Thursday, 17 May 2018

Great Northern

Seawatching from Whitburn over the last couple of days has been dominated by a northerly wind. Good numbers of birds, with Great Northern Diver the star species. Five yesterday, two today and all in spanking summer plumage. One was particularly close.

Great Northern Diver
Back in Gateshead this morning I picked out a drake Mandarin hiding in the sedge. I returned later when it eventually showed much better.

Mandarin
Checking a traditional site near Greenside turned up trumps with a singing Tree Pipit, still clinging on to a toe-hold in Gateshead.

Tree Pipit
Another difficult, once common, species for Gateshead was next with a Spotted Flycatcher in Chopwell Woods.

Spotted Flycatcher
At Burdon Moor my first Broad-bodied Chaser of the year was basking in the sun.

Broad-bodied Chaser

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