Belated WeBS count

I skidded my way to Druridge to do my WeBS count today, a couple of days late, but Sunday was pretty much a write-off (it was my birthday on Saturday) and the weather was too grim yesterday.

I didn't get down to the patch until 11ish, I was hoping the sun might have melted the ice on the roads, but they were still like a skating rink, so I mostly drove to Druridge sideways.

Black ice on the road at Druridge

The Budge fields were frozen solid, the only birds were two crows and eight snipe (which also might have been frozen as they didn't move).

On my way to the Oddie hide, I was treated to a fantastic ermine stoat scampering along the track, it was there again when I walked back later, this time with a vole in its mouth.

There wasn't much to count on the big pool, 109 wigeon were grazing in the adjacent filed with 174 lapwings. The teal were trickier to count, as they were hunkered into the vegetation round the edge of the pool.

The highlight was pair of displaying goldeneyes, the cold obviously not effecting them!

Displaying pair

These two shots show the head-shape nicely

The mute swans were keeping their heads warm

Tufted duck

As I left the hide, I glanced up, above the door, and spotted this field vole on the beam. It was alive, but didn't look like it had long for the world.

poorly-looking field vole

Before heading home, I had half an hour look on the sea. There was a lunatic surfing! OK, I know the sea temperature doesn't vary hugely, but he was out of the water on his board most of the time...mental!

On the sea I counted six red-throated divers, 4 red-breasted mergansers and there were three sanderling on the beach.

There were about 400 pink-footed geese in the field in front of the cottages, I scanned them all and could only see pinkies.

Sunday afternoon

Only one brief visit to the patch this weekend. To be honest, I was lacking motivation, which I often do after a foreign trip. This lack of enthusiasm for the patch is even worse if I have been somewhere hot and the weather back home is horrible, which it was this weekend.

I eventually summoned up the energy to head out at Sunday lunchtime, not before stopping for a bacon butty at the Drift Cafe though.

I bumped into Steve Holliday (a real Druridge scarcity) at the Budge screen, he was scanning the fields for the green-winged teal, but we couldn't see it. A water rail had been in the open, but it disappeared into cover.

A coal tit was on the feeders and as I wandered through the bushes I flushed a woodcock and then came across a group of long-tailed tits. All good January birds for the patch, normally not picked up until the autumn.

I braved the gale and had a look on the sea. A gannet flew north, another good January bird. Other than few red-breasted mergansers and a couple of guillies and razorbills there was little to see. I headed home for a cuppa and some warmth.

56 water rail
57 great tit
58 coal tit
59 woodcock
60 long-tailed tit
61 gannet
62 guilliemot

PWC score 69

quickie

A brief visit to the patch today.

I stopped on the road to scan some curlew and lapwing and found five golden plover in with them, always a tricky bird at Druridge. Whilst nattering to Tom Cadwallender, we had a flock of 30 or so twite in the dunes but they wouldn't settle for a good scan through then for colour rings.

A look on the sea was less-rewarding and the bushes were quiet. The ducks had left the frozen Budge fields for the big pool but I couldn't spot yesterdays green-winged teal.

53 golden plover
54 twite

PWC score will appear in my next post.

Green-winger to start the year

Another year on the patch begineth.....

I tried to start my year-list yesterday but a heavy sleet shower had me heading for home and hot soup, I am still not re-acclimatized from Costa Rica.

I headed back out today and visited the far flung corners of the patch, hoping to turn up some winter goodies. I managed 24 species yesterday, the highlight was a fly-by turnstone - a tricky bird at Druridge. I was keen to add to my total.

I headed north into the dunes, finding grey partridge and reed buntings and then a mixed flock of 300 or more goldfinches and greenfinches, with a single linnet amongst them. Three whooper swans flew south over my head as set off off along the haul road. More reed buntings were found along the track, but their cousin the yellowhammer was nowhere to be seen.

Male reed bunting in the dunes

female-type reed bunting along the track

At the Preceptory, a pair of kestrel were hanging about with the jackdaws.

Chibburn Preceptory - always worth checking

Headed towards the farm, a stock dove flew over, which I was pleased about as these can be very tricky too. I then got a tweet from Jonathan Farooqi telling me there was a green-winged teal on the Budge fields. A good bird which I was glad to hear about, but I won't get the three 'finders points' on the PWC.

A fly-over great-spotted woodpecker was a bonus over the cottages on my way to the Budge screen. When I got there the Yankee teal was asleep in the grass.

green-winged teal in the centre of the shot

A couple of bird-race teams popped by to see it whilst I was there, they were cagey about their scores, understandably. I was a bit envious of them, I used to really enjoy the winter bird race, but it clashes so often with the Toon playing, that I can't commit and therefore don't have a team (although after today's performance, I should maybe rethink my priorities).

No sign of New Years Eve's pintails sadly.

I had a look on the sea but it was quiet, with only red-throated divers of note.

So I started the year with a respectable 51 species and my first scarcity in green-winged teal.