Patch catch-up...

In between increasing amounts of schoolwork and editing photos from Fuerteventura, we have managed a few visits to the patch. Back at the beginning of March it was extremely quiet, except for a drake Green-winged Teal at Druridge Pools.

Last weekend things were slowly starting to pick up with a first-winter Glaucous Gull north through Druridge Pools being the highlight. An Egyptian Goose was also near Linton Pond.

Today, we headed out hoping to get some hirundines in the deteriorating weather conditions and East Chevington we were a bit surprised not to find any. However, at Druridge Bay Country Park there were at least 60 Sand Martin.

Another 10 Sand Martin were at Druridge Pools and we walked along the coal road to find the adult Bewick's Swan still among 62 Whoopers. As we watched the swan, we picked up a Great White Egret flying towards us from the west and it appeared to land on the shore of the main pool. We rushed back to the hide and at first there was no sign, but my dad picked it up in the SW corner. Unfortunately the views were pretty poor but it was nice to finally find one for ourselves!

A Velvet Scoter and Sandwich Tern were offshore.

Bewick's Swan

Great White Egret

Green-winged Teal

Snipe

Buston Links

After a failed attempt at seeing the North Seaton Rosy Starling this morning, we headed north to the saltmarsh at Buston Links, just south of Alnmouth.

For the first hour or two there was no sign of our target, but on our final check the group of 4 Shore Lark had reappeared. We really enjoyed being able to watch these smart birds feeding on the saltmarsh, and they were our first of the year. After a while they took off and headed off south.

We headed back towards the car park, and bumped into a few birders making their way down the track. We were stood around talking when GB looked into the ditch beside us and saw a Red-necked Grebe just a couple of metres away. The grebe gave incredible views as it hunted for fish in the small ditch.

On the way back, a quick look at Warkworth again produced the 2 Bewick's Swans again with 6 Whoopers, as well as 10 Black-tailed Godwits.

Shore Larks

Red-necked Grebe

Bewick's Swans

A quick visit to Warkworth...

I had to pick my dad up this afternoon, and we decided to call in for a quick look at Warkworth on our way back home.

The Red-necked Grebe present in the area for the past couple of weeks was showing well below the weir, and the two Bewick's Swans from Chevington a couple of days ago also dropped in, but flew off again before I had a chance to photograph them on the water.

Red-necked Grebe

Bewick's Swans

A decent end to October...

It felt like quite a while since we'd last been on the patch, and when we set out there this morning we didn't have huge expectations. In the end we did have a decent day...

With good numbers of Crossbills being reported around the county, we decided to start at Druridge Bay Country Park, and it wasn't long before we got onto a group of Crossbills. The group numbered at least 35, although there was probably more and they were as mobile as usual.

We checked the dunes at Hadston for redpolls but with no sign we had a look at the sea. My dad picked up a Little Auk moving north, and 3 female Velvet Scoters were in with the Commons.

Chevington was our final call and I was pleased to pick up a couple of Bewick's Swans among the minimum of 27 Whoopers. These were our first in the county for over three and a half years so we were pretty happy! A Long-tailed Duck had also arrived on the pool with 2 Ruff and 4 Pintail.

Bewick's Swans - videograb hence the poor quality

Crossbills

Catch up...

Over the past couple of weeks I've had a couple of trips to the patch.

Last weekend the highlight was the number of Whooper Swans around, with 73 at Chevington, 60 at Widdrington Moor Lake (along with my 3rd Northumberland Bewick's Swan), 20 off Hadston and 11 at Warkworth Lane. The Ross's Goose was also at Widdrington Moor Lake. Back on my patch the first Lesser Black-backed Gulls started to appear last weekend, and the Black-necked Grebe remained at Chevington.

Today it was even quieter around the bay. At least 2 obvious Scandinavian Rock Pipits were on the beach at Hadston. For some reason they looked more obvious in the field than in my photos...

The Black-necked Grebe was still at Chevington along with a drake Pintail.

Bewick's Swan with Whoopers

Ross's Goose

Whooper Swans

Scandinavian Rock Pipits - the bird in the first five photos is perhaps the most striking littoralis that I've ever seen.

British Rock Pipit

On a different note here's a photo of Uranus which was visible just to the left of Venus through the telescope on the 4th.