Where to look?!

When we set off yesterday morning we weren't sure exactly where to go - do we try and get better views of the Bee-eater or head north towards Holy Island or Low Newton? Eventually we decided to do neither and went to Chevington instead to have another go at seeing the Cetti's.

There was no sight or sound from the Cetti's in the hour or so we were there, but a Ring Ouzel dropped in providing a patch year tick and a Spoonbill arrived from the south. Moving to Druridge Pools, the Bee-eater was proving mobile and we were only able to get a brief flight view, so we decided to head to Low Newton to try and see the Little Bunting.

Once we arrived the weather had closed in a bit with the wind picking up, and two hours later things we not looking hopeful. However, we were just getting ready to leave when it was relocated in the top of a large tree opposite the tin church. We got some good views of the Little Bunting as it picked insects off the bottom of the leaves, but the lighting wasn't good for photos. Still, it was a smart bird and another county tick! A few Bramblings were also around and a Ring Ouzel flew over.

Still after better views of the Bee-eater, we called in there on our way home and were really pleased to see it flycatching from a fence just a short distance away. We're almost certain this is one of the birds we saw last weekend, but the views were so much better! A really good end to yet another great day on the Northumberland coast.

Bee-eater - video should be viewed in HD at 1080p

Little Bunting

Spoonbill

Patch awesomeness!

With a sunny, relatively warm morning we decided to have our fourth attempt at seeing or at least hearing the Cetti's Warbler which had been singing at Chevingtonfor the last few days...

We arrived at the hide in the SE corner of the north pool and sure enough the Cetti's Warbler was singing from the reeds. My dad picked up a Bittern flying above the reeds which I managed to get onto just as a gull forced it to land in the reeds. Our first of two juvenile Marsh Harriers of the morning also appeared over the reeds and a Grey Plover flew over our heads calling.

We were all stood listening to the Cetti's when a rolling 'kwip' came from above us. In my head I thought to myself that that sounded a lot like a Bee-eater but this was October in Northumberland. I looked up just in case and got a bit of a shock when I saw the distinctive undulating flight and spiky shape of a Bee-eater overhead. My dad also got onto the bird at this point and we called it to get the other birders onto it.

Thankfully everyone was quickly onto the Bee-eater when I suddenly realised there was another a short way behind it. Wow.

I got them in my scope and watched them for perhaps four or five minutes as they made their way north. They were just silhouettes for the most of the time, but every now and again the sun caught their plumage as they banked, revealing the black-bordered orange underwing, yellow throat and bright green upperparts of the two juvenile Bee-eaters.

All eight birders were left feeling a bit incredulous that we'd just seen two Bee-eaters fly over East Chevington in the middle of October!

* Check out Stewart Sexton's blog for his great account of the days events, complete with sketches here. The nine birders who saw the Bee-eaters were JF, TF, ADMc, SS, JWR, AC, BB, GW, CB.

Everything else was slightly forgotten about although a juvenile Black Tern gave a brief flyby and Peregrine was over Druridge.

PWC 2017
Species: 180
Points: 271

It's already a record year for me doing Patchwork Challenge, could it get any better..?

Pink-footed Geese heading south

The juvenile Red-necked Phalarope also remains at Druridge Pools.

Mallorca - Birding around our villa & Pollensa

Last Sunday (the 9th) we arrived on the island of Mallorca for a weeks break. We stayed in a villa on the north side of Pollensa, overlooking the mountains and ridges to the north of the town. Within just a few minutes of arriving I had my first lifer of the trip - Black Vulture. These huge birds were seen daily from the villa, the first of nine species of birds of prey.

On the 15th, a superb evening scanning the ridges produced a smart Egyptian Vulture, along with a Golden Eagle, which I understand is an escapee that has been on the island for a while now. While on our penultimate day a Griffon Vulture put in an appearance.

Other raptors seen regularly from the garden were Booted Eagles, Red Kite, Peregrine and Kestrel.

During the night we could stand outside the villa to watch and listen to Stone Curlews flying around. Two Night Herons also flew over on the 11th, while at least two Scops Owls were calling down the road into Pollensa, and on the 12th, we were able to see one calling from a hole in a tree at twilight.

Flocks of Bee-eaters were regularly seen in the area, including a flock of 40+ low over the garden on the 13th, and Hoopoes appeared twice.

Passerines seen around the garden included Serins, Sardinian Warblers and a single Pied Flycatcher and Cirl Bunting.

Lots more photos from other sites on our holiday to come soon on more blog posts...

Serin

Sardinian Warbler

Booted Eagle

Black Vulture

Griffon Vulture

Can you see the Scops Owl!? Photo handheld at 1 second shutter speed!

Bee-eaters - stunning birds!

Yellow-legged Gulls on a nearby beach

Moorish Gecko

Bee-eaters & American Wigeon

A good day's birding to end my summer holiday with...

First to Lower Gelt Quarry in Cumbria where the Bee-eaters have bred this year. The two adults were on show most of the time we were there, only flying off when the weather closed in or the local Buzzards scared them off. They looked great through the scope! We also managed a very brief view of a young bird's head in the nest hole.

On the way back we stopped at Grindon Lough. The eclipse drake American Wigeon was on the south bank with a good number of Eurasian Wigeon. Not a plumage we see very often so it was quite an educational bird.

Bee-eaters

American Wigeon

South Gare Bee-eaters

A nice surprise on the way back from Suffolk yesterday was the chance to see these two stunning adult Bee-eaters at South Gare. We manged great views...

Bee-eater, 4.11.12

A twitch to Seaburn today was very succesfull with the Bee-eater being seen. The bird showed very well for periods of about 5 minutes in a small tree in a garden. A stunning bird!

A Crossbill also flew over. At nearby Marsden Quarry there was not very many birds though a Peregrine stooped overhead and 2 Redpolls flew over.