Abbey Meadows

Abbey Meadows

Friday 9 April 2010

Keeping it Local

Meadow Pipit, Pegswood Moor...lovely birds

Welcome back! Ringed Plover, Pegswood Moor





A drumming Great Spotted Woodpecker, Abbey woods



Horse Chestnut, Abbey meadows



A couple of the Oystercatchers at Pegswood Moor



A week off this week has been spent trying to entertain the children but still time to get out and about. Inspired by the likes of Dean and S.K.E.V. searching for species locally I decided not to travel too far from home this week. It makes you look at even the most common species very carefully and appreciate the joy some of these species can give you. There isn't much in the way of new arrivals in the local woods but there are at least 3 Great Spotted Woodpeckers drumming in the Abbey and High House woods. No sign of any Greens though. I've been to Pegswood Moor a couple of times this week. Plenty of birds but not much in the way of spring passage. The best birds have been the return of Ringed Plover, a species that bred here last year. Two have been calling and chasing each other around the quarry end. No Wheatears but lots of Skylarks and Meadow Pipits. Also present here are Redshank, Oystercatcher (7), Canada Goose, Gadwall, Teal, Mallard, Lapwing, Coot, Linnet and Reed Bunting. The only hirundine I've seen this week was a Swallow today above the clock tower in Morpeth. Wasps, Bumblebees and at least 9 Small tortoiseshell Butterflies around the garden today.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

It`s not very often as i`m referred to as inspiring. So, thanks for that Nigel.

I have to keep it local and like you say, when there`s not much about, there`s nothing for it but to look at the commoner/regular stuff. Common or not, we couldn`t do without it.