Still going...

 It's been over a month since my last blog post and, while still largely limited in where I can go, it's been another decent month for local birding. Here are some of the best bits since mid-February, the first two taken with my DSLR...

Woodcock during the cold spell in mid-February

Tawny Owl

And some phonescoped pics of varying quality...

The really smart drake Bufflehead at Cresswell Pond 

Bothal Pond's first Red-necked Grebe

Tundra Bean Goose with the Pink-feet at Longhirst Flash...

...later joined by a group of 7 Russian White-fronted Geese

Back in Norfolk...

I returned to uni on Friday and this meant I would be able to get a bit of birding done yesterday. W headed to Sedgeford first, where the Eastern Yellow Wagtail (or Alaskan Yellow Wagtail to be more precise) was performing brilliantly. It is definitely the best looking of the three I've seen over the last few months!

Then went to Titchwell, and picked up a couple of Tundra Bean Geese at Choseley on the way past. As always, the selection of birds at the reserve was great including a Water Pipit, ringtail Hen Harrier, 50+ Marsh Harriers coming in to roost and just my second views of a Woodcock on the ground to round off an excellent day in East Anglia.

Eastern Yellow Wagtail

Woodcock

A day on Teesside...

Yesterday me and my dad fancied a change of scene. A few visits to the patch recently have proved rather quiet so we decided to have a day down on Teesside.

Our main aim was to get better views of the Bean Geese, so we headed there first. We were the first there so the 6 Taiga Bean Geese were close to the road and we were able to get some really good views from the car. They had been joined by a Pink-footed Goose but there was no sign of the Tundras.

While the weather was still good, we drove round to Dorman's Pool. We gave it a while in the top car park but there was no sign of the Bearded Tits. Down at the hide, the drake Green-winged Teal was showing well on the grass in front, even if the light was a bit difficult.

Saltholme also provided a nice selection of birds. One Long-eared Owl was visible from the viewing platform, and the ringtail Hen Harrier showed nicely from the Haverton Viewpoint along with a Short-eared Owl. 3 Pintail and several Little Egret were also around the reserve.

Back at Seaton Common, the 6 Taiga Bean Geese had been joined by the 2 Tundra Bean Geese but unfortunately they were now staying at the back of the field, so photos were impossible with the poor light.

Taiga Bean Geese - with a Pink-footed Goose in the last photo.

Green-winged Teal

Greenfinch - it was good to see these in decent numbers around the RSPB reserve. 

Teesside Taigas

We called into to Seaton Common yesterday morning on our way down to visit relatives. The flock of 6 Taiga Bean Geese showed nicely, if hidden at times in a small dip.

2 Tundra Bean Geese were also at nearby Cowpen Marsh, although the views were much more distant.

Taiga Bean Geese

Wild weather goose chase...

Went out this morning with the intention of checking some local goose flocks. First we headed to Longhirst where my dad had seen a large flock of Pink-feet yesterday afternoon. There were a lot less Pink-feet today, but the small flock of around 100 PFG did contain 3 Tundra Bean Geese, a single adult Greenland White-fronted Goose and 18 adult Europeans. We were able to watch them at close range from the car and in nice flat light and a Green Sandpiper also flew off the flooded fields - my first winter record in the county. A good start to the day!

Next to Druridge where we discovered another flock of around 100 Pink-feet in the fields just west of the coal road. Here was another 5 Tundra Bean Geese and 7 more Euro White-fronts. The weather now closed in so we headed home.

Tundra Bean Geese

Greenland White-front with European White-fronts

European White-fronted Geese

Bean Goose

On a relatively quiet look around the patch this morning a Tundra Bean Goose with the Pink-foot flock just northwest of the causeway at Cresswell Pond was the highlight. We also thought there was another Bean Goose, though with better views we decided it was just a Pink-foot. Other sightings included 2 Barnacle Geese also at Cresswell, the Hen Harrier again at Druridge Pools along with a couple of Pintail, and the long-staying Long-tailed Duck at Bothal Pond.

Tundra Bean Goose - in the poor lighting we found the bill shape and lack of white in the tail useful clues.

Long-tailed Duck at Bothal

Hen Harrier

Staying Local...

Expecting it to be quite a quiet day, we only intended to do a couple of hours birding when we set out this morning,. Our main target was the 3 Tundra Bean Geese at Warkworth Lane, which were still present but the wind made photos almost impossible. 5 Whooper Swans dropped in.

No sign of the Little Owl near Widdrington on both of our attempts, also no sign of last weekend's Green-winged Teal at Druridge Pools, but it was probably there, out of sight in the grasses. A Water Rail was the best bird seen from the Budge Screen. A Pintail was also asleep.

A quick look at Hadston produced some of the commoner waders which I still needed for Patchwork Challenge. When we reached Chevington we found an adult Black-throated Diver on the North Pool (possibly the same bird that was here last winter?). The adult Black-necked Grebe, Long-tailed Duck and Otter remained there as well. The hybrid/escape White-front/Lesser White-front thing also dropped in with some Greylags.

PWC 15
Species: 69
Points: 82

Tundra Bean Geese record shot

Black-throated Diver record shots

Black-necked Grebe - another record shot!

Tundra Bean Geese

3 Tundra Bean Geese at Alnmouth were the highlight of an afternoon dodging showers. They showed well with Whooper Swans from the road down to the Alnmouth Dunes car park. Other birds included a Merlin at Alnmouth, 4 Grey Plovers at Amble Braid and Slavonian Grebe, 3 Long-tailed Ducks, a female Common Scoter and Red-breasted Merganser at Chevington.

Tundra Bean Geese

Whooper Swan

Teesmouth, 19.2.13

Two days ago I went to Teesmouth, which was quite succesful. We started off at Seaton where we could see 2 Glaucous Gulls flying around the tip. There were also at least 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls and a gull which I was unsure about, it might have been a Yellow-legged Gull (comments welcome). The main difference was that on the tertials it lacked the white notches of a Herring Gull, instead the tertials had smooth white edges. It also had quite a lot of grey on the mantle, though I think the head profile was wrong for Caspian Gull. It did have a all black bill which I wouldn't expect from a first year Herring Gull.

Glaucous Gull

Unidentified Gull

Next we went to Dorman's Pool where the Green-winged Teal was showing along with 3 Smew and a Kingfisher.

Green-winged Teal record shot

At the Phil Stead hide there was a Water Rail and lots of Goldfinches around the feeders.

Goldfinches

We also managed to see the Bean Goose at Cowpen Marsh, though it took 4 attempts and at Greenabella there was a Spotted Redshank and a Greenshank.