Two posts for the price of one

I was out on Thursday with Cain ,(Holywell Birder). We went to Prestwick Carr first in case the eagle had gone back to where it was seen the night before.
After a couple of minutes walking down the bumpy road we refound the eagle flying over the plantation being mobbed by Buzzards.
It flew right over our heads giving some amazing views, it then flew over the goat fields and off towards Dinnington. We lost sight of it soon after as it was mobbed by Corvids.
We tried to refind it but failed.

After this we headed off to Eshott for the Common Crane. After finding the field it was in opposite the entrance to Shaw Farm (no thanks to my shocking map reading skills), it didn't take us long to find the Crane which was in the far corner of the ploughed field. It stayed for a few minutes before being mobbed by Lapwings and flying off into the next field. As it was in the air we could hear it calling.

After a quick stop at Amble where I saw the Mallard x Eider hybrid in the harbour, we went in search of a Black Redstart.
After not finding one at Druridge we tried Whitley Bay cemetry but didn't go in as there was a funeral going on.
Instead we had a good look around Arcot. The three GC Grebes were still on the pond as was a Little Grebe - Patch Tick.

This morning I was out with SH and MH in search of yesterdays Great White Egret- Lifer. We headed to East Chevington South Pool first where it had been reported and just in time managed to see it fly off over the reed bed and land at Druridge Pools.

We checked from the Budge screen and soon relocated the Egret wading through the water at the far right side of the pool.
We watched it for a while as it fished and flew around, I could even see the silvery white plumes on its back.

74 - Little Grebe

Slipped through the net...again

After seeing that a Great White Egret had been reported at Cresswell Pond on birdguides for the second time this year I thought I've got to see this.
I couldn't leave until about half six so I had to pray that it would hang around long enough for me to get a good look.
As I got to Ellington there was a huge sea fret which would make visabillity very difficult but still I stayed positive...until...
As I arrived at Cresswell I could just about see the road in front of me but noticed that the pond was completely covered in fog.
I parked on the road side and walked to the edge of the causeway where it was like a scene from a low budget horror film complete with eerie curlew sound effects.
After about ten minutes the fog lifted a little but still no sign of any Egret.
As I walked up to the hide for one last chance a Barn Owl flew out of the reeds on the small pond and began hunting over the reeds, stopping breifly on a fence post. That made me feel like I hadn't wasted my time completely.
As you can probably guess I saw nothing else due to the fog and went home.
Birds like this mysterious Great White Egret seem to be reported once and then nothing else is heard about them which makes me wonder...