Seconds and thirds...

An unexpected opportunity to see the Baikal Teal again - initially at East Chevington - matching the Hornsea viewing for distant views, then slightly better a day later on the Budge fields at Druridge...

Second helpings...

Armed with the trusty DSLR and a cheeky use of the 2.0 extender, combined with a dash of patience...

A taste of the Med.

An unexpected catch back on the few fortunate to be at East Chevington last weekend, with a mid afternoon re-visit of Bee-eater to Druridge!

Initially not present, the bird flew back in from the north calling to announce its presence as heavy rain subsided. A second county tick for me in a week, following Cetti's Warbler at East Chevington.

Only had my Bins, but not long after folk arrived with scopes, and then finally, Ian Fisher, who kindly lent me a memory card to take some of my own pics through his camera...

DSLR

The Crowd, The Sun, The Tree, The Bee-eater!

iPhone and Bins

iPhone and handheld telescope

DSLR

You're

Barred...

Legs and Co

Entirely unexpected, not the bird, the views.

"Showing Well"

mmm...

Still, nice to get another go at the Stilt Sandpiper this morning, tucked in with Lapwing on the Budge Field. A few Snipe and  a Little Egret too.

Time for a quick chat

Delighted to finally add Woodchat Shrike to my County list this afternoon - a species I've seen three times in neighbouring Durham and others elsewhere. Albeit very distant, and a record shot only through the scope at x70 with an iPhone on full digital zoom too...

Cracking bird!

Close by even worse pictures were taken of the great white egret at Druridge (most certainly a different bird to the one I found at Arcot last month), I'll spare readers of those atrocities, it was bad enough last time...

Some nice views of both yellow wagtail and whimbrel too.

"L"easter Sunday

With the moderate success of Saturday I headed out round the doors early again today. Noticeably cooler early on, and stops at both West Hartford and Arcot were devoid of any interest.

Up the coast, Druridge was apparently garganey-less though there were plenty of shoveler...

East Chevington eventually yielded the summer plumage black-necked grebe, one of three species available, with little and perhaps six great-crested too. An immature male marsh harrier drifted through, but hoped for sandwich tern etc were elsewhere.

Cresswell pitstop on the way home enabled two avocet to be added to the Northumberland year-list.

Reports of 2 common crane flying north got me back out at 1230, and an optimistic attempt to pick them up over West Hartford was soon kicked out of me, though the temperature had increased a bit.

Late afternoon provided another opportunity to confirm that there wasn't a great deal to see or hear at both West Hartford and Arcot, with highlights being 10+ sand martin, ever increasing numbers of willow warbler and the prospect of booze back at home this evening...

Mobile birding

A day out with Mark on a dull, cold and wet January Saturday.

Nothing in the way of decent light for photography, so the scope was brought out instead of the SLR camera. First stop was Tynemouth so Mark could catch up with the increasingly promising Lesser Whitethroat - trapped during the week, so hopefully conclusive DNA results will determine it's origin. Complemented visit with some delicious cake courtesy of Celia and a nice catch up with Colin. Some great views of the Lesser Whitethroat on the close feeding station too...

Onwards to the Tyne Tunnel and eventually, albeit in slow traffic, to Boldon. The two Glossy Ibis were still present and despite some attempts with the iPhone to photograph them, the video function prove to be better in the blustering conditions - 17 seconds of ibis action below!

Northwards after this to beloved Amble for "refreshments", via an unsuccessful stop at Woodhorn for the Greenland White-fronts. Not to worry, the chip shop was open at Amble, where from we headed back down the coast in a race against fading light.

East Chevington came up trumps with the Slavonian Grebe on the north pool, three Long-tailed Duck, hods of Goldeneye and an otter.

Druridge Pools continued to hold Green-winged Teal, my first for a few years so appreciated. In addition, Pintail, Shoveler, lots of Wigeon, and among the Redshank, a single Black-tailed Godwit.

Green-winged Teal, Druridge.

We casually checked the flooded fields to the south of Blakemoor Farm (Cresswell) just after 15:00 - no sign of the Friday single Glossy Ibis, just a Grey Heron. The fields in the general area look good for any Ibis that chooses to linger, and it wasn't with much surprise to find that it was reported again at 15:30 - Cresswell Hall Farm this time.

A cheeky check of the River Blyth didn't produce Great Northern Diver, but the final stop at Horton Burn (east end) did hold a Kingfisher (and Moorhen!).

And that was that - dusk twists into night and another day birding ceases...

Sub-standard

News of a sub-alpine warbler at Druridge brightened the end of another week of early shift - Phil and I arrived mid-afternoon in the mist and were rewarded with a fleeting glimpses in the buckthorns.

Sub-standard picture of the sub-alpine warbler through the mist

A little later the active warbler headed north up the dunes, and gave frustratingly obscured views in a lone hawthorn just off the old mining access road...

Damn those pesky leaves...

The good birding continues... it will be interesting to see what the weekend brings. Or not.

Cor!

Corvids to be precise - hooded crow was a handy year tick today, having not yet ventured out of the county for 2012 birding. Not the easiest species to catch up with, so a bonus during a visit to Druridge Bay.

First stop had been at Woodhorn where a great grey shrike had been showing in the hedge near the church. I arrived ten minutes after it had lifted and flown over the road to the north.

Dipping continued at Druridge pools - I failed to locate the drake garganey, but a female marsh harrier gave decent views.

The hooded crow was next to Hemscott Hill and took an age to come into photographable range - it was nice light,  not that the heat haze helped at all... A single sand martin flew through while I waited and flooded fields to the north held black-tailed godwit.

Meanwhile at Cresswell, 4 avocet fed in the northern part of the pool, and a male wheatear fed next to the path.

An alert of a male siberian stonechat on Holy Island was tempting (I still need this for Northumberland), but the timing wasn't quite right for a trip today...

Loose Goose

A quick scout around the Druridge area was good for geese with grey lag, canada, pink footed, European white fronted, 3 tundra bean and the wayward (?) ross's goose all picked with relative ease. The latter was distant at East Chevington with the large pink footed flock, while nearby at at Maiden Hall three tundra bean were on the edge of the impressive European white fronted and pink footed gathering.

Three short eared owl noted, with 2 at East Chevington and a single at Druridge.

Dull Day?

Headed north mid morning for a very rough circuit of Druridge Bay.

A brief stop at QEII park, Ashington was rewarding with good numbers of gulls (nothing unusual amonst them), great crested and little grebe, many coot, tufted duck, wigeon, goldeneye and a single whooper swan with the mutes.

The sight of a couple of hundred geese flying off from the West Chevington / Maiden Hall Lake area was not promising, but alas, the main target was still present just west of the "mound"... two bewick's swan. Always tough to get up here, this duo appear to be possibly birds 5 & 6 of the winter, with the Big Waters/Arcot and Ellington bird being two adults. I'd not seen a juvenile quite like this one, the pinkish toned bill was a surprise.

Druridge Bay County Park provided my first smew of the winter - three duck types - all out of camera range.

Onwards to East Chevington and "a missed by a few minutes" bittern made the cold feel ever so slightly colder. The hat and gloves remained nice and warm in the car. A single slavonian grebe frequented the northern part of the north pool, while lake fodder comprised of grey-lag geese, wigeon, tufted duck, a single drake gooseander, cormorant etc.

Pointing the car south towards Cresswell the journey was interrupted by a quick stop near Bells Farm - the pink-footed goose flock were close to the road, and a party of twite (maybe fifty birds) buzzed over the dunes.

An inspection of the goose flock ensued, and much to my surprise, and subsequent fumble into the cars boot, two tundra bean geese were effectively the closest birds to the road!

The clicking of the camera shutter wasn't favoured and the closest group moved into the centre of the field... the photograph below illustrates the darker backed bean geese and thinner white trailing tail tip nicely with the flying pink-foot.

Cresswell was well worth it's visit. Pretty much as soon as I arrived a male pheasant did the decent thing, flushing the jack snipe out of the reeds and onto the sandbank in front of the hide. All too quick for the camera though. Bizarrely the pheasant took a strong dislike to the miniature snipe, and proceeded to ruffle itself up and chase the jack snipe back into the reeds!

Waterfowl were good too... a single drake scaup fed on the pools southern edge, along with tufted duck and some very smart red-breasted merganser and goosander. Early afternoon had completed the triple sawbill fix.

Over the dunes two short-eared owl had been observed from the hide - and the return to the car was delayed as they grappled over dunes-rights. I'm pretty pleased with the "grab" shot below...

Meanwhile a pair of stonechat worked the road edge - the recent hard winters have taken their toll on this species, so it was good to see a pair.

With the 'Bay pretty much cleaned up I headed back towards home - two attempts at black redstart (Newbiggin and North Blyth) were fruitless ~ though Mediterranean gulls at the former always add value to a stop.

West Hartford was the final destination as the dull afternoon progressed to dusk. Two fox were a bonus as they chased each other round the fields - the dog stayed put long enough for a photo. It was intriguing to watch them hunt - pouncing into the grass tufts and digging down into the ground.

Three more short-eared owl put the day tally to five ~ a quick flypast gave another record shot. Bit of an odd day photographically - every shot posted was hand held!

Greater Yellowlegs, Druridge Bay CP, 17 Nov 11

An unexpected bonus on the way back from Holy Island - the light wasn't great, but it was a chance to get my own record images. Hoping it continues to like Hauxley on days with good light...

Cross, east, greater then waxy!

A quick textual update, as another busy day continues to thwart any efforts to edit photographs taken. Started the day well, with flyover crossbill while replenishing the garden bird feeders - a belated Cramlington tick for me! News that the "eastern" black redstart was stills present on Holy island had me heading north on a lovely mild winter day. A chance bump into AC on the road in to the village provided opportunity to return the loan memory card from the recent firecrest fiasco, and prompted a quick about turn to walk in the correct direction to the ebred. What a stunner it was too, looking forward to uploading some images here... The journey back was interrupted by the news that the AWOL greater yellowlegs had been relocated on Druridge Bay CP - twenty minutes later I was there... But views were distant. Some field craft ensued and I eventually got within photographable distance, tho light was fading (14:15!!!). Bizarrely the better images taken were of it on the grassy footpath that encircles the artificial lake! Arriving home the familiar trill of waxwing welcomed me as I unpacked the car - 28 today perched in trees adjacent BSHQ... Pics soon...

Spoooonbill

Four spoonbill graced Druridge today - so I headed up for a look this afternoon after an early-shift at work. A little distant on the budge field, and amazingly they were awake for some of my visit.

Meanwhile at West Hartford this evening 2, then 4 ringed plover were joined by a single little-ringed plover ~ nice to catch one here in the Spring...

Whoopee do...

Took what seems to be an ever decreasingly frequent trip up the coast this morning... and there was very little to see! No sign of the waxwing at Ashington, or any smew at Druridge Bay Country Park. Two set of 4 whooper swan were noted though - on Cresswell and just up the road from Druridge. Chips at Amble and a couple of brambling saved the day, again!

Smew & little else...



A late afternoon trip up the coast resulted in little of note for Druridge Bay: no sign of the smew pair at QEII, but success at Druridge Bay Country Park ~ the pair were picked up quite easily from the water sport car park. Photographically too distant, so it's a record shot of the smart drake...

West Hartford was showing signs of sprint - 11 oystercatcher, 3 curlew and two pairs of shelduck.

There could be sand martin by the month end!

Brambling

I headed up the coast this afternoon, taking advantage of some nice sunshine and a late start to the working week. Stopping off at Woodhorn there was no sign of any white-fronted geese on the pools or surrounding fields, tho a bathing peregrine near the power station was a bonus.

Cresswell was extremely quiet, with only shelduck and lapwing being noted from the roadside!

The action, so to speak, was further north at Druridge Bay Country Park. From the water-sport end of the pool there were many mallard, some coot and moorhen, a few tufted duck, golden-eye and red-breasted merganser. At the visitor centre the feeding station was very busy - primarily with siskin, coal tit, blue tit, great tit and greenfinch. Foraging below, chaffinch and some brambling. While this was all well and good, the birds were a tad distant for the camera - so after a brief wander and eventual re-position in the car, I set up next to the secondary feeding station - some feeders next to the turning circle beyond the main car park.

This prove to be a good location - the afternoon sun was perfectly positioned to light the feeders and there were plenty of brambling feeding in the area (and I was able to sit in the warmth of the car!). While it would have been tempting and easier to photograph them on the feeders, I opted to try and get some images as the birds worked their way to the food.

By late afternoon it was time to head back - via West Hartford. Recent reports have suggested that short-eared owl are back - not today, just a couple of shelduck on the pool and plumiting temperatures!

More Sykes

Alternative sykes images from the northern isles ~ http://burravoebirding.blogspot.com/

Nice comparison, albeit a more accommodating bird.

Hadston Hippo

Record shots from this mornings trip to Hadston to see the reported Sykes Warbler... Left the tripod in the car as it had been very elusive earlier on in the morning ~ all shots hand held, 500mm, ISO 1250 ~ it was very dull and cold! cropped images below are at 100% size, hopefully can contribute to the correct id of the species... booted / sykes are incredibly hard to separate & I'm not in any position to judge!!

I hear that it has showed better now that the sun is out ~ expect to see much better images to appear from others on other websites etc...