Rainton Meadows

 I haven’t been to Rainton Meadows since last year so my wife and I decided to visit yesterday. Unfortunately, the Bittern that has been at Joe’s Pond recently was a no show while we were there but I did manage to get some images of some of the other birds that were showing from there and from the hide. A quick local walk when I got home didn’t produce much but it was still nice to be out.

Little Egret.

Great Crested Grebe.

A pair of Teal.

Lapwing.

An unusual looking Coot.

Bullfinch.

A grab shot of a Red Kite as if flew over when I got out of the car at home.

A couple of Roe Deer from my walk at home.

Over the border…

 …into Northumberland at the start of (I can’t believe it) last month. I haven’t been up to Northumberland in ages so to put that right my wife and I had a drive up to see what we could see. Some birds were very distant (so big crop) some were quite close but it was just nice to be out and about watching them. Oh, and we had a very nice lunch up there in the Widdrington Inn.

A very light Snipe in among the hundred or so that were there. I have never seen so many together.

One having a stretch of the wings.

Little Grebe coming in to land. Once again, I have never seen so many in one place.

It then stretched its wings.

Fly away Teal.

Curlew.

Something spooked these Pochard

However, they soon came back and settled down.

A distant Little Egret.

An even more distant male Hen Harrier (honestly there is one there) with a Crow.

The male was hunting over the fields.

As was this distant Ringtail.

An equally very distant Marsh Harrier was also hunting over the same fields.

A couple of Buzzards were a little closer.

Two Hides part one

 I took so many images at Far Pastures and Clara Vale at the end of last month that I’ve split the Blog into four parts. Part one is some of the birds at Far Pastures.

Three Little Grebe all in a row.

One of the was catching fish.

However, it was having a hard time trying to swallow them.

Male Teal.

Female Teal.

Male having a bit of a splash.

Teal take off.

Male Gadwall.

Female Gadwall.

Mallard.

Red Kite above the hide.

Buzzard above the hide.