Hat trick!!!

Out early again this morning with SH but not for birding in the county instead we headed south, North Yorkshire to be precise to see the Black Throated Thrush.

On the way down we stopped at Cowpen Bewley Country Park. There were 50+ Tree Sparrows between the hedge and the feeding station in the car park with Reed Bunting and Great Tit amongst them.
When we got to the pond I thought that it looked farmiliar and soon noticed the train track behind it, this is the mystery pond I have been passing every week on the train.

The male Ring Necked Duck - Lifer, was easy to pick out amongst a group of Tufted Duck at close range in the south east corner of the pond. Its silvery grey sides were the first features that I noticed. It didn't stay still and dived occasionally but still gave good views, a good start to the day.

The sky had been grey all morning and finally when we were on the North Yorkshire moors it began raining heavily then snowing.
A soon as we got off the moors the weather calmed down and we could see Whitby on the horizon, I didn't realise Newholm was so close to Whitby, only 2 miles away.

We parked and found the birds favoured spot, a front garden with a full feeding station. Only two birders were present and they gave us the bad news that Thrush hadn't been seen so far.
Whilst we waited the feeding station was full of life.
2 female and a male Bullfinch were on the log feeders with a good number of House and tree Sparrows and Chaffinch were also on the feeders and in the surrounding trees.
Also nice to see was a pair of Marsh Tit in the bushes of the next garden along, whoever lives there has an impressive garden list!

The two other birder walked off around the corner to where the hedgerow ends and the public footpath begins and as soon as they did the Black Throated Thrush - Lifer,
flew over the garden and landed in a tree at the far end of the street.
We followed it as it flew from one end of the street to the other landing in trees occasionally before finally it settled in the trees above the garden feeding station.
It also gave excellent views as it fed from the feeding station and sat looking at us from the tree.
Although it is not as impressive as the male BTT, it was still a nice bird and looked like a silvery version of a Fieldfare.

On the way back we stopped off at Saltburn were the 1st winter Glaucous Gull was showing well on the tide line, I picked it out on the way past in the car mainly because it dwarfed all the other gulls surrounding it.
Our last stop of the day was Newburn Bridge at Hartlepool. A Med Gull was amongst the BH Gulls on the sea front near to were we scanned the rocks for Black Redstart.
2 Stonechat and Rock Pipits were on the rocks and it wasn't long before the female Black Redstart - Lifer, showed itself all to briefly.
We got a few views of it as it flew further down the beach and could clearly see the orangy red under its tail.

All in all it was a very good day but the birds seemed to easy to see and find, if only it was always like that.

Who says February is boring?

Quite sad looking, lonely this valentines day?

A bit of a show-off!

Distant Glauc

I spent two hour at Blyth Harbour this morning to try and find the Glaucous Gull.
As soon as I arrived the Iceland Gull was standing on the edge of the pier only a meter away from me and was happy to have its picture taken.
It flew around the harbour a few times and settled on the pier opposite.
All the other Gulls in the harbour joined the Cormorants in raiding the boats coming into the harbour.
A quick scan and I found a 1st winter Glaucous Gull next to a group of Eiders on the water. I managed to get a distant shot of it to confirm it wasn’t another Iceland.
The Glauc swan under the pier the Iceland was sitting on, as if for comparison.
I noticed the difference straight away; the Glauc was much stockier with smaller wings and a more angry expression.
Eiders, Shag, female Merganser etc were also in the harbour.

I was in Manor Walks this afternoon and I got a text from Steve Holliday saying 13+ Tree Sparrow on the Beacon scrubland, I finished in Subway and was straight off to Beacon Lane.
After nearly breaking my neck on the ice, I took the over the bridge route to Beacon Lane and just as I crossed the bridge 10+ Tree Sparrows- Patch Tick, flew from the stubble field and into the trees.
The hedge row where they had first been seen was being cut by the council tree chopping van so I stood back and watched it flush out 10+ Tree Sparrow, 15+ Yellowhammer, 40+ Reed Bunting, 20+ Chaffinch, 16 Fieldfare and a Mistle Thrush.
Also 60+ Carrion Crow were flushed from the stubble and 50+ Skylark were flying over the field.That has to be the best twitch I have ever had in Crammy, what a day.

This week I have also seen 18 Fieldfare feeding on berries near Nelson Hill, have had a pair of Bullfinches visiting my garden everyday and had 50 Pink Footed Geese fly over Sainsburys car park today.

First Mega, First Twitch, First Time on Teeside

I had to go to Middlesborough for an interview today, but that wasn't until 1 so to kill time I thought I would go twitching at Saltholme.
I have never been into Teeside before so didn't know where anything was, despite directions, but I managed to find a long row of people in a layby looking at a gull flock on a pool, so I presumed it was Saltholme.
I found out it was but that there had been no sign of the Glaucous Winged Gull.
I stayed for an hour and saw Gadwall, Shellduck, Pochard, Goldeneye ect as well as 1 Bean Goose, adult Glacous Gull (not winged) and a Water Rail (again) which was only meteres away from me and the road, wading through a ditch pecking at everything as it went. I went to the interview and when I got out had a text from S.H (thanks again steve), which said it had been seen on Dorman's Pool 20 minutes ago. The traffic is really bad in Middlesborough at the minute due to a diversion and pissing traffic lights, I then got another text saying it had flown off towards the tip.
After another half an hour and direction towards Dorman's Pool, I came to Saltholme where the previously packed layby now only had two people. I went over and asked the guy who was packing up what the crack was (thinking it had flown off for good) and he said it's on the pool now!
****!!!!!
The other birder had it in his scope and kindly let me see. The light was starting to fade so it's primary's didn't look as striking but never the less it was there partly behind a mute swan which later moved giving me better views.
My first Mega, and what a way to start 2009, first siskins in my garden then excellent views of water rail (my favourite bird) and then the GWG all in the first week.
I have seen the design for the new Saltholme visitors centre and I will definetly be coming back, I got the vibe that it is a site I will see another mega on one day. I liked it as soon as I arrived.