Windy Morning

Was out with SH yesterday morning. The wind was stronger than we expected, not the best conditions to go birding in.

We started at Arcot were I could just hear a Sedge Warbler - Patch Tick, over the wind.
A pair of Shoveler were on the pond and a pair of Shellduck flew over.

After a quick and unsuccessful stop at the Snowy Owl feeding station where LMcD had a Tree Sparrow the other morning, we headed to Beacon Hill to see if any Spotted Flycatchers or Redstart had arrived.
As soon as we got out of the car a Marsh Tit was calling and showing well in the trees opposite.
I had my best ever views of a Treecreeper as it stopped in a tree next to us before preening, something I have never seen them do.
A Garden Warbler and Nuthatch were the only other birds of interest.

Next we headed to the even windier Druridge Pools where despite the good amount of mud no waders were to be seen.
A few Wheatear were in the fields next to Bell's farm. We kept scanning through the nearby flocks of Corvids incase the Hooded Crow Steve had found the other day was amongst them.

Instead of going to Cresswell we headed to Snab Point for a quick sea watch. A steady flow of Gannets were moving north as were Kittiwakes and Auks. Plenty of Fulmars we flying very close in as they struggled against the wind.

92 - Sedge Warbler

A good Morning

I was out with SH and MH this morning. After the variety of waders seen at Castle Island on Sunday we stopped there first.
There weren’t as many on the island this morning, instead all of the action was on the near shore where there were 3 Greenshank and 4 Common Sandpipers.

Instead of heading straight to the coast we made a worthwhile detour to Bothal pond and Longhirst Flash.
At Bothal a Juv Spotted Redshank and Green Sandpiper were in the long grass on the right bank. The Spotted Redshank made a positive run along the bank towards us and my waiting camera but at the last minute decided to fly off across the pond.
A Yellow Wagtail was flying over the horse field behind the pond.

At first it looked as if there was nothing at Longhirst Flash but just after a Green Woodpecker flew over from the woodland, two Juv type Garganey came out of the reeds at the bottom left corner of the flash.

With the Semipalmated Sandpiper on the beach at Cresswell we went to the hide instead.
A single Ruff was on the sandbar and 61 Gadwall landed on the left bank.
11 Black tailed Godwit flew from the causeway over the hide before landing again.
A Water Rail was screeching from the small patch of reeds in front of the hide and it wasn’t long before I could see it head poking out from a pile of cut reeds.
It walked on top of the cut reeds before running into deeper cover.

We decided to have a second look at the Semi P and watched it at close range on the rocks on the beach. It was amongst a group of Sanderling, Dunlin and Knot. A Whimbrel flew past calling and a pale phase Arctic Skua was mobbed by Terns over head.















Spot the Ruff

Blyth High Tide

Yesterday I went with Steve H to the Blyth Estuary for an hour whilst the tide was rising.
The main spit was full of waders with a total of 230 Redshank. Amongst them where some stunning summer plumage Turnstones and Knot.

We scanned all of the banks that the tide was beginning to cover. Three Whimbrel, 1 Black Tailed Godwit, 2 Bar Tailed Godwit and 2 Ringed Plover were at various points.

13 Sandwich Tern and 3 Common Tern were fishing on the water and a gannet flew over the houses opposite.
Bates Filtration Pools were quiet with only 2 Moorhen and a Skylark.

I was going to upload some shots I took on holiday but the heat haze was a big problem and most of them look crap.