Fire and Gold

Back at home again this weekend so I went with SH and DMcK to do the WEBS count at Castle Island this morning.
After a fairly quiet count we headed for Newbiggin and the Mound.
Just as we were about to turn into Newbiggin Steve got a call saying that the Radde’s Warbler was at Druridge Pools again.
We thought we would have a go at the Radde’s first so drove straight to Druridge.

We went to the area where the Radde’s had been reported but after a half an hour wait without a sniff of any Warbler we went to the Main Pool Hide.
The Glossy Ibis was tucked into the far left corner bordering the reeds and I got brief views as it waded through the water. Also a pair of Scaup were swimming and diving along the back of the pool.

Instead of going to the Mound we went to St.Mary’s instead where news of three Yellow Browed and a Firecrest was filtering through.
When we got to the north end of the wetland we had just missed the Firecrest by ten minutes and were told that it had gone back into deeper cover.
A Yellow Browed Warbler called nearby but never showed so we walked around to the
other side of the willows to get a better angle.
It soon paid off as a Yellow Browed Warbler moved quickly through the trees and out of sight.
Although I did see a bird move through the trees I cannot comfortably say what it was so it looks like I will have to wait for another day to see a Yellow browed.
Whilst it moved through the willows it flushed out a Firecrest – Lifer.

I always thought the day that I saw a Firecrest I would have a new favourite bird and now I do.
We had brilliant views over a half an hour period as the Firecrest moved through the trees, stretched its wings and even stood still on the branches.
At first I could only see its Greenish back and Lemony wash on its breast but once it turned around the fiery crest and black markings on the face were very clear.At one point we though two were present but it turned out to be a Goldcrest, which was even closer, and probably close enough to photograph unlike the Firecrest which was always diving in front of braches at a photographable opportunity.

Glossy Finish

Once again the birding world proved just how quickly it can chance. On Friday afternoon I was at Druridge Pools with SH.
We weren’t looking for anything in particular so when we checked a nearly bird less Druridge I was happy enough to watch an otter, which was showing off in front of the Oddie hide, without knowing that in less than 24 hours the relatively empty Druridge would be full of birders, including me looking for a bird I have always wanted to see.

When the call came the next morning we were straight out and off to Cresswell were the bird had been reported.
Unsure exactly were the Ibis had been seen we were surprised to find what seemed like every birder in Northumberland watching the small pond next to the car park.
We soon saw the Glossy Ibis- Lifer, in the reeds at the back of the pond. I then came out and began wading through the water before showing its Cormorant like flight as it flew out of the reeds, over our heads and landed in a field left of the pond.
We drove to the field and found it being mobbed by Corvids before dropping into a small patch of marshy ground and reeds out of sight.
The Corvids soon chased it from the reeds and we last saw it fly towards Bell’s Pond.

This may be my last post for a while as I am leaving to go to University at Teesside today. My new term time patch will be Saltholme, Dorman’s ect!
Thanks to everybody who has been on the blog and helped me throughout this year, it really has been a much better birding year than I could have ever imagined.