NE Englaland 03.07-08.07 Family birding

 A week in Northumberland:) What a place and how things have changed in the North East - Avocet and Little Egret were very rare species as I was growing up but are now rather common.

Kicked off the week with a family visit to Salthome pools - an RSBP reserve in the middle of one of the most heavily industrialised areas of the UK. I've seen it time and again - even out in Øygarden where more birds breed in areas where industry is the main priority than in nature reserves. Equinor's plant at Kollsnes probably supports more breeding waders than the nature reserve at Tjeldstø. No disturbance from walkers, dogs, photographers and no f***ing cats mean that such areas seem to work better than "available" nature reserves. Don't get me started.

This has pretty much always been a fact but times change. When I was growing up in the NE species like Avocet and Little Egret were very rare. Now they are common and regular breeders there. Next stop Norway?

At Salthome  I saw a lot of species I don't see much of in Norway with around 40 Avocet avoset present along with Little Ringed Plovers dverglo and a bunch of wildfowl that would have set pulses racing back home:) , Marsh Harrier sivhauk, Stock Dove skogsdue and a whole bunch of other species were seen here - without even trying.

 

Avocet feeding, impossible to film without background conversation in the hide. People: can't get away from them and shooting them is frowned upon even in these enlightend times:) - even in nature reserves

Grey Partridge rapphøne in my Mum's garden near Darlington

Little Ringed Plover dverglo at Salthome Pools

Hare

Avocets

In Northumberland Common Buzzard musvåk were exactly that common!:)

Half an hour sitting on the sofa at my Dad's place in Seahouses produced a few Manx Shearwater havlire heading north along with a pale phase Arctic Skua tyvjo and hundred/thousands of Gannets havsule, Guillemots lomvi, Puffin lunde and Razorbills alke.

Meeting up with daughter #1 at Cresswell a sudden downpour  saw us running for shelter as the rain set in. Nauturally the hide overlooking the pools there was the place to go Over 20 Avocet avoset, 12 Little Egret silkehegre, a Med Gull svarthavemåke, several Little Grebe dvergdykker and A LOT more besides made me wonder if I am living in the right country. How on earth can a country as over populated as the UK have so much birdlife compared to Norway?

Five minutes at Monkshouse pools near Seahouses which were spent on the phone resulted in what would have been a mega haul back in Norway with Gadwall snadderand, Shoveler skjeand, Little Grebe dvergdykker, Coot sothøne and a whole lot more. How on earth can a place under so much people pressure produce so many birds?

Øygarden 24-30 June 2024 - More home office

Once again almost no birding with the terrace and drive-bys to and from the shops/errands providing what little time outside there was.

On 24 June a female Red-breasted Merganser siland showed up with six young - obviously having bred very close by. A few days later what I presume was the same bird had only one young left. I'm curious to know what is that is taking the young - plenty of suspects to choose from.

Red-breasted Merganser siland with young photographed from my terrace

Breeding waders (Oystercatcher tjeld, Curlew storspove, Redshank rødstilk, Lapwing vipe, Snipe enkeltbekkasin and Common Sandpipers strandsnipe) continued to be obvious but many will soon be clearing out having finished the breeding season.

Anxious Redshank rødstilk parent near Kollsnes

Well grown Lapwing young feeding in the rain

This well grown Lapwing young was limping badly with something stuck on its right leg

The other Lapwing vipe chick was fine

Curlew storspove at Breivik

A fishing trip after work on 26 June with my daughters was very successful from all points of view: outside away from the computer in great company, plenty of fish action (several species) and even some birds - including a (the?) Golden Eagle kongeørn, a Sparrowhawk spurvehauk, Ringed Plover sandlo and fishing Common Terns makrellterne.

Immature Golden Eagle kongeørn

(also point and pray camera)

A wet and dull evening drive-by at Husvatnet on 28 June produced a male Ruff brushane and a Swift tårnseiler in addition to the usual suspects there.

On 30 June I finally made it out and did my usual walk at Herdlevær. Here a female Merganser siland had 14 young in tow, a Mallard stokkand had three young with her, recently fledged Wheatears steinskvett and most of the usual suspects were present. A flock of Curlew storspove headed south and some Common Crossbill grankorsnebb turned up.

Fishing Common Tern makrellterne at Herdlevær

Recently fledged Wheatear steinskvett

After Herdlevær it was time for more fishing, once again very successful with a Pollack of well over 5kg and four other species. Interestingly the Pollack had been feeding on squid.

Cleanup crew in the garden after a successful fishing trip

Herring Gulls gråmåke and Great Black-backed Gulls svartbak turned up in force!

Øygarden 17-23 June 2024 - Giving up again

Almost no birding as almost usual. Random glances from the terrace and a few short drive-bys on the way to and from the shops were pretty much all that I managed apart from a few hours out on  22 June and a day of guiding on 23 June.

On 17 June I was away on a work trip from 0500-2100 but had a White-tailed Eagle havørn, singing Lesser Whitethroat møller etc from the terrace whilst drinking my morning coffee.

The next day a very young Common Sandpiper strandsnipe running by the roadside at Alvheim made me slow down, the youngster quickly disappeared into the undergrowth but one of the accompanying adults stayed close allowing some photos from the car.

Anxious Common Sandpiper strandsnipe

On 21 June a drive to the shops gave the first Peregrine vandrefalk I've seen for a while along with the usual suspects.

Lapwing vipe at Kollsnes

The next day was Saturday so no work but having to catch up on everything else. I managed my usual round at Herdlevær picking up most of the usual species plus a Whimbrel småspove, Crested Tits toppmeis and more. Unfortunately having lost my notebook a couple of weeks later I no longer have the full species list.....

Similarly to a few days ago a pair of roadside Common Sandpiper strandsnipe were very anxious and obviousy had young nearby. I spent a little over 30 seconds taking some pictures before driving on. The point and pray did remarkably well:)

Common Sandpiper strandsnipe at Breivik - very similar to a couple of days ago.

These images were taken with my point and pray rather than my "proper" camera which I used on the Common Sand at Alvheim a few days previously.

On the way home I picked up a second year Great Northern Diver islom on the sea at Alvheim where a White-tailed Eagle havørn also flew over.

A day of guiding on 23 June saw me visit Herdla again along with some localities closer to Bergen. In a local context the best birds were a male Ruff brushane, a Bar-tailed Godwit lappspove and a good selection of other waders at Herdla. Quail vaktel, White-tailed Eagle havørn and many, many other species were seen here.

Adult Skylark sanglerke

Recently fledged Skylark sanglerke

Further inland highlights included White-tailed Eagle havørn, a family of Whinchat buskskvett, Sedge Warbler sivsanger and more.