Spotting Gulls

A timely exit from work on Monday coincided with news that there was a Spotted Sandpiper nearby at Jarrow - fortuitous that the trusty Bins' are living in the car, I headed straight there.

As the working week progressed news broke of something much more meaty - in the form of two Gull-billed Terns, inland at Haughton Strother GP. Further, they'd been there since the start of the month!

Lots of discussion on Twitter and the like suggested that parking was to be interesting and that views would be distant - and indeed, Friday afternoons trip there confirmed that to be the case. However, a full fat UK and County tick for me, so more than content. Some incredible iPhone hand held to 'scope images follow...

All pictures video-stills!

Terns photographed on the island!

Dot more apt than Spot

Nice to catch up with a spotty Spotted Sandpiper at Hauxley today. Bit distant for the camera, one for digi-scopers.

Spotty!

News of an adult spotted sandpiper was a pleasant surprise upon arriving home from the Arcot sandpiper fest. Some considerable pondering ensued as a day in the garden had been agreed earlier. Fast forward a couple of hours and I'd cracked, so northwards it was to the "foxton bend" of the river Aln. A small group were already present and a little while later the spotted sandpiper was back on view, on a discrete part of the river - well done to the finder!

Too far for a conventional camera, it was James who kindly took an image with the iPhone - a record of sorts....

A county tick for me (having only seen the Derwent Reservoir bird on the Durham shore)... So a bit of a bonus sandpiper for today.

Non-hummers

A few images from the recent trip to St Lucia. Birding was restricted to the lush resort grounds, limited by the temptation to relax in the heat!

A frustrating trip with regards to the endemic St Lucia Warbler - not taking a flash-gun prevented any decent images as the species stuck to shade - but was extremely confiding...

Of the 3 hummingbird species seen, two were photographed - they'll appear in another post.

Mangrove Cuckoo - easier to find in St Lucia than Florida!

Carib Grackle

Zenaida Dove

Spotted Sandpiper - obliging as they are...

St Lucia Warbler - a stunning species

As if to tease... St Lucia Warbler above my head in the dark...

Green Heron - immature taking a lizard sp.

Lesser Antillian Bullfinch

Little Blue Heron - feeding at sunset below our bungalow