Blyth Atlas and more

I went out with Lindsay McDougall yesterday to do a Webs count and Atlas for the Blyth Estuary and Blyth Area.
We started at the Kitty Brewster end of the estuary were 2 Common Terns and a hand full of Gull were all that was around.
From the Sleekburn end a family party of five Pied Wagtail were on the grass opposite the factories.
Despite it being low tide there was a lack of waders with only 1 Ringed Plover on the mud, a huge change from the 222 there the other week.

On the Bates Filtration Pools there were Reed Bunting, Linnet, Skylark and Meadow Pipit on the waste land surrounding the pools and 3 LBB Gulls on the main pool also 10 Mallards circled the overhead.

We did the Atlas square around Ridley Park were we relied on sounds rather than sight.
A couple of Kittiwakes and GBB Gulls were all that there was in the harbour.

Next we went to Newsham Pond, a site which could be easily overlooked if you didn’t know it was there. Although the pond is mainly for fishing, Mute Swan. Moorhen with young and Mallard were still on the water.
Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler and Whitethroat were singing in the trees surrounding the pond, not bad for being in the middle of a housing estate.

We moved on quickly from Laverock Hall Pond, as it was too overgrown to see anything surrounding the pond so we went to Seghill N.R instead.

The reeds were to overgrown to see the water from the hide so we listened for Reed Warbler from the other side of the pond.
Three Reed Warbler were singing in the reeds along with 2 Sedge. 2 Bullfinch were around the back of the pond and a Cormorant landed on the water after circling for a while, probably trying to find the water.
At Arcot Pond nothing new was seen from the night before apart from a female Pochard with four young swimming across the pond.

Local patch

With petrol prices rising I didn't have the luxury of going to Cresswell or Druridge ect so decided to look around my local patch for a change, something which I should be doing more often.
I had planned to go to Arcot Pond, West Hartford and Laverock Hall Farm Pond but the weather dedcided that I was only going to go to West hartford.
I spent about 30 minutes at the main flash and managed to see 40+ Lapwing some with young, 6 Oystercatcher, 1 Herring Gull, 1 BH Gull, 3 LBB Gull, 1GBB Gull, 1 Moorhen, 7 Skylark and 3 Rook.
On my way home I checked the marsh field and saw 1 single tiny Moorhen chick which was swimming on a small puddle before it stopped and stared at me for about two minutes it then dissapeard into the reeds where I heard the parent calling. I also heard at least 2 Teal in amongst the reeds.