Barred

After today’s WEBS count at Castle Island with SH and DMcK we headed to Hadston Carrs in search of the Barred Warbler reported earlier.


I have searched around Newbiggin for hours for Barred Warbler in the past so was expecting a long wait as we approached the dunes. Birders were surrounding small areas of scrub and it didn’t look promising so I was surprised when after only a few minutes the Barred Warbler- lifer, flew from the scrub along with a Whitethroat. The size difference was obvious to see as the silvery grey warbler landed in scrub further south. It showed again a few times as it flitted around the scrub looking like a small Cuckoo.

As we were leaving for Cresswell Pond a Yellow Wagtail flew SW over. It was a wader fest at Cresswell with 1 Curlew Sandpiper, 1 Wood Sandpiper, 2 Greenshank, 1 Spotted Redshank, 7 Ruff, 2 Black Tailed Godwit and 15 Golden Plover dotted around the pond with small groups of Dunlin.

The Spoonbill on the spit was asleep, obviously, and Yellow Wagtails were numerous although we couldn’t match the 40+ reported on saturday! Whilst watching a Goldcrest in the willow outside the hide we were told that a Cuckoo had flown past.

With the succession of waders at Cresswell we quickly checked the River Blyth on the way home. Bar Tailed Godwit, Whimbrel and Turnstone were all but not much else.