More patch birding...

Back to the patch again this morning, and there were a few more new summer migrants for us...

The first was Swift with 8 over Chevington, while a Wheatear at Hemscott Hill was a patch year tick. The male Channel Wagtail was also showing well here with a single Yellow.

At Druridge Pools, the 2CY Spoonbill was behaving typically lazily, though did have a bit of a fly around as we were leaving. A pair of Garganey also remained here as well as 3 Ruff, 13 Black-tailed Godwits and a couple of Lesser Whitethroats by the track.

At Cresswell, 7 Wheatears were north of the causeway, with a couple of them showing really well. Another Yellow Wagtail was also here and 2 White Wagtails. 2 more Wheatears were at Snab Point too.

Channel Wagtail

Wheatears - very smart birds!

Second calendar-year Spoonbill (with attached weeds)

A return to the patch...

Headed back to the patch this morning, and it wasn't as big a reality shock as we were expecting, with a nice selection of spring birds around. First up were the 2 Crane at Longhirst Flash, which provided me with my best views of this species yet. A really nice start!

Up to Chevington where it was apparent that there was quite a few more summer migrants than when were last here three weeks ago. 3+ Grasshopper Warblers and 2 Sedge Warblers were singing from the usual areas, Sandwich Terns were in abundance offshore, 8 Common Terns were on the north pool, and a Wheatear and a White Wagtail were at the burn mouth. 

We called in at the coastal path at Hauxley to look for the recent Green-winged Teal, but unfortunately there was no sign, although a group of 26 Whimbrel provided some compensation. A lone Pink-footed Goose was visible on the reserve.

Heading back south, just my second ever Northumbs Hooded Crow was showing nicely in the field opposite the entrance to Druridge Pools, while a Grasshopper Warbler was singing from the fence line. 3 Ruff, 8 Black-tailed Godwits, the Eurasian White-fronted Goose and 3 Pintail were on the Budge fields.

Cranes

Whimbrel

Hooded Crow

White Wagtail

Decent start to April!

Headed out to the patch on Saturday, hoping to catch up with a few migrants and ended up having one of our best days of the year so far...

Up first was the north pool at Chevington, where it was quiet except for a single female Scaup and a few Sand Martin. However, a Bittern suddenly appeared flying into the SW corner where it sat for a few minutes, giving great scope views as it was dive-bombed by Black-headed Gulls. At the burn mouth 3 Velvet Scoters were still on the sea while 2 White Wagtails and a 30 Twite fed on the beach, a a male Marsh Harrier hunted the reeds.

Druridge Pools also provided a great selection of birds with the Great White Egret and Eurasian White-fronted Goose still around and a single Water Pipit showing well in front of the screen. New in was a smart drake Garganey, a singing Willow Warbler and a White Wagtail. A northwards passage of hirundines included our first two Swallows of the year and a dozen Sand Martins.

PWC 2017
Species: 118
Points: 155

Bittern - video best viewed in HD at 720p/1080p

Water Pipit - video best viewed in HD at 720p/1080p

Great White Egret - video best viewed in HD at 720p/1080p

A slightly scary looking Reed Bunting!

Back to normal...

Last weekend's highlights: Western Subalpine Warbler, 2 Bluethroats, Whiskered Terns, Grey-headed Wagtail, Dotterel, Spoonbills.....

This weekend: one Ruddy Duck.

As you have probably worked out, it was a quiet return to the patch yesterday morning. 3 Little Gulls were the best Chevington had to offer. A walk along the old coal road to look for Little Ringed Plovers only revealed a single Common Ringed Plover though 2 Yellow Wagtails were a patch year tick.

Druridge Pools held 9 Whimbrel, a Little Egret, White Wagtail and the Goosander still

Moving to Cresswell a drake Ruddy Duck snoozing in the south-west corner was unexpected. Surely this will be the last one we see..? Also on the pond was a Little Egret and a Common Sandpiper.

Ruddy Duck close to home in 2014...

Cold start to May...

Druridge Bay was cold once again this morning. It never seems to be warm on weekends! It was also quiet except for a good spell at Cresswell Pond early afternoon.

At Cresswell a drake Garganey dropped in before appearing to head into the reeds in the south-west corner. Waders included 5 Ruff (3 very smart males), a Greenshank, a brief Whimbrel, Avocet and lots of Dunlin. 2 Little Gulls dropped in before heading off north to Druridge Pools. Also around the pond were Little Egret, White Wagtail and a singing Grasshopper Warbler at Druridge Pools.

Elsewhere in the bay the Goosander was again at East Chevington along with 5 Red-breasted Mergansers and a Mediterranean Gull flew over Druridge Pools. I missed a Manx Shearwater which my Dad saw flying south past Druridge Pools.

Ruff with a Redshank

Garganey record shot

Greenshank

Also a few photos from last weekend in the wind and rain...

Goosander at Druridge Pools

Tufted Ducks

Shovelor

Cold weather and migrants...

Headed out to the bay this morning to try and make the most of the sun and despite the cold wind more migrants had arrived...

The Long-billed Dowitcher refused to move off the sand bar infront of the hide at Cresswell Pond which it shared with 4 Ruff.

We then got word of a swift with white on its body at Druridge Bay Country Park so rushed up to find an aberrant Common Swift with a lot of white on both its upper and underparts. It was flying around with a normal Common Swift and despite it not being the hoped for Alpine Swift it was still an interesting bird...

Moving south to East Chevington, a Little Egret flew through heading north. The north pool held 2 Red-breasted Mergansers before flying off along with a female Goosander. Plenty of hirundines were around the reserve including a few House Martins and the aberrant Common Swift joined two normal birds over here. A Lesser Whitethroat was singing by the approach road with both Grasshopper and Sedge Warblers at the south end and a male Marsh Harrier quartering the fields.

Druridge Pools added Little Owl, a singing Whitethroat and a flock of 20+ Whimbrel to the patch year list with at least one White Wagtail in the area.

A quick look at the north end of Cresswell Pond on the way home produced another White Wagtail, a Wheatear and 2 Avocets.

PWC 2016
Species: 133
Points: 166

Aberrant Common Swift

White Wagtail at Druridge Pools

Wheatear

Spring is underway...

Another trip to the bay this afternoon where the birding was finally starting to feel a bit like spring...

At Druridge Pools one of the first birds I looked at from the Budge Screen was a stunning adult Little Gull in full summer plumage. The waders present included 3 Ruff, 4 Black-tailed Godwit and a Dunlin. Also from the screen were 2 Pintail, 2 Mediterranean Gulls and a Wheatear while a flock of c. 65 Pink-footed Geese flew over several times.

A look from the north end of Cresswell Pond failed to produce any wagtails but a look towards the west spit revealed 8 Avocets and a surprise Green Sandpiper feeding in the south-west corner. I don't think I've ever seen one on the coast at this time of the year before...

After parking in Druridge Bay Country Park we walked down to the south end of East Chevington where a Sedge Warbler was singing in the reeds and 3 Marsh Harriers (2 males) were flying about. The north pool held the female Scaup again along with a smart White Wagtail and 5 Common Terns.

While driving through the Country Park on our way out my dad saw 8 Common Crossbills land in the trees which were very confiding at times. A Blackcap was singing nearby.

Bothal Pond on the way home failed to produce anything more unusual than another White Wagtail.

Crossbills

Little Gull

Also today Willow Warblers and/or Chiffchaffs seemed to be singing from every patch of trees and a steady northwards passage of Swallows was obvious...

Back to normal...

A last look at the patch this morning before the end of the school holiday...

At Druridge Pools an influx of Black-headed Gulls was extremely obvious and also contained 10 Mediterranean Gulls (3 very smart adults, 3 second-summers and 4 first-summers). 3 Pintail remained on the Budge Fields with 3 Wheatears in the dunes.

At Chevington there were 2 adult Mediterranean Gulls on the north pool with a couple of hundred more BHGs and a single female Red-breasted Merganser. 3 Marsh Harriers (two males and a female) were circling over the south pool with 3 Buzzards. 3 Willow Warblers were my first of the year.

The Long-billed Dowitcher at Cresswell Pond is starting to look very smart, well on the way to achieving summer pluamge. Also around the pool were 3 Avocets, a Little Egret, a Ruff, 2 Wheatear and a White Wagtail.

PWC 2016
Species: 120
Points: 149

Female Marsh Harrier and a Buzzard

Female Marsh Harrier again

Male Marsh Harrier

Buzzard


Long-billed Dowitcher

Mediterranean Gulls

Black Redstart...

This Black Redstart at Druridge Bay Country Park was easily the highlight of a quite quiet look around the patch today. I also saw my first Yellow Wagtail of the year at Chevington.

A single Black-tailed Godwit remained at Druridge Pools and 3+ White Wagtail were at Bothal Pond.

PWC 15
Species:133
Points:169

132. Black Redstart
133. Yellow Wagtail 

Black Redstart

Sedge Warbler

Back to patch...

I had quite a successful return to my patch at Chevington over the weekend...

On Saturday the Great White Egret was showing quite well on the west side of the North Pool. My second 3-pointer of the year for Patchwork Challenge. A few Swallows, 3 Pintail and 7 Red-breasted Merganser were also present with 3+ Sandwich Terns offshore.

I finally added Bearded Tit to the patch list with brief view of a male in flight on Sunday. Nice to see after six years spent trying! A Barn Owl was nearby and 2 Pintail remained along with 4 Red-breasted Mergansers. There were good numbers of hirundines about as well.

Also on Saturday, a Little Ringed Plover and a White Wagtail were at the north end of Cresswell Pond, with a Wheatear at Snab Point on Sunday.

PWC 15

Species: 114

Points: 148

Great White Egret

Weekend's birding

On Saturday we headed to Holy Island hoping that some migrants might have been brought down by the weather conditions, and although there was quite a few common migrants, there was none of the hoped for scarcities. The counts were as follows:

17 Wheatear
9 Robin
12 Lesser Whitethroat
19 Chiffchaff
3 Blackcap
1 Reed Warbler
1 Sedge Warbler
200+ Fieldfare
2 Redwing
1 Pied Flycatcher
1 Ring Ouzel
1 Brambling
1 Siskin
8 White Wagtail
1 Redstart

Sunday saw us heading up to Druridge as there had been a Great White Egret and Spoonbill there in the past few days. No luck with either at first, only a female Scaup at Cresswell with 6 Goosanders and 8 Red-breasted Mergansers. On arriving home we heard that the Great White Egret was at Druridge Pools, so we set off again. While driving past Bell's Farm I saw a large white bird on the pond, but assumed it was one of the Swans which had been there earlier, so headed to Druridge Pools. On discovering that it wasn't there we rushed back to Bell's Pond, and sure enough there it was, in exactly the same place as that white bird I saw earlier. It showed really well before the cows flushed it and it flew off west. A Yellow Wagtail was also there and a Common Sandpiper was at Druridge Pools.

Great White Egret

White Wagtails