Cottingwood

Butter cap (Collybia butyracea)

Grey Knight (Tricholoma cingulatum)

Slippery Jack (Suillus luteus)

Common Cavalier (Melanoleuca polioleuca)

Shaggy Inkcap (Coprinus comatus)

Work getting in the way of getting much further than Morpeth at the moment. At Cottingwood I have seen 200 Fieldfares, similar numbers of Blackbirds, 40+ Redwings, smaller numbers of Yellowhammers and Tree Sparrows. These are in the fields behind St Georges hospital towards Howburn woods. I have also seen a couple of Woodcocks here and there are over 70 Pied wagtails roosting at the hospital. around the woods here there is still a lot of late fungi around.

Cleaning up

Spent the morning in Druridge bay with brother Chris starting off at Hauxley to see the Greater yellowlegs and the Grey Phalarope. I was pleased they were still there today as I wasn't able to get out anywhere yesterday. The Yellowlegs was a new bird and it was feeding close by the wader hide whilst the Phalarope preferred the SW corner of the Southernmost pool. The next stop was Druridge bay country park where a fine Slavonian Grebe was feeding close to the shore at Ladyburn lake then on to East Chevington to see Green winged Teal. We finished off at East Stobswood where the Geese were a bit distant but hundreds of Canada's, Grey lags and Pink footed Geese. The wandering 4 Bar headed geese were among them. Thanks to Stew and ADMc.

North East Majorca 15th - 22nd October

The computer packed in a couple of weeks ago but hopefully everything is back to normal now. Just a few pics from the Alcudia area. All the best wildlife sites were within walking distance. Visited the Albufera reserve; an excellent place with thousands of birds, probably the best were Audouin's Gull and Yellow legged Gull, Purple Gallinule (Swamphen), Stone Curlew, Night Heron, Crested Coot, Marsh Harrier, Cetti and Fan tailed Warbler and dozens of Sardinian Warblers. Sardinian Warblers became a feature of the holiday with birds calling from just about every bush no matter where you went. The coastal pines were full of Chiffchaffs and a few Firecrests. Many Kingfishers and Ospreys around. Little Egrets were probably in their hundreds. To the North of the town behind the Aldi supermarket is an excellent area of scrub and wetland, it is viewable from the main road near the roundabout South of the old town. Many species which you can see at Albufera can be found here but there were more Black winged Stilts here and one day there was a White Stork. There was also Greenshank in good numbers and Purple Gallinule and Audouin's Gull and in the scrub there was Serin, Cirl Bunting moustached Warbler and Hoopoes as well as Sardinian Warblers. One of the commonest species on the island appeared to be Stonechat. I saw many new plants and there was still a lot of butterflies around. The commonest was Long tailed Blue, many Swallowtails, Clouded Yellows and Red Admirals plus a few unidentified Fritilaries which wouldn't rest. The one pictured above had me beat but I think it is the Iberian race of Speckled Wood. All of the species seen was without any real effort. I was just walking about and happy to see what I could without running around from one place to the next. I'd like to go back to this area in the Spring.