Grey Phalarope

Seawatching at Whitburn Obs this morning when Paul picked up a Grey Phalarope heading north with a Guillemot about a mile out. Well to the north I noticed it cutting in towards shore. Paul put the news out and Doug was on hand for the bird at South Shields Pier. Team work! I took a break from seawatching to pop up for photos and returned later in slightly better light.

Grey Phalarope

A decent couple of days seawatching with loads of migrants arriving, inbound ducks and 3 Tundra Bean Geese.

Bee-eater

A county tick finally fell today when Paul picked up a Grey Phalarope heading north past Whitburn Obs. I actually completely failed to pick it up in flight, scanning too far out in panic, but luckily managed to pick it up well to the north when it stopped briefly on the sea. Not much else had been pushed down by the northerly, but there were 3 Great Northern Diver, including one cracking bird still in full summer plumage.

Almost home when Dave rang to say the Bee-eater had reappeared in Whitburn CP. About turn and I arrived back at Whitburn to the news that the bird had just flown off. A few minutes wait and it returned in a brief flyby before eventually settling on a garden fence. Excellent views for the next hour as it moved between house roofs.

Bee-eater

Yesterday a welcome year-tick with a Little Auk past Whitburn Obs. An early juvenile Glaucous Gull was on the rocks before flying south.

Glaucous Gull

A call from George eventually got me to Shibdon where a Whooper Swan had dropped in.

Whooper Swan