Abbey Meadows

Abbey Meadows

Monday 26 October 2009

Druridge bay CP

Boletus badius...DBCP

Orange Milkcap...Hadston links
I'm probably the only local birder who hadn't seen a Firecrest this year but I decided to try Druridge bay cp as this is a good site but with lots of cover it wasn't going to be easy. I had the kids with me as its half term holiday so I had to make a few compromises along the way. It didn't take long to find one but it took me another five minutes to see it; high up in a conifer to the north of the visitor centre, it was on its own but what beautiful birds they are.
Lots of birds in the bushes in the dunes but chiefly Redwing, Robin and Dunnock...I wish I had been here on Thursday. First Twite of the Autumn with 16 flying north over the lake and 9 in the dunes. At Hadston scaurs presumably the same 9 flew north towards Hauxley and hour later. Hundreds of Pink footed geese still making their way south.
Recent rains has brought an abundance of fungi with hundreds of the edible Boletus badius on the short turf in the country park.
On the way up I stopped at Ulgham for my turn of duty. Not much to do...very clean. Common birds like Bullfinch and Yellowhammer looked resplendant in the morning sunshine and so did a Kingfisher just under the bridge on the main road.
A large pale Wheatear caught my eye in Hadston dunes but despite a good look and some crap record pics I think it may be an immature greenland type.









Wheatear...Hadston links




3 comments:

Alan Tilmouth said...

DE & ADMC had a Wheatear on Sun morning that initially gave DE a fright but finally came to same conclusion as you Nigel.
Good find on the Firecrest

Stewart said...

Thats the best Isabelline candidate look a likey I've seen. Look at its pale shawl over the wings, no supercill etc. Still too squat I think. Did you see the tail properly?

abbey meadows said...

The band on the tail was quite broad but I believe greenlands have this feature but it's posture didn't quite feel right though it was more upright when it was running along the ground but I still believe it is a pale Northern. I did take some more equally shocking pictures of it!