Friday 3 September 2010

1/3

Just returned from a third visit to St Mary's for this week. It's the second "dip" on the elusive greenish warbler, and thanks to a price increase by North Tyneside council, I've only wasted £1.20 in parking fees - less than others who have not caught up with this county rare. That's a 1 in 3 strike rate for me so far.

A beautiful morning no less, with common whitethroat and willow warbler in the "gut", sandwich tern off shore and the occasional barn swallow over. Robin "ticking" gave a nice autumn feel to the air.

The East Yorkshire twitch is still on hold (and unlikely to happen) as lateshifts at work and a much looked-forward-to Muse concert in Manchester on Saturday obstruct.

Shifts next week are better for some birding, so if the east coast continues its good run there should hopefully be birds to go and look at...

2 comments:

Stuart Price said...

I can remember a St Marys from when I was at Uni in Newcastle. It's that lighthouse near Whitley Bay right?

I saw a big flock of Purple Sandpiper there one time I recall. I also used to go there to smoke dope and sit on top of the cliffs, it was a long long time ago.

John Malloy said...

yup, thats' the one! It might lok a little different now - big wetland created and the "gut" is full of willows - that's where the greenish was this week.