Short Stories

Its' not been a very SEO winter, so news of returning birds up the coast enabled a post nightshift wander. Up to three in the air at once, parading in front of a steady stream of owlers'... Peregrine stationed on the usual spot too.

Other fodder on ofter - Pacific Diver (awake, contrary to recent reports), Slavonian Grebe, plenty of Great-crested Grebe in their finery, Scaups a many, and a couple of Avocet. 

Little Egret continue nearer home, with 4 on 5th March and 2 on 10th March.

Loon!

Back in 2008 I was fortunate enough to be able to twitch the UKs first Pacific Diver in Yorkshire on 12th January. Roll on nine years and with a handful of other UK records, Northumberland scores one! 

It was cold and frosty morning at East Chevington, and despite sometimes being the closest bird in the north east corner of the pool, the diver was always a tad too distant, as the eastern side was frozen. 

A couple of fly arounds granted opportunity for a  couple of images ...

And I was quite happy with that... so off to the beach for a catch up with the 7 Shorelark - feeding at the burn mouth alone with c45 Twite. Nice day.

Heading back to the car a message came through that the diver had moved to nearby Druridge Bay County Park - it would be rude not to look...

It was apparent that the diver was heading to the western corner, so with some initiative (as many had, it transpires) the camera was set up near the stepping stones. I was quietly optimistic - previous encounters with Black-throated Diver at Tynemouth had been really rewarding, as feeding tended to be close to the edge, fearless of man watching a few feet away.

Bingo - some great views...

patrolling the corner...

diving (as they do)...

Feeding...

Pacific Surf

A walk along the San Francisco harbour front area to Crissy Fields produced some very close viewing of pacific birdlife - including these two fellas' here.

I was lucky enough to see the first UK pacific diver on an old quarry in Yorkshire a few years ago - unfortunately I saw it within a couple of hours of the news being released, so viewing was from a distant roadside prior to the landowners giving permission to view (for a ten quid parking fee) from the waters edge. My twitch companion Mark was boozing abroad at the time, so when he arrived back the following weekend I was able to head back down the road again for another go... annoyingly we had just passed Darlington when the pager informed of the diver flying off high!! So that was the end of that... In San Francisco there were several birds off-shore, the bird photographed here was one of two feeding among the moorings of yachts. Great views and a fantastic opportunity to see the chin-strap up close.

The surf scoter was also feeding among the moorings, I just love the orange on the multi-coloured bill and the piercing eye!