The small biggie.

A quiet June for me -  predominanly lacking luck:

Great Reed Warbler - dipped on the flowing morning
Black-winged Pratincole - like many, arrived in the Bay to late.

Highlights? Few and far between - The Great White Egret at Hauxley was nice (along with the weird goose assemblage), local Bearded Tit, Spoonbills, Little Egrets, Barn Owls and Little Gulls all nice.

Strangely the "biggie" was a "little-y" - after the fluke trip to Manchester last month coinciding with the Elton Reservoir Little Bittern, this morning saw me on vigil at Gosforth Park, a few mere miles from home watching, albeit brief, another fine male Little Bittern flying access the lake.


No smell of roses at Byker, I failed to locate the rose-coloured starling mid morning... perhaps it will be re-located.

Ferruginous Luck

After Sundays belated news of a possible drake Ferruginous Duck at Gosforth Park, it was a pleasant surprise to hear that it was still there today.

A nice bright sunny afternoon and a little wait before reasonable views on the main pool. A tricky county bird, only my second, the last being way back in the 1980s!

Pictures with the digital "bridge" camera...

Whoopie-do

A cold morning checking out some local spots with Mark. Jack Snipe easy at the first port of call, while Holywell was not so productive - no sign of the pink foot flock, and subsequently no tundra bean to be seen. Tree sparrow was new for the year.

Killingworth produce the tame whooper swan but the was no sign if any goosander or great crested grebe.

Gosforth Park was our final stop, with the woodland providing nuthatch and jay, while on the pools/reedbed, a single brief water rail was the highlight along with plenty of snipe.

Still lots of omissions to the January list, so lots of reasons to keep going out...

Marching On

A quiet Saturday morning was spent at Gosforth Park with Mark - little to report, with no sign of any bittern in gloomy conditions. Water rail were heard on a couple of occassions, and the pool was largley occupied by wigeon and teal. Maybe the otter that was patrolling the pool kept the goodies at bay?

The feeding station was busy, with everything to be expected being there...

Wallsend Swallow Pond didnt contain any white-wingers on a quick pitstop.