller, teal and wigeon around and a growing black-headed gull flock adding some much needed noise - we'd noticed that the bay was pretty quiet but had been blaming the weather.

Prior to this a trip to Cresswell had given us two magnificent drake goldeneye, together with a range of wildfowl - noticeably more gadwall than in previous visits. Water levels were high but obviously dropping as there was a lot of flotsam surrounding the hide left behind as the water dropped (outfall was clear).

A good day all round despite the dreadful weather and another bird added to the new lexicon of species descriptions!

Poplar Show to be Axed?

Is it possible that the local authority may be due to commit a hienous act of vandalism by removing one of the counties oldest trees?

Acklington Poplar

Following a call from a "concerned resident" about plans to fell a tree in the grounds of a local school, a series of curious events unravelled.

Situated  in the grounds of a small school, the tree is causing a problems because of the fears it will drop some of its timber onto unwitting children going about their bean bag races and other lawful activities (provided competative sports have not been banned).

Tree surgeons have visited and pronounced this to be a terminal case as the tree has honey fungus (the arboricultural equivalent of athletes foot?). The verdict is that it must go, thereby removing the danger but coincidentally robbing the pupils of a fantastic part of their local heritage.

The school is the oldest in Northumberland, built around 1865 and the tree was in its old age at that time. At approx. 80ft tall, it is a fine specimen and probably 250-300 years old. As a veteran tree, its is therefore entirely worthy of protection in its own right. Add to this the biodiversity value of a tree of this nature, with rot holes, gnarled bark and lots of nooks and crannies to be filled by a range of wildlife and we are faced with a dilemma.

But the crying shame is that this is probably a BLACK POPLAR, one of the UK's rarest trees and something virtually unrecorded in Northumberland. Only one other is listed in the county Flora and the veracity of that may be doubtful.

The problem with Black Poplar is that they are VERY VERY hard to identify. As with many of this genus, hybrids occur and true individuals are hard to pin down. But I have a secret weapon in this way - DNA profiling! Getting some leaf material will allow us to look at its genetic fingerprint in a way that will be definitive.

Thus I eventually found myself in the beautiful village of Acklington on a mission to visit the tree and to see what could be done to conserve the species, but if possible the specimen itself.

Firstly - what a tree - huge, gnarly and imposing. Secondly, the school don't want to see it go really and are actively looking into more land to replace that lost in preserving such a worthy specimen (I now have somewhere to send all my Sainsbury's School Vouchers as a gesture of appreciation). Thirdly, it looks really well to me!!

Gnarly old bugger!!  (30cm rule in centre)

Accepting one large and unruly branch, snaking over the playing field, the tree does what it should in that it will occasionally lose twigs, particularly in windy weather. But there is no obvious and major rot or damage other than this "superbranch" which suggests that some prudent amputation may save the patient rather than the proposed terminantion.

Superbranch - for the chop?

Honey fungus is a fact of life for most trees, they live with it all of the time and it often only becomes a major issue when they are stressed for other reasons. The tree outside my house, for instance, which hides my nakedness from neighbours (phew!), has it. But unless Virgin Media chew up the roots when trenching for cable TV in the area or some other damage occurs, the tree will live with honey fungus, even though it may be the final nemesis.

So plans to cut it down may be premature although some pruning and even pollarding may be worth considering, even if the school succeed in securing alternative sporting facilities on a nearby field.

As a safety net though, I returned home armed with a bagful of hardwood cuttings, many of which are installed in a small plot in my garden, a few pots and also into water to encourage some rooting. As soon as some of the tight little buds start to spring open, leaf material will be taken for the DNA test and then it will all get REALLY interesting.

As a footnote, its worth adding that Her Majesties Prison's at Acklington and Castington have both offered to help propagate cuttings in their nurseries. What a fantastic project that will be when we get it going. They are a superb partner with real commitment to progressing nature conservation as well as putting something back into the community.

As a further footnote - the school REALLY do want to save this tree and I am sure that the local authority do as well but in the latter case there are lots of conflicting pressures that make this a very interesting case.

In the Gutter

What a cracking morning when I rolled out of bed to the sound of blackbird, goldfinch and the ever-present spuggies, cheeping away fit to bust. Although there remains a slight chill in the air, the early morning sky suggested a day better than the forecast (much like normal - do they ever get it right?). Keen to test out his new bins, Tom even suggested a bit of birding but this was trumped by the suggestion for us to check for newts at New Hartley.

Newting is something that Tom and I both enjoy but this is a site with a distinct difference. Not your normal beautiful lily fringed pond but a series of road gulleys in a new road surrounding the SSSI. Since the nearby housing estate was built and this curiously twisty road was put in, we have spent many hours fishing unfortunate amphibians from the road drains and returning them to their preferred habitat.

Think of yourself as a newt.

You wake up after a bloody hard winter, and the sap is rising! Struggling through the undergrowth in search of a nice warm pond, you come across a large concrete cliff. Once down this you either turn left/right or progress forward. 

Right or Left leads to a large hole full of water (hard to see in the dark) and OOPS - in you go! Great - water! But ********! There's no way out. 

Progress forward - another cliff, too hard to climb so turn right or left.

Right or Left leads to a large hole full of water (hard to see in the dark) and OOPS - in you go. Great - water! But ********! There's no way out.

Effectively these road drains (gulley pots) act as pitfall traps for the amphibians. Bad enough for common species such as toads or smooth newts, but New Hartley Pond is an SSSI because it has regionally important populations of Great Crested Newt.

Over the last two years we have rescued hundreds of newts from these drains, including some cracking cresties. Sadly, many have also perished in them, along with some pheasant chicks, water shrew and numerous small mammals. 

Taking Trish with us (promising not to be all girly) and armed with a bucket and net (plus my LICENCE - for I am a fully authorised and vetted Great Crested Newt fondler) we set off full of enthusiasm. And while most of Tyneside was probably at the shops (nae footie today-except for the Bay away in the Vase - 3-3 draw!) we conducted our very own rescue.

The water in these drains is full of all sorts of crap, but mostly leaves, all of which are really dark. Newts are a bit hard to spot in them so a careful check of the catch is  required. There are 28 gulley pots in total and it took us nearly three hours as many were stuck shut, requiring a bit of a whack with a lump hammer to shift them.

What a team! There were 151 amphibians recovered - of which 11 were Great Crested (I was surprised by this as I still think its a little early in the season). Sadly, there were also 6 dead cresties and this really p***** me off. God knows what effect this has on the overall population.

The bucket was totally alive when we went to repatriate the catch in the nearby ponds and every single newt took to the water with great enthusiasm. We tried to photograph the vivid colours of the bellies before release but couldn't do this justice and as we didn't want to stress the newts anymore than needed, we left it.

Despite the stink, we all felt this was a good afternoons work. We also recorded great spotted woodpecker, yellowhammer, goldfinch, rook, blackbird, great tit and blue tit (was that also a chiffchaff calling?)

On the way back home, Trish mentioned a hoopoe one of her colleagues dads had seen in his Ashington garden yesterday! He took a photo so am looking forward to that!

Dove is in the air

Wake to "cooing" close by.

Nope Trish is still asleep - its a bloody collared dove sitting in the tree outside the window!

Can't really complain, can I? After all, it is St. Valentines Day and no doubt they are feeling amorous as well? The sap may be rising (in the trees) and things begin to pop up unexpectedly, so it will soon be time for these stupid birds to continually lay eggs on the roundest branch of the (council owned) Whitebeam outside my house and watch them roll onto the pates of unsuspecting passers by. Why don't these birds build a proper nest? Just imagine if we all built houses like that!They'd be marketed by Barretts!

Do you birders know that single girls who want to find out who they will fall in love with should go birdwatching on Valentine's Day, according to an ancient art called ornithomancy? The practise of  reading signs from birds dictates that the first bird an unmarried woman sees is an omen of her future husbands character. Are you worried?

My Shamen tells me that anyone lucky enough to see a dove can be sure their future marriage is happy.

Good job the curtains were closed then! Or was it..........?

After this rude awakening, what better way to mark this VERY special day than huddling up in the Holywell hide, twiddling with my new scope and taking in the wonders of nature? Well, I am sure I can think of something better! Especially with the reserve being so quiet!

The weather was very still, with barely a wisp of wind and the sun at a low angle making the pond obsidian and gloomy. Meagre fare as well, with two drake goldeneye being the pick of the bunch. A few pochard, couple of tufted duck and a shy grey heron lurked around the far end of the pond, while a handful of greylags spend some time being bossed by a canada goose before settling down by the public hide. There were not many gulls either, a few black headed, herring and greater black-backed. 

Lots of robins singing and the feeding station was busy, with a good gathering of greenfinch, goldfinch and the ubiquitous tits darting from feeders to treetops and filling the air with excited calls. The male Great Spotted Woodpecker made a transitory appearance before disappearing east, almost as if he had heard that most birders would be busy ensuring their other halves would be in receipt of love and affection, scant reward for months of absence in pursuit of ticks.

Luckily for me, my lovely lady is also a fantastic companion on trips out and even encouraged the purchase of the Nikon scope after we found my Spacemaster had more mould than a Stilton (following a drenching and inadequate storage)! Tom has therefore inherited the old scope, which appears to be encouraging him to take a greater interest.

As we left, we were treated to an influx of fieldfare into the far edge of the village, feeding amongst stubble. A total of 96 was counted but there must have been more out of sight.

Not the best of days perhaps, but my favourite bird was, as always, the one on my arm.

Planes, Sprains and Automobiles

I take my hat off to Heather Mills. 

It must have been hard enough to have to put up with that whinny over-rated soppy scouse fop when she married him, apparently for her "share of his fortune" (which condemned her to more public vilification than Saddam Hussein), but she then took a massive risk by becoming the Long John Silver of  Dancing on Ice, only to fall in mid Choctaw Turn. 

Following a smattering of the white stuff and a brief appearance from a solar flare, the glass like pavements of Whitley Bay brought me down to earth with more than just a bump as I cartwheeled into the air and landed heavily on my back. In futre years, I will remember with some fondness all those good samaritans who walked past me as I lay gasping for air outside the Salvation Army Charity Shop. Perhaps the absence of empty bottles of "dog" could have provided a clue that I wasn't waiting for a place in the hostel but was actually injured?

Anyhow, the resulting neck, back, rib and shoulder strains played some part in restricting this weekends outings. The need to jump in the Volvo and chug up to Town to open up the work space, so lots of Batty folk could meet and discuss all things myotis, meant that we had to be in Newcastle, so a trip to Big Waters looked the best bet.

Arriving at the reserve, prospects for birding looked poor as the cloud layer had descended so far that it was like walking under a suspended duvet! Piercing this gloom at frequent intervals, the shriek of aero engines sounded as if EasyJet had determined to reduce costs by landing in Dinnington and asking passengers to walk the last few metres to the airfield.

Pressing on regardless, there was little of note along the paths to the main hide (except meeting an old friend I hadn't seen for years!). It was bitting cold and quite depressing but this soon changed once we reached the hide (increasingly reminiscent of a gentlemans club) and changed from wellies to carpet slippers. First views into the feeding station showed it to be chocka with birds, almost wall to wall with blackbirds and great tits vying with moorhens (25) for the prize of "how many can we squeeze into a mini". But not for long as a superb male Sparrowhawk made the first of many forays to ground zero that afternoon, scattering the small birds from their gastronomic distractions like seed sown across a field. This was obviously an american accipiter though, as it never hit its target that day! 

Despite the threat, the feeding station was busy, with all the usual suspects present, together with a few yellowhammer, reed bunting, 25 tree sparrow, a single long-tailed tit and a superb male great-spotted woodpecker.

The main lake was still (!!!!) frozen, and this provided a platform for over 70 lapwing, hustling a decent number of mallard, teal and wigeon for space. A couple of coot, three cormorant and two female tufted duck made up the number with a single drake goldeneye being the pick of the crop. Now this guy must have something about him as he was slowly joined by a hareem until 11 females were drifting to and fro with him darting between them and throwing his head backwards in a wonderful display of optimism. Perhaps this was well placed, as I later learned that other goldeneye recorded elsewhere that day were all males!

Throughout this display and the periodic honking of overflying grey geese (greylag I think), the blanket of cloud remained firmly fixed above us. Every ten minutes or so, the roar of aircraft broke the perfect silence. At no point did any bird stir in response to this, not a single one wanted to take to the sky and intercept the metal monster as it ploughed overhead. It's really disappointing that such avian selfishness was displayed - surely everybody knows that birds are destined to commit self-sacrifice in the face of man's ingenuity and temerity in taking to the sky, forcing birds to consider themselves unworthy of sharing their natural element?

Perhaps I am totally missing the point here? Perhaps hundreds of goldeneye had actually minced through the turboprops, producing that miasma of fog, above which the great god, Aviation, could rule? I think not! But then again, I am partially responsible - my eldest works in aerospace design.

Whale Meat Again

Its rare to find whales washed up on beaches but there have been two in eight months along the Northumberland Coast.

The minke whale found on Druridge Bay was not that much of a surprise as minke whales are often seen off the coast, sometimes in reasonably sized pods.


However, the Sperm Whale that was beached at Beadnell earlier this week was more of a surprise. Although not unique, they are unusual, being deep water animals more likely to be found in the Atlantic rather than in the relatively shallow waters of the North Sea. As a result, I thought it was a "must" to go and have a look myself, having seen the TV footage.

Arriving at Beadnell, it wasn't hard to find the corpse - just follow your nose - quite literally!!! After a few days ashore, together with some recent dental work from the Natural History Museum, the carcass is "maturing" and a trail of blood and tissue along the beach illustrated the gory mess created to thwart souvenir hunters. 

The smell gets worse as you approach the whale, a kind of smoky fatty smell that stays with you for some time. Certainly, many of the visitors were regretting their curiosity and perhaps the fish and chip suppers may reappear in due course


I was very sad to see such a magnificent animal in such a position. This individual is about 30 foot long and weighs, I am told, over 37 tons and its probably not fully grown. Whilst I would obviously prefer to see any animal in its natural environment, the opportunity to see a Sperm Whale is probably quite remote (although I have had a very close encounter with a Minke). 

As a result I was curious about the animal, fascinated to see the massive upper jaw, with it sharp teeth and serrated palate, the large distinctly notched flukes and the numerous deep gouges along the flanks and heads, perhaps indicitive of underwater struggles at some time during its life! 

For some reason, the penis is lying outside the genital slit - cue jokes about Moby Dick!!

Whether this individual is a stranding or a washed up corpse is uncertain. Its certainly provoked a lot of interest and with discussions underway about marine conservation zones, perhaps this was a timely occurrence? I would add that the dolphin found on Druridge Bay beach the same day, which would normally have been quite exciting, has almost been forgotten about. What it does show though, is that a wide range of cetaceans ARE found of the Northumberland Coast, we just don't notice them as often as we should.

Whilst there, I noted 2 bar-tailed godwit, 17 sanderling, a few redshank, 13 oystercatcher and 8 eider duck. A single wren shrieked from the dunes.


Driving home as night fell, I couldn't shake the images and that awful smell stayed with me for the entire trip, picking up 77 mute swans at QE2 lake on the way as the light disappeared. It was only when I got home that I realised my shoes were caked in Beadnell sand, complete with whale goo and that awful stench!



As a footnote, did this Sperm Whale have a taste for seal pups? Might that explain the headless seal pup corpses being washed up on the coast in recent weeks?

Border Reiving

Busy day making a foray over the border to St. Boswells to finalise a longterm aerial photography study which will prove to be immensely useful. Using these images, a consultancy company has produced a vegetation map (on a GIS), which although not perfect, is very close to providing detailed vegetation information for the entire Tweed catchment. Doing that by foot would have required an army of trained surveyors and a budget similar to that required for the purchase of one whole trident missile!!!

I love the trip up over Carter Bar, the views over the hills and the journey into the hinterland between our two nations. Plus its a chance to get some Red Kola and a bridie.

No piper at Carter Bar today which encouraged me to have a quick stop to capture the magnificent views over the Cheviots and to have a little peep at Whitelee as well. There is still snow about up here and more forecast for the next few days. Birdlife on the journey had mainly been crows and pigeons, but a flock of fieldfare (50+) crossed the border in the opposite direction to me just as I got out of the car. Further on I surprised a buzzard feeding on roadkill, something I have not seen myself before.

Post meeting, another buzzard along the road to Kelso and a couple of cormorants robbing the riparian owners of a few fish were the highlights of an otherwise relatively sparse birding drive. But it was a lovely day for a trip along the Tweed and around the Cheviots.

Hello 2010

Woke to deep snow and a garden full of spuggies and starlings, with Herring Gulls scrapping for the leftover loaf deposited last night as an afterthought. A sparrowhawk went over pursuing a small flock of fieldfare, the first I have seen in Monkseaton.

Eventually, despite my better judgement, Trish and I got moving to check out the office and make our way out for a New Year Gawk. The roads were pretty clear so we decided to drop in at Prestwick Carr in the hope of seeing Short Eared Owls (well it was really late when we got up). The turn into PC was snowy but looked ok so down we went. Mistake!

At least 5 inches of snow along the wibbly wobbly road guaranteed some fun, but the drifts were deceptive and we immediately got stuck, unable to move forward or back. Luckily a carload of folks in a 4x4 came to the rescue and allowed us to get to the birding.

Two kestrels were the first sightings, with a good number of fieldfare still around, scrounging berries from the hedgerows. Large numbers of blue and great tit drifted through the hawthorns and robins seemed to be everywhere. We also noted that wrens were very active all along the lane. Two stonechat caught my eye feeding in a area cleared of snow, a nice find so early on.

The vista was stunning. The Carr looked resplendant in its winter clothing and reminded me of how fantastic this area can be. As the light dimmed towards the end of the day, I spotted an owl in a bush close to the small caravan. I was overjoyed, as Short Eared Owl was the object of the visit, but I was more pleased when this proved to be a Long Eared Owl instead! It sat for nearly an hour in full view, so we were able to return to the car for a scope just to confirm the sighting. Both of us were totally made up to see such a wonderful bird and even better it took to the wing as soon as a crow alighted in the bush. After a few turns around the rushy ground, it moved out of view and we failed to pick it up again.


Although no other owls were seen(we had verbal reports of Barn Owl from a local), this made the trip well worth while. Deciding to leave, the final bonus was a beautiful roe deer trudging nonchalantly through the drifting snow. Despite the growing snow, we both had a lovely glow inside, amply rewarded for the effort.

Cheers to 2009

Well its almost time for the Hootenany and welcome to the next decade (whatever it is called). It is traditional at times such as this to look back and fondly recall good and bad times. With a brain like mine, recalling yesterdays stuff is hard enough  but there are one or two great nature conservation memories despite the grey matter decay.

Fondly leading the pack is the Pine Marten survey at Harwood. Armed with spatulas, plastic bags and a lack of insect repellent, our team braved swarms of flies in search of elusive marten scats. The discerning eyes rejected many possibles to recover only 3 or 4, one of which we were later informed looked "very hopeful". Feeeling like Eurovision hopefuls, the team went about their daily tasks for a few weeks as the DNA boffins did their stuff. Finally the great day arrived and Kevin O'Hara, the Willy Wonka of mammal work, passed over the golden sheet with a grin from ear to ear.   With festive fervour, my eyes scanned the text, the definitive proof of pine marten prescence clutched in my hand.......fox, dog, fox and.........human! Not a bit of bogroll in sight when we collected that sample! How the mighty are fallen!

Next are my trips to Coquet Island with/for RSPB. NWT has a good relationship here, and I was pleased to chair the management committee for a couple of years. This time around, we were trying to look into the possibilities of grazing to deal with the increasingly problematic vegetation growth which serves to cause so many problems for the chicks. It never ceases to amaze me that Paul and Zoe (and the gang) get stuck on this small rock, so close to the coast but it may as well be another planet at times. I admire the dedication and appplication they give for this cause. 2009 was good as many species had done well, Roseates in particular. To think that there is a possibility that getting volunteers to cut the grass had actually had some benefit to this very special bird makes me glow inside and shows the value of co-operation. However, the two highlights for me here are really the boat trip over at the end of the season and the coincidence with a reasonable fall of birds. Seeing so many pied wagtails and chiffchaffs in one place at once was great, but the appearance of a bright blue budgie topped it all!

Not wishing to sideline the fantastic news of breeding Osprey and Marsh Harriers, my final glow comes from filthy lucre. Yes, money! Root of all evil - but essential to allow us to achieve things. In a tough financial climate, getting not one, but THREE grants from the Aggregates Levy has been fantastic and one I am also very proud of. This cash has allowed NWT (my employers), to undertake work on our unique grasslands on the Great Whin Sill. We are even doing geology man! Fantastic stuff, even if grasslands are not an instant excitement like birds.

I have also loved media work this year. Radio is the best, and I have really enjoyed joining Carl at Lionheart for our wildlife programme, which we cunningly disguised as a Blues fiesta. Watch this space for news on this in 2010. I also met a few celebs, none more enjoyable than Matt Baker during a film piece for Countryfile (my third appearance!) - what a top bloke.

Hauxley and Druridge have a special place in my life now as well (thanks Trish) and I finally have a companion on my trips oot. Its even forced my youngest to slip off the sofa, don his boots and take the air. Nothing can express the joy to hear him say "Thanks for taking me to Hauxley Dad, it was lush, I had a great day".

There will be more, I am sure. Its certainly better than the football (apart from Wembley with Whitley - Parakeet - tick!)

Gannin' Fer A Gawk at Holywell

A day for staying inside really but I dragged myself out to Holywell this afternoon with dark skies looming and a wind that carried threats of arctic conditions later.

A quick trip to the public hide showed a couple of meadow pipits feeding in the short grass but nothing else of note. If I was hoping for some respite from the growing gale, the members hide was not the place to go next! Directly in the teeth of the wind, I was glad of the extra jacket as the chill factor soared but it was obvious that the ground temperature was warmer than recently as the pond is starting to defrost and there was a larger area of open water, with waves forming.

That said, the bird life was thinner than Twiggy on a diet! A handful of mallard and 6 wigeon, two mute swans chugging into the wind, a few gulls, two coot, 8 moorhens and a cormorant. The short appearance of a little grebe brightened the view briefly, but it moved off quickly. Six lapwings sat in the field to the east amongst a huge flock of gulls, but by then it was too cold to worry in case there was anything unusual!

Not a huge haul but...Man did that tea taste good!