Wait 'ere. We are Chatting

After 3 Goodies yesterday, the chances of anything remotely interesting today were slim...
But i was drawn like the moth to the lamp to try to find singing Chiffchaff  - no luck there, but not to worry, theyre not a real spring migrant anyway....

But Wait Here whats this.............
Wheatear !

The honour of the first local Wheatear going to GS, with another close by.
Superb little birds and we have to opportunity to catch up with them in passing for weeks yet, right into May.

Our reporter Way out West tells of a fair few out that way along with a pair of Ring Ousel this morning.




Stonechat
After the passage Stchyenchat at home i was reminded to have a look at a regular spot on the coast, which holds resident birds.

The cock singing on arrival, initially no sign of the hen.

A second male bird was quickly seen off and the female came out to investigate.

Heres the pair in a bramble patch used for nesting last year, were they were just starting over again.

Others:-
last evening, coming back from the wilds of Tanfield, stopped off for the last of the light at The Olde Bridge, Dipper pair flew over head ( 40' above river ) chasing off an intruder, also Grey Wagtail, Heron, Cormorant and a distance downstream view of the Otters head and tail. The Dipper was still singing and bathing/preeening as the light was going and one last scan with the scope produced a Green Sand roosting on rocks in the middle of the river.

Other Spring visitors on the patch include Shoveller and Chiffchaff

Cone in the Hole

A short visit in passing to listen out for LSW

No such luck, but did manage an interesting woodpecker observation.

A female Great Spotted, one of a pair in loose association with a mixed tit flock.

On landing on a semi-mature Sycamore at around 30', it immediately began knocking away at a small pocket of decay ( rotting cavity where tree has lost a small branch ) on the shaded north east side of the stem.

I managed a few photographs and the bird seemed quite content at this position so i filmed a short video clip.

During the process Tony & i could see the object of its attention - which at several points came loose from its cavity - not some insect nor mammal, but a Larch cone.

On at least 3 occassions the cone came free from the hole in which it was entirely concealed, and each time the bird replaced it in the cavity, securing it before hammering away at it again.

We concluded the only way the cone could have found its way into the cavity was by having being placed their by the woodpecker ( or a squirrel ? ) -

But i did wonder whether this was a ingenious insect trap, rather than a means of simply securing the cone...

Others seen included an inexperienced Dipper pair building well below the flood mark, Kingfisher pair starting to excavate and a Chiffchaff watched contact calling - a couple more degrees before it starts to sing no doubt. Others in the valley included a dozen Heron and 3pair of Goosander, one of the drakes being realy aggressive to the ducks.

Also discovered what would appear to be a superb new Gilleard Bros owl-watching hide !
Cant see what else it could be for, other than a gloryfied rain-shelter !
But only time will tell
 heres the view :-

Half Snipe / Partridge attack

Had an enjoyable couple of hours in the Finchale / Brasside area with DK on Friday.

A nice selection of species and increasing signs of current change of season
The sound and variety of bird song made for a pleasant day.

A tactical approach up to the edge of a small spring-fed marsh enabled us to locate one of our target species on the ground, allowing a good opportunity to study this amazing little bird.

The Jack Snipe Lymnocryptes minimus is the worlds smallest snipe, with an extensive breeding range covering northern parts of Russia and Scandinavia - they arrive to escape the northern winter and are with us from the third week in September right through into May.

Generally considered "a winter visitor", they are more often than not forgotton about by birders by mid March, when the new and 'interesting' wave of Summer visitors pour in.

Personally there are only 2 months in which i havnt seen Jack Snipe, June and July.
The latest date i have for a local Jack is May 17th, the earliest returning Autumn bird being on 20th August.

The easiest way to see Jack Snipe is to watch them flying in or out to feed at dusk - calm clear nights are best, at this time ive seen individuals in pursuit of one another, even flying through trees.

More often than not, the first we know about a Jack is when it flushes without warning unseen underfoot or from only a few feet away, arcing round to reland after a short distance.

We had a close range view, but could only manage to see the bird well from one angle.
While studying it, we noted the positioning of the birds eye and realised it could see behind it,  including us no doubt ! ( just like a Woodcock - it seems obvious now !) but first time id seen this in the field.
I was also amazed at the bristle like "eye-lashes", no doubt to protect it while dropping into cover... cant say that ive noticed this on Common Snipe, but it was somewhat reminiscent of last years close up Nightjar. (pic on LHS margin)


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During the day, a handful of Mipits and alba wagtails starting to move back
LBBGulls and Little Grebes more obvious - the latter catching Stickleback after Stickleback, Great Crested Grebe and Shoveller were also recent springtime additions to the local lists

A Short-eared Owl graced the 5 owl site at Brasside Stores, Barn Owl boxes were as yet unoccupied, but checks of Tawny 'n' Long-eared pairs paid of positively, though Little Owl evaded detection !

On the river Dippers sang 'n' bobbed with Goosanders hauled out 'n' loafing, with Lapwing, Curlew 'n' Oystercatcher all back on territory.

Spring is certainly springing - just like the feeding Half Snipe.

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Heres a couple of pics from a ramble in the sleet this morning, when we came across a Sparrowhawk on top of a hen Partridge.

On picking it up it felt like its heart was gonna burst out of it breast, within seconds it calmed down, and seemed fine despite losing some feathering from its back and flanks.
Jack had the honour of letting her go... what strong little legs !