An exciting couple of weeks...

So, having complained a lot about how poor this spring has been for birding, the last few weeks (basically since our day on Holy Island on the 18th) have been much better. Here's a few of the best bits, excluding the Baillon's Crake I posted about previously...

On the 2nd of June we had a day down on Teesside. The highlight was getting a brief view of the singing Great Reed Warbler, although this was proving difficult in the wind. There were also impressive number of Avocets in the area and we had our first Little Terns of the year.

The next day, the roaming Baikal Teal turned up at East Chevington. We headed up to see it for insurance as much as anything! I'm not overly keen on its credentials so will be keeping it off my list for now. If it gets accepted in the end then I may well put it on however! I have also seen the Teal at Druridge Pools where my first Little Gull of the year was present.

On Saturday, we got up ready for a day on Holy Island, but on seeing the weather outside, decided to go out in the evening instead. However, word came through of a White-billed Diver passing Whitburn so I made the short journey to Newbiggin. A short wait ensued before I picked up the White-billed Diver flying north, and while a bit distant, it was still distinctive.

We did head up to Holy Island mid-afternoon but failed to find a single migrant. A Spoonbill from the causeway was some consolation. On the way home we called into Cresswell Pond where we got some decent views of the Marsh Warbler in the north end willows. Another Spoonbill was here too.

Finally, yesterday I made an evening trip to Druridge Pools after IR relocated the male Red-backed Shrike seen there earlier in the day. It gave stunning views as it sang from the bushes just north of the turning circle and providing me with my best ever views of a male bird.

Red-backed Shrike at Druridge Pools

Marsh Warbler at Cresswell Pond

Baikal Teal

Spoonbill at Cresswell

Little Gull at Druridge

Local birding...

Spent the morning on the patch where there is signs of autumn migration getting underway...

The vegetation at Druridge Pools is starting to get quite tall and it was difficult to determine just how many Greenshank were present. Eventually we confirmed five different birds. These were new for the patch year list, as was a flyover Common Sandpiper.Other waders here included 2 Ruff (adult and juvenile) and a Black-tailed Godwit. 2 Little Egrets were also on the Budge Fields and 2 Goosanders were on the north pool, it seems to have been a good year for these on the patch. An adult Mediterranean Gull was with the Black-headed Gulls in the field to the west.

East Chevington was quieter with a singing Grasshopper Warbler and an Arctic Skua offshore along with 4 Little Terns.

The water levels at Cresswell Pond were looking great today and were proving very attractive to waders: 12 Black-tailed Godwits, 1 Bar-tailed Godwit, 1 Ruff, 1 Knot, 3 Common Sandpiper, 2 Avocets (including a colour-ringed immature) and lots of Dunlin and Curlew. 2 adult Mediterranean Gulls were sat on the west spit along with 3 Little Egrets and 2 Yellow Wagtail were near the causeway.

PWC 2016
Species: 148
Points: 193

July...

It's been quite quiet on the birding front in Northumberland this summer, so I've decided to do one post to sum the month up.

On the 5th a female Whinchat was at Chevington along with 17 Mediterranean Gulls at Chevington.

Over the weekend of the 18th-19th we headed down to Gloucestershire for the Royal International Air Tattoo. Red Kites were seen from the car in the usual place near York and one headed over RAF Farirford on Sunday, managing to avoid the displays, however another bird forced one of the French Mirage 2000s to stop it's display! If your interested in seeing any of my photos from the airshow click here.

The next day we had a family trip into Tewkesbury and we managed to find some White-legged Damselflies along the River Severn as well as plenty of Banded Demoiselles.

The day we got back we joined the NHSN boat trip around Coquet Island, which resulted in great views of Roseate Terns, and singles of Artic Skua and Manx Shearwater.

Closer to home, Castle Island proved to be the pick of the sites, attracting good numbers of waders over the last couple of weeks including: 8 Black-tailed Godwits, 11 Common Sandpipers and a Ruff on the 23rd, 3 Green Sandpipers, a Greenshank and 8+ Dunlin from the 26th-28th.

A seawatch on the 28th was quiet bird-wise. In 3.5 hours...

40+ Manx Shearwater
8 Shelduck
99 Common Scoter
1 Little Gull
1 Great Skua
1 Whimbrel
5 Little Tern
Plenty of Arctic Terns moving north.

A pod of c.15 Bottlenose Dolphins passed Church Point very close inshore, provding great views, including a few small youngsters and a distinctively scarred adult. 18 Black-tailed Godwits were at Cresswell Pond.

A Roseate Tern flew north passed Hadston on the 29th, only my second addition to PWC15 this month.

PWC 15
Species: 154
Points:203

Bottlenose Dolphins

Roseate Terns

White-legged Damselflies

Banded Demoiselle

Waders, Terns and Ducks

A bit of a twitch today, starting at Beadnell. When we eventually reached the flood, the stunning adult Lesser Yellowlegs was immediately visible, and although it provided nice scope views it was a bit to far away for photos. A Wheatear was also by the flood, as was a Jackdaw that looked good for a Nordic Jackdaw. Any thoughts are welcome on this bird.

After seeing a few Little Terns flying over we decided to go to the tern colony at the Long Nanny next. Sure enough there was plenty of terns including 10+ Little Tern, 3+ Sandwich Tern and 400+ Arctic Terns.

After finishing at the tern colony, we headed to Hoppen Kiln Flash as a few birds had been reported there recently. At first only the 4 Garganey were visible, but we soon picked up the Pectoral Sandpiper, which was my first in spring as well as the Wood Sandpiper.

Lesser Yellowlegs

Little Terns

Arctic Tern

Wheatear

Possible Nordic Jackdaw