A drive over moors at Alnwick and Rothbury proved fairly quiet, with a few Buzzards and Kestrels the only raptors to be seen. Every valley was filled with thick fog but each ascent led to clear skies,but few birds. 10 Yellowhammers and a single Skylark joined a few Tree Sparrows in a crop field near Brizlee.
Heading down to the coast, 10 Whooper Swans were at Maiden’s Hall Lake,with a pair of Great crested Grebes. A tribe of Long tailed tits flew by me,one by one. Here the water level is quite a few metres lower than usual. At West Chevington, 4 Buzzards looked for prey from fence posts or trees and 3 Kestrels noted. At East Chevington,2 pairs of Stonechats were flycatching and a few Siskins flew south. Singles of Skylark and Meadow Pipit seen too. The pools contained a selection of common duck species and 7 Little Grebes, 3-400 Lapwings and a single Black tailed Godwit, c. 200 Grey Lags and a few Pink Feet. A walk around the south pool produced 3 Water Rails, one seen in flight and 2 others calling, a few Reed Buntings and 4 Song Thrushes feeding in the reedbeds. On the beach,22 Pied Wagtails chased insects. More Stonechats seen at Druridge, Cresswell and Snab Point.At least 2,000 Pink Feet took to the air west of Cresswell and 3 more Kestrels seen here.
AS Jack
