Cuckoo

A trip to Trow Quarry after a quiet seawatch this morning (2 Roseate Tern the pick). A great display from the juvenile Cuckoo that has been drawing admirers for the last few days.

Cuckoo

The regular Mediterranean Gull was by the cliff-top car park at Marsden.

Mediterranean Gull

An unexpectedly good Skua day yesterday, with 4 Pomarine and a Long-tailed. Some excellent scope views, but not so great photos...

Pomarine Skua

Back in Gateshead 4 Green Sandpiper have been at Lamesley and up to 3 Whinchat at Burdon Moor.

Whinchat

White-rumped

An expectedly quiet seawatch from Whitburn in a steady westerly this morning. Star bird was a north-bound Great-crested Grebe, surprisingly rare from here.

Almost home when news of a White-rumped Sandpiper had me heading to St Mary's Island. Showing well on arrival, viewed from the promenade as it fed with Dunlin and Sanderling.

White-rumped Sandpiper

Up the coast to Druridge where a Spotted Redshank, 2 Green Sandpiper and a Ruff were playing hide and seek. No sign of the Caspian Gull at Amble in a brief look.

Quiet still in Gateshead with Green Sandpiper peaking at Lamesley on the 4th with four birds, when a Greenshank spent the morning here.

3 of 4 Green Sandpiper

Night Heron

Yesterday a trip to Whittle Dene after work to fill a gaping hole in my British list- Night Heron. ' In view' as soon as I arrived. High up in the canopy of a pine belt, views were less than satisfactory.

Night Heron

After a two and a half hour wait it took flight and landed in the open, but only a silhouetted arty shot available.

It then headed off high to the north before returning south, giving cracking flight views as it tried to evade the angry attention of a Grey Heron, several gulls and Common Tern, plus at one stage a Swallow. 

The day had started off with a Common Sandpiper and juvenile Water Rail at Shibdon before work.

Seawatching over the last week or so gave the first adult Long-tailed Skua of the year and some year-tick Sooty Shearwater. The star of this morning's watch a summer plumage Black Guillemot heading south.