A Blur

A cracking day in Northumberland, despite the weather. As my lens was left on close focus all day, the photos are all a bit of a blur. Idiot!

The day started badly with no sign of Glossy Ibis, Barn and Little Owl in the Cresswell area. An immediate improvement as I drove north, with a flock of 30+ Twite at Bell's Farm.

At Druridge 5 mins of scanning produced the Green-winged Teal on the far bank, before flying much closer. 2 cracking male Pintail were also new for the year.

Green-winged Teal

 

Pintail

At East Chevington a distant Slavonian Grebe was picked up and 3 Long-tailed Duck were much closer with good numbers of Goldeneye.

 

Long-tailed Duck

 

A Bittern was preening in the reeds by one of the channels to the right of the hide. Not the best photo!

 

 

Bittern

 

Next was up to Stag Rocks where a couple of hundred Common Scoter were thrashed about in the heaving sea with a couple of Slavonian Grebe. Large numbers of Kittiwake and Guillemot were on the move with smaller numbers of Gannet, Fulmar and Razorbill.

 

The Little Egret was at its usual spot at Waren Mill and a field to the north of Budle Bay had 200+ each of Greylag, Brent and Barnacle Geese.

 

Little Egret

 

Fenham Flats were quiet,with a total lack of Wigeon, so the American Wigeon was a non starter.

 

Back at Stag Rocks the tide had pushed the scoter much closer, but no sign of any Velvets. I parked by the golf course and picked out a Grey Phalarope fluttering south a fair way out. Luckily the bird moved closer and dropped into the wild surf to the south of the rocks. Not as confiding as last time, but I was pretty close standing ankle deep as the tide pushed it nearer.

 

Grey Phalarope

 

A male Stonechat was at the top of the beach when I walked back to the car.

 

With time getting on I headed south for another crack at the Glossy Ibis. Got the bird straight away from the car in a field north of Lynemouth just south of the entrance to Cresswell Home Farm. At least 2 second winter Mediterranean Gulls were among a large flock of Black-headed Gulls in the same field.

 

Glossy Ibis

 

Mediterranean Gull

 

Not a bad day!