Druridge delivers... again!

After dipping it last night we were really pleased to get some good views of the Spotted Crake at Druridge Pools this morning. It takes me to within just one point of my final Patchwork Challenge score from last year...

Other birds at Druridge Pools recently have included the White-rumped Sandpiper (until a couple of days ago), Green Sandpiper, 90+ Black-tailed Godwits, a few Ruff and lots of Dunlin.

Spotted Crake

Little Stint - photographed at Cresswell and seen at Druridge Pools the same day

Juvenile Garganey

Decent...

We've had a couple of mornings out since returning from the Outer Hebrides. This morning a seawatch at Newbiggin was quiet with the highlights being a group of three Velvet Scoters and a dozen Manx Shearwaters.

On our way to Druridge Pools, a stop at the north end of Cresswell produced the adult White-rumped Sandpiper on the beach opposite. Upon reaching the Budge Fields, the number of Black-tailed Godwits had increased to 56.

There was a greater variety here on Monday, including a Spotted Redshank, 3 Green Sandpipers, a Wood Sandpiper and a juvenile Garganey.

Finally, at Hadston it felt a bit like autumn with a Redstart among a few phylloscs and Robins flitting around the hawthorns...

Redstart

White-rumped Sandpiper - not quite the kind of views we had a week ago on North Uist but still good to see!

Great Skua passing Newbiggin

Whitethroat

Sparrowhawk - briefly sat on a fence post just metres from the Budge Screen!

Great start to July...

I have to say we didn't really have great expectations for today when we first set off, but it turned out to be a really good day of summer birding...

First up was Druridge Pools (via Bell's Farm where there was a couple of Little Gulls). A Green Sandpiper was showing well in front of the screen and the number of Black-tailed Godwits had increased to 19. The three Spoonbills also flew off heading west. We then heard news of a possible Pacific Golden Plover, so, given it would be a lifer for both of us and presented a bit of an ID challenge, we decided to go for a look. My dad may also be able to catch up with the Corn Bunting...

Unfortunately it was quickly apparent when we arrived that our target was no longer in the Golden Plover flock, but the lingering second-summer Glaucous Gull was snoozing on the rocks and the Corn Bunting was still around.

Just as we were getting ready to leave, news came on of a White-winged Black Tern at Chevington so we headed back that way. By the time we got to the bay, the stunning adult summer White-winged Black Tern had moved to Druridge Pools where it showed nicely on and off for the next hour or so. Such good birds! Two Greenshank and a Ruff also appeared here.

Finally we had a look for orchids in the dunes at Chevington, which resulted in 5 different types being seen, and we also got onto a Red Kite moving inland which had been spotted just to the north by other observers, providing me with a very welcome patch tick!

Other good birds seen today included Avocets, Little Ringed Plovers, Common Sandpipers and a Little Owl.

PWC 2017
Species: 156
Points: 218

White-winged Black Tern

Red Kite

Mallorca - Birding at Albufera (Part one)

On our second day we spent the morning at the Albufera Marshes - one of the most important wetlands in the whole of the Mediterranean. Our target for the day was the Moustached Warblers, which despite having several hundred birds around the reserve, we had been told could be quite difficult to see.

After stopping to have a look at the Cattle Egret and Night Heron colony along the main canal (Night Heron was a long awaited lifer for me!), we reached the start of the Ses Puntes track. And there was a Moustached Warbler! We found them surprisingly easy to find, and were able to watch at least two birds both up close as well as more distantly through the scope over the next half hour.

A Water Pipit flew over the track on while we were on our way to the next hide; Cibollar 1. An excellent selection of waders were present on the muddy pools, including...

25+ Spotted Redshank
12+ Green Sandpiper
20+ Wood Sandpiper - some walked to within a few metres of the hide!
1 Redshank
1 Ringed Plover
25+ Kentish Plover
5+ Little Ringed Plover
1 Greenshank
20+ Avocet
40+ Black-winged Stilt
1 Common Sandpiper

Other birds from here included a Great White Egret, 3 Garganey, a Booted Eagle and 2 Purple Heron, while a Nightingale was singing behind the hide!

The area around the Sa Roca hide provided us with our first two Balearic Woodchat Shrikes of the trip, along with a Great Reed Warbler and a Black Redstart.

Other stuff around the reserve included good numbers of Fan-tailed, Sardinian and Cetti's Warblers, a couple of Purple Swamphen and Red-knobbed Coots and a few Marsh Harriers.

My next post will be about the Fermentor peninsula, including the Mallorcan speciality that is Balearic Warbler.

Moustached Warbler

Night Heron

Wood Sandpiper

Wood and Green Sandpipers

Hoopoe

Cattle Egret

Balearic Woodchat Shrike

Red-knobbed Coot

Green-eyed (Norfolk) Hawker

Wild weather goose chase...

Went out this morning with the intention of checking some local goose flocks. First we headed to Longhirst where my dad had seen a large flock of Pink-feet yesterday afternoon. There were a lot less Pink-feet today, but the small flock of around 100 PFG did contain 3 Tundra Bean Geese, a single adult Greenland White-fronted Goose and 18 adult Europeans. We were able to watch them at close range from the car and in nice flat light and a Green Sandpiper also flew off the flooded fields - my first winter record in the county. A good start to the day!

Next to Druridge where we discovered another flock of around 100 Pink-feet in the fields just west of the coal road. Here was another 5 Tundra Bean Geese and 7 more Euro White-fronts. The weather now closed in so we headed home.

Tundra Bean Geese

Greenland White-front with European White-fronts

European White-fronted Geese

Great White hat-trick

The highlight of this morning's birding was a Great White Egret at Druridge Pools which was our third of the year. Other birds here included a Little Stint, 2 Curlew Sandpipers, 3 Black-tailed Godwit, a Greenshank and Bar-tailed Godwit as well as 3 Little Egrets.

A further 14 Little Egrets were at Cresswell along with 3 at Amble and 6 at Castle Island. Other birds at Cresswell Pond included 4 Greenshank, a Common Sandpiper and 2 Black-tailed Godwits. 5 more Black-tailed Godwits came in off the sea here and continued west. While Castle Island held 3 Ruff and 20 Black-tailed Godwits.

A flock of 12 Ruff were stood ankle deep in water at the south end of the north pool at Chevington so hopefully some mud may appear there soon. 4 Pintail were also here.

The water level at Bothal Pond is starting to look good and it had attracted a juvenile Little Ringed Plover, Ringed Plover, Ruff, Green Sandpiper as well as 5 Dunlin and 5 Black-tailed Godwits when we visited today.

Great White Egret

Saltholme

We were visiting relatives on Teesside this afternoon so decided to leave a bit early and stop at RSPB Saltholme on the way. Before we arrived a Marsh Harrier flew west over our car on the A689 near Wynyard.

On reaching the reserve we headed to the Saltholme Pools Hide where 3 Little Stints were feeding in front of the hide, however two of these birds flew off. At least 15 Black-tailed Godwits, 7 Ruff and 10 Little Egrets were also visible from here along with 2 Pintail and a juvenile Garganey.

Someone strimming in front of the Phil Stead Hide meant that no birds were on show from here, however 2 Greenshank were on the Fire Station Fields along with 2 Green Sandpipers which flew towards the visitor centre.

Our final stop was the hide at Dorman's Pool. A further 6 juvenile Little Stints were here along with 4 juvenile Little Ringed Plovers, 7 Ruff and 2 Black Swan.

Waders still on the up..

3 Curlew Sandpipers at Cresswell Pond this morning were our first in Northumberland since September 2014 and we beat our record county Little Egret again with 16 at Cresswell this morning along with 25+ Black-tailed Godwit (several flocks flew over without stopping), 2 Knot, 4 Greenshank, 3 Common Sandpiper, 2 Avocet, a Water Rail and a Mediterranean Gulls also at the pond. A large flock of Black-headed Gulls visible in the distance from the car parking area held at least 30 more Mediterranean Gulls.

One of the first birds I looked at from the Budge Screen was a Wood Sandpiper in the north-east corner of the Budge Fields and it disappeared into the grass after a few seconds. We later walked along the path to the two hides and saw the Wood Sand again from here While we were stood here a Sparrowhawk flew over flushing the waders, most of which landed back on the fields, so we headed back to the screen. There were now 4 juvenile Little Stints walking around together (although quickly split up again), at least 22 Ruff, 25 Dunlin, 4 Black-tailed Godwits and a fly over Greenshank. It's amazing how many waders can stay invisible in the tussocks. We were also quite surprised to see a female Goosander land in front of the Budge Screen. They occasionally visit the big pool but we've never seen one actually on the Budge Fields before! 3 Common Sandpipers on the north pool were our first on the ground on the patch this year.

Our final stop was Castle Island where the water levels were unfortunately back to normal, though there was still good numbers of waders including a Curlew Sandpiper, Little Ringed Plover, Green Sandpiper, 29+ Black-tailed Godwit and 6 Common Sandpipers along with 6 Little Egret.

PWC 2016
Species: 152
Points: 199

Two of the Curlew Sandpipers at Cresswell

Goosander - unusual habitat!

Waders on the move...

Our first stop was Chevington this morning to look for terns at the burn mouth but unfortunately the beach was tern-free and the north pool. Sadly the water level looks to high here to attract any rarities this autumn.

Druridge Pools is looking much better and today there were 6+ Ruff (there had been 10 yesterday evening), 8 Black-tailed Godwit, flyover Greenshank and Yellow Wagtail as well as a Goldeneye on the big pool. We were also a bit surprised to see a flock of 7 Pintail drop onto the big pool. They had a short bathe before flying off north - fresh in?

Cresswell Pond once gain held 7 Little Egrets however today this included a colour-ringed bird (photo below) as well as 2 Greenshank and 9 Avocets. 5 juvenile Black-tailed Godwits dropped in and a flock of 5 Whimbrel appeared to come in off the sea before flying south over the hide.

The day's highlight as Castle Island where the water levels were the lowest we've ever seen them. With the low water levels came the waders with a minimum of 46 Black-tailed Godwits, 6+ Ruff, 4 Common Sandpipers, a Knot (which we were told was the first here for twenty years!), a Green Sandpiper, a Little Ringed Plover and 2 Avocets among the commoner species. Little Egrets were also out in force with a total of 14 birds being my highest ever count in Northumberland.

Pintail

Juvenile Cuckoo

Colour-ringed Little Egret

A couple more days...

Yesterday evening we headed to Cresswell Pond for the evening. The highlight was three Little Stints, which comprised of two juveniles and a colour-ringed adult from Norway. Other waders included 2 Ruff, 4 Black-tailed Godwit, 3 Common Sandpipers and 3 Avocet as well as Mediterranean Gulls (one juvenile), 3 Yellow Wagtails and 9 Little Egret. The field to the north of Bell's Farm held 14 Mediterranean Gulls with the usual gulls.

This morning we decided to have a seawatch at Newbiggin which produced the following birds over two hours...

1 Sooty Shearwater
35 Manx Shearwater
1 Velvet Scoter - drake north.
1 Common Scoter
3+ Roseate Tern

The bay at Newbiggin held a minimum of 46 Mediterranean Gulls. Unfortunately the water level at Castle Island had risen so there wasn't many waders. Finally 2 Green Sandpipers were at Bothal Pond.

Spring is underway...

Another trip to the bay this afternoon where the birding was finally starting to feel a bit like spring...

At Druridge Pools one of the first birds I looked at from the Budge Screen was a stunning adult Little Gull in full summer plumage. The waders present included 3 Ruff, 4 Black-tailed Godwit and a Dunlin. Also from the screen were 2 Pintail, 2 Mediterranean Gulls and a Wheatear while a flock of c. 65 Pink-footed Geese flew over several times.

A look from the north end of Cresswell Pond failed to produce any wagtails but a look towards the west spit revealed 8 Avocets and a surprise Green Sandpiper feeding in the south-west corner. I don't think I've ever seen one on the coast at this time of the year before...

After parking in Druridge Bay Country Park we walked down to the south end of East Chevington where a Sedge Warbler was singing in the reeds and 3 Marsh Harriers (2 males) were flying about. The north pool held the female Scaup again along with a smart White Wagtail and 5 Common Terns.

While driving through the Country Park on our way out my dad saw 8 Common Crossbills land in the trees which were very confiding at times. A Blackcap was singing nearby.

Bothal Pond on the way home failed to produce anything more unusual than another White Wagtail.

Crossbills

Little Gull

Also today Willow Warblers and/or Chiffchaffs seemed to be singing from every patch of trees and a steady northwards passage of Swallows was obvious...