Images from Spurn...

Thanks to the Cameron Bespolka Trust, last week I attended the BTO Young Leaders course at Spurn Bird Observatory. It was a great four days with a mix of talks, activities, and of course some birding. A full write up will appear elsewhere on the web in due course, but for now here's a few of my bird photos from the trip...

White-rumped Sandpiper

Wood Sandpiper

Juvenile Caspian Gull

Knot - the wader numbers at Kilnsea Wetlands were seriously impressive!

Another catch up...

Not much time for words again, so here's a selection of videos and images from the last few weeks...

Videograbs of one of two Honey Buzzards at Wykeham Forest. Also seen were Goshawks, Kestrels, Common Buzzards and a juvenile Marsh Harrier. See the video here. 

Marsh Tit near Scarborough

Videograb of an Osprey at Rutland Water. Other Birdfair birding highlights included Red-necked Phalarope and Great White Egret. 

Wood and Common Sandpipers from Druridge Pools

Phonescoped shot of one of two Scaup back at Chevington today (29th). 2 Spotted Redshank were here on the 27th. 

Druridge on form...

We've had a couple of visits to Druridge recently with the new pools by the coal road providing some good birds, especially the summer plumage waders. Peak counts on the flash have been...

3 Curlew Sandpiper
2 Little Stint
1 Wood Sandpiper
1 Avocet
110 Ringed Plover
25 Dunlin
2 Sanderling
7 Turnstone

While other things there have included the long-staying Glossy Ibis, 4 Garganey, 2 Little Gull, 4 Yellow Wagtail and 2 Whooper Swans.

Little Stint

Curlew Sandpipers (phonescoped at Cresswell before they moved to Druridge)

Garganey

Rosy Starling...

Yesterday morning on our way to Druridge we called in to Falston Crescent in Ashington to have a look at the adult Rose-coloured Starling. It was showing really well, although the light wasn't great. It was nice to hear it singing well too; a subtly different song to Common Starling, slightly slower and lower-pitched. 

We decided to have another look at it in the evening, hoping for better light, and sure enough it was still in the garden, providing some better photo opportunities...

Rose-coloured Starling

The garden also held a few other species...

Dunnock

Juvenile Blackbird

Druridge still held a good selection on the the coal road pools including a very brief adult summer Little Gull, Little Stint, Wood Sandpiper, Glossy Ibis, Garganey, Whooper Swan and a flyover Arctic Tern.

Another confiding scarcity!

After still being on a bit of a high from the Little Bittern, it was great to get some more amazing views of an unusual waterbird, with the Glossy Ibis showing superbly by the old coal road at Druridge this morning until it was flushed by the farmer on his quadbike... 

Other birds around Druridge Pools included a Wood Sandpiper, drake Garganey, 4 Black-tailed Godwits and a Roseate Tern and Puffin offshore...

East Chevington produced a Black-necked Grebe, while the Channel Wagtail still at Bell's Farm rounded off another good day.

Glossy Ibis

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!

Back again...

Yesterday morning we relocated the adult Caspian Gull 'PKCS' back in Amble Harbour for its fifth summer running. A smart juvenile Wood Sandpiper was also on the reserve at Hauxley...

Caspian Gull

Wood Sandpiper