A short trip out on the afternoon of 3rd November gave a Woodcock rugde, several Snipe enkeltbekkasin and Willow Tit granmeis in addition to most of the usual stuff.
At Sæle things were quiet with just a couple of Blackcap munk and a Sparrowhawk spurvehauk.
A Goshawk hønsehauk and a couple of WT Eagle havørn were seen from my sitting room/office window during the day.
Other than that just 4 Teal krikkand during a drive-by at Husvatnet.
Work stopped play completely on 4th, I did go out as the sun went down but only managed nice views of an Otter and a White-tailed Eagle havørn before it got too dark.
Otter at Herdlevær
...with White-tailed Eagle havørn in attendence
On 5th I did what may well be my last trip of the year to Hernar. A whole day in early November is something of a gamble as it could be very quiet but after a few days with southerlies and rain I felt it was worth taking the chance.
The best bird was seen very shortly after I arrived although I was not 100% confident of the ID immediately having misjudged the extent of white in the tail during the first views - it turned out to be a male Red-breasted Flycatcher dvergfluesnapper. It disappeared very quickly and despite looking for most of the day I didn't re-find it until 1505 and even then the views were infuriatingly brief and I didn't manage any photographs. Normally I would not spend as much time on such a relatively common bird but now is the time for Taiga flycatcher. As this bird was a male I feel confident it was "only" a Red-breasted.
A couple of Woodcock rugde, a lone female Blackcap munk, a few Water Rail vannrikse, a Red-necked Grebe gråstrupedykker, a flyover Snow Bunting snøspurv, a Long-tailed Tit stjertmeis, a couple of Great Northern Diver islom flying right overhead and several White-tailed Eagle havørn were among the well over 40 species noted.
Female Blackcap munk, seen eating both berries and insects today
Still lots of Blue Tit blåmeis on the move - a minimum of 50 moved through during my time on the island.
Goldcrest fuglekonge with prey - unusual to see them catching things this big, normally they eat "invisible" food...
It is just so ridiculously easy to see loads of birds in North Northumberland!
However, I remember as a young teenager in my formative years of birding I always wanted more: to travel to other places or go off chasing rarities. I never did either of these things. Whenever I am back on the home turf I see that I had no idea about how lucky I was growing up surrounded by birds. The area has its disadvantages but lack of birds is not really one of them.
Arriving in Seahouses in the late afternoon on 14th September we walked along the beach from Seahouses to Beadnell in glorious weather. It was high tide so there were some wader roosts and plenty to see along the shore. Two things marred this walk - the number of dead Guillemots lomvi on the high tideline and the sheer number of people disturbing the waders that were still trying to feed. How they can survive I have no idea.
In the few hundred metres between Seahouses harbour and Annstead point there were
Grey Plover tundralo 11
Turnstone steinvender 45
Dunlin myrsnipe 10
Oystercatcher tjeld 88
Bar-tailed Godwit lappspove 19
Curlew storspove 19
Redshank rødstilk 36
Sanderling sandløper 10
Roosting waders at Seahouses
Ringed Plover sandlo, Dunlin myrsnipe and a Rock Pipit skjærepiplerke
Dunlin myrsnipe
Goosander laksand
Curlew storspove and Grey Plover tundralo
Ringed Plover sandlo and Dunlin myrsnipe
The next day we went inland to Wooler and took a stroll at Hedgley Ponds. Nothing remarkable in a North Northumberland context but a Little Egret silkehegre, an unseasonal Whooper Swan sangsvane, 10+ Little Grebes dvergdykker and good numbers of wildfowl including at least 20 Gadwall snadderand were among the sightings here.
A lone Whooper Swan sangsvane at Hedgley Ponds
No birding on 16th September which was damp and blustery - but 10 minutes from the living room showed that there was plenty passing over the sea including a few Manx Shearwater havlire feeding just off the harbour wall.
Also stopped at Monksouse Pools for a couple of minutes - 200 Lapwing vipe and a nice selection of wildfowl. Birding is just too easy here!
A few Common Snipe enkeltbekkassin at Monkshouse
Teal krikkand
On 17th September I seawatched at Annstead (Seahouses) for a hour without a scope.
Gannet havsule N 275
Common Scoter svartand N 38
Teal krikkand N 9
Shelduck gravand N 1
Kittiwake krykkje N 32
Golden Plover heilo S 12
Fulmar havhest N 3
Sandwich Tern splitterne S 1
Little Gull dvergmåke N 4 (3ad, 1 1cy)
Wigeon brunnakke N 1
Manx Shearwater havlire N 1
Arctic Skua tyvjo S 1
Red-throated Diver smålom S 7
Plenty of Guillemot lomvi, Razorbill alke, a good selection of the usual waders etc
In the afternoon we moved onto Holy Island for a night seeing Little Egret silkehegre and Merlin dvergfalk from the causeway as we drove on.
We did the "usual" round, down the straight lonnin, along the north shore, a stop at Emmanuel Head, another stop at the Lough and back down the crooked lonnin. Plenty to see without anything remarkable. Emmanuel Head was perhaps the best with birds passing constantly 100's of auks, 35+ Common Tern makrellterne heading south, several Red-throated Diver smålom, a couple of Brent Geese ringgås and more.
Common Terns makrellterne
Gannets havsule
Lots of feeding Grey Seals havert
Kestrel tårnfalk
Most of the auks passing were Razorbills alke
Amazingly three Ruddy Duck rustand flew over whilst we sat in the beer garden of one of the island's pubs:) I learnt from other birders I met that Caspian Tern rovterne, Honey Buzzard vespevåk and American Golden Plover kanadalo were among the best sightings earlier in the day!
The following day I took a walk but never made it past the straight lonnin where a Red-breasted Flycatcher dvergfluesnappr was the highlight. Also Pied Flycatcher svarthvit fluesnapper, Whimbrel småspove and more here.
Red-breasted Flycatcher dvergfluesnapper
Unfortunately it was all too soon time to leave but we popped in at Budle Bay on the way south. 1000s of gulls, 1000s of wildfowl and 1000s of waders! 10 Little Egret silkehegre, a Mediterranean Gull svartehavmåke , 10+ Shoveler skjeand, 15 Brent Geese ringgås and so much more. Should have had more time and a scope:)
Managed a quick look at Hernar before work but didn't even do the full "short round" before it was time to leave.
Red-breasted Flycatcherdvergfalk
The island was alive with birds, largely the usual suspects but with a few additions. Of over 40 species seen by far the highlight was a Red-breasted Flycatcherdverfluesnapper - a rather unusual time to see one - being about a month earlier than they would "normally" occur.
Merlin dvergfalk
Other migrants included a Spotted Flycatcher gråfluesnapper, a Merlin dvergfalk, several Brambling bjørkefink (again rather early but I've been seeing them for a few weeks already) and a selection of waders including Bar-tailed Godwit lappspove.
Most of the House Sparrows gråspurv
In a Hernar context an incredible sighting were seven House Sparrows gråspurv - the biggest flock I have ever seen on the island and, given that they were young birds, may well have bred on the island.
Recently fledged Lesser Redpoll brunsisik
Meadow Pipit heipiplerke
Around 30 Twite bergirisk, a couple of Sedge Warbler sivsanger, 200 Starling stær and several Wheatear steinskvett were among the other species seen.
Curlew storspove - illustrating at least one of the golden rules of photography - if the wing tip is missing the rest of the bird will be in perfect focus.
Another excellent day's birding. Kicked off with a very vocal Yellow-browed Warbler gulbrynsanger at Alvheim and then went back to Hernar.....
First stop was Lyngøy where there were a lot of Goldcrest fuglekonge in the few bushes on the island, a Chiff-chaff gransanger and a Willow Warbler løvsanger were also present so there were high hopes for Hernar....
Red-breasted Flycatcher dvergfluesnapper
Hernar was generally a lot quieter than yesterday - perhaps due to an overnight clear-out or perhaps because it was just later in the day. However it was quality not quantity today and the east end of the island produced two Red-breasted Flycatchers dvergfluesnapper which were very vocal. Initially infuriatingly difficult to take any decent pictures of they settled down nicely and with some patience allowed us to obtain some good pictures.
Still plenty of Twite bergirisk present on both Hernar and Lyngøy
Also present on Hernar were a Garden Warbler hagesanger and a few each of Blackcap munk and Chiff-chaff gransanger.
Three Shags toppskarv and a Cormorant storskarv
Two adult and one young White-tailed Eagle havørn
Common Seal steinkobbe
The boat ride home produced a Purple Sandpiper fjæreplytt and a Black Guillemot teist or two.
The Willow tit granmeis movement seems to have picked up the pace a bit with birds seen at a few localities today.
