A unexpected early start.

I was lucky enough to finish work this  in the early hours this morning

and took advantage of the rising sun  and my gear in the car

I noticed that one of the spoon bills a druridge has a yellow and a red ring on one of its legs.

The world to yourself is a nice thing, but your always being watched.

Another garden first

What a great weekend and i have been at work for a good portion of it.

Again i have a few days off and a few migrants have been  seen, I return to work and the more interesting appear. Never mind one day my timing will be better.

Not a migrant, and much overlooked is the humble Chaffinch. The picture above taken on the path at  druridge ,does not do the male bird justice, almost tropical in colouring

I did not see what the kestrel was hunting but it led me to these, first time i have seen them among the dunes 

Viola riviniana

at druridge. One lone plant.

Mean while back at the garden.

 The pond is continuing to be the local bathing sight,
for at least 15 pair of starlings, from mid afternoon onwards. With the resident breeders also using the facilities.










This year i have done well with 'garden' birds, but this year, i still have a pair woodpeckers everyday

 The Female (above) feeds closer to the house than the male. with an early morning start giving me, the sight of a bathing female.
                           Yesterday, evening, I had the pleasure of witnessing  a pair of Siskins mating in the garden The act, was followed by an amazing chase between the pair. Then i realised they are a first for this garden.

female siskin ( for ground)

 Today, whilst gardening they were in the garden for most of the day, allowing me ,reasonably close. Hopefully nesting within my boundary's

Male Siskin

A walk along the beach- thursday

Please click on picture for the rest, i need to change this page format.
 I started along by Druridge pools and sat and waited for the prevailing wind to bring the long tailed duck into

 picture range. Although the day was bright and sunny the wind was still cold, with my hands blue when it eventually came drifting past

 The big surprise was the bay it self, the build up of weed and other rubbish/detritus,  from the recent stormy seas.

 The picture above  is the weed at its deepest , around a foot and a half deep.  A mixture of mostly  organic remains with an unhealthy percentage of plastic.

 There were only a few dead puffins along the beach  at druridge. But thankfully it was dotted with more life than you will usually see along the long stretch of sand.

 Can anyone identify the remains of this fish?

Further north along Warkworth beach , now actively looking for puffins  i found six between amble pier and the southern side of the river Aln

 The sea king rescue helicopter above a common sight in this area, but for how long? A recent government  decision means this stalwart will disappear  in a couple of years.
  I will leave you with a busy Easter holiday  shot of warkworth beach

Has anyone had one of these in the garden?

  Garden first (.click on pic for another)
I thought i was seeing things a couple of weeks ago. When i glimpsed, what i thought was a gold crest. Since then, i have had two fleeting sightings.
 I was thinking of posting without pictures, but no doubt, there would be doubters.
I think this is a male, due to the crest having an orangey hue.

I heard through the ash tree

(click on pic)

poor pics-happy taker.

I returned home, just as it went dull,and could here a familiar sound.

last year this sound produced a trio, flyover record, today it produced at least 24 garden firsts.

and to think i had had a look around the town for them.

Mixed Bag all taken today (click on pic, for rest)

First of all i stopped for petrol, then headed over  to see this anchor . 

I can't be the only one, who thinks this looks like an egyptian cat. 

You then walk down some stairs near this sign.

where you can see 

a ship with a face (HMS Dauntless) and

with his icelandic cousin. 

Eventually i headed north, because the icelandic was being aloof. 

Finding a strange creature

                                         With a number of dead birds along the coast. I walked a--long

hoping for the odd sea duck

but found these stealing off the fishermen. 

its been a bit grey

but worth it.

 

Feeding budgies

Hard weather visitors, a small flock of my better half's 'budgies'.

Strangely, my other hard weather usual visitors have been here since mid November.

 The first bird of the year,was a sparrowhawk   with yellow legs, the first bird this morning was also a sparrow hawk with more orange/red legs, so i have two knocking down the locals.

 I have not been out very far, for quite a while, many reasons. So no pictures and nothing to blog about.

Yellow Hammer. One of ten.