Cattle Egret, Holy Island

Yesterday a Cattle Egret was reported at Holy Island, so today we headed there to try and see it. We were greeted by the news that it was still there but it had wandered into the garden on the Crooked Lonnen. We started to worry we miss it but luckily we didn't have to wait long before we saw it. Over the next hour it showed well abeit distantly and for short periods.

Record shot

The garden which the Cattle Egret was in

The weekend

On Saturday I went to WWT Washington hoping to practice photography, which I did despite the bad weather. At the woodland hide there was a Willow Tit, a Great Spotted Woodpecker, a unusual Pheasant and lots of other common woodland birds. Yesterday I visited the SOC headquarters in Aberlady Bay, East Lothian. I would recommend a visit if you are nearby. Birdwise it was quite quiet though 7+ Velvet Scoters, a Long-tailed Duck and a wader roost containing at least 50 Grey Plover were seen. I didn't take any photos at Aberlady Bay because the weather was extermely poor.

Mandarin

Crane

Ferruginous Ducks

Chilean Flamingo

Asian Short-clawed Otter

Wood Duck & Mandarin

Teeside

A long day at Teeside today resulted in my first Black-throated Diver in England, which came very close to the edge of the marina at Hartlepool before it was flushed by a boat. At Seaton Snook there was 34 Snow Buntings and 16 Twite. On the tip there was 1000s of gulls but unfortunately I couldn't find any white-winged or Caspian Gulls. I also didn't manage to see the Green-winged Teal at Saltholme. A Barn Owl landed extremely close to the road at Greenebella, though unfortunately we were driving.

Black-throated Diver

Snow Buntings

Red-breasted Merganser

Kestrel

Druridge Bay, 2.1.13

A trip to East Chevington this evening was productive especially when we encountered about 3000 Pink-footed Geese in a field opposite the entrance to Druridge Pools, which also held 2 European White-fronted Geese. At Chevington there was no sign of the Smewbut it was reported earlier. Other birds include a Slavonian Grebe, a Long-tailed Duck and 5 Red-breasted Mergansers.

White-fronted Geese (centre of photo)

'Ermine' Stoat and other woodland wildlife

A family trip to Wallington Hall today produced more than I expected, the highlight being a pure white (apart from the tail tip) Stoat from the wildlife hide. It was the first 'ermine' Stoat I had ever seen. Other wildlife seen includes a Great Spotted Woodpecker and many other common birds.

'Ermine' Stoat

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Nuthatch

Long-tailed Tit


 HAPPY NEW YEAR!