Little and Large Xmas Special

With work closed due to it nearly being Santa's birthday, I headed south to year tick Bewick's Swan. Not really knowing where to go I headed towards Sadberge until four distant white dots in a field made me pull over. Scope out and there was the Bewick with 3 Whoopers feeding in crops. Not obvious at that distance, but the massive size difference was clear when the Bewick's waddled over and sat next to the adult Whooper.

Bewick's and Whooper Swans

 

With the swan in the bag and the wind beginning to bite I jumped in the car and headed home. I have obviously been a very good boy all year and just south of Bradbury a Great Grey Shrike flitted over the road. Thank you Santa! I pulled over and ran back to get some distant, crap shots before heading home to the joys of wrapping.

 

Great Grey Shrike

 

A look at Chopwell for assorted Crossbills was aborted after ten minutes when it started snowing.



Right White-wing

A morning seawatch did not produce the big displacement of birds following the storms, Great Northern Diver and Velvet Scoter the highlights. A single Brent Goose feeding in the field by the Obs gave me a chance to try my new phone/scope kit.

Dark-bellied Brent

 

 

After lunch reports of an Ivory Gull at Seahouses launched me north. I pulled up at the golf course to the news that the single Ivory Gull had morphed into two and both had flown off south east.

 

The bitter taste of defeat was short lived as news that the gulls had been re found had me hurtling over the dunes for lung-bursting run along the beach towards Beadnell. The two first winter Ivory Gulls were hunched down on rocks by the surf, giving great, but distant views in fading light. Very chuffed after dipping the Saltburn bird in 1986.

 

 

 

Ivory Gull



 

 



Barnacle

Got down to Lamesley this morning, despite shredding a tyre driving over Pennyfine Road. The Barnacle Goose found yesterday was still feeding with Greylag and Canada Geese. A rare bird for Gateshead, usually only seen in flight during migration. The only other bird of note was a female Wigeon.

Barnacle Goose

Barnacle with Greylag

 

Very quiet at Watergate and Shibdon, hopefully the forecast northerlies will bring something in.

 

Wrong White-wing

A quiet couple of weeks. I have put in some effort around Gateshead, but without success.

Today I headed to Whitburn at first light in the hope that yesterday's Ivory Gull would drift past. No luck today, but a pretty good seawatch with Iceland Gull and Great Northern Diver the highlights. There was also a good passage of Shag and Red-throated Diver.

A quick look at Boldon Flats gave 4 Black-tailed Godwit before news of a Shore Lark had me heading down to Hartlepool.

I arrived at the Jewish Cemetery to news that the bird had not been seen since its initial sighting, so I went for an optimistic walk along the beach. I flushed the bird almost immediately, but it took a good 20 mins to pin it down and get good, though distant views.

Shorelark

 

Shorelark

 

A couple of shots of a Kestrel at Burdon Moor from last week.