Lark, Spotted Sand and Tern Tick

Still on a high from the Catbird I was back in Whitburn Obs on Tuesday morning. Pretty quiet for seabirds, but calling, flyover Short-toed Lark was a fine addition to the Obs list and an excellent id from Dave Foster.

From there it was over to Jarrow where the juvenile Spotted Sandpiper was happy to saunter past at close range as it fed along the banks of the River Don.

Spotted Sandpiper

With ragworm

Late on Wednesday a superb inland find from Ross Ahmed was a duo of Gull-billed Tern at a gravel pit to the north west of Hexham. Bizarrely it later emerged that someone else had found the birds some two weeks before, but supressed the news. Go figure..

Armed with information from Ross I was on site at dawn the next morning with just two others and was rewarded with both terns dropping in with gulls at 08.00. A bit distant and although good scope views, too far for photos.

Gull-billed Tern

A small flock Brambling on the way home were a welcome year tick.