More decent seawatching!

We've had a good run of seawatching this year with highlights up to today including Cory's Shearwater, Sabine's Gull, Storm Petrel and two White-billed Divers. We weren't as hopeful about today when we set off this morning, but were pleased to be proved wrong in the end!

We decided to start at Hadston Carrs and it wasn't long before we had our first Little Auk of the morning heading north. We stayed for two hours but it was pretty quiet with the highlight perhaps being a single Snow Bunting flying north past below the small cliff. Here's the totals for Hadston (09:30-11:30)...

2 Little Auk
10 Goldeneye
1 Long-tailed Duck
1 Little Egret
1 Snow Bunting
1 Great Northern Diver
3 Red-throated Diver
2 Great Crested Grebe

We then took a break for lunch and checked a quiet Druridge Pools before deciding to have another look at the sea from Snab Point. With rougher seas and the wind coming more from the north, our two and a half hours here were much more productive.

There were a few more Little Auks passing now and I got onto a distant Grey Phalarope which kept on disappearing behind waves. A second-winter Glaucous Gull suddenly appeared over the rocks and was close enough to make out the pale iris through binoculars. The Grey Phalarope reappeared much closer feeding in the surf and a second more distant bird flew north at speed shortly afterwards. After one had been seen earlier I was pleased to now be able add it to my finds list. Another finds tick for me came shortly afterwards when I picked up a lark flying straight towards us at distance. Despite the long range, its pale face was visible and as it got closer we could see that it lacked a white-trailing edge to the wings, confirming it as a Shore Lark.

It quietened down shortly after this but just as we were about to leave a Little Auk appeared flying over the rocks before landing in a rock pool, and I was able to get within a couple of metres of it,  providing easily my best ever views! The totals from Snab Point 12:45-15:20 were as follows...

2 Grey Phalarope
16 Little Auk
1 Glaucous Gull
1 Slavonian Grebe
1 Great Skua
1 Manx Shearwater
3 Goldeneye
1 Goosander
1 Grey Plover
1 Shore Lark

Little Auk - second photo taken on my phone without any zoom!

Northerlies deliver!

We set out to Newbiggin this morning with quite high hopes as the pressure charts for the previous night looked quite good. However, when we arrived it was a bit quiet with just a couple of Manx Shearwaters and Great Skuas going past. An hour and a half later we were even contemplating going somewhere else when we saw that a White-billed Diver had been seen passing Whitburn.

Over the next twenty minutes or so reports filtered in of a bird passing a number of sites in Tyneside. It was at around 10:57 that my dad picked up a diver coming north.

The bird was more distant than we were expecting, although the sun caught it and revealed the ivory yellow bill of my first ever White-billed Diver, and with its head and neck appearing all black, this bird was still in its summer plumage. We were really pleased to see it despite it being a lot further out than we had hoped for.

However, twenty minutes later I got onto two more divers going north and realised that alongside a Great Northern Diver was another White-billed Diver. This WBD was in winter plumage and was incredibly close in providing some awesome scope views and a great comparison to the Great Northern next to it.

It quietened down again after this although at 12:45 I picked up a European Storm Petrel about half way out, which was my first on a seawatch. The sea was relatively calm so some more good scope views were had.

Here's our full totals for 08:30-13:30...

2 White-billed Diver
1 European Storm Petrel
17 Goldeneye
7 Long-tailed Duck
6 Red-throated Diver
34 Common Scoter
2 Manx Shearwater
3 Great Northern Diver
11 Whooper Swan
3 Great Skua
3 Red-breasted Merganser
1 Arctic Tern
1 Goosander
5 Mallard
1 Velvet Scoter
9 Teal

The second White-billed Diver - © Chris Barlow

The best I could manage (White-billed on the left, Great Northern on the right)

Arctic Tern

Also a few other bits from the last week...

Two of three Velvet Scoter off Chevington.

Shore Lark and Snow Buntings at Chevington

Yellow-browed Warbler calling near Snab Point

The autumn that keeps on giving...

We were visiting relatives in Teesside yesterday afternoon so decided to call in at Hartlepool Headland and Saltholme on the way down. As soon as we arrived at Hartlepool the extremely smart first-winter male Eastern Black Redstart was showing well in the memorial gardens, and at one point it approached to within a few metres of us on the grass at the Heugh. We were also able to watch 7 Whooper Swans fly over the sea and into the Tees Bay. Saltholme provided a Long-tailed Duck, Long-eared Owl and a probable fly-over Water Pipit.

This morning it was back to the patch, and we stayed for the whole time at Chevington north pool. The number of wildfowl was once again impressive, including lots of Goldeneye, 3 Long-tailed Ducks, 8 Pintail and an incredible 20 Scaup! My dad spotted a ringtail Hen Harrier flying south through the dunes, a Kingfisher flew along the east edge and 16 Black-tailed Godwits flew over south. I then heard an almost sparrrow like "shreep!" come from above us and looked up to see a long-tailed, long-winged, sandy coloured bird flying north. Somehow ADMc managed to get the bird in his scope and confirm it was a large pipit. A Richard's Pipit!! Just my second in Northumberland and a very welcome self found tick.

We drove home via Ashington, where there were 6 Waxwings by the police station and c.25 more flying over North Seaton Cemetery before disappearing into the nearby housing estate.

PWC 2016
Species: 165
Points: 230

Eastern Black Redstart

Long-tailed Ducks and Scaup

Tufted Ducks, Goldeneye, Pochard and at least five Scaup

Hen Harrier at Chevington

Waxwings

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

More seawatching...

Did a couple of hours seawatching from Snab Point this evening from 17:45. It was quite enjoyable despite the constant rain...

3 Sooty Shearwater

44 Manx Shearwater

5 Arctic Skua

1 Grey Plover

17 Common Scoter

C. 20 Teal

1 Red-breasted Merganser

1 Goldeneye

Wader numbers were up at Druridge Pools and it looks good for something rare. Today's highlights were 7+ Ruff, 9+ Black-tailed Godwit, a Greenshank, 2 Ringed Plovers and 30+ Dunlin.

Quiet up north...

Spent most of the day in the Bamburgh area which resulted in a few nice birds being seen although it was a bit quieter than expected...

We stopped at High Newton on the way to look for geese but unfortunaely we couldn't find any. 10 Whooper Swans flew over heading north. At Harper's Heugh a large flock of Pale-bellied Brent Geese also contained a few Dark-bellied Brants and Barncacle Geese. 6 more Whooper Swans were in the distance.

Our first two Little Egrets of the year were in Budle Bay along with 12 Whooper Swans, a Pintail and 2 Goosanders. Just 2 Long-tailed Ducks were the only bird of interest at Stag Rocks.

A stop at Alnmouth on the way back to look for the Shore Lark was unsuccessful although a silent Chiffchaff was flitting around some bushes in the dunes. At Chevington the Slavonian Grebe was still on the north pool with 5 Red-breasted Mergansers, 85 Goldeneye and my first Great Crested Grebe of the year.

No photos taken today but here's a few of the Aurora from last Sunday...

Another good day...

Spent most of the day ticking off some birds I still needed for Patchwork Challenge, with Chevington being particularly productive...

A look on the north pool gave the Black-necked Grebe right alongside the Slavonian Grebe providing a great comparison, a pair of Scaup, a female Common Scoter (second of the winter on the pool) and at least 77 Goldeneye.

A flock of Greylag Geese dropped onto the south pool which also held a Pink-footed Goose and 2 European White-fronted Geese, and a Black-tailed Godwit flew over heading north-east.

We walked down to the burn mouth where my dad picked up a female Velvet Scoter with a small and relatively close flock of Common Scoter. 2 Barn Owl were also sat on the fence and 2 Red-breasted Mergansers were offshore.

Next to Druridge Pools where 3 Pintail were on the Budge Fields along with a Black-tailed Godwit and a Ruff. Around 10 Barnacle Geese flew over with the thousands of Pink-feet and a single Red-breasted Merganser was on the north pool.

Just as we were leaving we heard of 2 Waxwings on wires between Druridge Pools and Widdrington village. Sure enough when we got there they were sat on the wires, so we rushed back to Druridge to try and get them on the patch list, but by the time we got there they had disappeared. Perhaps they were just passing through as we don't know of any berry bushes in the area...

PWC 2016
Species: 104
Points: 127 

European White-fronted Geese

Black-necked Grebe - record shot!

Carduelis conundrums...

Up to Birling Carrs this morning for a look at the redpoll which has been tantalizing birders over the past week. Sure enough we found the bird in a flock of Lesser Redpolls, we managed some good views and I digiscoped some record shots. Here's a few of my observations of the bird:

• The bird was larger than the Lesser Redpolls.
• It was also much paler being whitish-grey overall.
• The bird's rump was a very striking completely unmarked white and allowed us to easily pick the bird up in the flock in flight several hundred metres away.
• The flanks were mostly lightly streaked but did show a few darker lines.
• The undertail coverts had a single large dark streak.
• The bill looked slightly larger than that of a typical Arctic but not as big as on the Mealy Redpolls I have seen.
• My photos also appear to show the slightest buffy wash to the head (?)

With my photos and views in the field I am starting to slightly lean towards Coue's Arctic Redpoll, though I may well be proved wrong if better photos are obtained. Whatever the ID a big well done to SS and JWR for finding it.

 Afterwards we stopped at Chevington where a nice flock of 6 Scaup were on the north pool along with the lingering Slavonian Grebe and 2 Red-breasted Mergansers. 54 Goldeneye were also on the north pool and the Marsh Harrier was over the south pool.

Druridge Pools once again held a great selection of birds. A Short-eared Owl flew through the dunes and on the north pool were 3 Pintail and a smart drake Tufted Duck x Pochard hybrid. The Canada Goose flock in the field just north of the pool held 4 Barnacle Geese and a Greenland White-fronted Goose with 2 European White-fronted Geese. Not completely sure about the race of the geese though!

Next to Cresswell Pond. A look at the goose flock from the car park produced 2 more Greenland White-fronted Geese and a Barnacle Goose. A Barn Owl was in the usual area and from the hide the first-winter Long-billed Dowitcher was again on the west shore. A Water Rail provided some nice views in front of the reeds. Perhaps there's been a small influx of White-fronts with at least 11 in the bay this afternoon..?

The redpoll - comments very welcome!

 Mealy Redpoll to compare taken at Hartlepool in October 2013

Two of the White-fonts at Druridge Pools

Tufted Duck x Pochard hybrid

Seawatching...

The strong northerly winds lured us to the coast at Newbiggin for a few hours this morning (08:35-11:35). Despite it being freezing cold and wind the occasional blizzard there was a great variety of birds including good numbers of Little Auks, a late Sandwich Tern and my best ever seawatching count of 23 Long-tailed Ducks...

206 Little Auks

23 Long-tailed Ducks

68 Wigeon

28 Goldeneye

18 Mallard

3 Velvet Scoter

6 Mediterranean Gull

14 Red-throated Diver

202 Pink-footed Goose

1 Kingfisher

14 Common Scoter

6 Gannet

2 Kittiwake

15 Eider

18 Guillemot

5 Red-breasted Merganser

1 Goosander

4 Teal

13 Pale-bellied Brent Goose

1 Dark-bellied Brent Goose

1 Sandwich Tern

2 Shelduck

Little Auks!

Over the weekend I was hoping to do a bit of seawatching and today was my chance...

We started at Newbiggin and put in neraly three hours there (09:05-11:46). The highlight was undoubtedly the Little Auks. Here's the counts not including the more regular birds...

110 Little Auk
2 Shelduck
31 Goldeneye
3 Common Scoter
2 Shag
2 Mediterranean Gull (plus four in the car park area)
5 Gannet
4 Kittiwake
8 Red-throated Diver
1 Velvet Scoter

Next we moved to my Patchwork Challenge patch and put in a couple of hours there (12:25-14:25)...

87 Little Auk
2 Shelduck
1 Teal
1 Mediterranean Gull
1 Velvet Scoter
4 Pale-bellied Brent Goose
5 Red-throated Diver 

PWC 15
Species: 88
Points: 109 

Little Auks

Goldeneye