A mild,sunny,still morning greeted me on arrival at Budle Bay today. The bay was full of birds, with duck, waders and gulls all in good numbers out on the mud ,as the tide receded. Hundreds of Shelduck,Teal and Wigeon counted ,a small number of Pink Feet among 250 Grey Lags. Bar tailed Godwits,Dunlin,Knot ,Grey Plover,Oystercatchers and Lapwings all feeding,as a large, female Peregrine looked on from it’s rock perch,the waders giving it a wide berth. Along the southern shore, a Little Egret darted about chasing prey items. In the roadside bushes Tree Sparrows called and several Yellowhammers and Skylarks flew over.
Earlier,near Old Mousen, I stopped, recalling a fabulous Red footed Falcon there 24 years ago,. How time flies. 40-50 Skylarks rose from the fields,with Tree Sparrows and Yellowhammers ,and a Hare raced away as 4 hunters with dogs approached.
On to Fenham le Moor, where a nice,mixed flock of Linnets,Goldfinches,Reed Buntings and Yellowhammers dropped from bushes to feed on the edge of the saltmarsh. Out on the mud, thousands of Wigeon fed,with around 1,800 Brent Geese. The latter keeping up a constant chatter to each other. More Shelduck here with Pintail ,Teal and Mallard. Knot,Dunlin,more Godwits and a flock of Golden Plover also noted. To the south in fields, I counted ,with the ‘scope 422 Barnacle Geese and 500 Pink feet. A Buzzard and 2 Kestrels also here. 27 Collared Doves on wires was noteworty.
At Elwick, four Whooper Swans flew by and a weedy field held more Linnets,Goldfinches and 30 or so Skylarks, and 15 Yellowhammers. A female Sparrowhawk glided down the road , keeping below the hedges.
Holy Island next. Very quiet,as expected given the weather. 15 Rock Pipits noted in the harbour and a walk from Chare Ends to the Straight Lonnen produced only, a Kestrel, Skylarks,Curlews and 5 Roe Deer. I’ve seen these in the same area over the last three years. The flats held more Brent Geese, Golden Plover ,Knot,Dunlin and Godwits,with the latter numbering 1,000 plus. 11 Whooper Swans preened nearby.
ASJ
