I figured seeding could help the buntings and skylarks in the hard weather, and may attract the lap bunts to an area closer to the footpath (as they have been mobile, often distant, and difficult to see amongst the furrows in this field)...... So, this morning I deposited 4 x 25kilo sacks of wheat along some of the ridges nearest to the footpath....
The weather was milder today and as a result the birds here seem to have dispersed to some of the neighbouring fields that are thawing out. "Lapland" had no buntings, but on the walk down to Newton Links a large flock of over 250 skylarks in the rape field included 1 nice male lap......
With the thaw on, and birds dispersing, I thought seeding here might be a waste of time, but when I returned a little later 5 lap bunts were back in the field, although they didn't seem to have found the seed yet..... time will tell.....
At Newton Links today a large flock of meadow pipits were amongst the grazing cattle, the grazing here has caused lots of short areas that look useful for pipits, finches and maybe snow buntings too, so I'll be keeping an eye on this area......
Down at the Nanny there was an impressive flock of 334 curlew..... also 27 dunlin, 7 redshank, 5 teal and 76 wigeon.....
Birding was suspended at the Long Nanny while an amazing hail storm passed over...... a total white out and huge hail stones that really hurt !!.... Despite the thaw, the windchill here today was evil.... At one point I couldn't feel my chin, think I need to get a balaclava !!
I tucked myself under the bridge to escape the hail and scanned the saltmarsh for twite.... no twite today, but the place is still frozen solid in most places so maybe this has had an influence....
Hailstorm at the Nanny....
Finally, in Beadnell Bay today there were 27 goldeneye 2 common scoter and 4 red throated divers.... there may have been more but the sea was pretty rough.....






















