Pop goes the.....

A walk round Rainton yielded a few goodies


Kittiwake
A nice clean, bright adult was a very nice surprise From The Freezer this morning

flight shot by DCJ

 - an annual visitor on the inland patch, more regularly at Hetton and Herrington, but not seen on the Rainton reserve every year.

Goshawk
I had the pleasure of an adult female Gos cruising north through the reserve complex, a expeditious phone shout to the Gin Trap Ninja, ensuring it was caught on film before it gained height and made off.
My shot of DCJ camera screen:-

and DCJ's image :-

I spied one last March from the reserve car park - then, the ringers had the luxury of viewing it from their table.

Weasel
A pair hunted in tandem, the first time i can recall seeing this, and certainly the first time ive captured these mercurial little creatures with the i-camera.

Realy pleased with these Weasel images, unedited straight off phone.

Made up for the one which ran rings round me at Hawthorn recently.

Other recent snaps

only saw a bit of boxing, too far off for pics

Local Dippers continue to consolodate their position - amazing change of fortunes in areas which had no birds 15 years ago.

Other recent sightings :-

at dusk from a moorland edge location i had roding Woodcock and at the same time my first drumming Snipe of the season - the latter watched running about chasing & fanning tails while giving the loud "tick-tocking" call from the ground.
Moments later a Hare ran up to the gateway where i stood, a Tawny called and eventually a Barn Owl came hunting up the hill.

a quick stop in passing, produced a raft of 30 Scoter close in shore, comprising females and males just coming into adult plumage, with them a female Velvet Scoter.

i watched female Great Spotted Woodpeckers chasing one another from drumming posts - the males taking it easy and where nowhere to be seen.

an interesting one in the town park concerned Long-tailed tits.
We saw them starting to build deep in a Pyracantha bush, with the bottom "saucer" of the complete and safe from small boys fingers or Magpies bills... This week however we find them re-located into a garden Privet close by, but every piece of the initial nest has gone - nice to see birds recycling their building materials too !