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.

 

 

 



Plain Lazy

Too lazy to do Gateshead this morning, but a quick look at Shibdon on the way to work gave a cracking Water Rail just in front of the hide.

Water Rail

Accidental Yank

Started at Newton, where there were already a fair few watching the Lesser Grey Shrike from the car park. The bird showed well down to about 50 feet and was chased at one point by a small flock of Reed Bunting and Chaffinch. An easy twitch.

 

Lesser Grey Shrike

 

After an hour I headed to Seahouses to buy a bacon sarnie and on to Stag Rocks to eat it. Between bites I could pick up a bit on the sea from the warmth of the car. Among the Eider and Common Scoter were a Slavonian Grebe, 2 Red-throated Diver, 6 Long-tailed Duck and a pair of Velvet Scoter.

 

Velvet Scoter

 

I braved the cold and got the scope out. With just 5 gulls on the sea I had a quick scan. Second bird in was the dainty, black billed Bonaparte's Gull that I had previously spent many hours dipping. It felt like cheating today with so few gulls to scan through.

 

Bonaparte's Gull

 

A quick look at Prestwick Carr and Shibdon on the way home was fruitless.





Peregrine

Another look around Gateshead.

Watergate had 1 Little Grebe on the pond with little else. 1 Curlew, 1 Grey Wagtail and 1 Redpoll were fly overs.

At Lamesley there were still 2 Black-tailed Godwit with 17 Curlew.

At Burdon Moor a Peregrine drifted over west. Also here were 1 Red Kite, 1 Kestrel, 1 Skylark and 1 Meadow Pipit.

Peregrine

 

The Ruff was still at Shibdon with a Shelduck the only other bird of note.

 

Ruff