The Lady Of The North & My Thoughts On Opencast Mining

Last week I had time to have a good old rummage around the lady of the North, no I don't mean that as a euphemism, I am of course referring to Northumberlandia located on the western fringes of Cramlington, Northumberland. 
She was created using excess clay, rock and soil from the Shotton surface mine which is located a stones throw west from the landscaped art and was built by The Banks Group, a group surrounded by controversy at the moment due to their proposed plans for an opencast up the coast near Druridge Bay, hence the 'Save Druridge' campaign. 
You may have seen signs up the Northumbrian coast, articles on TV or activity on social networks. The debate goes on and my lack of research into the proper plans and management strategy have left me without a solid opinion either way on that specific proposal. 
Yeah, open casting looks dark and bleak but is it really all that bad? 
The areas of habitat that surround opencasts both active and being restored, play host to a wealth of wildlife species. The rough grasslands, scrubland and plantations which surround Northumberlandia for example are home to a variety of fauna. On my visit I observed Meadow Pipits, Brown Hare, Grey Heron, Skylark and multiple species of birds of prey. Within the plantation I witnessed numerous Woodcock,  multiple Tit species, Goldcrest, Bullfinch, Robin, Dunnock, Song Thrush and Roe Deer tracks.

Kestrel feeding on the plantation edge at Northumberlandia.

Patch Gold! A Cramlington first for me and a treat to see, a Peregrine hunting over the Shotten Opencast. Unfortunately this shot is heavily cropped as the bird was some distance away.

The highlight of my wander around Northumberlandia was the brief view I had of an adult Peregrine flying directly over the working opencast, a bird as stunning and elusive as a Peregrine is clearly unphased by the goings on of a noisy and busy working opencast mine. Is it a sign that perhaps opencasts aren't as bad for our wildlife as some suggest! 

It is evident to me that wildlife does adapt and even thrive in these areas and the rough untamed habitats are ideal for them to flourish, but from a human perspective I will agree that yes they are very noisy locations. The almost constant sounds of digging and drilling echoing from the pit and the eerie booms of regular explosions and the wails of alarm sirens going off at the Shotton Opencast, Cramlington prove this point, but is it a good idea?
That's an opinion that has divided many and is an entirely personal one.

The choice is yours....

Below I have provided a few links worth looking through if your interested in the future of the Druridge opencast, they are however all fairly anti-Opencast. Make of it what you will;
http://www.savedruridge.co.uk/
http://www.northumberlandgazette.co.uk/news/local-news/opencast-mine-plan-unveiled-1-5865800
http://www.savedruridge.co.uk/about-the-proposal/
http://www.thejournal.co.uk/news/north-east-news/huge-druridge-bay-opencast-mine-5117230

David D
Nature North East/ The Northern Owl Project

A Wander Along The Seaton Burn; Part 1

With its source at Big Waters Nature Reserve, the Seaton Burn runs east along to Seaton Sluice where it meets the North Sea.  This is my second time birding along it and I covered a relatively small distance on Saturday morning. I began by parking next to the Melton Constable pub in Sluice and proceeded to grab my gear from the car; bins, coat and camera.
I took a few test shots of a flock of Black Headed Gull gathered on the grass, it was a bit of an overcast day! Not the best day for wildlife photography, not that I'm making excuses.
I started walking towards the burn and heard a collective high pitched chirping. I turned and to my left towards the pub was a mixed flock of House & Tree Sparrow. I'll be honest this is the first time I've seen these two types of Sparrow mixing together in a flock. Nice to see and a chirpy start to the morning.
That pun was absolutely intended, forgive me.
If you look on the photo below you'll notice two House Sparrows, male and female, on the left and on the Right, two male Tree Sparrows.

As I walked past a large collection of moored fishing boats on the grass I noticed fleeting activity on the Burn, the tide was out and the usual Redshank were hurrying across the mud in search of prey. I accidentally spooked a Little Grebe as I approached the waters edge, it started to run across the waters surface for a few yards and then proceeded to dive out of site. Despite a valiant search it had vanished. Last time I was here I observed three very flighty Little Grebe all do the same tactic and all disappeared from sight.

Carrion Crow & Black Headed Gull were frantic along the river looking for anything they could take from the waters edge or pick from the muddy margins. A large flock of Redshank were gathered on the southern bank, feeding on the marshy flood plain and periodically flying towards the coast.

Now, as an amateur wildlife photographer I'm still learning but in this instance I was just in the wrong place at the right time. I watched through my binoculars as a Sparrowhawk flew alongside the path and up into a mature tree fifty feet or so in front of me. Although Sparrowhawk are rather common birds of prey I have yet to capture a decent shot of one, I thought this was my time to shine, c'mon David you've got this!......

Unfortunately the sun was behind the bird! This caused the shot to be back lit, what a nightmare! The female Sparrowhawk was only perched for about 20 seconds before flying into the wood and out of sight.

Anyway here is the failed shot of said Spuggyhawk!!

To be continued......

David

Nature North East/ The Northern Owl Project

...The Turn Of The Tide

St Mary's Lighthouse, the beacon of North Tyneside

Another Friday had come around and after an early finish at work, and a quick cup of coffee at home,  I headed up to St Mary's Lighthouse & Wetland Nature Reserve to test out my new camera equipment and get my nature fix.

I couldn't wait to get snapping with my new Nikon, its worlds away from using my iPhone and telescope to digiscope. It just makes life a lot easier for a wildlife watcher like myself. Never say never mind, there may come a time when I need to digiscope a species that is just too far for the camera. Lets hope not though.. ;)

Whilst the wetland seemed to be quiet with only few Gull species, Mallard, Coot and a lone Mute Swan making up the bird life on the pond, the shoreline was abundant with shore birds; Oystercatcher, Turnestone, Curlew, Redshank and Ringed Plover.
Shore birds can be a royal pain in the rear to ID at times, depending on the species, they are however great entertainment value. They're either sleeping, flying like its going out of fashion or obsessively feeding like birds possessed! It was brilliant being able to get so close to them, that is until a random dog would come charging towards me and drive all the shore into the air. Funny thing is most of the birds would come back to the exact same 30 seconds later.
After a quick scramble up the cliff and through the gut I headed for the north end of the wetland, this when I seen a large female Sparrowhawk swooping down and into the small trees. Unfortunately I wasn't quick enough to photograph it as it first swooped down and after much searching I failed to locate it again. Bit of a bummer! At least I seen though.
As I headed back along the path to the car I bumped into another birder, canny bloke, and he was telling me about a Short Eared Owl that had been seen hunting around the fields between the Wetland and the caravan park a few days ago. I was loving this new information, anyone who knows me will know how passionate I am about Owls. I hung around for a bit keeping an eye across the fields and on a small flock of Goldcrest on the other side of the path. Goldcrest are great little birds, cheeping whilst moving from branch to branch in search of food.
All in all a great couple of hours on a nice chilled night, time to get to know the camera and observe the wildlife of St Mary's ......and as for the Sparrowhawk and Short Eared Owl ......I'll be back! ;)

Redshank at dusk

A 'ringed' Turnstone