Egret influx...

Here's a late blog post about our trip out birding on Tuesday and we were surprised how many Little Egrets were around...

We started at Castle Island where there were 7 Little Egrets and waders included a Ruff, Little Ringed Plover, 3 Avocets, 5 Common Sandpipers and 19 Black-tailed Godwits.

Cresswell Pond was still looking good and when we looked out of the hide there were 8 Little Egrets sat in the mud in front of the hide. However they soon split up as a juvenile Peregrine flew low over the pond. Other highlights here included a Greenshank, Ruff, Whimbrel, 4 Black-tailed Godwits and 2 Common Sandpipers.

3 Greenshank remained at Druridge Pools along with a first-summer Mediterranean Gull. 

Little Egrets and two Black-tailed Godwits

Peregrine record shots - too fast and too close for me!

Stoat

Ruff & Waxwings...

This Ruff at Cresswell this afternoon was my first in winter. It was also the highlight of a quiet morning in Druridge Bay.

Elsewhere the only bird of note was the long-staying Black-necked Grebe Chevington. A Stoat was also there. In Morpeth we saw the two Waxwings in Coopies Lane Industrial Estate.

PWC 15
Species: 93
Points: 114 

Ruff

Waxwing

Wind and rain

A quick trip to Druridge this afternoon was surprisingly good given the horrendous weather. Immediately 3 Snow Bunting were visible at Chevington burn mouth and an adult Little Gull was offshore. On the way to the north pool we flushed a Woodcock from beside the track, and 2 Whooper Swans, 7 Red-breasted Mergansers, Pintail, Water Rail, Little Egret and Stoat were on the pool.

Finally at Cresswell Pond a Peregrine chased the Lapwings, also there were a Water Rail, 3 Red-breasted Mergansers, a Great Spotted Woodpecker and a Common Chiffchaff.

Snow Bunting

A bit quiet...

We started off this morning with an hour and a half sea watch off Snab Point this morning where the highlight was a Black Tern flying north, and 10 Manx Shearwaters and an Arctic Skua also flew past, and a Ruff over the car park.

Cresswell was the quietest it's been for us in the past few weeks with no more than a Ruff, 2 Little Egrets and 2 Common Sandpipers. 2 Greenshanks, 7+ Ruff and a Little Egret was at Druridge Pools, as was a Stoat.

There was nothing to report from Hauxley, and 3 Mediterranean Gulls were at Bothal Pond; my highest count from there. Another Greenshank and 6 more Ruff were also at Bothal.

Ruff

Greenshank

Druridge Bay - Glossy Ibis and Green-winged Teal

I had a morning unintentionally trying out the rain cover for my camera in Druridge Bay, though it was well worth it.

First to Lynemouth, where the Glossy Ibis showed distantly in the rain. At Druridge Pools we got great views of the smart male Green-winged Teal as well as 2 Black-tailed Godwits and 3 Pintail.

At Chevington a Slavonian Grebe was the highlight, and a female Common Scoter, female Red-breasted Merganser and 2 Whooper Swans were also on the North Pool. An 'Ermine' Stoat was a bit of a surprise on the roadside near Widdrington.

Another look at the Ibis on the way home gave much closer views in better weather. 40+ Pink-footed Geese flew over and a few Fieldfare and Mistle Thrush were in the same field.

Glossy Ibis

Green-winged Teal

Mistle Thrush

'Ermine' Stoat and other woodland wildlife

A family trip to Wallington Hall today produced more than I expected, the highlight being a pure white (apart from the tail tip) Stoat from the wildlife hide. It was the first 'ermine' Stoat I had ever seen. Other wildlife seen includes a Great Spotted Woodpecker and many other common birds.

'Ermine' Stoat

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Nuthatch

Long-tailed Tit


 HAPPY NEW YEAR!