Today, after the wind and rain had disappeared I went out at lunchtime. The birds were in full song again and I spotted a Goldcrest looking for food in between the leaves of an ivy covered tree. The Goldcrest is a welcomed double tick.

2012 Year Lists
Birds = 69 (Goldcrest)
Mammals = 5
Butterflies = 0
Moths = 0

Wilton Patch
Birds = 33 (Goldfinch, Chaffinch & Goldcrest)
Mammals = 2
Butterflies = 0
Moths = 0

11th January 2012 - Wilton Village Patch

On my lunchtime walk today, I decided to start recording wildlife on a new patch around Wilton village. As I walked up Wilton Lane the bird calls and song filled the air. A tit flock of approximately 30 birds were feeding in the trees along the lane and it included Blue, Great & Long-tailed Tit. A Great-spotted Woodpecker was calling from the top of a large mature tree and as I walked through the village past the Church the first Daffodil leaves were seen growing near the path. So is Spring coming early or is this the calm before the storm?

On the return path through the golf course, Pheasants were feeding on the ground under the tress along with two Grey Squirrels. Three Song Thrushes were seen too as I approached Wilton Lane. Near the A174 road a pair of Wrens were calling for the 2nd day running.

On Wilton Lake, they were a pair of Goosander, Tufted Duck, Pochard, Mallard. Coot and Moorhen.

2012 Year Lists
Birds = 68 (Pied Wagtail, Wren, Song Thrush, Great-spotted Woodpecker & Long-tailed Tit)
Mammals = 5 (Grey Squirrel)
Butterflies = 0
Moths = 0

Wilton Patch
Birds = 31
Mammals = 2
Butterflies = 0
Moths = 0

Garden Birdwatch Update

Week starting 1st January 2012.
Max Temperature 12.8C; Minimum Temperature 0.7C

Blackbird 1
Goldfinch 13
Blue Tit 1
Woodpigeon 1
Dunnock 3
Feral Pigeon 2
Jackdaw 2
Greenfinch 7
Chaffinch 2
Robin 1
Starling 16
Coal Tit 1
House Sparrow 4
Magpie 1
Collared Dove 2

Food: Sunflower Hearts, Seed, Peanuts & Kitchen Scraps
Water

8th January 2012

I had a good birding day along the Tees coast today. First call was Seaton Common for White-fronted Geese and there were 8 (7 European & 1 Greenland race). Whilst looking for the geese, I also saw Common Snipe which I sadly flushed when getting out of the car.

On to Hartlepool Headland and in particular the Pilot Pier following reports of Red-throated & Black-throated Divers in the harbour mouth. After scanning the water, I found several Red-throated Divers, Guillemot and Cormorant, but no Black-throated Diver. A look on the shoreline, recorded Purple Sandpiper, Curlew, Common Redshank, Knot and Turnstone, plus a fleeting glimspe of a Rock Pipit.

A quick call into the Fish Quay at Hartlepool to look for a Glaucous Gull which had sadly moved on, produced a Shag.

A stop at Newburn, near Seaton Carew produced a beautiful Black Redstart, so my year list totals are as follows:

Birds = 63
Mammals = 4 (Grey Seal)
Butterflies = 0
Moths = 0

2012 Year Lists Update

Following a lunchtime walk around the Wilton area I managed to add to my bird list.

Birds - 51 (Pheasant, Goosander, Pochard, Jay, Nuthatch & Mistle Thrush)
Mammals - 3
Butterflies - 0
Moths - 0

2012 Year Lists - Update

Happy New Year to everyone reading my blog!

Birds - 45 (highlights Water Rail, Merlin and Barnacle Geese)
Mammals - 3 (Hare, Fox & Common Seal)
Butterflies - 0
Moths - 0

Garden Birdwatch Update

Week starting 25th December 2011

House Sparrow 3
Robin 1
Goldfinch 13
Blackbird 2
Greenfinch 3
Coal Tit 1
Blue Tit 2
Collared Dove 2
Dunnock 3
Woodpigeon 1
Jackdaw 3
Starling 12
Chaffinch 2
Feral Pigeon 1
Magpie 1

Food: Seed, Sunflower Hearts, Peanuts & Kitchen scraps.
Water