Corn Bunting

An early start around Gateshead produced a Whinchat and 3 Wheatear at Burdon Moor.

Next down to Castle Lake at Bishop Middleham and the target Corn Bunting was seen immediately singing by the hide. Also here were 4 Yellow Wagtail, including a blue-headed, feeding in the crop fields.

Corn Bunting

Yellow Wagtail

Back home for breakfast then up to Derwent Reservoir where there was again no sign of the Osprey. Just outside Muggleswick the Green Hairstreak were again showing. Also here was a Common Lizard, Large Red Damselfly and a few what I think were very young Red Grouse.

Green Hairstreak

Red Grouse

Down to the gorge where there were several singing Pied Flycatcher and three young Tawny Owl.

Pied Flycatcher

Tawny Owl

Whinchat

Stuck at work till late I was pleased that Mike's Whinchat decided to hang around at Burdon Moor. Took some finding, but showed well eventually.

Whinchat

Green Hairstreak

With a back injury I thought today would be a write-off, but pumped full of drugs I headed up to Derwent Reservoir in search of the Osprey. No luck today, but 4 Garganey flying south towards the nature reserve end of the reservoir were unexpected. Also here were 6 Great Crested Grebe and a calling Cuckoo.

Pow Hill had loads of Siskin ,with Small and Green-veined White and Orange Tip.

On the moor outside Muggleswick 20+ Green Hairstreak were out in the sun, showing very well. A butterfly tick for me.

Green Hairstreak

 

A quick look in the gorge gave a Pied Flycatcher and a Speckled Wood.

S

Speckled Wood

Pied Flycatcher

 

Yet another Whimbrel

Until last summer Kibblesworth Grange Flash was an excellent roadside venue used as a stop over for errant wildfowl, waders and more. Last spring this corner of a field was littered with Yellow and White Wagtail and has recent records of Spotted Redshank, Greenshank and Green Sandpiper.

Unfortunately last summer the local 'Custodian of the Countryside' filled the pool with rubble to allow the occasional blade of grass to grow. Tosser.

Tonight, after the deluge, a Whimbrel dropped in briefly to feed before moving on again. The first decent bird since the fill-in.

Whimbrel

Pec

 

Up to Bamburgh in the rain this morning. Inland to Hoppen Kiln Flash and the Pectoral and Wood Sandpipers were seen immediately and 4 Garganey dropped in. A superb site, just a shame it is distant viewing from the road.

Another look at the Lesser Yellowlegs at Beadnell, then a wander down to Long Nanny to the tern colony. Several hundred Arctic Tern, 4 Little Tern and a few Sandwich Tern. Just as I was leaving a Little Gull dropped onto the beach.



Arctic Tern

Little Tern

Little Gull

Newton was quite with a Common Sandpiper on the pool, Yellow Wagtail and a couple of pairs of Stonechat at the scrape.

Roedeer

Stonechat

On the way home there was a Marsh Harrier just outside Ashington and a smart drake Garganey at Bothal Pond.

Yellowlegs

Stuck at work until 8pm yesterday meant I was unable to get up to Beadnell for the Lesser Yellowlegs. The alarm set for daft o'clock and I was wandering through the caravan site at 5.15 this morning. My heart sank when I scanned the flash pool and nowt, but a couple of Shelduck. A few more scans and the Lesser Yellowlegs popped up out of nowhere. Cracking, but distant views as it fed around the edge of the pool. Back in the car by 6.30 and at work in Newcastle by 8.00, a success!

Lesser Yellowlegs

A roadside Barn Owl was a bonus on the journey north.

Otter

Popped into Shibdon tonight on the way to the Metro Centre. A cracking Otter feeding in front of the hide. After a few minutes it caught a small eel that it brought to the nearest new island to eat. After eating this it caught a big eel that it dragged off into the reeds. The Otter was badly cut around the shoulders, but it didn't seem to hinder it.

Otter

Also here were a Common Sandpiper and a fly over Goosander.

At Lamesley there were 2 Yellow Wagtail and 2 summer plumage Dunlin.