River Lyne

Lack of recent blog activity has been due to Heather doing her dissertation leaving little time to look at the computer. I have still been out and about spending time walking stretches of the River Lyne at Ulgham and Ellington. I have been walking around the former opencasts of Stobswood and Steadsburn. Usual birds on the wetlands here but Red Legged Partridge was the first sighting for a number years with 2 at Ulgham. Old opencast workings seem to throw up odd looking Dandelions but the smoother leaved individual above may be an aberrant or some sub species perhaps. Greater Chickweed was between Ellington and Lynemouth along the riverside path. In the same area the bracket fungi is I believe Willow Bracket.

Raptors and migrants

Over the past few days I've noticed an increase of migrants around. On Thursday morning a Cuckoo was calling from the Mitford road area and yesterday at Ulgham there appears to have been a mini influx of Whitethroats and Blackcaps with birds singing everywhere. On my way home from Widdrington yesterday a male Marsh Harrier was flying south over the pond behind Norwood farm between Widdrington station and Ulgham.
This morning I checked out all the ponds at the former opencast at Stobswood and when I was walking along the track between Ulgham park farm and East Stobswood a Hobby was flying south towards Ulgham park but changed direction and flew east toward Widdrington station. It looked fantastic in the morning light being lit up from beneath. I lost sight of it beyond Norwood farm. That is the third good raptor sighting in this area over the past few weeks with Red Kite a couple of weeks ago. A Garden warbler was singing in a small wood beside Ulgham park farm but it took me a while before I actually saw it sitting low in the cover of Bramble. While I was in the area I called in to East Chevington to see the Purple Heron. Nice bird when in the open but it did spend a lot of time slightly obscured in the Reeds. Grasshopper and Sedge warbler were singing nearby and a couple of Whimbrel flew overhead.

A new bird for Stobswood pools

A quick look around the pools of the old opencast area at Widdrington and Stobswood this evening. Driving down from Amble a Barn Owl was hunting at Hadston road ends. A Whitethroat was singing from a hedge at Ulgham and on the pools were a variety of waders including Common Sandpiper, Ringed and Little ringed Plover as well as a several species of wildfowl including a pair of Shoveler. Whilst there an adult Kittiwake flew in but was too far away to photograph (above) but looked good through the scope. This is a first for me on this patch.

Plant hunt

Wych Elm flowers

Enteridium lycoperdon on Alder

Male Wheatear

Pill Millipede

Herb Paris leaves

Yellow star of Bethlehem

More springlike today, sunny but cool. I was at Ulgham with IRD walking the opencast and seeing lots of displaying Lapwing and Curlew. Numerous Skylarks and Meadow pipits and as we were approaching Robin Hood wood there were 4 Wheatears on the track ahead of us. 5 Buzzards soared overhead and in the wood there are large areas of ancient Hazel and Oak. The woodland floor is very boggy with carpets of Opposite leaved Golden Saxifrage and Moschatel. Beneath a sheet of metal were Pill Millipedes and the slime mould pictured above was found on the bark of Alder. On the way back via the river Lyne 6 Sand Martins were flying around the sandy banks where there are many holes. First butterflies of the year with Peacock and Small tortoiseshell.

Yesterday around the woodland of Morpeth the Yellow star of Bethlehem has come into flower almost a month later than usual and in Cottingwood the leaves of Herb Paris are visible among the Wild Garlic and Dog's mercury.

Thanks to anon for correcting the tree flowers above.

Good birds at Stobswood

Clouded Drab

Peniophora lycii

Hymenochaete corrugata

Yesterday afternoon I checked the ponds at Stobswood and getting out of the car where the old offices were at East Stobswood a Red Kite was flying North West over the ponds near the railway and through the binoculars I could see the forked tail twisting as it battled against the the strong wind. It was gone in seconds flying towards Tritlington. On the ponds were a variety of wildfowl and waders the best being 2 Little Ringed Plover, 1 Common Sandpiper and 5 Ringed Plover. At Steadsburn the large lake which I believe is called Widdrington moor lake there was a flock of exactly 40 Ringed Plover on the Eastern shore. There was 2 Red Breasted Merganser on the lake, a variety of Gulls and Swallows, about 30 feeding on the Western shore.

I have been trapping moths in the garden and caught 5 of 3 species on Tuesday night, perhaps I could have caught more if it was less windy. I'm very new to this and thanks to Stewart (from the notebook) who is helping me with any species I'm finding difficult to identify confidently.

Toothwort

Toothwort (Lathraea squamaria)

Looking for flowering plants around Morpeth over the last couple of days has been difficult as it remains cold again this week. The only plants I found in flower have been Shepherds purse, Danish Scurvygrass and Toothwort which is flowering along the riverside at Mathesons gardens. On my way back up the curly kews bank yesterday a largish bat was flying around (above).

Today I had a long walk over the opencast at Stobswood. There are hundreds of Meadow pipits and Skylarks scattered over this vast open space. Also dozens of Curlew and Lapwings. Behind Middle Stobswood farm is a pond sheltered in a hollow. This cannot be viewed from the main road but it is where the Geese often fly over to from the big pond at East Stobswood. There were 3 Cormorants and Tufted duck feeding here. On the main pool at East Stobswood the Pink footed Geese have dwindled to 49 birds. A fine pair of Pintail brightened up a cold day as this is a first for me at this site.

Garden Moth Scheme

I signed up to do the Garden Moth Scheme (GMS) this year but my first five attempts trapping in my Morpeth garden drew a blank due to the winter weather. It was cold this morning with a snow shower while I was emptying the trap. I was pleased to see a few moths, the above are Early Grey 2 (different ground colours), Hebrew Character and a Common Quaker. My next session will be Friday evening. I'm quite new to this game so please comment if my identification is wrong.