Druridge on form...

We've had a couple of visits to Druridge recently with the new pools by the coal road providing some good birds, especially the summer plumage waders. Peak counts on the flash have been...

3 Curlew Sandpiper
2 Little Stint
1 Wood Sandpiper
1 Avocet
110 Ringed Plover
25 Dunlin
2 Sanderling
7 Turnstone

While other things there have included the long-staying Glossy Ibis, 4 Garganey, 2 Little Gull, 4 Yellow Wagtail and 2 Whooper Swans.

Little Stint

Curlew Sandpipers (phonescoped at Cresswell before they moved to Druridge)

Garganey

More White-fronts...

Had another good trip to the bay today, with the highlight being even more White-fronted Geese...

First at Chevington, three flocks of Pink-footed Geese flew over, with the third also holding 11 adult White-fronted Geese. Unfortunately after we first picked them up flying straight towards us, they headed off south east over the sea so we were unable to say whether there were any first-winters in the flock.

The Slavonian Grebe, Marsh Harrier and pair of Red-breasted Mergansers were still around Chevington.

The Budge Fields held a single drake Pintail and 3 more White-fronted Geese were in the field just to the west with 5 Barnacle Geese and c. 150 Pink-feet. We were able to identify these White-fronts as Europeans before the flock flew south. 6 Red-breasted Mergansers were on the north pool here.

At Cresswell Pond the first-winter Long-billed Dowitcher was once again on the west shore, with the pond also playing host to 4 Black-tailed Godwits, 2 Bar-tailed Godwits, 2 Turnstones and another Red-breasted Merganser.

2 more European White-fronted Geese with c. 500 Pink-feet south-west of the Drift Cafe at Cresswell brought the day's total to 16.

One of the Druridge Pools European White-fronted Geese.

Showy Little Stints...

We set off to Cresswell this morning hoping to catch up with the Little Stints which have been there recently. We arrived to hear that they had both been flushed. A juvenile Curlew Sandpiper was however feeding on the mud infront of the hide.

1 Curlew Sandpiper
2 Little Egret
1 Ruff
3 Black-tailed Godwit
1 Common Sandpiper
1 Turnstone

After we had looked around some of the sites (where the highlights were 10 Ruff at Druridge Pools and a Pintail at Chevington) we drove past Cresswell again and saw some photographers on the causeway. We went and joined them and sure enough there was the 2 Little Stints walking around the mud less than four metres away.

Little Stints

Dunlin

Eastern Promise

First off to Tynemouth to look for the Lesser Whitethroat ssp. this morning. We didn't have to wait long before it showed up and continued to show well at times intermittently over the next hour. From what I've read I believe it to be of the race halimodendri. I also managed some photos that show a completely white t6 and a white tip to t5, one of the clinching features of halimondendri or Central Asian Lesser Whitethroat.

DNA has proved this bird to be of the race blythi or Siberian Lesser Whitethroat not halimondendri.

Next to St. Mary's Island to see if the Siberian Chiffchaff was still around. I wasn't expecting it to be, as it hadn't been reported for a few days. It was though and it showed very well for a few minutes, before completely disappearing. It was the first time I'd seen this subspecies. There were also two colour-ringed Turnstones on the beach.

Last of all we went to Gosforth Park, where we saw at least 2 Bitterns as well as a Water Rail.

Siberian Lesser Whitethroat

Siberian Chiffchaff

Colour-ringed Turnstones

Bitterns

Craster, 2.11.12

A non-birding trip to Craster today didn't produce many birds because of poor weather. The only migrant was a Crossbill which flew south east over the car park. All other birds seen were on the beach with 2 Purple Sandpipers and 10+ Rock Pipits being seen.

Turnstone

Purple Sandpiper