Stejneger's

Some decent seawatching with a northerly bringing Iceland and Glaucous Gulls past Whitburn on the 20th. Work the next day, but the light southwesterly on the 22nd brought Hen Harrier, Great White Egret, Little Auk, 3000+ Pink-footed Geese and 7 Whooper Swan, all in perfect light.

Glaucous Gull

Then down to Saltholme for a Durham tick in the form of an American Golden Plover. A bit distant, but showing well with a flock of Golden Plover.

American Golden Plover (phonescoped)

A very quiet seawatch on 23rd was happily interrupted by a Stejneger's Stonechat on Jackies Beach. The dark upperparts, orange, unstreaked rump, peach underparts with almost unstreaked flanks, pale supercilium (meeting over the eyes) and heavy bill all point to Stejneger's. Poo samples were taken for DNA analysis, but if it proves not to be Stejneger's I doubt that they can be identified in the field.

Stejneger's Stonechat

A Great Northern Diver dropped on the sea as the only highlight of the seawatch and a Merlin shot through as we watched the stonechat.

The next morning the stonechat was still present in poor light. A hunt inland for a Great Grey Shrike was fruitless, but did yield a roosting Long-eared Owl.

Long-eared Owl

A quiet seawatch at Whitburn this morning, but still 51 Whooper Swan, 151 Pink-footed Geese and 5 Mediterranean Gull.

At Lamesley the was one remaining Whooper Swan from the 10 yesterday, along with 34 Wigeon.

A bit of a run around at Cresswell, but the Long-billed Dowitcher eventually returned. Also here were a Little Stint, a Ruff, 3 Long-tailed Duck, 4 Scaup, 4 Bar-tailed Godwit and a Little Egret. 1000+ ink-footed Geese dropped in as I left.

Long-billed Dowitcher