The last of 2015..?

 I had possibly my last visit to the patch in 2015 today. Chevington was first, where the Slavonian Grebe was still on the north pool and the Marsh Harrier was again over the south pool. No sign of the Water Pipit in a brief search. At the Budge Fields the water levels were very high with the 2 drake Pintails being the highlight.

At Druridge Bay Country Park there was no sign of any Iceland Gulls, and the Dowitcher did not appear to be at Cresswell when we were there, just a female Scaup and a brief Pintail. We estimated there were around 4000 Pink-footed Geese in the bay in two main flocks but the best we could find in amongst them was a single Barnacle Goose.

Finally we stopped at a flash just north of Hemscott Hill where we picked up an Iceland Gull in the distance, which was my first on patch despite having seen several Glaucous Gulls there in the past. An adult Mediterranean Gull was also here earlier.

A very distant Iceland Gull behind hundreds of Pink-footed Geese!