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The main aim in the new season is to write a book on Honey-buzzard, using my experience in British Isles, continental Europe and Africa, dating from 1993. Field work in 2025 in Northumberland will complement this task, filling in gaps and reinforcing findings. Broad headings for book are: Motivation, Historical Records, Rediscovery in Britain, Migration Patterns, Arrival and Display, Breeding Activity, Habitat, Dispersal, Wintering Grounds, Four Identification Models, Value of Field Experience, Further Studies, Bibliography. The initial costs of publishing the book in hard copy, running to perhaps 250pp, are well within my means. Some supplementary material may be published online.
Highlights of Year from Honey-buzzard home page at https://nickrossiter.org.uk/hbweb/index.html:
The last NB can be found here.
June 7th: maximum 13C, minimum 6C, light SW, damp, heavy showers in morning, breaking up in afternoon, evening clear. Have added a lot of video and image files to the new website and fine-tuned all the .htm files so they comply with ssl in links. Still a lot to do with .html files, which need some changes for ssl. But all under control and no unanticipated issues. Keen to do some fieldwork today but frustrated until ttime through overcast conditions. I closely study the local weather maps on Met Office for Hexham Racecourse and could see a clearance coming at 15:30. So off to Tyne Green to study Hexham NE from 15:50. The weather didn’t clear as quickly as expected and got quite damp by the Tyne as the rain persisted. There was a major rowing event here and very crowded W of bridge but I study the NE of Hexham from near the fish pass and here it was very quiet, keeping company with some ducks and gulls, similarly displaced! The rain eased off at 17:00 and a Black Kite was seen impatiently circling its nesting copse at low altitude at 17:05. The sun became stronger. Finally at 17:24 a male Honey-buzzard was seen gliding down towards the Tyne from the area to W of Beaufront. We then had 6 min of dynamic action as the male Honey-buzzard soared with a pair of Black Kite. At 17:30 the action stopped abruptly as the birds went off to forage. That’s life: 6 min of heaven, but fortunately you’re left with the glow!! Out later to DoW with D/D/DC for good chat. 2Moro it’s concert at GH at 15:00; thinking of driving to Wylam for some fieldwork and then onto Callerton for travel to GH. Sunday rail service is not designed for convenience! Will be back for G4g4s!! XXXXXX!!! Funds down 99k this week, mainly on RKH surprisingly having their OM award annulled on a technicality. Gain ytd reduced to 758k gross but news on Sea Lion (RKH’s oil discovery and by far its major asset) remains very positive.
June 6th: maximum 15C, minimum 6C, moderate SW, showers in morning, brighter and dry afternoon. Conditions ideal at ttime for raptors with visibility for many km, moderate breeze from broadly a W direction. Have got sftp to work so around 30GB loaded onto new web site by end of day. Am tidying up a few things as go along, which is slowing transition down. Nearly all the latest raptor data and piccies from 2020 onwards is now on the new site so it’s the older data that needs to be added still plus a few trip reports. Have also added all my computing research pages. No issues have arisen yet. Had a Honey-buzzard male ‘beating the bounds’ over Hexham Sele at 14:00. Went for walk on road on southern edge of Dipton Wood from 16:10-18:00. It started well: as closed car door a Honey-buzzard gave an alarm call from the steep gorge nearby at 16:15; over Juliet Wood had a male Honey-buzzard foraging at 16:37 in their usual style of rising above the canopy for a short distance before descending back to another clearing; so the alarm call appears to have come from the female. A male Honey-buzzard was up over Eastwood Common in contention with a Black Kite at 16:57, which was presumed to have come from further W. This was thought to be the Black Kite seen briefly over Prospect Hill moving W low-down at 16:59. At 17:41 a pair of Black Kite were in full display, soaring very high over Dipton Wood E, a new site. More to follow … Spent a long time in my favourite cafe: she’s got a beautiful posterior: knows that I find it very inspirational: lok2tmfo: XXXXXX!!!
June 5th: maximum 14C, minimum 7C, moderate W, humid and cloudy throughout, heavy rain showers in afternoon, clearing early evening. Migration of website is going very well. Have transferred domain from BT to NameCheap, bought am annual hosting package from NameCheap for £30 (doubles after 1 year), changed DNS to point to NameCheap, set up PositiveSSL (giving https, secure status) and added a few files to test it out, including home page, Honey-buzzard home page and NB. So new url is https://nickrossiter.org.uk but http://nickrossiter.org.uk will be redirected automatically to the secure site. Will add a lot more files 2moro if sftp (secure file transfer protocol) is working; otherwise will add a smaller number through the files utility. Had a Honey-buzzard male low-down over nest site at Ordley at 10:00 while having breakfast in my dining room! No lunch at Tans, M thought I was still away. Made Whitley Chapel late afternoon from 16:15-17:30 as rain eased off and sun came out. Plenty of raptors: a pair of Red Kite in usual territory to the W from 16:36-16:46 ???, 2 Black Kite in area (one low-down to W at 16:36, 1 soaring high to S at 17:25, thought to be local breeders), plus a female Sparrowhawk out to hunt at 16:43 and a female Honey-buzzard up briefly, on foraging trip to W, at 16:30, presumed to be from Dotland site. Also had a Cuckoo calling, a singing Tree Pipit, a Caspian Gull 1s ???, a calling Curlew, in total of 27 bird-types. Made Stalida at 19:30 with P/R/A 4 Greek Mese and good chat. Frail P left after meal but R/A joined Rg at G4g4s and we rounded off the evening well. Walked up Elvaston to recover car and made the rendezvous with the gorgeous one: she’s so tempting: lok2tmfo: XXXXXX!!!
June 4th: maximum 14C, minimum 7C, moderate SW, frequent heavy showers, sunny intervals, ground becoming wetter after drought. Steel Pond was dry after recent drought, now easing. Did get out in a bright interlude, concentrating now on the ‘Shire as with short distances know what the weather is doing. Went to Slaley Forest W from 12:10-13:20 with another good haul of raptors. From 12:18 and through all of visit, a pair of Kestrel were hunting furiously over the moorland edge to S, indicating a nest with hungry young. At 12:27 a Black Kite was up battling the strong wind with ease; he was up to 12:32; this is a new site for Black Kite for year; was in use last year. At 12:35 a Hen Harrier male was out hunting over the moorland to S. At 12:40 a male Honey-buzzard was flying fairly high a little to S (15007). At 12:50 a Red Kite was flying low across the valley, somewhat to S, from E side to W. Had 23 species in trip, including 6 Swallow, a singing Garden Warbler, a Pheasant female with 2 chicks, 3 LBBG ad, 4 Linnet, plus a Small Tortoiseshell butterfly. Was In a Rotary group of 9 visiting Nafferton Farm in evening from 18:00-21:00 for a farm open day. It was very interesting with massive use of digital systems to monitor cows and crops. We had talks in cow sheds and a trailer-trip out through the fields, rounded off with an appetising BBQ. Our interest here was raised by a recent talk to the club by a lecturer/researcher from the Farm DG. A flock of 21 Grey Partridge was exceptional here, in total of 16 bird-types, plus 2 Brown Hare. XXXXXX!!! 2moro may be out to T4m4l with M and certainly will be out in evening; we’re having a meal at Stalida to celebrate 2 recent birthdays; it’s next door to G, the next stop! I’ve made an IPS tag request to BT to transfer domain to NameCheap; download of data is complete. Wild swings in funds continues with -91k wtd!
June 3rd: maximum 15C, minimum 6C, moderate SW, sunny intervals and showers, fresh. Made West Dipton Burn in late morning for some fieldwork at last from 11:40-12:40 in fresh conditions. At 11:46 a female Hobby was gliding down the valley, going into trees in the Houtley area. A Black Kite was up over the wood to the NW of Letah Wood and E of Dipton Mill at 11:57. A pair of Honey-buzzard were up in display from 12:12-12:21. The male went very high, the female was low only a little above the trees. The Honey-buzzard were mobbed by Jackdaw, Rook, single Common Buzzard (15006). At 11:58 a Red Kite was flying low-down into the valley just W of Letah Wood. Total was only 13 bird-types but 5 types of raptor is amazing! There was no activity seen at the adjacent Swallowship site. Did chair R Cncl meeting at 17:00 at Cnt, went very well, a lot achieved this year. Stayed on for gammon and chips and a glass of rw. Have downloaded c60GB from BT website onto an external drive of mine, so 37GB to go, which hope to complete tomorrow; then it’s domain switch. 2moro going to Nafferton Farm in evening on a Rotary trip. Hope to get in some fieldwork in the ‘Shire midday. She looked great: lok2tfmo: XXXXXX!!!
June 2nd: maximum 17C, minimum 10C, moderate W, sunny intervals, dry, fresh. R took up quite a lot of day, getting ready for lunch meeting, officiating at it, attending Admin Team meeting afterwards. But just one month to go as President! Have decided to move website from BT to NameCheap. I already have 2 web systems with them for Brundibár and ANPA and they have run well with https (secure URL) and integrity. I am very unhappy with BT’s loss of 3 weeks of data. I have been able to replace it but expect them to take more care. I suspect BT’s web system was hacked as FileZilla, an FTP, has been reluctant to connect to BT as it does not support TLS. So first stage is backing up all 100GB of data on one of my external drives, which will be completed in next 2 days. I’m doing a bit of tidying up during this process. Then I’ll set up a new NameCheap account and ask for the domain nickrossiter.org.uk to be transferred from BT to NameCheap with SSL security. This will take a few days to be actioned. At this point the web site will be empty. Then I’ll copy the 100GB of data onto NameCheap’s server. The new site should be https:// nickrossiter.org.uk but any request using http will be redirected automatically. So could be a little disruption but will try and keep running this NB and the Honey-buzzard home page as much as possible. Did make G4g4s with A/R/P for good chat with E/L on!! Nite ended sensuously with the beautiful one: very rousing and then so relaxing: lok2tmfo: XXXXXX!!! 2moro should be in HEX in afternoon as cleaner is coming and have R Council meeting at 17:00, my last one to chair!!
Black Kite continues to be reported well on BirdGuides (114 is raw total for records ytd) but confusion with Red Kite still occurs::
18:59 01/06 Black Kite Kent Elmley NNR18:58 one flew south
17:05 01/06 Black Kite Kent Seasalter 17:03 one flew west
Reported 16:31 01/06 Black Kite Surrey Pewley Down unconfirmed report of probable over Chantry Wood then flew south
Negative News 12:16 01/06 Black Kite East Yorkshire Buckton 12:08 no sign at Hoddy Cows Lane
11:27 01/06 Black Kite East Yorkshire Buckton one at Hoddy Cows Lane
Reported 18:35 29/05 Black Kite Anglesey Bryngwran 18:23 one reported north of A55 near Bryn Goleu Caravan and Camping (c 53.2770, -4.5087)
Unconfirmed 11:53 28/05 Black Kite Norfolk Norwich 11:10 possible flew north-west along River Wensum towards Drayton
17:18 27/05 Black Kite Shetland Weisdale Voe, Mainland one flew north over East Hill of Weisdale early evening
14:00 25/05 Black Kite Devon Venford Reservoir 11:00 one reportedly flew over
Reported 07:47 23/05 Black Kite Devon Lynmouth 14:00 22/05 one reported yesterday
12:48 22/05 Black Kite Dorset Clifton Maybank 11:02 one flew west
Correction 14:56 21/05 Black Kite Anglesey Carmel Head bird reported this morning has been reidentified as a Red Kite from photographs
10:21 21/05 Black Kite Anglesey Cemlyn Bay 10:18 one flew north between Carmel Head and Hen Borth but lost to view behind hill
Unconfirmed 10:18 21/05 Black Kite Anglesey Cemlyn Bay 10:15 possible over Hen Borth
Negative News 10:08 21/05 Black Kite Anglesey Carmel Head 10:04 no further sign at Pant-yr-eglwys
Unconfirmed 10:07 21/05 Black Kite Anglesey Carmel Head 10:00 possible perched at Pant-yr-eglwys
08:45 21/05 Black Kite Anglesey Carmel Head 08:35 one flew west
Overseas 18:57 20/05 Black Kite Guernsey Fauxquets Valley one from Le Grantez 'raptor ridge'
08:03 20/05 Black Kite Kent Stodmarsh NNR 07:59 one from Marsh Hide
Overseas 18:51 19/05 Black Kite Guernsey St Peter Port one flew over Candie Road
Many Honey-buzzard records on BirdGuides (99 is raw total for records ytd). Only exceptional counts are shown for breeding sites:
18:40 02/06 European Honey Buzzard Orkney Lyness, Hoy one at Wee Fea plantation this evening
17:56 02/06 European Honey Buzzard West Sussex Woolbeding Common three still from Older Hill viewpoint this morning
Unconfirmed 16:46 02/06 European Honey Buzzard Norfolk Strumpshaw Fen RSPB possible flew north-west
15:07 02/06 European Honey Buzzard Nottinghamshire Welbeck watchpoint 14:50 two still
12:50 02/06 European Honey Buzzard Somerset Shapwick Heath NNR12:33 female flew west
12:49 02/06 European Honey Buzzard Kent Dover Harbour second bird flew in off the sea early afternoon
12:16 02/06 European Honey Buzzard Kent Dover Harbour female flew in off the sea and continued north-west over castle
08:34 02/06 European Honey Buzzard Kent Seasalter one flew west over reserve
Reported 19:13 01/06 European Honey Buzzard Cheshire Whitley Reed 18:15 wholly unconfirmed report of one over M56 from moving vehicle
12:17 01/06 European Honey Buzzard Shetland Hamnavoe, Yell12:00 one drifted west
10:18 01/06 European Honey Buzzard West Sussex Woolbeding Common 10:12 at least three again from Older Hill viewpoint
Unconfirmed 18:23 31/05 European Honey Buzzard Lancashire Warton Crag LWT14:45 probable flew west over north side but distant
12:44 31/05 European Honey Buzzard Oxfordshire Otmoor RSPB 12:40 one flew north-east
12:21 31/05 European Honey Buzzard Kent Dover Harbour one flew in off the sea and continued west over castle
07:07 31/05 European Honey Buzzard Wiltshire Bradford-on-Avon 30/05 one reportedly flew over yesterday
07:04 31/05 European Honey Buzzard Kent Hope Point one flew in off the sea
12:40 28/05 European Honey Buzzard Shetland Norwick, Unst one flew over towards Skaw
Overseas17:24 26/05 European Honey Buzzard Guernsey Guernsey 17:20 one drifted south over Courtil de Bas
12:41 26/05 European Honey Buzzard East Yorkshire Kilnsea 11:01 one flew in off sea over the Point and then continued west over River Humber
11:31 26/05 European Honey Buzzard North Yorkshire Wykeham Forest three again from raptor viewpoint
11:25 26/05 European Honey Buzzard West Sussex Woolbeding Common 10:00 three again from Older Hill viewpoint
09:14 26/05 European Honey Buzzard Lincolnshire Sutton-on-Sea 09:14 one flew west over Crabtree Lane
17:03 25/05 European Honey Buzzard North Yorkshire Wykeham Forest at least three again from raptor viewpoint
10:02 25/05 European Honey Buzzard West Sussex Woolbeding Common at least three again
13:13 24/05 European Honey Buzzard Nottinghamshire Welbeck watchpoint 12:55 two showing well
10:44 24/05 European Honey Buzzard West Sussex Woolbeding Common four from Older Hill viewpoint this morning
10:30 24/05 European Honey Buzzard North Yorkshire Wykeham Forest three from raptor viewpoint
15:31 23/05 European Honey Buzzard Norfolk Strumpshaw Fen RSPB 14:20 one flew west
11:11 23/05 European Honey Buzzard North Yorkshire Wykeham Forest 11:00 three (two males) from raptor viewpoint
17:50 22/05 European Honey Buzzard West Sussex Woolbeding Common three again from Older Hill viewpoint this morning
14:15 22/05 European Honey Buzzard Isle of Wight Compton Down 14:00 one flew in off sea
09:22 20/05 European Honey Buzzard North Yorkshire Wykeham Forest 09:18 two (pale-morph male and female) from raptor viewpoint
13:59 19/05 European Honey Buzzard Hampshire Acres Down 14:35 18/05 one yesterday
June 1st: maximum 26C, minimum 14C, light W, heavy, sun coming through midday, dry. Well never tell me again that the German transport system is efficient. I caught an Uber from the apartment to the main HBf for Leipzig at 11:15 for €18; that was good. The train to Berlin 12:16 was posted as 12:53 so already 37 min late. By time it arrived we were an hour late and approaching the south of Berlin we were about 80 min late so decided to get off at Berlin Südkreuz and catch a regional train to the BER Airport. The next regional train to BER was cancelled but the next one did run and got to BER at 15:30 about one hour later than planned. Security took ages but did finally get to the gate at 17:00 well before boarding at 17:45. The Eurowings flight was perfect and enjoyed my Premium seat, getting into NCL at 19:00 and home by 20:00. Meanwhile my son is spending the night in Frankfurt as he missed a connection due to his Lufthansa flight from Leipzig (Halle) to Frankfurt being over 2 hours late. So scope for improvement! If you go to Germany allow plenty of time for connections; they like to book you with tight connections which just don’t work. At least with Network Rail in the UK there are staff around to help; at Berlin Südkreuz there was no one so had to work the system out for myself. What I did conclude was that Trainline (and maybe DB) try to book you on posh IC services to boost their revenue and ignore shuttle regional services which are more dependable and cheaper. Had single Kestrel and Common Buzzard en route plus a Black Kite near the airport: drifting around at low altitude, foraging at Schönefeld. Did make G4g4s where pleased to meet A/R/P again for good catch-up. Excitement raised later and a lot happened: she’s absolutely gorgeous: so glad to be back and up there again: lok2tmfo: XXXXXXXX!!! 2moro it’s R again at lunchtime, back on raptor trail and G4g4s!!
May 31st: maximum 27C, minimum 18C, light W, sunny periods, dry, becoming hot, sheet (distant) lightning late in evening. A Small White butterfly flew over a vacant building site. Music started at 15:00 at the famous Lutheran church Thomas Kirche where the Bach family played church music in the 18th century. We went to a Motette, a church service, including much music by JS Bach, Britten, JC Bach, Hammerschmidt, JM Bach, JH Schein, APF Boëly, as psalms and cantata. This was a substantial event, going onto 16:20. It was very uplifting, hearing Bach’s music where it was composed and first performed. Church was packed; we paid by donation €10 each. No applause was allowed. Time for tea at Pholosophy where we varied the meal, same cost €80. Then out to Gewandhaus for a full concert from 19;30-22:00, comprising 2 Shostakovitch symphonies, 12 and 9, and his first piano concerto. My son said s12 was a bit programmatic but I like that, as so is film music; I loved the last movement, really heavy ending like Mahler; indeed was he taking the mickey out of Mahler! The jazzy piano concerto, starred Danil Trifonov, who played the fast bits amazingly quickly. A trumpet player Thomas Rolfs also starred. We had an encore from the pianist. Then the piano disappeared through the floor on a digitally controlled lift and a solid floor resurfaced. I thought s9 was a bit of an anticlimax on the whole but the stirring last movement did bring enthusiastic applause. Leipzig is still full of gymnasts and brass bands with the Shostakovitch Festival finishing 2moro, and Munich hosted the European Champions League final this evening. So it’s all happening in southern Germany! Looking forward to return: lok2tfmo: XXXXXX!!!
May 30th: maximum 24C, minimum 14C, light W, sunny periods, dry, much warmer. Walked around the parks on the southern ring today, picking up a male Hobby at 14:15 then his mate out to the E; so that’s 6 types of bird of prey now. Crows were mainly Carrion with 6 of these to no Hooded and 2 hybrid Carrion x Hooded. We had supper at the Pholosophy again, having some spicy food and rw for me, all for €80 for the two of us. Tonight’s concert at the Gewandhaus was a piano solo by Yulianna Avdeeva, who played all of Shostakovitch’s 24 Präludien and Fugen (opus 87). This took her 3 hours, including an interval of 30 min, what a feat! Some were quite explosive but others were more subdued so did require a lot of concentration! 2moro we have a major concert here with 2 symphonies and a piano concerto; then it’s back home next day; have booked 1st class train from Leipzig to Berlin and then in early evening back to NCL. Should be at G4g4s, looking forward to tmfo again!! XXXXXX!!! Funds finished week +66k at new record for end of week, on news from RKH:
"This has been a very important period for Rockhopper and an exciting time for the Company and its shareholders as we continue to work with operator Navitas in moving the Sea Lion project towards FID. With work on financing for the development beginning to gather pace and continued progress on the technical side, we look forward to providing the market with further updates." Final Results
May 29th: maximum 19C, minimum 15C, light NW, sunny intervals, few spots of rain evening, otherwise dry. Leipzig was heaving today with public holiday on Ascension Day, international artistic gymnastic event moved from Tel Aviv, German national Brass Band parades, not to mention Shostakovitch Festival at Gewandhaus and Opera House. I did a tour of statues on the west of the town centre, seeing ones for Mendelssohn and Wagner. The Wagner one was covered with a good-natured assembly of beer-drinking youth. I took a photo of them all on their camera – don’t think Wagner would have minded. We then went to Wagner Cafe for lunch, a nearby Polish-run cafe where we spent €50 on toasted sandwiches, orange juice and coffee. Lady Macbeth of Mzensk by Shostakovitch was on from 17:00-20:30 at Oper Leipzig. Not based on the Shakespeare tale but as dark with all the lead characters dying by the end, due to greed, lust and jealousy. The setting was pretty bawdy with some simulated sex, particularly in Act 1. It was a capacity audience, with some English voices heard. The opera was sung in Russian with German and English subtitles. Undoubted star was Kristine Opolais (Latvian) singing the lead role of Katerina Ismailova, who is in a sex-starved marriage with a rich merchant’s son. She seeks excitement with an affair and, in getting out of difficulties, poisons her father-in-law; her husband is then throttled by her boyfriend; they are imprisoned and marched across the Steppes; her boyfriend becomes more interested in a glamorous young maid; she kills both of them and then drowns herself in a river. There’s no hero or heroine. Stalin walked out half-way through the first performance in 1936, saying it was degenerate. Shostakovitch was expecting to be summoned to the camps but the order never came! We had a couple of drinks in the smart theatre. After the performance we came back to Pholosophy (sic), a Vietnamese restaurant right outside our apartment: good food and drink, all for €52. Over the old town had a calling Kestrel (breeding nearby?) and an agitated Common Buzzard, mobbed by 2 Hooded Crow. 2moro evening it’s a piano recital in the Gewandhaus with 24 preludes and fugues! XXXXXX!!!
May 28th: maximum 18C, minimum 11C, light W, rain early morning, appeared to be fairing up, then massive thunderstorms with heavy rain for four hours all afternoon, drier by evening. Today was big trip out to Weimar, the chief town in Thuringia, a German state to the west of Saxony; both were formerly in East Germany. We arrived in the dry, travelling by Regional train from Leipzig for £45 return. It took about 90 min, the outward train was 20 min late, returning one was punctual. Weimar is much more compact than Leipzig and also has its own dazzling array of former residents. Many were patronised by the Arch Dukes of Weimar, including Franz Liszt whose house we visited on the edge of the university; Johann Wolfgang von Goethe whose house we visited, and Friedrich Schiller. We also saw the theatre which hosted the post WWI government, doomed to failure under the enormous reparations, resulting in spectacular hyperinflation. The Liszt house included his pianos and numerous personal artefacts. Goethe’s house was grander, reflecting both his tastes and his ceremonial status, as he was revered like Shakespeare in England. We finally visited the Bauhaus-Museum, celebrating the arts revolution of that name, mainly in the 1920s, brought to an end by the Nazis who thought it was degenerate. Much less savoury is the nearby Buchenwald concentration camp run by the Nazis from 1937-1945, with many horrific statistics and accounts. It was liberated by the US in April 1945. We did not visit this. We had good coffee and lunch at various cafes and arrived back at Weimar Station quite sodden! On arrival at Leipzig we took a taxi to Era Restaurant for another great meal. 2Moro it’s the opera Macbeth by Shostakovitch at the world famous Leipzig Opera House! XXXXXX!!! Plenty of raptors today from the train including 5 Red Kite, 2 Common Buzzard, a Honey-buzzard, a Kestrel, a Sparrowhawk.
May 27th: maximum 20C, minimum 14C, light SW, sunny intervals, mainly cloudy, sultry, dry. A busy day visiting museums in Leipzig, which is a fantastic hub for western culture. Started with a cup of coffee and cake at the Baum coffee shop in the old town. Then to Mendelssohn Museum, a very modern museum, obviously put together with a lot of money, maybe acknowledging his Jewish roots; his elder sister Fanny (Hensel) was given much prominence; there were plenty of audio aides in English; the presentations of his music and his family life was exemplary. The Mendelssohn family 200 years ago certainly had an enlightened view of the role of women in the creative arts, pushing new limits with Fanny’s compositions being published in her name with her brother’s encouragement. Next we made the Bach Museum near St Thomas’s Church where JS Bach performed so much of his work. This museum concentrated on the genealogy of the Bach family and its musical output, with many headphones enabling excerpts of the music to be heard. Besides JS Bach, CP Bach was also emphasised as a stepping stone for Mozart and Beethoven to follow in post-Baroque music. Much of the Bach archives was thought to have been lost in WWII but was found, on the fall of the USSR, in Kiev, since transferred to Berlin. We had dinner at another Italian restaurant, Era, in E of city, which was very good value at €65 for two of us. Crows are very interesting here; we’re in the hybrid zone between Carrion and Hooded. Funds were +65k today on an FPSO (Floating Production System for Oil) being ordered for the Falklands. BT have really screwed up my website with updates lost since 1st May. Not that serious as have copies of everything in my local folders so can restore when get home but not a good advert for the £90 I pay them each quarter. Maybe they’ll restore some missing items over the next few days but was thinking of moving the whole lot to NameCheap as they offer secure sites much more easily than BT; will think again about this. The BT problem arose on a bank holiday, long a problem area for system integrity, as people who know the system intimately are away. This NB will be updated as usual but recent links will not work as BT have lost the files, which are not on my laptop here but are on my desktop at home. 2moro we’re going to Weimar by train to see the Liszt Museum and one or two other attractions. XXXXXX!!!
May 26th: maximum 19C, minimum 12C, light SW, sunny periods, sultry, dry after little rain overnight. Up at 08:15, had breakfast in hotel, caught 11:05 to Berlin Südkreuz where arrived at 11:29 barely enough time for next train to Leipzig at 11:33 7 platforms away but they held it for us. DB (Deutsche Bahn) still do such old-fashioned things, now a thing of the past in our fragmented railway system. This was a very fast train, doing over 200km/hour, on its way to Innsbruck in Austria, and we arrived at Leipzig on time at 12:42. Got a taxi to where we’re staying at Peterssteinweg and chilled out in an open-air cafe waiting for son, who was flying in from LHR via Frankfurt. We walked around historical centre of the city before having supper at La Grotta (cost €77 for 2, I had Piazza Napoli (anchovies!)) and making 1st concert at 19:30 at the famous Gewandhaus in the Mendelssohn Saal (Hall). This was Shostakovitch’s Lieder part 1 with Elena Stikhina soprano, Marina Prudenskya alto, Bogdan Volkov tenor, Alexander Roslavets bass, Elena Bashkirova piano. We heard Satiren (opus 109), Volkspoesie (opus 79a), Gedichten (opus 145). They were all dark, even in the supposedly lighter moments there was a sinister edge but all very moving. Rapturous applause at end, then back to apartment where elaborate e-locking system Nuki does not work – we’ve been given ordinary keys instead! Had 3 single Kestrel as came into Leipzig on train. Will greatly miss the action tonite: XXXXXX!!! BT, who host my website, have crashed so cannot update yet.
May 25th: maximum 16C, minimum 10C, moderate SW, heavy showers, sunny in between. No fieldwork today. Busy getting matters organised. Did have a male Kestrel over Beaufront S at 17:00 as well as a female Honey-buzzard over Thornbrough at 17:05, mobbed by a Crow, with raptor dropping sharply. So the Honey-buzzard was a bonus, before break. Flight NCL-BER was so efficient, on time throughout. Hotel InterCity at Berlin Airport was very easy to walk to, almost on the runway. Had a couple of Weissbier there to rehydrate. So all set for Leipzig 2moro by train. Having breakfast in hotel, then back into terminal for train – seems very well-organised. Pleased that Newcastle are in Champions League next season, in spite of loss today. Will miss the action 2moro: XXXXXX!!!
May 24th: maximum 17C, minimum 10C, moderate SW, rain early morning, cloudy later with brief bright intervals. No fieldwork today. Caught up with all records except for 22/5, where masses of piccies and data. Map for Black Kite on BirdGuides for 2025 up to today is fascinating: there are 2 clear migration routes to northern England, one up the east coast and the other up south-west England through Wales on the western side. Total at 105 is high, but there are a number of admitted misidentifications and some duplications. The birds then spread out across northern England as if that is close to their intended destination. There does not seem to be any reverse migration so they’ve come to breed! Did some gardening, getting out the shears for some trimming. Ground is still very dry. Some people will be delighted at Sunderland’s promotion to the Premier, including D who am seeing tonite! Did make DoW4g4s with D*3/C 4 gr8 chat, quite a lot about a certain football team but we were fairly wide-ranging! Did change the pattern to say goodbye: very pleased we came: gr8 memories for the next 7 days: lok2tmfo: XXXXXX!!! 2moro it’s concert at GH at 3pm, followed by flight EW8321, returning on EW8320.
May 23rd: maximum 15C, minimum 10C, light SE, sunny morning, more veiled sunshine in afternoon, becoming cloudy, dry; drought was broken at 22:00 with heavy rain. After good breakfast said farewells to my R mates and drove off home, seeing 2 solo Common Buzzard on Morpeth bypass and a Kestrel near A19 junction. Stopped off at Throckley N from 11:25-12:30 where had some interesting raptors. From 11:41 to 11:53 a Black Kite was up intermittently over the main plantation and another was seen to E of the wood at 12:02. At Callerton a male Honey-buzzard was soaring at 12:21 1 2 (15005) with a Black Kite underneath close to the tree tops 1 2 3. It’s presumed that the Honey-buzzard was from Throckley N but the Black Kite may well have a second site in this area in the Callerton/Walbottle area. There were 19 bird-types recorded, including a Willow Warbler, 2 Garden Warbler, 2 Skylark (all 3 species singing), plus 5 types of butterfly, including a Painted Lady and a Peacock. Compiled all the records from 21/5 (first day of jaunt) and will add a few piccies tomorrow, when also hope to process records for 22/5 (second day of jaunt). Have to get ready for next trip quite smartly. Did make favourite cafe 2 c favourite lass!! So alluring is the gorgeous one: lok2tmfo: XXXXXX!!! 2moro will be at DoW4g4s; we finish quite early: could change the pattern to say goodbye!! Funds finished week at -13k with profit taking just outweighing some renewed interest in more speculative stocks.
May 22nd: maximum 13C, minimum 4C, moderate N, mainly cloudy morning, sunny all afternoon and evening, dry. Pretty energetic day with 23k steps, walking to Dunstanburgh Castle b4 lunch, then back to Dunstanburgh Golf Club 4 lunch with the group, walk to Newton Pool and Low Newton, b4 returning through Embleton Links to Dunstanburgh Castle Hotel. Had masses of new species for year, including Avocet, Razorbill, Guillemot, Puffin (dead), Fulmar, Red-throated Diver, Rock Pipit, Reed Bunting, Wheatear, Shoveler, Eider. We dipped on Temminck’s Stint at Newton Pool: it was last sighted yesterday. We had good social lunch and met for pre-dinner drink b4 dinner itself; I walked to the castle on my own to study the bird colony there but joined our walking group to go to Newton; had soup and sea-bass tonite; I proposed collective thanks to RA who organised the trip, which was enthusiastically backed. Sea today was wild with enormous rollers crashing into Embleton Bay. 2Moro we have breakfast b4 checking out. Should be back in HEX as usual: XXXXXX!!!
May 21st: maximum 16C, minimum 6C, light NE, sunny all day, dry. Left home about 12:30 for the N of the county. Had a pit-stop at Adderstone Services for an Americano and a chocolate cake. Although destination is Embleton, decided to go N to Budle Bay where present from 14:30-15:30; here had 78 Shelduck, 2 Little Egret and new species for me this year in UK: a very dark Spotted Redshank in breeding plumage 1, a Red-breasted Merganser redhead, a female Pintail 1 2, a feeding Whimbrel 1 2, 4 Ringed Plover, a Common Gull adult 1 2, which later flew inland. Saw a Wall Butterfly here. Then down to pool at Seahouses N from 15:35-16:15 where had 5 displaying Gadwall 1 (3 drake, 2 female) and a singing Lesser Whitethroat 1 to add to the year list plus 8 Whimbrel NE. Had 8 Green-veined White here. Booked into Dunstanburgh Castle Hotel and then went for walk around village and towards coast, picking up from 16:20-17:35 20 Gannet N plus 4 Brown Hare. So 7 new bird-types in UK for me this year and haven’t been at the seaside yet! Had 23 bird-types at Budle Bay, 22 at Seahouses, 21 at Embleton. Hotel is very good, had chicken pate and steak for dinner, washed down with a few g. Good chat with fellow R over dinner! We’re all getting on very well. 2Moro we have walk, will likely go along with it to Dunstanburgh Castle where will switch to the seabird colony there and have lunch later at the golf club. Sure someone would fancy it here: XXXXXX!!!
May 20th: maximum 19C, minimum 4C, light NE, sunny all day, dry. Processed all of Hexham 11/5 except piccies of Caspian Gull 1s so now up to date (except for today!). This afternoon from 16:00-18:05 made Prospect Hill where hoped to pick-up on local March Burn and Farnley Honey-buzzard sites but no action at all in this area or to E or S or W. But did have some very interesting distant action on the north side of the Tyne where a Black Kite was up over Thornbrough at 17:22 in display; that’s a new site for 2025 but occupied last year. At 17:34 an Osprey was circling around Tofts Hill so this does appear to be a second site on Tyne (piccie of site 1), with another one possible near Haltwhistle on the South Tyne. Two Painted Lady butterflies together were also remarkable 1 2. Total of 21 bird-types included 6 Stock Dove 1 (some display), 3 Skylark, 1 Whitethroat, 1 Chiffchaff, 9 Chaffinch, 3 Yellowhammer. Butterflies were of 6 types, including 9 Green-veined White, 7 Large White, and the 2 Painted Lady. Not out tonite. Earlier made White Room to join a discussion on how to promote events there; I said more music would be good, including folk music particularly; did book up 2 jazz concerts in June and August later to show willing! Did make favourite cafe 4 t with favourite lass on!! She’s gorgeous: love the way she conjures an image at the end: she knows what I like!! So away for 2 nites; should be back on Friday early afternoon; seems a long time after that!! lok2tmfo: XXXXXX!!! Funds are -12k wtd on a little profit-taking (by others).
May 19th: maximum 16C, minimum 6C, light NE, mostly cloudy, some sunny intervals, dry, felt cool. Monday is R day and so it was with much energy going into planning for event at lunchtime and when back home executing some decisions made. So no fieldwork today but did add results from yesterday at Ordley to BirdTrack, including piccies. Bombshell was imminent return of daughter and family from Dubai to Kingston, scheduled now for mid-July after our meetings here and in Devon. They’re going to make a mint on their property in Dubai, several million US$, to add to their house in Kingston, worth £2m, which they kept, renting it out; my daughter also has a flat in Kingston, which I helped her buy when she was setting out; we did have a loan agreement but being a softie, converted it to a gift! Happy to help anyone who’s on my side!! Had FB video chat with son on our trip to Leipzig; apartment there is very swish costing £2.5k for 6 days. Made G4g4s with A/P/R 4 gr8 chat with E on!! Later called round: aroused I certainly was: most for ages: what a sensuous beauty: she’s amazing: love the afters: lok2tmfo: XXXXXX!!! 2moro have after lunch call-in at QH for supporters of the theatre. Hope to resume some fieldwork 2moro after a day’s rest, not allowed any more at this time of year!
May 18th: maximum 16C, minimum 6C, light NE, mostly cloudy, a few sunny intervals, dry, felt cool. Out on road at Ordley in front of house from 12:50-13:20 when weather looked as if it was brightening up: some raptors dutifully got up in the air but the sun then retreated again! The female Honey-buzzard was up at 12:50 but only briefly as she decided it wasn’t that warm 1 2. The male came up at 13:00 but again didn’t get very far (15004). A few Honey-buzzard long calls were heard. Two Black kite were also up around 13:06, one from the Ordley site 1, the other over the Slaley west site. At 13:04 a female Honey-buzzard was up over the distant Slaley Forest site, attributed to Trygill. Also today at home had a brood of Blackbird fledging, Jackdaw feeding noisy young in nest in a split ash tree, 2 Canada Goose flying overhead towards Shield Hall, a Curlew over Dukesfield, a Stoat in my field maybe appreciating the number of rabbit around! From 16:00-17:15 went down to Letah Wood, walking up West Dipton Burn. Here had strong action from 16:18-16:20: a pair of Black Kite 1 2 3 in conflict with a pair of Common Buzzard 1 2 3; suspect the Black Kite from a bit further up the valley were maybe thinking of switching their nest to Letah Wood: they were rebuffed! Here also in total of 21 bird-types had 12 House Martin W, a singing Pied Flycatcher, 2 singing Blackcap and a singing Garden Warbler. Did make G4g4s and gr8 to have R back and fetching P; had E/L on with A/P/R for good chat!! 2moro it’s R @ Cnt 4 lunch and G4g4s again!
From home page: 18/05/25 mid-month summaries: Honey-buzzard 7 birds at 4 sites; Black Kite 22 birds at 12 sites; Osprey 4 birds at 3 sites; Goshawk 3 birds at 3 sites; Hobby 2 birds at 2 sites; Red Kite 21 birds at 16 sites.
So very busy start to season and much achieved but easing off now on the study area with R trip to Dunstanburgh Castle Hotel from Wed-Fri and then off to Leipzig on Sunday evening for Shostakovitch Music Festival with son. XXXXXX!!!
Lots of Black Kite (94 ytd) and Honey-buzzard (26 ytd) still arriving (from BirdGuides):
16:49 17/05 Black Kite Lincolnshire Barkston 16:41 one flew over airfield
11:48 17/05 Black Kite Perth & Kinross Dunkeld 11:35 one circled over then flew high north along A9
09:46 17/05 Black Kite Lincolnshire Hough-on-the-Hill 09:35 one flew north-west between Hough and Honington
20:54 16/05 Black Kite Kent Langdon Cliffs NT one flew over this afternoon
15:45 16/05 Black Kite Kent Langdon Cliffs NT 15:35 one reportedly flew in-off the sea and continued inland
14:56 16/05 Black Kite Cornwall St Just14:48 one reportedly flew east over Chun Quoit car park (TR19 7TH)
Correction 12:20 16/05 Black Kite Cornwall Wadebridge reported bird was a Red Kite
12:15 16/05 Black Kite Cornwall Wadebridge 10:00 one reportedly flew over
21:55 15/05 Black Kite Cornwall Blackwater one reported on north side of A30 at Four Burrows
15:23 13/05 Black Kite Devon Preston, Torbay 14:55 one flew north-west over Scadson Woods towards Marldon
09:08 13/05 Black Kite Anglesey Breakwater CP 09:00 one over Holyhead Mountain from 08:45-09:00 then flew east
11:42 12/05 Black Kite Caernarfon Bardsey Island one circled over island between 11:10 and 11:30
16:28 18/05 European Honey Buzzard Nottinghamshire Welbeck watchpoint 13:25 one over west side of lake then drifted north; park carefully on grass verge along Limetree Avenue and view from watchpoint at 53.2430, -1.1326
10:39 18/05 European Honey Buzzard West Sussex Woolbeding Common10:06 three again from Older Hill viewpoint; park only in NT car park at Older Hill (GU29 9RR) and view from ridgeline west of NT car park. Do not block driveways
07:23 18/05 European Honey Buzzard Dorset Wyke Regis 20:30 17/05 one flew east over Tidmoor Point yesterday evening
17:43 16/05 European Honey Buzzard London Stanwell Moor 17:20 one flew north over west side
14:15 16/05 European Honey Buzzard East Sussex Brighton 14:08 one flew over Lewes Road, Moulsecoomb
10:25 16/05 European Honey Buzzard East Sussex Newhaven 10:24 one flew east
10:20 16/05 European Honey Buzzard Cambridgeshire Little Downham one flew east
09:57 16/05 European Honey Buzzard Kent Ash one flew west towards Wingham
21:14 15/05 European Honey Buzzard West Sussex Woolbeding Common three from Older Hill viewpoint between 09:25 and 13:10; park only in NT car park at Older Hill (GU29 9RR) and view from ridgeline west of NT car park. Do not block driveways
17:04 15/05 European Honey Buzzard Dorset Portland 16:45 one flew north
13:23 15/05 European Honey Buzzard West Sussex Woolbeding Common 13:15 two from Older Hill viewpoint; park only in NT car park at Older Hill (GU29 9RR) and view from ridgeline west of NT car park. Do not block driveways
15:58 14/05 European Honey Buzzard Lincolnshire Firsby13/05 one flew over nearby yesterday
May 17th: maximum 18C, minimum 3C, light NE, sunny all day after misty morning, dry. Had good breakfast at 4PF b4 checking out and catching 10:23 to HEX. Always looked after well at this hotel, being a regular! Did some grass cutting at home (3 loads) taking out some more long grass; very pleased to find 3 Small Yellow Underwing moths feeding on flowers in some of the meadow at the back; they were feeding on small flowers 1 including cuckoo flower, which has been good this year. Out to Stocksfield Mount from 15:50-17:40 where had a pair of Common Buzzard at the Mount itself 1. At nearby Shilford had a pair of Black Kite displaying several times, including 16:27 and 17:05-17:10, 1 2 3 4 plus a female Honey-buzzard up low-down and a male Honey-buzzard high-up gliding at some speed at 16:48 and the female again at 17:00; at 17:20 a Honey-buzzard long call was heard. Also had a Red Kite up to E of Short Wood at 16:52, hunting over a field; this is a regular haunt. Plenty to follow … Watched last 30 min of FA cup final: very pleased for Crystal Palace, gaining their first major trophy ever. Out to DoW4g4s where met D/D/D/C 4 good chat! 2moro more of the same – grass cutting and out for some fieldwork. Later will be at G4g4s, maybe looking for sensuous delights with the beautiful one!! XXXXXX!!!
May 16th: maximum 17C, minimum 5C, light NE, sunny all day, dry. Writing this at 4PF in NCL at 00:30 17/5. Brilliant Ravel concert tonight, particularly the concerto played by Stephen Osborne, which was the highlight of the whole season in my view: mv 1,3 are jazzy and very lively, mv2 is so romantic. Rehearsal started a bit later than originally scheduled so more leisurely lunchtime. Someone looked gorgeous: lok2tmfo: XXXXXX!!! In addition has been a very good day with reception and meeting fellow partners and members of the orchestra. Back to HEX in the morning! Funds change on week was indeed +130k.
May 15th: maximum 16C, minimum 3C, moderate NE, low cloud until ttime when some sunshine, feeling cool in breeze, dry. Took car in to BSM at 08:50, then train to piano Prudhoe as much better service than to Wylam. Had walk over bridge to Ovingham and then through Country Park towards Wylam Horsley. Weather was not good for raptors and only one seen was a male Sparrowhawk over Prudhoe E at 11:43. Masses of other birds though. Indeed 34 types from 09:25-11:45, including 27 Swift feeding over the Tyne, a calling Cuckoo, 4 Oystercatcher, 2 Common Tern W, 12 Sand Martin, 3 Garden Warbler, single Whitethroat, Blackcap and Chiffchaff, 3 Song Thrush, 10 Blackbird. Was in contact with garage during walk: problem was defective rear tyres not a wheel bearing (so much for my car mechanics!), very pleased I took it in; had general check and some sprucing up of a few areas, including brakes, plus the 2 new tyres, all a bargain at £389! At Hexham had an Oystercatcher nest 1 in between 2 sleepers on disused railway line, one was sitting, the other on guard. The on-guard bird drove a Magpie off with much aggression. Here also had House Martin nesting and Swallow probably nesting with a Grey Heron flying overhead. Came back a bit early from trip to Prudhoe as M wanted to meet at T4m4l at 12; we had good catch-up; I retreated to library afterwards awaiting call from garage to say job complete. Did some more grass cutting at back: another rank area on side of main field (4 loads). Bought 2 more Ag spoons George I from Ag Spoon Club (Exeter, Newcastle) and also bought another Newcastle Ag tankard 1774 on Ebay; have 2 now for celebrations! Have to come round to drink in style!! Bit of profit taking in BOR today, including by myself; BOR is more speculative than RKH as no proven oil, nor a partner yet, but it is in the Falklands! Did make G4g4s with A; R not back and P not feeling up to it. We had good chat. Bit challenging later on as maybe a bit early: but we did it in gr8 style: lok2tmfo: XXXXXX!!! 2moro will be up early for W delivery at 9, then a bit early at favourite cafe prior to trip to NCL at 13:15. Busy day with RNS with rehearsal, new season update and performance, all Ravel, including his emotional PC 1. Staying over at 4PF.
May 14th: maximum 16C, minimum 3C, light NE, sunny after misty morning, dry. Processed Bywell visit on 10/5, including lots of piccies. At Ordley had a Black Kite up from its site at 13:20, moving W at some height, then coming back again 1 2 3 4. Tried other side of Hexham today, making Warden in late afternoon. No Black Kite were seen at Warden Hill, which has been a site, but there was a Black Kite over the beautiful Hexham High Wood (West Wood) at 16:15 1 2 3 4 so maybe they’ve moved there. Earlier at 15:58 had seen a Black Kite coming in from the E perhaps over the Boatside at moderate height following the South Tyne, possibly the same bird or its mate. At 16:25 had a Red Kite up over Frankham, hunting 1. Total was 26 bird-types, including 12 Sand Martin, 9 Swallow, 2 Garden Warbler, single Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Willow Warbler. Butterflies comprised 5 types: 2 Large White, 3 Small White, 1 Green-veined White, 3 Orange-tip, 2 Speckled Wood. Did some serious grass cutting today (7 loads), demolishing some rank grass at back which will not support any flowers. Also filled up the pond. Car has not been quite so smooth lately, vibrating at 60+ and giving a few creaks on turning, so taking it in to BSM tomorrow for check and summer service; it could be a wheel bearing on its way out. So will drop car off at 09:00 and go into Wylam on train to look for Black Kite there while they’re working on it. Funds reached a record today and are +144k wtd as attention to Falklands becomes more widespread. Sold some BOR today. Going to rehearsal on Friday at GH so day will be running early again. Hope that car is ready by ttime and to be at G4g4s 2moro; expecting R to take P. XXXXXX!!!
May 13th: maximum 18C, minimum 6C, light E, sunny all day, dry. Big day for catch-up on records, completing those for South Tyne last Thursday and yesterday’s visit to Thornbrough. Osprey may be about to colonise the Tyne/South Tyne Valley further, adding to their one current site. Beginning to see my route for my next ANPA paper with monoidal categories giving tensor products for neural nets to replace the monads in our earlier work. Did make favourite cafe at ttime where favourite lass looked great: XXXXXX!!! Funds are +92k wtd on resurgence in oil price and imminent FID for Falklands developments. My second string for Falklands, LON:BOR, is doing well on hopes they’ll find a drilling partner. Sunderland certainly test their fans’ resilience; good time (120+2) to score the winning goal!
May 12th: maximum 20C, minimum 6C, mainly light E but moderate E midday, sunny most of day, a few spots of rain midday, not enough to wet the ground. R meeting went well; very good talk from AL (née AS) on cardiovascular practicalities: she was brought up in the ‘Shire, living near us and was a friend of my daughter. Also got the charity deed changes underway with agreement from members. From 16:15-17:30 made Thornbrough where had single Osprey up to W at 16:34 from site to NE of Hexham 1 up over Beaufront 2 and it or another Osprey up over Tofts Hill at 17:20 3 4 5 with a Black Kite 1. A Common Buzzard was calling at 16:31 but no Black Kite were seen over Thornbrough itself, the same as in my first visit there. Total for bird-types was 25, including 2 Common Gull 1s, 3 displaying Lapwing, single singing Blackcap and Garden Warbler, 2 singing Skylark, 3 Whitethroat, 6 Linnet, 2 Yellowhammer, plus 5 types of butterfly: 2 Large White, 3 Small White, 5 Green-veined White, 2 Orange-tip female, 1 Peacock. Did make G4g4s with A/P with E on!! I fetched and took frail P; R is back tonight. End of day was totally amazing: so very sensuous with the gorgeous one: all revealed: loved the afters: lok2tmfo: XXXXXX!!! 2moro cleaner S is coming in afternoon, think I’ll be in HEX!! Funds are +56k wtd after US-China tariff truce.
May 11th: maximum 21C, minimum 5C, light E, sunny all day, dry. Caught up with some records and enjoyed the sunshine before out to Hexham N from 15:20-17:40. Here had 3 Black Kite (1 up at Hermitage W at 15:38 1, 2 at Hexham NE displaying from 15:53-16:01 2 3 4 5 6), an Osprey (Hexham NE out at 15:54, up high at 15:59 1), a Kestrel (female at Hexham NE at 16:18), a Hobby (female at Hexham NE at 16:12). So 6 raptors of 4 types. Had some other good sightings: a Little Egret (first in UK for me this year), a Common Sandpiper 1, an Oystercatcher 1, a pair of Dipper feeding young under the weir, a Caspian Gull 1s ???, a singing Garden Warbler, a Grey Heron, 6 Sand Martin, 3 Swift, brood of 5 medium-sized young Mallard, fledged Blackbird, a Common Gull adult. Total was 31 bird-types. Butterflies comprised 6 Green-veined White, 2 Small White, 2 Speckled Wood. Made cafe Stb4c4t as a break. Did add Budapest piccies to 2024 NB. Reviewed remaining 2024 multimedia: decided to retain both Dubai visits (Oct/Dec), the Dorset visit (Apr) and the Budapest videos from The Ring by Wagner in Budapest (June) for further processing. The remainder has been archived on 2 external drives. Did make G4g4s with P/A, taking and fetching frail P, R not back yet. We had good chat! Sensuous end to day: she’s gorgeous: love the afterglow: lok2tmfo: XXXXXX!!! The ginger cat and I have some empathy: creatures of the nite!! 2moro it’s R at lunchtime at Cnt, followed by trip out at ttime (4 o’clock is a magical time for raptor feeding and displaying – the 4 o’clock soar!); rationale is it’s still warm enough to give thermals and need something to eat before nightfall!. Later it’s G4g4s and think again I’m handling P.
Black Kite passage continued. The Wilmslow bird was an escape apparently.
17:10 11/05 Black Kite Caernarfon Aberdaron 16:45 one flew slowly north-east
16:34 08/05 Black Kite Kent Oare Marshes NR 16:20 one flew west and lost to view beyond Uplees Copse
Presumed Escape 19:31 07/05 Black Kite Staffordshire Gun Hill
one that escaped from Gauntlet Birds of Prey flight show in Knutsford, Cheshire, on Monday is thought to refer to today's sightings from Wilmslow, Cheshire, and Gun Hill, Staffordshire
Presumed Escape 19:31 07/05 Black Kite Cheshire Wilmslow bird at Lindow Moss (known as 'Scatty') escaped from Gauntlet Birds of Prey flight show on Monday
15:06 07/05 Black Kite Staffordshire Gun Hill 14:20 one circled low overhead then drifted south
Negative News 10:24 07/05 Black Kite Cheshire Wilmslow 09:30 still at Lindow Moss until 09:30 then flew high west; park carefully on Racecourse Road (SK9 5LL) and access Lindow Moss via Newgate
09:00 07/05 Black Kite Cheshire Wilmslow 08:53 still showing well at Lindow Moss; park carefully on Racecourse Road (SK9 5LL) and access Lindow Moss via Newgate
08:34 07/05 Black Kite Cheshire Wilmslow 20:30 06/05 one videoed at Lindow Moss at dusk yesterday evening but no sign this morning
08:08 07/05 Black Kite Derbyshire Chapel-en-le-Frith 07:45 06/05 one photographed at Bowden Hey Road yesterday morning but no sign in brief search this morning
Honey-buzzard passage is getting underway:
20:48 11/05 European Honey Buzzard Cornwall Nanquidno Valley male flew over Gwynver Beach this morning
14:03 11/05 European Honey Buzzard East Yorkshire High Hunsley 13:52 one flew north-west
13:25 11/05 European Honey Buzzard West Sussex Woolbeding Common 10:25 one from Older Hill viewpoint between 10:10 and 10:25; park only in NT car park at Older Hill (GU29 9RR) and view from ridgeline west of NT car park. Do not block driveways
21:53 10/05 European Honey Buzzard Dorset Brownsea Island NT 10:10 male flew north-west over cafe
13:37 09/05 European Honey Buzzard West Sussex Selsey Bill one flew over
15:23 08/05 European Honey Buzzard West Sussex Thundersbarrow Hill 15:11 one flew high north
20:54 05/05 European Honey Buzzard West Yorkshire Wentbridge 13:15 03/05 pale morph soaring over woodland close to A1
Reported 19:56 05/05 European Honey Buzzard West Yorkshire Fairburn Ings RSPB 15:30 one reportedly flew west
For Osprey, this record might be relevant to the possible site at Haltwhistle, though the lough is not far from Wark (and Kielder) Forest:
11:29 25/04 Osprey Northumberland Greenlee Lough one then flew east
May 10th: maximum 21C, minimum 5C, light W, sunny all day, dry. Completed piccies for Faro from March. Started on Budapest June 2024, which I think, on completion, will enable 2024 to be closed; there are not many shots. Had leisurely day up to ttime, then off to Bywell to look for raptors. It was amazingly productive with 6 Black Kite seen (displaying pairs at Cottagebank at 16:17 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 where 1 bird sitting in a tree at 16:03, one bird up at 16:28; and Tofts Hill at 15:49 and 16:31 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 with extra bird, making 3 birds, at Tofts Hill at 15:49 20; and single at Styford at 16:00 and 16:42), 2 Honey-buzzard (male, female, in display at 16:18 over Cottagebank 1 2 3 (15003, 3 is with a Black Kite)), a Hobby (first of year, male up over Cottagebank at 16:21 1), 3 Common Buzzard (2 to NE, 1 to SE (Cottagebank see 4)), a male Kestrel out hunting near Cottagebank, mobbed by Jackdaw. So that’s 5 types of raptor – 13 birds: very successful visit! Black Kite are now up to 10 sites; Honey-buzzard are on 2 sites showing their later arrival. Total for trip was 23 bird-types, including 4 Swift, 2 Oystercatcher, a Skylark, and a Chiffchaff, with butterflies 2 Small White and 2 Orange-tip male. There’s an exciting find on the Haltwhistle piccies from 8/5: an Osprey over a wood on the moorland edge, interacting with a Black Kite: is this a second site (to add to the one near Hexham) on the Tyne/South Tyne? Made DoW4g4s with D/D/D/C 4 good chat! Had an extra Common Buzzard for the day at Styford roundabout on drive to Newton. 2moro it’s out to Hexham on N side of Tyne, looking for raptors along the ridge. Later will be at G4g4s, still handling P but think R is back for Monday from his German trip so he will take over again. lok2tmfo: XXXXXX!!!
May 9th: maximum 19C, minimum 3C, light W, sunny all day, dry. Quite a lot going on today. Made favourite cafe: she looked gr8: loved the wave: lok2tmfo: XXXXXX!!! Train into NCL was next, making GH at 14:15 after walk across High-Level Bridge. We had reception before rehearsal where we had good chat, b4 going into Hall 1; it was very effervescent with dynamic female Italian conductor Nil Venditti. Had to leave slightly early to make Brasserie for dinner with 3 Jewish friends (RS/AS/S) where we had good food, wine and chat in the quality restaurant in the Glasshouse. Actual concert was very good with 2 Rossini pieces: Overture to Barber of Seville and choral work Stabat Mater, plus Mozart 29. More to follow … Stayed for drink with some friends and then walked back along the bridge and came back on last train. Funds have had a very good week +87k, making +670k ytd. Not only the Falklands this week with whole oil sector rallying briskly off recent lows as PoO (Price of Oil!) stabilised. Paid £1046.70 on my Mastercard for my subscription concerts for next season at Glasshouse, and that’s after significant discounts. Had a Common Sandpiper at Prudhoe on the way in.
May 8th: maximum 15C, minimum 1C, light E, cloudy up to ttime when sun came out, dry. Did get out W, where thought there would be more sunshine but still had to wait until 15:53 when the sun broke through and it was like a magical transformation, with insects such as St Mark’s Flies and Green-veined White everywhere all of a sudden. Visited first North Wood, Haltwhistle, from 14:05-15:05 where had a pair of Black Kite displaying at 14:41 over the wood 1 2 3 4 5 where they raised 3 young last year, after a sighting of one to two Black Kite over the nearby moors out hunting at 14:27 6 7 8 together with an Osprey 1 2. Next up was Coanwood from 16:15-17:15 where one Red Kite in moult was high-up over wood to N of Coanwood Pond at 15:53 1 as sun broke through. Finally made Towsbank from 16:20-17:20 where no raptors were seen. Did make G4g4s, fetching and taking frail P, who I have to help up and down the steps at his house. But night worked out well: she gets the best out of me: so sensuous: lok2tmfo: XXXXXX!!! So 2moro things will be moved earlier, to make GH by 14:15!!
Have compiled results for Coanwood Pond: total 28 bird-types with wildfowl 5 types: 37 Canada Goose, 6 Greylag Goose, 2 Wigeon, 6 Mallard, 5 Tufted Duck; waders 5 types: 4 Oystercatcher, 14 Lapwing, 13 Curlew, 4 Snipe, 1 Redshank; warblers: 1 Willow Warbler, 1 Sedge Warbler; plus 6 Meadow Pipit, 4 Goldfinch. The sun came out at 15:53; immediately Green-veined White (8) and St Mark's Fly appeared in numbers. At Towsbank/Asholme Common from 16:20-17:20, in total of 21 bird-types, had 4 types of gamebird: a Red Grouse, 3 Grey Partridge, 1 Red-legged Partridge, 5 Pheasant; 4 types of wader: 19 Lapwing, 12 Curlew (1 chick), 3 Oystercatcher, 2 Snipe; also a Tree Pipit singing, a Cuckoo in flight, 8 Swallow in display; plus 13 Green-veined White and an Orange-tip male. At Haltwhistle North Wood, had plenty of cuckoo flower 1. Birds totalled 23 types, including 6 Oystercatcher, 2 bubbling Curlew, 5 Sand Martin, 2 Grey Heron, 3 Chiffchaff, 2 Garden Warbler, 2 Willow Warbler, 19 Starling fetching food for their young in the town. Just one butterfly was seen here in the early duller conditions: a male Orange-tip.
May 7th: maximum 13C, minimum -1C, light E becoming moderate E, bright morning, cloudier later, dry. Dentist went OK if you like that sort of thing! Teeth OK but gums have a bit of gingivitis and bought some side-brushes to keep them cleaner (was going to say given but they charged me!). Had 2 Sand Martin, 2 singing Willow Warbler and a female Mallard with 6 young from the bridge over the Tyne at Corbridge. A Jay was at Dipton Wood N. Main event of day was the arrival of the Black Kite into Devil’s Water at Ordley at 12:00; the whole valley erupted with 18 Carrion Crow and some Rook perched on trees near where it had gone into cover. Went for local walk at ttime but in cool weather did not see any raptors. Did though have a Tree Sparrow nest building, 4 singing Garden Warbler, a Stock Dove, 7 House Sparrow, 80 Rook at nests in Scots Pine, a Yellowhammer. Began to wind up Faro records by labelling some piccies for 15/3; this added Caspian Gull to the species list; so need to resize these piccies, upload them to server and index them. 2moro hoping to get out to the South Tyne near Haltwhistle. Will be at G4g4s in evening and up late!! On Friday going into rehearsal for 14:15 at Glasshouse; this is for the players not me, part of my benefits as a principal partner. So will get somewhere earlier! XXXXXX!!!
Attended ANPA Steering Group meeting on Zoom from 18:00-19:00. I do the web pages for ANPA at ANPA Live. I’m down to give a paper at their annual conference in August in Oxford on Artificial Intelligence and Category Theory.
May 6th: maximum 17C, minimum -1C, light W, sunny all day after early frost, much warmer with change of wind direction, dry. Slept very well! Busy morning tidying up for cleaner and getting ready for R council meeting. Did make HEX and favourite cafe: brilliant service by the beautiful one!! Then some work on category theory before heading down to Cnt 4 R council. We had a very vigorous discussion on the constitution and I did manage to set up a team to modify our charity deed: it was more decisive than I dared hope. It’s my penultimate council for chairing as term finishes on 30/6. Did stay for supper there having gammon, chips and peas and a glass of rw. Watched, on Amazon Prime, Inter Milan beat Barcelona 7-6 on aggregate in European Champions semi-final: so exciting! Have routine dental check and clean 2moro morning at Corbridge Dental Practice where I’m a private patient. Then hope to get out in the field! Funds are +1k wtd. Lok2tmfo: XXXXXX!!!
May 5th: maximum 11C, minimum -2C, light NE, sunny intervals in morning, sunny periods later, dry after a little rain overnight. Lit the coal fire again, very cosy. Heading for a slight frost tonight. Had 2 Swift back at Ordley displaying at lunchtime. A female Honey-Buzzard was sitting in a tree from 13:35-13:40 close to site 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 (15002) with a Common Buzzard calling anxiously nearby. Caught up on all bird records, i.e. all compiled on BirdTrack with highlights on this page. P didn’t come out tonight, I called at his place, he looked very poorly. So met A at G4g4s with L/E on!! We had good chat. All very quiet in HEX after long weekend of relaxation. Night ended brilliantly: she’s gorgeous: lok2tmfo: XXXXXX!!! 2moro cleaner S is coming in the afternoon and have R council meeting at 5, which promises to be a little fiery as I try to bring charity deed of club in line with current charity law, against the old guard. So will be in HEX. Probably stay for supper at Cnt.
May 4th: maximum 10C, minimum 1C, moderate NE, overcast, occasional shower. Very cold day after last week’s warmth. Did first grass cutting of season, doing front grass and verges on this side; all good exercise. I tend to go for ‘no mow May’ in areas with wild flowers on back grass so this hasn’t been cut yet. Did make Star Wars music at the Glasshouse with RNS under Steve Bell for their evening performance, following a matinee earlier. It was very stirring: John Williams music is very Wagnerian with great crescendos, some beautiful romantic music and leitmotifs (signature tunes, both physical and conceptual). So we heard music from all 9 parts of Star Wars: three trilogies!! In the earlier ones we had some choral work, which made it more powerful. John Williams is still an active composer at 94 (born 8 Feb 1932), with a career spanning 7 decades. Besides Star Wars he has written the score for many other films including Jurassic Park and some of the Indiana Jones tracks. John Williams was born in USA, currently living in California. I do like film music: Richard Wagner, the inventive 19th century opera writer, with his emphasis on dramatic music, can I think be regarded as the father of film music. Staying at 4PF, very comfortable, back to HEX in morning. Will be out to G4g4s in evening, fetching frail P and taking him home. Hope the * is keeping fit: XXXXXX!!!
Quite a few Black Kite reported, with two migration streams noted: via Cornwall and via coast of eastern England.
21:57 04/05 Black Kite Orkney North Ronaldsay 02/05 still on Friday
19:48 04/05 Black Kite Cornwall Porthgwarra one flew over Gwennap Head
14:33 04/05 Black Kite Suffolk Stratford St Mary14:31 one circling to north of village
11:26 04/05 Black Kite Cornwall Land's End one low over Treeve Moor with six Red Kite
10:46 04/05 Black Kite Kent Stodmarsh NNR 10:38 one flew west over reedbed hide
15:29 03/05 Black Kite Cornwall Redruth 15:10 one flew north over A30 between Redruth and Camborne
Unconfirmed 12:17 03/05 Black Kite Cornwall St Austell 11:25 probable circled over A390 near Tregrehan
Reported 21:02 02/05 Black Kite Kent Hawkinge one reported circling over Battle of Britain Museum this evening
Reported 10:14 02/05 Black Kite Norfolk Boughton Fen one reported
09:27 02/05 Black Kite Cornwall Penzance 09:20 one over harbour
21:32 01/05 Black Kite Cornwall Canon's Town 16:00 one flew east
21:31 01/05 Black Kite Cornwall Zennor 08:20 one flew west
19:18 01/05 Black Kite Orkney North Ronaldsay one at Holland House this evening
Overseas 09:33 01/05 Black Kite Jersey St Catherine's Breakwater 09:21 one flew over.
Honey-buzzard are starting to appear:
11:07 04/05 European Honey Buzzard Hampshire Martin Down NNR 10:45 one flew north
19:35 03/05 European Honey Buzzard Dorset Ferrybridge 19:24 one flew north
09:16 03/05 European Honey Buzzard Dorset Christchurch one flew over Purewell
Two Osprey records from near their nest site:
14:51 03/05 Osprey Northumberland Acomb one flew low north-east mid-afternoon
12:23 20/04 Osprey Northumberland Acomb one flew south this afternoon
May 3rd: maximum 14C, minimum 3C, moderate W, sunny intervals, dry. Good weather for soaring raptors: polar air! Had some great sightings of Black Kite at lunchtime from 13:20-14:00 with one up at 13:30 then a pair displaying over Slaley W at 13:33 (first pair and display this year) going very high after much diving and rearing, a single close-up soaring at Ordley at 13:48 1 2 3 4, a single soaring high over Whitley Chapel at 13:53. A Common Buzzard was soaring high to N of Juniper at 17:24. A Honey-buzzard male was flapping E at 17:19 at low to medium height over Slaley Forest to S 1 2 (15001). Total of all bird-types was good too at 27, including 3 singing Garden Warbler, a Jay, a sitting Lapwing, a singing Curlew, 2 Grey Heron, 4 Canada Goose, 6 Mallard, 4 Tree Sparrow, 4 Chiffchaff, 3 Linnet. 2moro I’m at Star Wars music in evening at GH, staying overnight, back on Monday: XXXXXX!!! There are plenty of sightings to add from BirdGuides! Had good chat with D/D/D/C at DoW4g4s in evening!
May 2nd: maximum 15C, minimum 4C, light NW, sunny morning, cloudy later, dry. A busy day. Had haircut with Jd at JG, cost £25.50 including 5.50 bonus. Then favourite cafe: she’s very captivating and sensuous: lok2tmfo: XXXXXX!!! Made NCL on train, ate my lovely scone, walked to GH in GHD, where met L and other friends for pre-opera reception for patrons of Opera North, then Act 1, then another reception, then Acts 2,3. Cannot see why Simon Boccanegra is one of Verdi’s least performed works. It’s got great singing by Maria (Amelia) and Simon, climaxes complete with inspired chorus work; thoroughly enjoyed it! Stayed for chat and drink with some other friends, then walked back to NCL and caught last 10 bus, getting back to HEX at 00:30. Funds are -10k on week with fall in oil price being a bit of a dampener. Booked flights for Costa Rica with Air France CDG-SJO, total cost £1,560 for premium seats; flight is 11 hours so need some comfort; leaving 10/10, return 28/10. Had 2 Tawny Owl calling at Ordley at 01:00 (3/5).
This ‘letter’ is very popular in UK oil and gas circles (it should be sent to all MPs):
*********************************************************
Dear Norway,
I don’t know whether to envy you, thank you, or beg you to stop reminding us of what we could have been. You took the same gift we had — North Sea oil — and turned it into security, prosperity, and vision. We took it and burned through it like fools at a fairground, high on temporary wealth, blind to the future. While you built a sovereign wealth fund of over £1.3 trillion, we built nothing. Not a safety net, not a plan, not even a legacy. You gave every Norwegian £235,000 of future stability. We gave our children a debt-ridden shell and a windfall tax tantrum dressed up as policy. You invested. We outsourced. You nurtured your energy industry. We slapped it with levies and declared it dead. Now we rely on you — for gas, for oil, even for investment in our capital’s real estate. We send you £20 billion a year, and you send us the bill for our short-sightedness. And the cruellest irony? You’re going green better than we are. You’re using oil money to fund the transition. Carbon capture. Offshore wind. Electric shipping. While we self-flagellate and fumble our way through incoherent energy plans, you walk a steady path, eyes open, future-facing.
How did we become a nation that mocks pragmatism and worships gestures?
How did we let ideology blind us to sovereignty, stability, and common sense? Fifty years from now, you’ll be thriving — green, rich, secure. We’ll still be arguing over grid failures, imports, and who to tax next. So yes, dear Norway — enjoy our money. We clearly didn’t know what to do with it.
With admiration (and no small amount of shame),
The United Kingdom – A nation that had it all, and let it go.
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May 1st: maximum 23C, minimum 5C, light W, sunny all day, hazier by evening, dry. They’re back – or at least one is – at 13:30 a female Honey-buzzard was seen coming out of the sky to land in their regular nesting wood; so after 5,500km of travel from area around southern Nigeria in 3-4 weeks (200-250km/day) she’s landed successfully in the traditional nesting area! She will have used thermals on the way to save energy, maybe using just 10% of the energy consumed in level flapping; the soar-glide technique has the bird finding a thermal, soaring up to maybe 1km up, then gliding down for several km before finding another thermal. A complaining Common Buzzard was calling 10 min later. The Sedge Warbler was singing again today after no calls yesterday, when maybe resting from the migration. Then at 16:00 a Green Woodpecker was heard alarm-calling; at last found one in the study area. A Long-tailed Tit was seen shortly afterwards. Out for another 2 hours fieldwork in the ‘Shire visiting Dotland and west of Dalton. At West Dipton a Black Kite was up over pine wood where nested last year several times from 16:25-16:54. The data from the timed counts at Dotland and Dalton are in preparation. Booked my hotel in Puerto Jimenez – 8 nights from 20/10-28/10 – at Botanika Osa Peninsula, Curio Collection By Hilton, in the jungle by the Pacific coast at a cost approaching £2k. Earlier stay is at San Jose -- Hilton Cariari DoubleTree San Jose -- from 11/10-20/10 for £1.2k. Did make G4g4s, meeting P/A/Rg, with L on and R away another 10 days; it’s quite a responsibility fetching and taking back frail P, slows me down. Not at G on Sunday as at concert at GH: Star Wars music by RNS. 2moro it’s haircut at JG with Jd at 13:00, favourite cafe with favourite lass bit later; then GH for Opera North who are performing Verdi’s Simon Boccanegra; will be 2 receptions for patrons so good social event! XXXXXX!!!
At Dotland had 16 bird-types, including 6 Lapwing displaying, 3 singing Curlew, a Common Gull 1s, a Stock Dove, a singing Garden Warbler. Butterflies included 2 Orange-tip (male, female), 4 Green-veined White. At Dalton had 21 bird-types, including 5 Lapwing, one on nest, 10 Curlew in display, 3 Oystercatcher, 2 Stock Dove, a Stonechat (in a conifer copse, seen and heard singing), 2 singing Skylark, a singing Willow Warbler, a Common Gull 1s. Two Green-veined White were also seen here. Records from other people today: Alan H had a female Goosander with 5 young and a female Mallard with 11 young at Tyne Green. Gaynor S had a Cuckoo calling at Ordley.
April 30th: maximum 22C, minimum 6C, light SW, sunny all day, dry. Had a great trip out at midday into the ‘Shire, doing two timed visits at Rawgreen and Lilswood Grange from 12:15-14:25 and a short stop at Steel Pond. Had 3 Red Kite (a pair at Embley and a single at Rawgreen), 2 Kestrel (a pair at Rawgreen), 2 Common Buzzard (singles at Rawgreen and Lilswood Grange), making 7 raptors of 3 types. Other birds included a calling Cuckoo, 4 singing Willow Warbler, a Red Grouse, 7 Curlew, 5 Lapwing, an Oystercatcher. A female Mallard was escorting 11 small young at Steel Pond. A House Martin flew N. Butterflies were abundant, including: 2 Large White, 3 Small White, 14 Green-veined White, 10 Orange-tip (6 male, 4 female), 1 Green Hairstreak, 2 Peacock, so 32 insects of 6 types. Had a single Red Admiral and 2 Speckled Wood at Ordley earlier in day so 8 types of butterfly today. About 10 Common Gull were moving E at 22:00, calling. Am now moving to finish booking my Costa Rica trip, going for last week of stay around end of October (after the raptor meeting) to the Pacific coast in SW of country with current focus on Puerto Jimenez as that is close to the beach and to the jungle. Looking at direct Air France flights from Paris to San Jose (11 hours), maybe premium; it’s quite easy to get to Paris from NCL. There are plenty of nature tours from Puerto Jimenez so plenty to do (and see!). R meeting was cordial but nothing really decided: more a social event in the sunshine! Did celebrate ‘another great achievement’ with an appropriate donation. It’s G4g4s 2moro with frail P. XXXXXX!!!
Summary on home page for end-April: 30/04/25 end-month summaries: Black Kite 5 birds at 5 sites; Osprey 2 birds at 1 site; Goshawk 3 birds at 3 sites; Red Kite 17 birds at 13 sites.
A good flow of records from Cornwall today and yesterday for Black Kite, a number in the western extreme of the county. There are 59 sightings in all on BirdGuides for the UK up to today, a high number, but some are obvious duplicates.
21:12 30/04 Black Kite Cornwall Marazion Marsh RSPB 08:00 one flew over
17:56 30/04 Black Kite Cornwall Carnon Downs one flew north-east
15:25 30/04 Black Kite Cornwall Polgigga 14:40 one flew north-east over Raftra Farm towards St Buryan
13:47 30/04 Black Kite Cornwall Botallack 13:39 one
Unconfirmed 11:11 30/04 Black Kite Isles of Scilly St Mary's possible flew over Longstone
11:08 30/04 Black Kite Isles of Scilly St Mary's 11:06 again flew north-east over Porthcressa
10:36 30/04 Black Kite Cornwall Pendeen 09:00 one flew east
22:01 29/04 Black Kite Cornwall Bathpool one
Reported 19:16 29/04 Black Kite Cornwall Marazion Marsh RSPB unconfirmed report of one
16:02 27/04 Black Kite Shropshire Gobowen 14:11 one flew over B5069 north-east of Ifton Heath
15:42 27/04 Black Kite Norfolk Holt 15:37 one flew west to south of town mid-afternoon
Overseas 11:57 27/04 Black Kite Jersey St Ouen's Bay one flew north
April 29th: maximum 22C, minimum 6C, light W, sunny all day, dry. At last it’s warm but no Honey-buzzard yet: expecting them to arrive any day now. Had an amazing new potential colonist in back garden today – a Sedge Warbler, singing regularly, from copse by old pony sheds, along with the Garden Warbler and Chiffchaff, so 3 species of warbler in garden. Have had a Sedge Warbler on autumn migration in back field a long time ago but this is the first spring record. The cowslip are amazing this year, growing everywhere, and the primrose are just about finishing after a good season. Filling up the two ponds has boosted the marsh marigold and the bog iris. Not many cuckoo flower yet and the orchids (northern marsh, common spotted) haven’t broken the surface yet. The ground is very dry. Had 5 House Martin W. Butterflies included a Peacock, 5 Green-veined White, a Large White, 2 Speckled Wood, 2 Small White, 4 Orange-tip (2 male, 2 female). That’s 6 types – 15 insects, not bad for April! Have meeting of trustees of R 2moro at 17:00 to have look at problem. Did make Hexham in afternoon where did some work in library on category theory and neural nets. Did meet the scintillating * and photographed it!! So pleased for her triumph: lok2tmfo: XXXXXX!!! Funds +17k wtd in spite of BP's poor results as RKH advances a little. 2moro will have a walk on the edge of the moors in the 'Shire.
April 28th: maximum 16C, minimum 6C, light W, cloudy, dry. Quite a big issue with a motion for distribution of money has arisen at R: looks like an ambush at AGM while I and my President-Elect were away. The motion is unconstitutional and will need to be ignored! Lunchtime meeting though went well with a talk on Tynedale Rugby Club by veteran RobM. Had a lot of R business in afternoon. First relaxation at G4g4s with P/A and E on!! Day ended well with the *: a big climax in fact: she’s gorgeous: lok2tmfo: XXXXXX!!! 2moro shall be in Hexham in afternoon as cleaner S arrives.
April 27th: maximum 16C, minimum 9C, moderate SW, sunny spells, dry. Felt a bit warmer but we’re lagging the south! Had 2 new bird species for the year at Ordley: a House Martin N, a Grey Wagtail flying onto a field; former as expected, latter should have been seen much earlier. Collected my bins from Waitrose: very nice: better than my current ones! What a brilliant performance: 135018 is the spot: looked so fit at the end: lok2tmfo: XXXXXX!!! Made G4g4s where acting as chauffeur to the frail P: A also turned up, we had good chat and also met FR. Had 2 Barn Owl on way in, one at Ordley, other at Houtley, a new site. At Ordley at night had 2 Rabbit, a Brown Hare and a Hedgehog. Butterflies included 3 Orange-tip (1 male, 2 female), 2 Speckled Wood, 1 Green-veined White. 2moro still chauffeur but likely to revert to type, albeit a little late!! Back to R 4 regular meeting at lunchtime with good speaker.
April 26th: maximum 13C, minimum 3C, light SW, overcast all day, dry. Was warmer further E with good numbers of butterflies out up to Corbridge, including Green-veined White, Small White, Orange-tip, Speckled Wood. But very dull in Hexham and none in flight. At Ordley had 2 Garden Warbler singing, a Nuthatch singing, 2 Swallow, a Song Thrush singing, an Oystercatcher calling, plus at 22:15 a Barn Owl on the roadside fence. President’s Night went well, including a Call My Bluff on some anecdotal stories on my past life! New bins have arrived at a local store. You will do it: keep strong: lok2tmfo: XXXXXX!!!
Black Kite continue to migrate (BirdGuides):
16:16 25/04 Black Kite Norfolk Strumpshaw (village) one drifted east over tip then Buckenham Woods late afternoon
Presumed Escape 19:45 24/04 Black Kite Suffolk Minsmere RSPB 14/04 bird that flew over here and Westleton Heath on 14 April was wearing jesses (has since been recaptured)
and the first Honey-buzzard appear in the UK:
14:29 26/04 European Honey Buzzard Kent North Foreland 14:18 male landed in trees by golf course then flew over club house
Reported 17:51 24/04 European Honey Buzzard Orkney Westray one reportedly circled over then continued north
April 25th: maximum 13C, minimum 5C, light E, overcast up to mid-afternoon, sun came out at ttime, dry. Made favourite cafe but not the same, although well looked after! New shorts and trousers arrived from CT and wearing navy shorts at lunchtime, changing into black chinos for concert. Ordered some new binoculars Hawke 12x50 for bird-watching from Amazon for £199; old pairs deteriorate very slowly but after a while need replacing; also ordered some new sports socks. Made 4Pt (Marriott Bonvoy) for stay overnight b4 setting off for GH. Funds have had a good week at +53k on some return of confidence; RKH, my largest holding, is up around 15%; I’ve sold around 45% of original holding of over 3.2m as enforce rule that RKH cannot make up more than 1/3 of any fund, of which have 6 in all; gain on whole funds ytd is +593k. Concert was gr8: more to follow on this. Made post-concert celebration: our bassoonist SR retiring after 44 years in post! Very sociable, had good chats with musicians including CM, AY, IB, MG. So back in hotel by 00:30 when having a long orange H2O to rehydrate! 2Moro is R President’s Night at Hexham Golf Club, celebrating me. Supporting tmfo: she’s a *: XXXXXX!!!
April 24th: maximum 13C, minimum 4C, light E, overcast up to mid-afternoon, sun came out at ttime, dry. It’s been a very dry month in the North-East with Durham noted as only having 8% of average for the month up to yesterday; what a contrast to last year. Did make T4m4l with M 4 good catch-up. Walked around Sele later from 13:30-14:15, seeing 2 Song Thrush, 2 Blue Tit, 2 Nuthatch, 2 Collared Dove, plus a Grey Squirrel. Had a Bank Vole on patio at ttime and Garden Warbler singing all day at Ordley. Have added some more Faro piccies before 15/3; just one day to finish the series now – 15/3. Had a great visit to West Dipton Burn/Letah Wood from 15:55-16:55, arriving just as the cloud from the east burnt back a bit more, giving some strong sunshine, even if remaining cool. Had 4 Common Buzzard (2 singles at 2 sites to Swallowship in E, a very agitated single N of Letah Wood, a single in territory to NW, N of Dipton Mill). Also to NW had a Red Kite, floating around from 16:25-16:28, a Black Kite up at 16:48 1 2 3 in contention with the Common Buzzard 4, a male Goshawk up at 16:35 N of Letah Wood 1 2 3, in contention with another Common Buzzard. So 7 raptors of 4 types. In 21 bird-types had single singing Blackcap, Willow Warbler, an agitated Chiffchaff. Am working on my 2 garden ponds, refilling them after they went almost dry, and that’s perking up the marsh marigold and the bog iris. Made G4g4s with a big turnout of D/R/Rg/A/P 4 gr8 chat. For next 2 weeks R is going to Germany so I will be fetching and bringing back the frail P; it’s a bit of a responsibility as he can hardly walk now. On the other hand tmfo is super-fit: so many kisses and good wishes: lok2tmfo: XXXXXX!!! 2moro have concert in evening at GH, with party afterwards, staying overnight! About 10 Common Gull moving NE near midnight, calling, at Hexham SW.
April 23rd: maximum 13C, minimum 5C, moderate E, thin cloud coming over from North Sea, weak sunshine at times, dry. Went to Thornbrough, near Corbridge today, from 15:30-16:45. No Black Kite here yet but did have a pair of Common Buzzard in vigorous display! Total of 20 bird-types here included a Lapwing, a Common Gull adult, 4 Yellowhammer, an agitated Whitethroat, a singing Blackcap, a singing Chiffchaff, 2 Siskin. At Corbridge had 13 Sand Martin over the bridge over the Tyne at 16:50. Also had a Song Thrush at Letah Wood and 2 Common Gull adult at Ordley. Booked up for a classical Prom at GH for £55.50 on July 26th. Feeling more relaxed with no R this week but am featuring strongly in President’s Night this Saturday evening at Hexham Golf Club; my stint finishes on 30/6! 2moro may be seeing M at T4m4l and in evening making G4g4s. Have feeling that need to say goodbye properly but understand if she’s the Sleeping Beauty!! XXXXXX!!!
No Honey-buzzard on BirdGuides yet. Masses of Black Kite records on BirdGuides recently, most referring to a bird calling in at a tip in Shropshire:
18:47 23/04 Black Kite East Yorkshire Out Newton 18:30 one reportedly quartering oilseed rape fields east of Out Newton Road between 17:00 and 18:30
Negative News 14:46 22/04 Black Kite Shropshire Wood Lane NR no sign at landfill (c 52.8867, -2.8571); strictly no access to landfill
17:51 20/04 Black Kite Shropshire Wood Lane NR 17:48 again over landfill from layby (c 52.8867, -2.8571); strictly no access to landfill
Negative News 15:50 20/04 Black Kite Shropshire Wood Lane NR 15:45 no sign over tip by 15:45; strictly no access to landfill
Negative News 12:27 20/04 Black Kite Shropshire Wood Lane NR no further sign over landfill from layby by 12:25 (c 52.8867, -2.8571); strictly no access to landfill
10:27 20/04 Black Kite Shropshire Wood Lane NR 10:23 still over landfill (c 52.8867, -2.8571); strictly no access to landfill
08:27 20/04 Black Kite Shropshire Wood Lane NR 08:23 still over landfill (c 52.8867, -2.8571); strictly no access to landfill
18:08 19/04 Black Kite Shropshire Wood Lane NR 18:07 still over landfill (c 52.8867, -2.8571); strictly no access to landfill
17:47 19/04 Black Kite Shropshire Wood Lane NR 17:00 still over landfill (c 52.8867, -2.8571); strictly no access to landfill
16:00 19/04 Black Kite Shropshire Wood Lane NR 15:30 still over landfill (c 52.8867, -2.8571); strictly no access to landfill
15:02 19/04 Black Kite Cornwall St Levan 14:50 one flew low towards Raftra Farm
13:39 19/04 Black Kite Shropshire Wood Lane NR 13:37 again over landfill (c 52.8867, -2.8571); strictly no access to landfill
12:58 19/04 Black Kite Shropshire Wood Lane NR 12:45 still over landfill then flew over nature reserve viewed from Heron Hide
12:42 19/04 Black Kite Shropshire Wood Lane NR 12:41 still over landfill (c 52.8867, -2.8571); strictly no access to landfill
12:09 19/04 Black Kite Shropshire Wood Lane NR 11:30 still over landfill (c 52.8867, -2.8571); strictly no access to landfill
11:02 19/04 Black Kite Shropshire Wood Lane NR 10:59 still over landfill (c 52.8867, -2.8571); strictly no access to landfill
11:01 19/04 Black Kite Isles of Scilly St Mary's one flew east over Old Town
10:13 19/04 Black Kite Shropshire Wood Lane NR 10:12 one over landfill (c 52.8867, -2.8571); strictly no access to landfill
April 22nd: maximum 14C, minimum 4C, light W, sunny intervals, warmer, dry. Much better day today: back in shorts! Have ordered 2 new pairs of trousers and 1 of shorts from Charles Tyr, cost £205. Ag tankard duly arrived, very nice plain example weighing 9 oz and gr8 to think was made in Newcastle in 1769; Newcastle Ag is not nearly as fashionable as Exeter Ag so maybe should look at former more! Bought 3 photo albums in Hexham to file away the family piccies from last week and a few more lying around the house. The Garden Warbler was still singing at home and the first Speckled Wood butterfly emerged. Went for walk around Sele after being thrown out of library at 17:00; had 18 bird-types including single Blackcap and Nuthatch singing plus 2 Oystercatcher heard. Gave £100 to Northumberland Wildlife Trust’s appeal for the Rothbury moors; with matched funding this week and gift-aid that becomes £225 for the charity. Priority booking has opened for next season at Glasshouse and will need to act by 5/5! Planning to be away for most of October (in Costa Rica) and later in Dubai, maybe for Xmas, but will probably book up regardless as discounts for more concerts outweigh the odd absence. Funds are +13k wtd on rise in RKH after Navitas, the Israeli operator of Sea Lion, moves ahead with the development, though we’re still waiting for FID (Final Investment Decision). Did make my favourite cafe where favourite lass happened to be on; she did look very beautiful today; very glad I went in to give my full support!! XXXXXX!!!
April 21st: maximum 11C, minimum 5C, light SE, bright morning, then cloudy with rain, cool. Not out in daytime, plenty to catch up from yesterday, which have done. Had a Garden Warbler singing in field at lunchtime, an early arrival from this beautiful singer. Did make G4g4s 4 good chat with A/R/P, with E on!! 2moro have Georgian Ag NCL tankard being delivered, then into HEX in afternoon as cleaner S arrives. Thinking of someone: XXXXXX!!!
April 20th: maximum 12C, minimum 4C, light E, sunny after dull start, dry, cool. Have updated Portugal 18/3 piccies from Lagos (below), showing many gulls and the impressive coastal scenery. Also completed records for London trip. Raptor totals were: 39 Red Kite, 6 Common Buzzard, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Kestrel. In today’s great sunshine did quite a lot of local birdwatching in Ordley square where had 34 species of bird, including a Black Kite in aggravation with Common Buzzard at 13:15, total 2 Common Buzzard were at the local site; also had 3 Lapwing, 2 Curlew, a drumming Great Spotted Woodpecker, a Jay, a Swallow, 2 Chiffchaff, 2 Tree Sparrow, 1 Bullfinch, 4 Teal, 1 Moorhen, 4 Greylag Goose, last 3 at Steel Pond. Butterflies comprised single Small White, Green-veined White, Orange-tip female, Small Tortoiseshell. Went to Whitley Mill area for an hour from 16:35-17:35 where had 5 Common Buzzard (pair displaying Slaley W, 2 displaying far to W at Rowley Burn, 1 up closer to W) and a Red Kite up for some time a little to W of Whitley Chapel, at 17:10. In total of 20 species also had single singing Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff and Blackcap, 2 Curlew, 3 Skylark, 6 Chaffinch. Butterflies comprised 2 of each of Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock, Orange-tip (male, female). Made G4g4s with L on; quite a few Haltwhistle lasses in made it quite lively!! Unsure what to do on my gorgeous rendezvous: instinct is to save the moments for later: XXXXXX!!!
April 19th: maximum 10C, minimum 2C, moderate E, dull, a little brighter in afternoon, dry, cool. Did have lunch in favourite cafe where well looked after but really missed someone!! Then onto bridge over Tyne at Hexham from 15:00-16:35 where had a pair of Osprey (different singles up at 15:48 and 16:03), a Black Kite (single up at 15:45 and 15:52), 7 Sand Martin, 2 Swallow, a Common Sandpiper, 2 Dipper, plus a lot more, with increase in summer visitors in spite of cool weather. Then 16:30 HEX-NCL and onto GH where met S/M for tea. Had an Atlantic-type Yellow-legged Gull at Prudhoe on the Tyne at 16:41: resting on stones, probably atlantis-type in broader sense, i.e. could be from Atlantic coast of Portugal or Spain. A Common Buzzard was near Corbridge. Concert in Hall 2 was entitled Ravel’s Tzigane with much music by Ravel and Debussy, some of it very lively!! I particularly liked the Sonata for Flute, violin and harp by Debussy and Ravel’s La Valse. Flautist and clarinettist were superb as was the harpist who showed us how to replace a string! Stayed for late drink at GH with J/M. Got back to NCL in time for last train, only to find it cancelled: a fatality on the line at Wylam. Northern Rail promised us a taxi but didn’t seem to be materialising so caught last bus at 23:25, arriving in HEX at 00:33. Trains moving towards NCL were backed up at HEX so passengers delayed by hours. Funds were +34k this week so recovered nearly all of losses for the previous week. XXXXXX!!!
April 18th: maximum 11C, minimum 6C, moderate E, dull, some rain in short bursts, cool. Quite a catch-up day on financial and bird records. Almost completed financial one and bird records are complete, except for Thames and Pitshanger. Went to DoW4g4s with D/D/D/C 4 good chat with C on!! Had a Barn Owl at Ordley on way back at 22:50. Booked up hotel at Berlin Airport for 25 May for £88 (including breakfast) where can stay before catching train to Leipzig via Dresden to meet son for Shostakovitch Festival. Have to hand masses of digitised old family photos, going back to c1900; will analyse and add some to WikiTree for posterity. Big sis did the digitisation a few years ago: well impressed! 2moro will visit favourite cafe even if someone’s away and it’s GH 4 concert in evening with Ravel. Last night was very moving: cannot get her out of my mind: XXXXXX!!!
Quite a few Black Kite on BirdGuides from 10/4-17/4, including an escape:
14:59 17/04 Black Kite Suffolk Aldeburgh 14:37 one flew over
12:06 17/04 Black Kite Kent Abbot's Cliff one flew west this morning
11:41 15/04 Black Kite Suffolk Benacre 11:36 one drifted north over Benacre Broad
Presumed Escape 21:03 14/04 Black Kite Norfolk Winterton-on-Sea escaped bird (wearing jesses) drifted south between Winterton and Somerton this evening
16:38 14/04 Black Kite Norfolk Whitlingham CP one flew south over east end
12:57 14/04 Black Kite Suffolk Westleton Heath 12:48 one flew north
12:46 14/04 Black Kite Suffolk Minsmere RSPB 12:35 one flew north over Vault Hill
11:46 12/04 Black Kite Kent Worth Marshes RSPB again over Minnis Flood
13:42 11/04 Black Kite Kent Worth Marshes RSPB 13:25 again over Great Wood
13:09 11/04 Black Kite South Yorkshire Thrybergh CP possible flew south-east this morning
09:14 11/04 Black Kite Kent Sandwich 09:12 one circling behind Pfizer Ltd building
08:54 11/04 Black Kite Kent Sandwich Bay one flew north
08:54 11/04 Black Kite Kent Worth Marshes RSPB one flew north
11:49 10/04 Black Kite Devon Clovelly 11:44 possible flew over road between Higher Clovelly and Slerra as viewed from moving vehicle
April 17th: maximum 17C, minimum 9C, light S, sunny, dry. We had parting chat in the morning b4 little sis went off to West Ealing and Paddington for Tiverton Parkway and Sidmouth. I caught District/Piccadilly to KGX and then 15:00 KGX-NCL with just 2 intermediate stops. Quick connection 18:23 NCL-HEX and home a little after 19:00. Birds today included a Kestrel at Tempsford, 20 Mute Swan at Peterborough, a Tawny Owl in Hexham and 2 Swallow at Houtley. Had quick supper of poached egg and beans and, after a bit of unpacking, made G4g4s where all the lads were! We had good chat with L/L on!! So pleased to be back: ultimate satisfaction with tmfo: she’s gorgeous: lok2tmfo: XXXXXX!!!
April 16th: maximum 16C, minimum 6C, moderate SW, sunny, dry after some rain overnight. Quieter day, we went for walk around Cleveland and Pitshanger Parks followed by Cinnamon Cafe for a bit of refreshment. Had a Red Kite low-down over Pitshanger Park, with several recent sightings here suggesting colonisation of site. Later we made a Greek restaurant Atlantis in Pitshanger Lane for dinner, which was very tasty; I had garlic mushrooms starter and Moussaka for mains, with bit of ww. All good chat; cost £90 for 3 of us. We carried on sorting out family piccies in the evening, finally each leaving with ‘own’ modern piccies from the whole collection, with big sis to scan older ones and share, so we can all work on them. Back 2moro on 15:00 KGX-NCL; looking forward to return!! XXXXXX!!!
April 15th: maximum 18C, minimum 7C, light SE, heavy rain at times, cloudy nearly throughout. Well we did make Barking on the Uber steamer service, quite fast, starting from Embankment where we had lunch at the Princess of Wales. From Barking Pier we got Suffragette Line to Barking centre and then District all the way back to Turnham Green, where we had meal with my nephew, his wife and the 2 children, aged 13 and 15, we’d taken on the cruise. Great-niece E aged 13, who’s now on grade 8 for cello, gave us a recital including a beautiful piece of Bach with much double stopping. She’s in Ealing Youth Orchestra, shortly to play at the Albert Hall. Back in Ealing we spent another few hours on the family photos. Someone tried to pick the wallet out of my pocket at Turnham Green, just managed to grab it back from his light fingers before he had a firm grip of it. He made out it was a joke – I didn’t take it further. Funds are a bit up wtd but not worked it out yet. 2moro will be more restful so may catch up a little but anyway will be back Thursday early evening. lok2tmfo: XXXXXX!!!
April 14th: maximum 16C, minimum 6C, light E, cloudy, dry. We went for trip by car out to Hambleden Lock, near Henley, for walk by Thames. All very good with 10 Red Kite on the M40 plus 5 Common Buzzard and a Sparrowhawk, details recorded using the BirdTrack app, complete with GPS. At Hambleden, near Marlow, from 13:10-15:30 had 28 Red Kite and a single Common Buzzard; there was no hint of a Black Kite at any time. Also in total of 32 bird-types had 21 Canada Goose, 6 Greylag Goose, 2 Mute Swan adult, 2 Egyptian Goose, 2 Mandarin Duck, 16 Mallard, 1 Goosander, 2 Great Crested Grebe, 3 Lesser Black-backed Gull adult, 4 Cormorant, 1 Kingfisher, 41 occupied Rook nests, 2 Swallow, 2 Blackcap singing, 2 Mistle Thrush, 2 Pied Wagtail (yarrellii). Total for raptors was 38 Red Kite, 6 Common Buzzard, 1 Sparrowhawk. There was a massed hatch of Caddis Fly on the wing. We came back to Ealing and went out to the Mediterranean Restaurant (Turkish/Italian) in Pitshanger where we had a good meal for £98 for the 3 of us; I had lamb chops chargrilled which were very tasty plus rw (Chianti). We then planned our boat trip for tomorrow to Barking from Westminster, via Thames Barrier; we’re taking my nephew’s children, returning for meal with nephew/wife at Turnham Green. We looked at lots of family photos later; we’re splitting them up. XXXXXX!!!
April 13th: maximum 16C, minimum 9C, light SE, rain showers, cloudy. Off on 10:46 HEX-NCL and 12:52 NCL-KGX. Had a Coot at Merryshields, the first recorded for me this year in UK! Also had a Yellowhammer at Letah Wood; this has been difficult to find this year. Let’s hope the long-overdue ban (from Jan 2025) in UK of neonicotinoids (the insect and pollinator slayer) starts to have an effect this year in helping insect populations (and hence those of birds) to recover quickly. Neonicotinoids are still used in some products as flea controls on dogs and cats; this may need to be reviewed as well as a treated animal can spread the poison all over the place while out for walks. I think they can also be used for domestic gardening purposes, another matter that needs reviewing. There are alternative insecticides which are much friendlier to biodiversity. Indexed piccies from Lagos 18/3 on the train. Made Ealing Broadway at 15:45 from PIC to Ealing Common and DIS. Gr8 to meet sisters again. My younger sister who met the relatives from Golders Green after my father’s death confirmed what the DNA has revealed: my paternal grandmother was Jewish! The DNA indicates Ashkenazi so western European origin, probably Germany. My late wife who was ½ German, and who was previously engaged to a Jew, was convinced I was part-Jewish. We’re going out to the Chilterns tomorrow and on Tuesday we’re going on a boat trip on the Thames. XXXXXX!!!
April 12th: maximum 20C, minimum 6C, light S, sunny all day, dry. Last of the good days evidently for a while weather-wise! Some work preparing slides for my remarks as President for R on Monday at the AGM when I’m away. Also completed draft of webpage for events for Brundibár Arts Festival; this festival celebrates Jewish composers in the Holocaust period and I’m a major supporter. Did get out to DoW4g4s for good chat with D/D/C/D. Funds were -38k last week, partly due to massive reorganisation selling a quarter of RKH and buying up masses of bonds, particularly € ones. The current portfolio is now much better balanced so more defensive hopefully against further Trump shocks but there’s still large investments in the Falklands so plenty of upside if things work out alright there. Gain is 505k ytd. Shall miss someone: XXXXXX!!!
Birds at Ordley included 3 Stock Dove, 5 Blue Tit, 2 Chiffchaff, with butterflies 1 Large White, 1 Small White, 1 Orange-tip female. A Red Kite was over woods to W of Slaley at 16:15.
April 11th: maximum 18C, minimum 5C, light W, sunny all day, dry. Concert by Hallé was indeed brilliant. Pianist Boris Giltburg in Rach 3 was one of the best I’ve ever seen! Shost 5 was very powerful. Rach 3 is one of the most challenging piano concertos to play, because of the complex rhythms that need to be played at high speed. Mv1 builds up an incredible climax and mv3 is fast and furious throughout; mv 2 is more restrained but still has some massive chords. Shost 5 is a bit of a facetious work in a way, designed to get past Stalin’s sensors with a dour opening before opening up into some superb crescendos when the censors may have switched off; mv4 is quite spectacular, ending with some rather baffling drum passages, maybe a joke of some kind! Whatever the feelings towards current Russia politically, there’s great warmth towards all Russian composers. Did some work on Brundibár Arts Festival website, saving 2025 details, and initialising it for adding the events 2moro. Lunch was gr8: she’s beautiful: must try and get in b4 she goes!! lok2tmfo: XXXXXX!!!
Had a Brown Rat in Gateshead as walked back! Did 14k steps today. Kittiwake are settling to breed in spite of the bridge repairs with c200 adult noted. Had 3 adult Mute Swan on way in: 2 at Bywell, 1 at Wylam. A Moorhen was at Ryton and a Peacock butterfly at Blaydon. Leaving Hexham had a Large White and a Small White butterfly. A female Goosander and a White Wagtail were at Prudhoe. 2 LBBG ad were at Wylam. On drive home had a Brown Hare and 6 Rabbit. At Hexham at lunchtime had 20 House Sparrow and a LBBG ad N.
April 10th: maximum 16C, minimum 5C, moderate W, sunny all day, dry. Busy day socially with R&C4m4l with A/A/M 4 good catch-up, then sports night at Golf Club where another meal and we played dominoes, carpet bowls, snooker, putting! Tynedale won by 2 points, ironically coming from us in the final carpet bowls match as we had been put over to Tynedale to make up their numbers! Did have a stroll around HEX mid-afternoon!! Sports did not finish until 22:10 when hurried to G4g4s to meet the gang P/A/R/Rg/A 4 good chat, with L/A on!! Best was even later with tmfo: she’s gorgeous: loved the new angle: sensuous she is: lok2tmfo: XXXXXX!!! 2moro it’s favourite cafe and the fancied one at lunchtime followed by concert at GH by Hallé with Rachmaninov PC3 (one of the hardest to play) and Shostakovitch 5. At 00:15 in Hexham SW a Tawny Owl was calling and c20 Pink-footed Goose moved N. At Ordley at 00:30 another Tawny Owl was calling.
April 9th: maximum 10C, minimum -2C, light E, overcast all day, dry. Made Prudhoe Dukeshagg from 14:30-16:40 in dull, cool weather. Raptors were good with a pair of Red Kite and a Common Buzzard up over Hyons Wood to W at 15:05-15:10, a Common Buzzard at Dukeshagg close-up at 14:45 and a Black Kite up over a wood briefly a little to E at 15:41, putting up 80 Woodpigeon. Other birds included a pair of Curlew, a Lapwing, 3 singing Chiffchaff, a Bullfinch, a Long-tailed Tit, a calling Common Redstart, a Linnet, in total of 21 bird-types. There’s a lot of building work on the N of the site, constructing a new estate. They’ve also constructed a road through the meadow into the back of the new estate to carry some timber out. Earlier at 14:00 at my local pond at Steel had quite a collection of waterfowl: 11 Greylag Goose, 5 Canada Goose, pairs of Goosander and Wigeon, 2 Redshank, 3 Teal, 2 Moorhen, a Mallard. A Grey Heron was at the W end of Riding Mill. Another queen Wasp emerged from hibernation in house, duly let out. 2moro it’s R&C in Slaley4m4l with A/A/M/S; think will then come back to HEX. Later it’s sports night at Hexham GC in match Hexham R vs Tynedale R – nothing too strenuous! Will finish with G4g4s!! XXXXXX!!!
Another Black Kite on BirdGuides, actually from Sunday:
12:46 09/04 Black Kite Herefordshire Hope Mansell 16:00 06/04 immature photographed on Sunday [6/4/25]
April 8th: maximum 14C, minimum -2C, light SE, sunny all day, dry. Result from blood test shows kidney operation normal so can proceed with new drug for bp control. Had good ‘phone call for 50 min with big sis who I’m visiting next week in Ealing; little sis is joining us. Had FB video chat with son for 40 min before he leaves for his trip E to Dubai, Australia (Melbourne), Malaysia, Cambodia, Dubai. Daughter and family are coming to Europe to escape the midsummer heat in Dubai; after a week with me they’re going to Devon where I might join them for a bit. Had 4 Long-tailed Tit displaying in front garden and a pair of Blue Tit setting up territory in orchard, plus butterflies: 3 Small White, 1 Comma. Last night had 2 Roe Deer at Dotland and the night before had a Badger at Letah Wood plus over Hexham last night some Black-headed Gull (c10) moving E and an Oystercatcher calling. Funds are -14k wtd; took advantage of today’s rally to sell masses of RKH and some other oil shares and put lots into government bonds so portfolio is now much more defensive than a week ago; also still have 213k cash after all the churning! These misguided tariffs are inflationary for US in that they raise price levels but deflationary as taxes in that they depress the amount a consumer can spend. In UK and Europe the US tariffs are deflationary in that they reduce commodity prices through reduced trade and reduce exports to US through tariff trade barriers. This is an important distinction going forward. 2moro out in afternoon as cleaner S arrives. XXXXXX!!!
Two more Black Kite on BirdGuides, giving 12 records year-to-date:
15:13 07/04 Black Kite Caernarfon Llanbedrog 15:45 06/04 one reported along track inland of Crugan Farm at c 52.8634, -4.4806 yesterday
13:57 07/04 Black Kite Dorset Hartland Moor 13:40 probable flew over
April 7th: maximum 14C, minimum -3C, light S, sunny all day, dry. Had blood sample taken at 09:10 at Sele for kidney test. Monday is busy lunchtime at R; today had a lot of trouble with a Google Chromebook, getting it to feed through to the data projector but we did it in the end just before talk was due to start. Donation to Forum enthusiastically approved; resisted putting donation to Myanmar relief to vote as charity not selected yet; no blank cheque! Made DM4g4s with R/P 4 good chat; Hope to catch up on some details of bird records 2moro. XXXXXX!!!
April 6th: maximum 12C, minimum -3C, light E, misty start then sunny, dry. Did the tour of Whitfield Moor this afternoon, going to Alston, down to Towsbank and Coanwood, and then back via Wolf Hills and Whitfield to the ‘Shire; not on the A69 at all; so many bikers and rally cars out today, very busy on road to Alston and on towards Brampton. country roads were very quiet. Had plenty of waders but not so many raptors but good half-day out doing around 70 miles in car in beautiful weather. More to follow … Made G4g4s with P/A/R and L on!! 2moro have routine blood test at Sele practice to check on new drug at 09:10, then usual big R meeting but no meetings after or Cncl this week so can relax more! Planning to go to Dipton Mill 2moro evening with gang but will check on fancied one later!! XXXXXX!!!
Results from trip west. On Whitfield Moor had a Common Buzzard calling, 2 Red Grouse, 1 Golden Plover, 2 Meadow Pipit. At Gilderdale Bridge had 8 Stock Dove, 2 Oystercatcher, 7 Curlew, 5 Black-headed Gull, 2 Raven (in territory), a Sand Martin migrating. At Barhaugh Hall had a Lapwing, plus a Peacock butterfly. At Williamston N/Parson Shields had a pair of Common Buzzard in display, 2 displaying Curlew, 1 displaying Lapwing, 2 displaying Oystercatcher, a singing Collared Dove. At Towsbank/Asholme Common had a Grey Partridge, 3 Red Grouse, 7 displaying Curlew, 5 displaying Lapwing, an Oystercatcher, a Raven (heard from wood), 8 displaying Meadow Pipit. At Coanwood Pond had 32 Greylag Goose, 4 Canada Goose, 4 Wigeon, a Little Grebe, 12 displaying Curlew. On way back had 2 Oystercatcher at both Wolf Hills and Agarshill Fell.
April 5th: maximum 9C, minimum 0C, light E, misty start then sunny, dry. A bit of a catch-up day after yesterday’s welcome break on music. What a week for markets: funds finished -158k almost wiping out the previous week’s gain of +196k. Spent over an hour on Friday morning, first thing, rebalancing portfolio by selling 277k of mining companies to add to the 106k of Brazilian assets sold the evening before. Ended day with 195k in UK gilts (government bonds) and 216k in cash. Have realised some losses on the UK mining companies, useful for reducing the capital gains bill as last day of trading in the tax year 2024-2025 was yesterday. Have retained most oil and gas investments but completely sold out of mining companies, which are not well placed to handle a recession, particularly in the decarbonisation sector; they could face major write-downs on assets not performing as expected. Still +544k ytd but obviously outlook is uncertain. On Falklands oil, both major shares are now booked at below zero as have sold enough to pay off more than my stakes. Did some basic tasks today: cleaned out the new stove thoroughly and gave the car a spring-time check of tyres and other matters. Made DoW4g4s with D/D/D/C 4 good chat. Tmfo looked gorgeous yesterday: XXXXXX!!! Had a Linnet in field plus single singing Chiffchaff and Nuthatch.
Two more Black Kite yesterday on BirdGuides:
20:29 04/04 Black Kite Devon Turf one flew low over The Turf
13:41 04/04 Black Kite Anglesey Valley Lakes RSPB 13:40 one flew north over Llyn Penrhyn
April 4th: maximum 13C, minimum 1C, light E becoming moderate E then light E again, sunny all day, dry. A day of music with lunchtime piano/tenor duo at Hexham Abbey, given by Chris Redfern and Tom Rowarth; the main work was Schumann’s Dichterliebe (A Poet’s Love), with 16 love songs, some quite moving. RNS rehearsal at GH at ttime, was followed by full performance at 19:30 of Dvořák S9, from the New World, and Beethoven PC 1. The rehearsal was interesting in that the young female conductor Stephanie Childress clearly had her own ideas. The sole pianist Piotr Anderszewski also had his own ideas. They seemed to have agreed on how to proceed but in the actual performance, particularly in mv 3, the pianist reverted to his own way and didn’t look up at the conductor once; the orchestra just about held it all together; not sure the audience noted! The New World was performed very well: the conductor improved the dramatic contrasts and the orchestra followed well! All good events and plenty of social life! Went in/out by train. Did enjoy lunch at favourite cafe: didn’t realise that we shared interest in such a lovely activity: lok2tmfo: XXXXXX!!! Had 6 Goosander drake at Newburn.
April 3rd: maximum 13C, minimum 3C, moderate NE becoming light E, sunny all day, dry. Had lunch with M at SWC, not bad but lacks the atmosphere of my favourite cafe!! Had poached egg for a change. We then made Abbey at 1pm for lunchtime concert by Robert Poyser on the organ, playing Bach (toccata, adagio and fugue in C), three variations on ‘Ave Maris Stella’ by Dupre and a Sonate d’intavolatura by Zipoli. Enjoyed the performance, particularly liking the Bach which had so much variety, including an explosive ending. Donated £15 to the Abbey for the concert. Enjoyed the walk to the lunch!!! Filthy day on the markets following Trump’s insane move on tariffs. Lost all of week’s gains on massive pullback, but relieved I don’t own any tech stocks. Am now moving into cash and UK bonds to preserve funds. Had 135k in cash by end of day, mainly on sales of Brazilian natural resource stocks where they seem quite complacent about the coming problems. Planning to liquidate some more positions 2moro: this could be the start of quite a slide but will keep the Falklands assets on their long-term potential. 2Moro is busy: early lunch at favourite cafe, another lunchtime concert at Abbey at 13:00, into Glasshouse for rehearsal at 15:30, real concert at 19:30, back on last train. Made G4g4s with A/R/P for good chat; lok2tmfo: XXXXXX!!!
One more Black Kite today on BirdGuides:
12:41 03/04 Black Kite Devon Kingsbridge 11:32 one circled over Bearscombe Farm at head of Kingsbridge Estuary then flew north-east
April 2nd: maximum 13C, minimum 3C, moderate E becoming light E, sunny all day, dry. Still preparing home page for new Honey-buzzard season: archived season 2023, moved season 2024 into its place and set up an empty season 2025. Also set-up new spreadsheet for Black Kite 2025. Had 3 Swallow at Ordley this evening at 19:00 so summer is on its way (whatever the saying says!). Spent the whole day at home enjoying the garden and field. Had an impressive 25 bird-types, including a Black Kite putting up whole Rook colony at Slaley W as moved quickly to E at 15:40; this bird is a little to S of its previous breeding site; 3 Common Buzzard (2 sites: 1 to SW bird heard at 13:52; 1 to SE pair displaying several times); summer visitors: the 3 Swallow and a singing Chiffchaff; 336 Common Gull (36 ad E, 300 moving to roost at dusk); local breeders: 4 Stock Dove, 3 Lesser Redpoll; 2 Bullfinch, 2 displaying Lapwing, 3 Mistle Thrush, 7 Chaffinch (5 local, 2 flying E). Insects comprised 3 Bumble Bee on Hosta and a queen Wasp waking in house and released outside, plus butterflies: a Peacock, an Orange-tip female. Great to see so much wildlife in area. 2Moro out more: lunch at T and G4g4s. On Friday going to rehearsal at RNS starting at 3:30 so will need an early lunch!! Going to concert later as well. Hope the gorgeous one is keeping fit: XXXXXX!!!
From home page: 31/03/25 end-month summaries: Black Kite 2 birds at 2 sites; Osprey 1 bird at 1 site; Goshawk 2 birds at 2 sites; Red Kite 12 birds at 9 sites.
Black Kite national migration from BirdGuides from start of year. Note arrivals increasing from 31/3:
19:24 02/04 Black Kite Norfolk Croxton, Thetford one drifted high south this morning
14:58 02/04 Black Kite Devon Paignton 14:52 one reported over Blatchcombe Road
11:49 31/03 Black Kite Kent Worth Marsh RSPB 11:44 one flew in from the west and continued east towards the coast
09:39 31/03 Black Kite Kent Kingston 09:33 one flew from Charlton Wood and continued high NNE
21:08 16/03 Black Kite Cornwall St Erth one flew over late afternoon
17:45 01/03 Black Kite Cornwall Whitecross 15:26 one from A30 layby just south of Cockwells Lane with Booted Eagle
15:56 01/02 Black Kite Hampshire Crampmoor one reported off The Straight Mile
April 1st: maximum 13C, minimum 3C, moderate E becoming light E, sunny all day, dry. Made Dipton Wood S where had 14 bird-types including 2 displaying Lapwing, single Common Buzzard (1 up at 15:04 over Juliet's Wood, 1 circling over Healey Mill at 15:17), 1 singing Chiffchaff, 4 Fieldfare (in full breeding plumage, perched together at top of an oak tree), 1 Siskin, plus a Brown Hare and 2 butterflies: a Small Tortoiseshell and a Peacock. R meeting at Cnt went well, approved grant to Forum Cinema appeal at my instigation and delayed Myanmar decision for a month to see how the situation develops. Had gammon steak there and a rw to follow my g there as like to chill out after the meeting! County staff are very friendly. At Ordley had 4 Bumble Bee on the Hosta. Aim to do a local count from home 2moro but may visit HEX in afternoon. Funds are +91k wtd on Falklands situation; am micro top-slicing RKH every day but the reality of oil production starting there is imminent with FID (Final Investment Decision) expected mid-2025. Must add: this is not my typical investment performance!! Also sales have been from my ISA so far so no CGT; I had deliberately held most of my RKH in an ISA. Next Monday will transfer annual allowance of 20k cash from trading to ISA account. Glow will last a while: lok2tmfo: XXXXXX!!!
March 31st: maximum 15C, minimum 2C, light NW, bright start but then mainly cloudy, dry. R took up much of morning, planning 4 meal, then meeting took up a lot of energy, other than doing the cooking I seem to be doing most else! Then row brewing in evening on whether we should send some money immediately from Charity fund to Myanmar earthquake disaster. I’m urging caution because of instability there with the civil war and suggesting we wait a month before making a decision; also unhappy with the charity fund, which contains money raised officially for local charities, being used for international purposes. Will all be sorted at Cncl meeting 2moro at Cnt at 17:00. Preparing summaries for key raptor species for 1st quarter and will post these soon. Did make G4g4s with E/L on!! All good chat. Sensuous finish with the gorgeous one: lok2tmfo: XXXXXX!!! Booked train tickets 13/4-17/4 for NCL-KGX for reunion with sisters, only £72 for the 2 advance singles after a £23 credit.
March 30th: maximum 14C, minimum 1C, moderate W becoming light W in afternoon, sunny all day, dry. Had a singing Chiffchaff in garden at 14:00 along with a pair of Tree Sparrow and 3 Goldfinch. Went to Wylam E, doing most of fieldwork from the bridge over the Tyne from 15:20-16:55. On way there had a pair of Common Buzzard displaying at Beaufront and on way back had an Osprey in the tall trees near the Tyne almost at the same place; this is the first Osprey sighting for year in the study area though of course saw a few at Faro. Many people would consider the star at Wylam was the Atlantic Grey Seal, a little downstream of weir, popping its head up! Raptors comprised a Common Buzzard and a Red Kite over the mound to SE, with another Red Kite to NE, considered making a pair. Another Red Kite was circling to W towards Prudhoe, over the Stanley Burn. There must be a lot of fish in the Tyne at the top of its tidal reach, with 5 Grey Heron, 8 Cormorant (7 ad, 1 1s), 16 Goosander (one local breeding pair plus flock 14 (7 adult male, 7 redhead)), 4 Goldeneye (2 adult male, 2 redhead), 1 Dipper, 1 GBBG ad. Maybe an Osprey will appear to claim a new site! Some piccies to follow … Did make G4g4s with A/R/P 4 good chat. Best of day was left to last: gorgeous moments with the tmfo: lok2tmfo: XXXXXX!!!
March 29th: maximum 10C, minimum 6C, fresh W, mainly cloudy, few drops of rain midday. Worked hard on records from last 2 days, not quite caught up, need to add records for 28/3 to BirdTrack. Met D/D/D/C for gr8 chat at DoW4g4s, who have 180 booked in for mothering Sunday for lunch! Dave H reported a Red Kite at Horsley on Tuesday, where he saw a pair earlier in the month. Dave P had a Red Kite at Stocksfield E, also early in the month. Wind still strong 2moro morning but dropping through afternoon when hope to do some further fieldwork. Much later should be at G4g4s!! XXXXXX!!! Tonight on way back from pub at 23:00, just past Newbiggin towards Ordley had a large black cat racing across the road into the birch wood. Never seen that before! It was really fast. Did donate to JG for the fancied one’s great achievement!! Sorted some more Faro piccies, leaving just 17/3 and 18/3 to do.
March 28th: maximum 11C, minimum 3C, moderate W, sunny intervals, heavy showers after overnight rain. Did make Bywell from 15:30-16:35 where had another Black Kite up from 15:52-15:57 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9, 2 Red Kite, one agitated bird to N at 15:58 1 2, another to W at 16:01 3 4 5 6, a Goshawk male flying high to W putting everything up (all gulls and Corvids) at 16:21, 6 Common Buzzard at 4 sites (pair to E, one to N, pair to NE, one to W). So that’s 10 raptors of 4 types, making 17 of 5 types over the two days. At Bywell total was 15 bird-types including 12 Stock Dove (flock of 11), 93 Common Gull adult, 5 Chaffinch, 4 Greenfinch. Will sort the two day’s piccies out 2moro; don’t want to get behind this early in the season! Tmfo looked fabulous: she’s so alluring (and motivating!!). Funds have had a really good week: +196k to a new record and +702k ytd (+25.5%). Still mainly due to the Falklands oil development but also benefiting from rise in North Sea oil stocks on feeling that we need the industry for a while longer as the energy transition needs to be slowed down on cost grounds. Mining shares are down a bit more: Trump’s tariffs are not so good for international trade. Looking for good causes to support next week before the tax year ends! Have just given £100 to the Forum Cinema appeal. XXXXXX!!! At Steel Pond at 17:00 on way back had 7 types of bird: 5 Greylag Goose (pair), 5 Mallard (pair), 5 Teal, 2 Goosander (pair), 1 Moorhen, 2 Oystercatcher (pair), 1 Snipe.
March 27th: maximum 13C, minimum 4C, moderate SW, veiled sunshine all day, dry up until evening when some rain. Season kicked off today with trip to Hexham Tyne Green with views over Hexham NE from 13:35-14:50. Very good raptors with a Black Kite up over Hexham NE several times from 13:56-14:27 1 2 3 4 5, never had one so early before. A female Goshawk was also up over this raptor capital at 13:55 1 2. Had a pair of Common Buzzard up over woods to N of Hermitage and at least one at Hexham NE with another towards Dilston. So that’s 6 raptors of 3 types. No Osprey yet! A Tawny Owl was in Hexham much later, so that’s 4 raptors for the day. Met M at T4m4l: he’s furious at the way the country is going, being a strong socialist. Much later made G4g4s with P/R 4 good chat with L on!! 2moro it’s favourite cafe followed by some fieldwork at Bywell. XXXXXX!!! Total for trip to Hexham was 18 bird-types, including a pair of Dipper, a pair of Goosander, a calling Chiffchaff, 12 Herring Gull ad, 2 LBBG ad, 13 Mallard, a Greenfinch.
March 26th: maximum 14C, minimum 6C, moderate W, sunny all day, dry. Had usual good breakfast at hotel, then back on 10:46 train to HEX, where had left car. Cleaner S had come in yesterday afternoon so all clean. Beautiful day again. Catching up on records. On 24/3 and 25/3 had a Small White butterfly in garden at Ordley, plus on latter day a pair of Bullfinch and a pair of Tree Sparrow prospecting. Yesterday afternoon from the train had an Oystercatcher at Dilston a pair of Common Buzzard displaying over Stocksfield Station, 3 pairs of Canada Goose and a pair of Mute Swan at Merryshields, with 7 Goosander: pair at Ovingham, 5 drakes at Wylam E, plus a pair of Greylag Goose at Blaydon. Kittiwake could be heard from the Bridge at 22:30 to add to the 60 seen there last Saturday (21/3). On way back today had 5 Goosander: 3 at Wylam E (2 drake, 1 redhead), 1 drake at Newburn, 1 drake at Hexham; plus a male Kestrel at Dilston, and a pair of Tufted Duck on the pond W of Wylam. Did do a count at Ordley today in afternoon where had 21 species: a Blackcap (very briefly singing; making alarm calls from large blackthorn bush), usual 2 Common Buzzard, 2 Lapwing displaying, a Coal Tit, 4 Wren, a Nuthatch, 2 singing Song Thrush, 4 singing Blackbird, 4 Chaffinch. Had a bumble bee on Hosta. Funds rose to a new high today, with gain wtd +135k. 2moro expecting to be at G4g4s and should earlier be in Hexham at lunchtime to meet M. Booked 9 nights at Hilton Cariari DoubleTree San Jose - Costa Rica for £1250. That’s the hotel where the Raptor Research Foundation Conference is being held from 14/10-18/10. They’re some field trips as well. Have 2 beds!! XXXXXX!!!
March 25th: maximum 15C, minimum 3C, light SE, sunny all day. Did make Matthew Bourne’s production of Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake at TR. It was very entertaining but had some doubts: not convinced by the leading romantic players both being men and by all the swans being men; would have liked a real orchestra rather than recorded music; and feel the beauty of Tchaikovsky’s music and choreography was lost. I do wonder what Tchaikovsky would have made of it: he was not so attached to a philosophy as Wagner was so might have been amenable if popularity was increased but I do feel he would have been saddened by the loss of pathos, which characterised so much of his work. Whatever, I enjoyed it, particularly the start of Act 1 and Act 3, Scene 1, which were more hetero! The dancers were incredibly fit, all credit to them!! The elegance and plaintiveness missing is well shown on this video Bing Videos by the Kirov Ballet of St Petersburg, particularly look at 38:00-58:00, depicting the dances of the swans. I particularly like the moving dance from 55:00-58:00; this has a plaintive theme, for the sad state of the swans (as maidens turned into swans by the evil Rothbart) and an upbeat march (they’re going to strive to become liberated with the help of Prince Siegfried); the sensitivity of this dance just did not register with Bourne’s boisterous approach which was popular with women, who predominated in the audience. Earlier had good meal at Pani’s with L. Rebranded hotel SZ as 4PtFlx seems to work well with it becoming a little more upmarket; but WiFi connection was a pain with Marriott’s registration system. They’ve kept on the same staff so very pleased with that. Made Br later – all brilliant!! Funds +60k wtd on acceleration in Sea Lion project for RKH. XXXXXX!!!
March 24th: maximum 12C, minimum 6C, light W, sunny all day, dry. R meeting at lunchtime was enjoyable but hard work, chairing it. Did some routine IT work for R later. W made delivery of £94 worth. Did make G4g4s where great to have E back from Florida! Feeling washed out at end with sinusitis: straight home. XXXXXX!!! It’s weird ballet 2moro at TR, staying over!
Reassuring news from RKH as pace to production is potentially accelerated:
Rockhopper Exploration plc("Rockhopper" or the "Company"): Sea Lion Operator's Update Sea Lion Operator’s Update - 07:35:01 24 Mar 2025 - RKH News article | London Stock Exchange
Rockhopper Exploration plc (AIM: RKH), the oil and gas company with key interests in the North Falkland Basin ("NFB"), notes the recent publication by Navitas Petroleum LP ("Navitas" or the "Operator") of and an updated NFB independent resource report conducted by Netherland Sewell & Associates ("NSAI") (the "March 2025 NSAI Independent Report") on behalf of Navitas. The report reflects work carried out to mature the resource base and accelerates later phases of the development programme in the build up to FID. Overall resources at Sea Lion remain unchanged. As a result of the work carried out, a significant number of barrels have been moved from 'Development On Hold' to 'Development Pending' classification.
The home page for RKH shows the healthy price rise this year ROCKHOPPER EXPLORATION PLC RKH Stock | London Stock Exchange.
March 23rd: maximum 8C, minimum 1C, light NE, murky all day but dry after heavy overnight rain. Feeling the chill today with no sun and very damp feel to weather. Had 2 Tree Sparrow prospecting for a nest site in house along with a pair of Great Tit; a Coal Tit was in a hedge. Five March Moths were on the road. Caught up with everything records-wise except for some of Faro shots, which working on. Doing the Tuscany records for 2015 was particularly satisfying as some rare butterfly and moth shots. Made G4g4s with P/R and L on!! Hope to get out for a walk 2moro afternoon after R. It’s G4g4s much later!! XXXXXX!!!
March 22nd: maximum 13C, minimum 5C, light E, overcast morning but dry, light rain afternoon leading to a very wet evening with heavy rain. Did get out in garden for an hour early afternoon, hearing a Chiffchaff singing and seeing a Goldcrest in top of conifers. 400 Starling were in a pre-roost gathering close to home. Had 2 Oak Beauty at front porch in evening plus 4 March Moth on the road. Copied all of Faro piccies onto desktop (4.95 GB) and also transferred across financial info and some updates done in Portugal such as the 2019 trip to Toulouse (butterflies), 2015 trip to Tuscany (butterflies), 2019 Grindon Lough records of Caspian Gull, 2020 records of butterflies in one day (18/7) at Prudhoe. Some indexing of piccies is still required for the Tuscany records. Quite a lot to do at home: washing clothes, sorting out paperwork brought back, and getting kitchen sorted. Did get out to DoW where met D/D/D/C for good chat! House has warmed up quickly on return having set minimum levels by thermostat for absence. Going to ballet Swan Lake by Matthew Bourne with L on Tuesday, with dinner at Panis b4. I’m staying at Four Points Flex, was SZ! R restarts for me on Monday and it’s G4g4s 2moro!! XXXXXX!!!
March 21st: maximum 13C, minimum 6C, moderate E, mainly overcast, dry. A busy 1st day back having rehearsal at Sage in afternoon and full performance in evening with good social with fellow partners of the Sinfonia. Met my sponsored partner MG for 2 good chats. Concert was very exhilarating: making Bach sound very popular as he deserves to be. We heard Back’s Brandenburg Concerto, three Sinfonia from Cantata, Violin Concerto 1 and 2, Chaconne, Orchestral Suite 3. Particularly liked the violin concertos where director Maria W excelled. Went in and out on train. Earlier had very satisfying visit to favourite cafe where she did look absolutely gorgeous!! lok2tmfo: XXXXXX!!! 2moro it’s catch-up at home with whole day at home except for DoW in evening with the Daves! Funds are down this week but are just 1k down over the last 2-week period while away.
March 20th: maximum 17C, minimum 13C, moderate SE, some veiled sunshine before heavy showers and a thunderstorm at ttime. Last night was wild with howling wind across my balcony with driving rain at times. Caught 18:10 Jet2 from Faro, back in NCL 30 min early as tail-wind speeded us up; lots of turbulence across Bay of Biscay. So made G just a little late at 22:15 where met R/P/Rg for good catch-up. Passionate reunion with tmfo: so glad to be back: lok2tmfo: XXXXXX!!! 2moro have RNS rehearsal in afternoon but hope to catch-up in a few places b4 that, just a bit earlier than usual!!
At Faro recorded 12 types casually around lunchtime, including some nesting activity: 3 Swallow collecting mud, a White Stork carrying weed, 10 House Sparrow at nest-holes. Had as many as 14 Atlantic YLG on a bank (9 ad, 1 2s, 4 1s 1). 2 Western Bonelli’s Warbler were in scrub and the male Black Redstart was seen again; also had a feeding Spoonbill 1 2 3 and a close-up Grey Plover 1 2. Final sightings were from the Airport at ttime with 9 types seen in final farewell: 1 Common Swift, 2 Med YLG, 5 LBBG, 2 White Stork, 1 Cormorant, 2 Little Egret, 1 Magpie, 4 Spotless Starling, 3 House Sparrow. Running total is: 106 species from 324 records, 8 complete lists, 16 places. This is complete as far as I know but could change as a few more piccies compiled.
March 19th: maximum 17C, minimum 12C, fresh SE, almost a gale, weak sunshine in morning, dry up to early evening, then heavy rain. An ominous day weather-wise with wind increasing steadily and everything beginning to bounce! Noted 6 Pallid Swift over city centre at 15:00 with one bird entering a potential nesting hole. When looked out at 17:00 the migrant scene looked more active with 40 Common Swift up over the hotel and the buildings to E, and 50 Black-headed Gull (20 ad, 30 1s) moving E with 2 Slender-billed Gull mixed up with them 1. So that’s all brilliant with running total: 106 species from 303 records, 7 complete lists, 16 places. Wonder whether the Swift will all be gone by morning or will there be a fall of other migrants: here until 18:10 so plenty can happen yet! Flights look unaffected by the near-storm. Completed much of Tuscany 2015 final records, with extra mainly on butterflies. Attended ANPA 2025 conference preparation on Zoom from 17:00-18:00; I’m going to give a paper in mid-August on AI/CT. Might stay at Ealing with big sis for a bit of it, to have good chats and to stop paying exorbitant costs for Oxford hotels. 2moro have a few gratuities to make for truly helpful people!! XXXXXX!!!
March 18th: maximum 17C, minimum 14C, light S, dry with sunny periods, some cloudy with rain shower midday. Out to Lagos today on 10:23 train, arriving around 12:15, and staying until 17:20, back in Faro at 19:16 (but ran 10 min late). Cost €15 return. Weather was beautifully sunny in Faro for breakfast but when arrived in Lagos a big black cloud and rain was a bit of a dampener. Fortunately weather in afternoon cleared-up and it was nice and sunny. Lagos is much more a typical seaside resort than Faro, though it’s difficult to pin it down. Faro is pretty hedonistic, maybe more emphasis on the beach/sun in Lagos than in Faro. Lagos is on the W side of the bay with sandy beaches 1 2 and spectacular cliffs and rocks 3 4 5 6 with, across the bay to E, other resorts 7 with beautiful and more traditional Carvoeiro at the E end 8! I go to Lagos because it’s on the train route! A statue of Goncalo de Lagos is near the entrance to the port 9. XXXXXX!!!
Knocked up quite a bird list today adding Crag Martin (2 N in Faro), Stonechat, Thekla’s Lark, Great Tit, Woodchat Shrike, Common Buzzard (two singles at Silves, Figueira) , Kestrel (two singles at Silves, Portimaŏ) on way out and a Montagu’s Harrier adult male (at Mexilhoeira) on way back. At Lagos had 3 Iberian Magpie (moving through a patch of trees near the cliff twice), a Hoopoe (over the marina on way there and back, nice symmetry!), a Gannet 1s flying W at sea and a Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin on the cliff-tops. Walked 15k steps today, quite an effort! Running total is: 103 species from 293 records, 7 complete lists, 16 places. The coast this far W on the coast is the preserve of Atlantic YLG with 85 noted (65 ad 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12, 7 2s 14 15 16, 13 1s 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31) and just 2 Mediterranean YLG (both 1s, one feeding, other moving W). LBBG passage was obvious with 45W (42 ad, 3 2s) and just one adult 1 2 and a 2s in the harbour. Turnstone were tame in the harbour 1 2. Had one Pallid Swift in habitat and plenty of Blackbird and Greenfinch. Had a female Kestrel on the cliffs, making 3 birds for the day. Total was 23 bird-types, much less than you’d get further E but it’s different! Butterflies comprised: 8 Small White, 2 Large White, and single Red Admiral and Clouded Yellow. Coming back into Faro heard a Ring-necked Parakeet at dusk, yet another new species, to add to the list tomorrow. Funds are +4k wtd.
Storm warning Martinho for 19th/20th for Portugal – strong winds, heavy rain, flooding on high tides, affecting the south, including the Algarve. Might affect my travel back! This has been the wettest winter and spring for 20 years in Portugal: “Algarve’s water restrictions reduced following record rainfall.“ Portugal Resident “Rain was very much in evidence as the outgoing social democrat minister admitted that dams in the south haven’t seen so much water for 20 years”.
March 17th: maximum 16C, minimum 13C, light S, heavy rain overnight, sunny in morning, then continuous rain for rest of day (not showery with sunny spells as forecast!). Got out for 4 hours in morning, not trusting the afternoon forecast, which turned out to be right. Had 45 species, including 6 new: single Water Pipit, Herring Gull (1s), Greenfinch (9, amazingly conspicuous today), 2 Serin (1 singing), 1 Raven (heard), 1 Kingfisher (flying low though channel). So summary for trip is: 93 species from 251 records, 6 complete lists, 7 places. Lots of interest today with large movement of LBBG W (33 ad) and MYLG E (23 ad, 3 2s). Wader numbers remained high with 57 Dunlin and 22 Ringed Plover. Had single Short-toed Lark and Black Redstart (ad male), plus 2 Western Bonelli’s Warbler and a Chiffchaff. Insects comprised: 3 Large White, 2 Small White, 1 Clouded Yellow, plus 3 Carpenter Bee. Then the rains came down! Forecast to clear 2moro for just one day so off to Lagos in the far W by train for day trip. Have had a heavy cold since 13/3 with hopefully day 4 16/3 the worst; feeling more energetic today, helped by good diet in hotel, including buffet breakfast, snack lunch, aperitif for dinner with Brazilian bar-lass, dinner tonight (olives, chicken, 2 rw). Staff in one of Faro’s best hotels are very motivated to look after you! XXXXXX!!!
March 16th: maximum 17C, minimum 13C, fine start at breakfast, light rain by afternoon, becoming heavier in evening. Forecast was accurate today after aspersions cast yesterday. Decided to have a break from birdwatching today, enjoying the sun in the morning and catching up with some records in the afternoon. Not given up! Watched the NCL vs LIV cup final on the bar TV after a bit of chatting up the barmaid! Knew it was going to go to 1-2 in added-on time (things are never done the easy way!) but magnificent performance by NCL to get their first domestic trophy since 1955. Sorted out some of the insect records for Tuscany May 2015; needs a bit more work 2moro but some gr8 shots so worth doing! Chatted to a boatman in from Madeira in the evening; the bar’s a very sociable outfit, helped by an effervescent Brazilian lass, who’s chief bar-keep! XXXXXX!!!
March 15th: maximum 15C, minimum 12C, sunny up to late afternoon, moderate NW, dry. Beautiful morning, probably as good as it gets this time of year. Out of Faro to E from 10:00-14:00, walking through old salinas towards the port. Here’s my hotel again 1 . So many waders: 14 types: right on the Atlantic Flyway, such an important resting and feeding place between their wintering areas in Africa and their breeding grounds in the far north. Interesting were 5 Curlew Sandpiper 1, 87 Dunlin, 37 Kentish Plover, 20 Sanderling, 22 Ringed Plover 1, 21 Knot, 7 Whimbrel 1, 2 Black-winged Stilt 1. 13 Redshank 1 A Spoonbill flew W as did an Osprey moving W at moderate height at 12:10 1 2 3. White Stork were nesting 1 2. Had 6 species of gull, including 4 Caspian Gull 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 (3 1s 1 2s), a 2s Herring Gull 1. Terns included 2 Caspian (ad, 1s 1), 2 Common, 8 Sandwich. Swallow numbers were up to 21. Heard at night 14th/15th 5 Greylag Goose. An adult male Kestrel was displaying over buildings on E of harbour, 2nd site. I flushed in salinas an Ortolan Bunting where a Dartford Warbler was seen by a large bush. Insects included a Small White 1, a Red Admiral 1, 4 Carpenter Bee. Had 45 bird-types today and running total is: 87 species from 206 records, 5 complete lists, 7 places. Hotel was busy this evening with 2 large family gatherings in for dinner. Earlier had lunch in the bar. I’m not sure whether they’ll have the big match on the bar TV tomorrow: will keep an eye open! Rain is supposed to be moving in tomorrow afternoon but have not found the forecasts to be very reliable: some wishful thinking, maybe, as regards sunshine! Costa Rica is my next main bird trip in October with Raptor Research Foundation. Gr8 place to go. XXXXXX!!!
It’s difficult to underestimate the importance of this bird site. See here
Chosen by the Portuguese people as one of the 7 Wonders of Portugal, the Ria Formosa has had a protected status as a Natural Park since 1987 and is a must-see on any nature lover’s bucket list. Ria Formosa’s bird-watching season kicks off in autumn when migration begins.
Ria Formosa, a protected lagoon located on the Easternmost coast of the Algarve, is one of the most important wetlands in Portugal. It measures 60 kilometres along the Algarve coast, from the Ancão Peninsula (Loulé) to Manta Rota (Vila Real de Santo António). This Southern area in Portugal has an astonishing diversity of habitats: dunes and sandbanks, saltmarshes and saltpans, various watercourses, fresh and brackish water lagoons, reedbeds, woodland, and farmland.
Over 200 species of bird have been recorded here, some of them very rare or endangered. The natural habitats make it a prime position for migrating birds to rest on their travels each spring and autumn. One of the things we love most is that Ria Formosa’s birdwatching is very accessible, and some of the most satisfying spots are the easiest to get to. From the town of Faro, you can explore areas of the park on foot, by bike, or by boat.
This amazing Natural Park is also a Natura 2000 site (Special Protection Area for Birds and Special Area of Conservation), Ramsar Convention site, and Important Bird Area (IBA – BirdLife International).
March 14th: maximum 17C, minimum 9C, mainly sunny, moderate NW. Changed plans for today as still rather cloudy and thought best to leave trip to Lagos until next week. Morning was sunny enough and decided to use my balcony to gr8 effect scanning over the marismas. Had some good success this way seeing 2 Tufted Duck W, a Grey Heron arriving from E and landing on the marshes 1 2, a Spoonbill W, 7 Common Tern (6 ad 1, 1 1s) settling to feed, a Caspian Tern resting, 2 Sandwich Term resting, 11 Collared Pratincole in a group resting 1, an adult Audouin’s Gull resting with LBBG, a Bar-tailed Godwit feeding, an Osprey moving W at 13:55 at moderate height near the coastal dunes, 5 noisy Whimbrel. Went to sleep in afternoon with sweet dreams of absent friends!! Then buffet dinner in hotel on top floor, which was very comfortable with good service! Funds finished tumultuous week +12k as some move from tech-stocks into value-stocks; ytd is +520k gross. lok2tmfo: XXXXXX!!!
March 13th: maximum 16C, minimum 10C, sunny, fresh W breeze, approaching gale in exposed places, a few heavy squalls. Read in Portugal News that the current wet spell is doing wonders for river and reservoir levels, alleviating water shortages. Went out to W of Faro today on foot from 11:50-15:30; it was wild but fortunately the line of showers was going mainly to the E. At one point though a really threatening squall was coming straight towards me and, like a mirage, found a restaurant in the next building where they opened the door against the wind to let me in! Bird watching went surprisingly well in the conditions, getting 36 types. New types for trip included an Oystercatcher, 4 Meadow Pipit, an Avocet, a Red-rumped Swallow, a Montagu’s Harrier 1s 1 (near the Airport, a resting migrant), an LBBG adult 1 of intermedius type. In the park, which has many rough areas, had 4 Western Bonelli’s Warbler (migrants, very active in bushes), a Sardinian Warbler, 2 Crested Lark. 46 Greater Flamingo 1 were in a lagoon near the Airport along with 12 Black-winged Stilt. Yet another Osprey was in the same area as the Montagu’s Harrier, flying low-down to seek shelter from the squall. 3 Mediterranean Gull, all 2s 1, were on a bank in a lagoon. So up to 74 species now in trip. Funds are back to all square wtd with one day to go.
Had dinner in the hotel: olives and garlic bread, followed by house steak, washed down with 2 rw; very good value for €44 including tip. 2Moro weather looks good so off to Lagos by train, cost €16 return for 91km each way. Lagos in Nigeria was named by a Portuguese sailor from the Lagos I’m visiting tomorrow, pronounce La-gosch. It’s more like a typical seaside resort than Faro with a long beach and some spectacular offshore islands. Missing sadly the rendezvous 2moro: XXXXXX!!! But not the following week!
March 12th: maximum 16C, minimum 11C, light SE becoming moderate SW, dull with rain up to 15:00, then dry with brighter spells. It was a wet morning as forecast; caught up with some desk jobs, including piccies from yesterday; balcony is really useful as can still go out for breathers and have a look round. Had lunch in the hotel and dinner also with ultra thin ham for starter, a vegetable stew for main course and a beer. Made late night bar in the hotel as well: the Portuguese are more exciting than thought!
The sun came out at 15:00 as promised so got straight out for a walk. Found some scrub by harbour walls to hold a few small birds: 2 Bluethroat, a Western Bonelli’s Warbler 1 2 3 4 5, and also in this area had a Black Redstart and 3 Goldfinch. Waders added were a very vocal Whimbrel, a bubbling Curlew and a strident Greenshank. Interesting totals during day were 38 Dunlin, 8 Swallow, 3 Pallid Swift, 6 White Stork (3 nest-sites in progress), 8 Shag ad, 37 Little Egret at 2 roosts. Had 28 bird-types in all. No butterflies today. 2Moro weather is better so going to explore W of Faro area in walk from hotel. On Friday hoping to go to Lagos, quite a lot to the W, by train! Up to 69 species from 116 records, 3 complete lists, 7 places.
A pair of mating Kestrel in the centre of Faro by the railway station 1. Not over-romantic: the male flew by screaming loudly and dived on top of the female who was sitting on a ledge; three seconds of action; the male thought that was great with beak open 2; then off he flew; she sat there in afterglow 3. They're obviously going to breed on this old building 4. Shows what a diet of mice can do for you! Not really a lot of foreplay or afterglow!! Hope we do better as humans: XXXXXX!!!
March 11th: maximum 17C, minimum 11C, moderate NW, sunny periods, one shower in morning, otherwise dry. Did get the train to Vila Real at 09:55, getting there at 11:02, cost €5.6 each way for the 53km. Installed the Portuguese Railways app; a glance around showed no-one was using it, nearly all with bits of paper. Guard on way there said that although the app claimed to hold your ticket, the real one was in the email sent to you.. On way back did it perfectly with pdf in email containing the QR code; guard was quite surprised it worked! Got lunch from a new branch of Aldi, opened near the reserve, €5.13 for a sandwich, lemon drink and a chocolate biscuit. After return had dinner in the glasshouse on the harbour front: olives with garlic bread starter, lamb chops, chips and salad, 2 rw, 1 Americano, all for €37 including tip €4. With long overdue crash on over-valued US stock exchange, would not expect my funds to rise so fall of 14k wtd is not too bad.
Had the most amazing day’s birdwatching at Castro Marim from 10:55-16:45, getting 53 different bird-types, including 4 raptor types: 1 Osprey fishing in the river on the boundary between Portugal and Spain 1 2, a Black-winged Kite hunting and displaying a little to N: one cropped image 0 with uncropped 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10, a Marsh Harrier fem/imm hunting over the marsh, 3 Kestrel, a male and 2 female hunting the marsh and near the Station; 215 Greater Flamingo; 40 Spoonbill; 11 White Stork including 3 W 1; a Purple Heron W 1; a Pallid Swift; 15 Short-toed Lark displaying; a Caspian Tern W 1 2; 2 Spotted Redshank 1; 6 Black-winged Stilt including a pair displaying; Swallow numbers increased; a flock of 30 Common Waxbill 1. Butterflies there were 1 Clouded Yellow, 1 Large White,1 Moroccan Orange-tip male, 1 Spanish Festoon, 7 Small White. On way had 6 Cattle Egret at Fuseta and a Bee-eater at Tavira. Running total for whole trip is: 61 species from 88 records, 2 complete lists, 7 places. 2Moro it’s going to rain and drizzle, so will catch-up on some old records but after that it’s looking good with wind dropping and plenty of sunshine. Today was pretty bracing at times but I’ve been in my shorts both days to keep up the NE England image! Hope the fit one’s just that: XXXXXX!!!
March 10th: maximum 16C, minimum 14C, fresh SW, sunny intervals, heavy showers. Ate very well todathe app claimed to hold your tickety with large brekfast, lunch and dinner, making up for a few days of under-eating! Don’t think I’m going to keep this up. Had a few spells of nausea at home, suspect some bug; some friends had full-blown Norovirus. Food is a lot less expensive here with dinner in hotel for 3 courses and 2 rw coming to €42, including tip, just £35. For lunch I had omelette, chips and salad for €19 in a harbour-fronting restaurant. Breakfast is ‘free’ including anything you want. Balcony is very useful allowing me to sit outside watching the bay, sitting in the sun. Did have shorts on today. I had paid for room at the front but not for a balcony. Weather was dramatic toady with each 30 min of strong sun followed by 15 min downpour and 15 min cloud. The harbour-fronting restaurant was leaking a bit! Here’s a piccie of my hotel 1 (Eva Senses): I’m on floor 3 straight ahead: plenty of room in the bed!!
Total for birds today was 25 types. Migrants were scarce, suggesting major arrival from Africa not here yet. Did have 4 White Stork, 6 Sandwich Tern, 4 Swallow, 2 Sand Martin, 2 House Martin. The only raptor was an Osprey hunting over the marismas to E at 11:32 and 11/41 1 2 3 4. Surprisingly Atlantic Yellow-legged Gulls (24: 4 ad, 4 2s, 16 1s) outnumbered Mediterranean YLG (6: 2 ad, 4 1s). A pair of AYLG were close to mating 1. LBBG were the commonest gull with 68 noted. Saw many residents including a Zitting Cisticola and a Cirl Bunting. Had one butterfly: a Large White. 2Moro looks best day of the week so taking train to Vila Real on the Spanish border, where hope to see a Black Kite or two, as well as some heathland birds. Weather looks better for next week so will leave boat trips to then. In progress is tidying-up of News and Season Summary as move home page into 2025. XXXXXX!!!
Recent relevant references: (more reading here)
Mark Mallalieu, The 2024 European Honey Buzzard season in Sussex, BirdGuides (2024).
Shaw, KD, McInerny, CJ, Little, A, Little, K, Nadin, JS, & Goater, R, An exceptional season at a central Scotland Honey-buzzard study area, Scottish Birds 37(1) 3-13 (2017).
Forsman, Dick, Separating Common Buzzard and European Honey-buzzard, at p.302, in: Flight Idetification of Raptors of Europe, North Africa and the Middle East, Christopher Helm (2016fswan l
