Park Closed

6/11/2017 Its years since the last time I was in Hulne Park. Hawfinches have been seen lately and, rightly so, are interesting many. This got me thinking about where they used to be seen each winter and I decided to take a nostalgic look back. 

I parked up and noticed the sign, PARK CLOSED. 

It didn't matter, my best, and last, Hawfinch encounter was outside the boundary of Hulne Park in the tree line along the park wall heading north west, it was quite low down and close.

The rough footpath runs along side the allotment gardens, following the park walls, crossing Stocking Burn and heading towards Alnwick Moor, of I wandered, hopefull.

No Hawfinch but a good list of woodland birds were seen, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Coal Tit, Nuthatch, Jay, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Buzzard, Redwing, Mistle Thrush and Goldcrest. 

It was sunny with only light cloud so the south west facing, Ivy cloaked park walls were quite warm. A Red Admiral was out on one of the Ivy patches, and another close by, a total of seven were seen. They were in various states of wear, from fresh and crisp to quite tatty and worn, last butterflies of the year possibly, great to see, hopefully each one found a safe and dry place to spend the winter.

A nice little group of Roe Deer crossed my path as I headed back towards the park gates, quite a pleasant, if short, walk out.

Sea two Sea

Not done a lot of sea watching in my lifetime of birding, don't know why really, well I do but its not because it isn't good birding. 
Its all about studying and understanding weather patterns really, something I'm not that good at, beyond the very basics. 
Anyway Sunday 29th October looked quite promising, basically, so we headed for Beadnell Off we staggered from the car park, laden with cameras, deck chairs, telescopes sandwiches, flasks and far to many clothes across Beadnell bay, past the harbour and along to the scheduled ancient monument of Ebbas Nook. 
The site of a 12th or 13th century monastery. I always enjoy being in places like this for some reason.
Its a great place to settle down, shelter and watch seabirds too. 

Full morning from first light to after mid day spent huddled around our scopes, great views of Great Northern Diver, Sooty Shearwater some distant Great Skuas but was good enough but halfway through the morning Stewart got his eye on a Petrel, a Storm Petrel, my first ever in the field, I have seen them before by torchlight during ringing sessions but never as they should be seen, reasonable views too as it rounded the point heading north.

Gannets moving north past the point

 Excellent, morning done?... no

Social media alerted us to a White Billed Diver heading our way, seen past Whitburn. 
Now there's a timetable to follow that informs us approximately what time this bird will pass Beadnell Point, incredible, I've heard about this before but was keen to see if it would work, surely a second new bird was a formality here, especially since we had been joined by several additional pairs of eyes, very good ones too..

It didn't... White Billed Diver tracked up the coast and seen from every headland except the one we were sat on. Never mind.

A little bit quieter one week on, 5th November. The highlight for me on this seawatch wasn't a sea bird, a Woodcock was picked up far out at sea. Flying straight for me, it seemed. This bird was just completing a flight across the north sea, a metre or two ashore and it dropped down onto the rocks, right in front of us, We watched it for a while, taking clumsy snaps through the scope with phones.

A few Bottle Nosed Dolphins were surfacing offshore and some fabulous Long Tailed Duck in the harbour completed this visit.