Driving, showers, pedalling and observing

A busy day with lots to do, so some restricted birding ensued, primarily catching up with birds found during the week.

3 cormorants at Arcot were reasonable for January- but little else there.

Green-winged teal at Backworth came with bonus short-eared owl and geese of the barnacle and white-fronted variety.

Up the coast with the crowds... No sign of the Iceland gull at QEII and an apparant miss with the great northern diver at Widdrington (drake scaup) but an seemingly eventual catch up with the water pipit at Druridge. No luck with the LBD

On the sea off Cresswell little of note, red throated diver and common scoter, but later, off Blyth there was a compensatory little auk close in shore.

As the "daylight" faded 2 long-eared owl and a few woodcock bought proceedings to a local end.