A review of my birding during 2014

January
A Great Grey Shrike at Bradbury in Durham was the first notable bird I saw in 2014. The next day I went to Broomhead Reservoir in South Yorkshire to look for Two-barred Crossbills. It was a great success and I saw a minimum of 7 birds, with another 4 probably being different birds. In 2014 it took me just four days to get my first tick, yet in 2013 it took me over four months! Also at Broomhead Reservoir was an adult Kumlien's Gull and a Kittiwake in the Gull roost and 30+ Common Crossbills and a Woodcock in the woods.

On the 11th I saw a Siberian Lesser Whitethroat (blythi) in Tynemouth and a Siberian Chiffchaff at St. Mary's Island. 2 Bitterns were at Gosforth Park the same day.

My first trip around Druridge was on the 19th and was really productive with a Glossy Ibis at Lynemouth, Green-winged Teal and 2 Black-tailed Godwits at Druridge Pools and a Slavonian Grebe at Chevington. 3 Tundra Bean Geese and a Merlin were at Alnmouth on the 26th.

Two-barred Crossbills

Kumlien's Gull

Siberian Lesser Whitethroat

Siberian Chiffchaff

Bittern

Glossy Ibis

Green-winged Teal

Tundra Bean Geese

February
A Grey Phalarope was the highlight of a brilliant days birding on the 1st at Stag Rocks. There also was a Black-throated Diver, Red-necked Grebe and 3 Little Gulls. A brilliant YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER showing well on the 9th at High Shincliffe in Durham was very unexpected and one of the best birds I've ever seen! 3 Waxwings were also seen while we were there.

On the 16th I spent an enjoyable hour photographing Mediterranean Gulls at Newbiggin. I finally managed some really good views of a Caspian Gull, with a first-winter at Nosterfield, North Yorkshire on the 20th.

 I saw the Siberian Lesser Whitethroat in Tynemouth again on the 22nd. A Slavonian Grebe at Warkworth on the 23rd gave absolutely brilliant views, easily my best of this species.

Alright, it's not a bird, but the display from the Northern Lights over Cresswell on the 28th is certainly worth a mention. It was amazing.

At East Chevington throughout the month I saw: a Red-necked Grebe, 2 Slavonian Grebe, 3 Long-tailed Duck, 3 Pintail and a Marsh Harrier.

Grey Phalarope

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Waxwings

Mediterranean Gull

Caspian Gull

Slavonian Grebe

Aurora Borealis, aka the Northern Lights

March
On our first trip out birding in March was on the 2nd when a Red-necked Grebe, 2 Slavonian Grebe, 3 Long-tailed Duck and a Peregrine were all at East Chevington. The first Chiffchaff of the year was singing in Morpeth on the 10th. 2 Mealy Redpolls were at East Chevington on the 16th.

More migrants came on the 23rd with 2 White Wagtails at Low Newton, and a Wheatear was at Newbiggin on the 29th along with 2 Sand Martins at Bothal. 9 Snow Buntings were at Chevington on the 9th along with the Red-necked Grebe.

Snow Bunting

Mealy Redpoll

April
Our first Swallow of the year was at Druridge Pools on the 5th, with a Ruff and 8 Black-tailed Godwits also on the pool. A Black Redstart was at Blyth the same day as was a Great Northern Diver.

The first proper good bird of April was the drake Ferruginous Duck at Gosforth Park on the 8th. 4 Ruff were at Druridge Pools the same day with a White Wagtail, and a Egyptian Goose and Black-throated Diver at Chevington. Another White Wagtail was at Low Newton on the 11th.

2 Adders were at Branton Gravel Pits, and 4 Ring Ouzels and 3 Wheatear were at Harthope later in the day. On the 15th a Bearded Tit was heard at Chevington, and a Redstart and Yellow Wagtail were at Beacon Hill.

A summer plumage Black-necked Grebe was nice to see at Chevington on the 19th as were 2 Grasshopper Warblers. A Garganey was at Druridge Pools with 2 Yellow Wagtails the same day.

Migrants on Holy Island on the 26th included a Pied Flycatcher, Redstart, Ring Ouzel and 8 White Wagtails. A female Scaup was at Cresswell on the 27th as well as a Great White Egret at Bell's Pond.

Ferruginous Duck

Egyptian Goose

Adder

Ring Ouzel

White Wagtail

Great White Egret

May
Whilst dipping the Newbiggin Easter Bonelli's on 3rd, a Crane flew over, which was nice to see. On the 5th we made our annual trip to Allen Banks, and we got great views of a Wood Warbler, 5+ Pied Flycatcher and 4+ Redstart, and on the way home a female Woodchat Shrike near Druridge Pool provided a good county tick.

2 drake Garganey were at Bothal on 7th. On the 10th I saw my first Lesser Yellowlegs since 2008, with an adult at Beadnell. A Pectoral Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper and and 4 Garganey were at Hoppen Kiln Flash also on the 10th.

A family holiday to the Suffolk coast from the 24th to the 29th allowed me to get my 2014 target: Woodlark. Also in Suffolk we got great views of Hobbies, Bitterns, Dartford Warblers, Bearded Tits, Cetti's Warblers, Marsh Harriers and Green Woodpeckers, as well as singles of Red-backed Shrike and Spoonbill.

On the way home 2 Bee-eaters at South Gare provided great views on the 29th.

Wood Warbler

Pied Flycatcher

Woodchat Shrike

Lesser Yellowlegs

Woodlark

Hobby

Dartford Warbler

Bittern

Red-backed Shrike

Bee-eater

June
June got underway with 3 Black-necked Grebes on my patch at Bothal Pond on the 3rd. I didn't release the news at the time because two of the birds were paired up and looked like the might stay and breed at one point but unfortunately they didn't. The next day I got some good views of a silent Great Reed Warbler at Cresswell.

A drake Ruddy Duck was at Bothal on the 16th. On the 21st 2 Barn Owls, a Mediterranean Gull and 8 Little Gulls were at Cresswell, and 4 Spoonbills were at Druridge Pools.

Black-necked Grebes

 Great Reed Warbler

Ruddy Duck

July
On the 5th an adult BLACK-WINGED PRATINCOLE gave great scope views at Hurworth Burn Reservoir, and a Spoonbill was at Cresswell on the 13th. I managed to add Nightjar to my Northumberland list on 21st, and the next day a Wood Sandpiper was at Bothal Pond.

Remarkably I managed to see another species of pratincole on the 28th; this time a Collared Pratincole which showed brilliantly at Castle Island, and the next day I saw an adult Stilt Sandpiper at Cresswell! It was still present on the 30th along with 2 Spoonbills.

Black-winged Pratincole

Collared Pratincole

Stilt Sandpiper

August
We spent the first week of August in Gairloch, Scotland where the highlights included: 9 Black-throated Divers, 8 Black Guillemot, 50+ Storm Petrel, Golden-ringed Dragonfly, Azure Hawker, Pine Marten and 2 Minke Whales.

On the 12th we saw the colour-ringed Caspian Gull in Amble Harbour which provided some great views. A Spotted Redshank was also at Cresswell Pond and 10 Ruff were at Bothal Pond. A juvenile Black Tern flew past Snab Point on the 18th and another flew past Newbiggin on the 26th.

My highlight of the year came on the 19th when I picked up a Great Shearwater flying north past Newbiggin at very close range, a species which I've always hoped to see. 2 Sooty Shearwaters also flew past on the 19th.

Holy Island was quiet on the 28th with just 3 Pied Flycatchers and a Cuckoo, but we saw an adult Pectoral Sandpiper on the way home at North Charlton Flash which made up for it. 2 Little Stints showed down to just a couple of metres at Cresswell on the 31st.

Golden-ringed Dragonfly

 

Pine Marten (photographed by a relative)

 

Minke Whale

Storm Petrel

Caspian Gull

Pectoral Sandpiper

Little Stint

September
On the 6th we saw a total of 104 Ruff at Low Newton which was quite impressive! Also on the scrapes were 9 Curlew Sandpipers, 2 Little Stint and 16 Black-tailed Godwit.

A Wryneck at Hadston on the 7th was the first bird in a great few weeks for us...

Next up was a showy Red-breasted Flycatcher at Druridge Pools on the 15th. On the 20th we had an absolutely brilliant day on Holy Island where the highlights included: a first-winter male Siberian Stonechat, a Barred Warbler, a Firecrest, a Red-backed Shrike, 2 Yellow-browed Warblers and a Hen Harrier. On the way home we saw another showy and vocal Red-breasted Flycatcher at Low Newton. Finally on the 21st I saw my most wanted bird at Newbiggin; an awesome FEA'S PETREL!

Wryneck

Red-breasted Flycatcher

Siberian Stonechat, Reed Bunting and Red-backed Shrike!

Firecrest

Yellow-browed Warbler

October
On the 11th we saw a confiding Yellow-browed Warbler at Cresswell and an equally confiding Shore Lark at Chevington. I got my final lifer of the year in Sunderland on the 18th in the form of a brilliantly showy Olive-backed Pipit. Amongst a large fall of thrushes, a Black Redstart, Yellow-browed Warbler and Siberian Chiffchaff were on Holy Island on the 30th.

A winter plumage Spotted Redshank was at Chevington on the 31st.

Yellow-browed Warbler

Shore Lark

Olive-backed Pipit

November
3 Snow Buntings were at Chevington on the 8th along with a Little Gull offshore. Another 3 Snow Buntings flew over Newbiggin the next day and a Little Auk and 8 Little Gulls were off Snab Point. I eventually caught up with a Rough-legged Buzzard during this autumn's influx with two birds in the Harthope area.

A Richard's Pipit was at Low Newton the next day. On the 22nd a Hume's Warbler gave super views in Brier Dene and allowed for some sound-recordings, and a Lapland Bunting and 8 Twite were on the beach at Chevington the next day. Finally 3 Black Redstarts were at Newbiggin.

Under-exposed Rough-legged Buzzard

Richard's Pipit

Hume's Warbler

December
My latest ever Sooty Shearwater passed Chevington on the 6th, and a Black-necked Grebe was at QEll as well as a Great Grey Shrike at West Hartford on the 20th. A Hen Harrier was behind Widdrington Moor Lake on the 23rd, and a second-winter Iceland Gull rounded off the year at North Shield Fish Quay.

Black-necked Grebe

Great Grey Shrike

Iceland Gull

Total (2013 total: 231)
Overall: 234 (Including 10 BB Rarities: Two-barred Crossbill, YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER, Lesser Yellowlegs, Great Reed Warbler, BLACK-WINGED PRATINCOLE, Collared Pratincole, Stilt Sandpiper, Siberian Stonechat, FEA'S PETREL, Hume's Warbler)

Top 5 birds of the year

1. Great Shearwater - Newbiggin - August
2. FEA'S PETREL - Newbiggin - September
3. Collared Pratincole - Castle Island - July
4. Hume's Warbler - Brier Dene - November
5. Two-barred Crossbills (x11) - Broomhead Reservoir - January 
   

Good self-finds in 2013 (A combined list of me and my Dad)
Crane, Spoonbill, Black-necked Grebe (x3), Ruddy Duck!, Storm Petrels, Great Shearwater, Lapland Bunting.

Not nearly as good as last year in terms of finds!

Targets for 2014
Add Bluethroat to my county list as well as hopefully finding something good! I also wouldn't mind a Red-rumped Swallow...

Happy New Year!