No Rosy

Blue sky, light winds and warmer temperatures, it felt like spring. At Burdon Moor Skylark and Meadow Pipit were singing and a Red Kite floated overhead. 4 Stonechat were new in and will hopefully stay to breed, the first time since being wiped out in the winter of 09/10. The Golden Plover flock has built up to 737.

Stonechat

News of a possible Rose-coloured Starling at Swalwell led to nothing despite a good search. 2 Grey Wagtail were on the Derwent behind B&Q.

A run up to East Chevington failed to turn up any Bearded Tit or Marsh Harrier, but there was a Black-necked Grebe and a smart drake Pintail.

Short Seawatch

A short seawatch from Whitburn. A steady stream south of Gannet, Kittiwake and Guillemot with a few other bits and bobs.

0730-1000
Shelduck    1s
Eider    6n  9s
Red-throated Diver    5s
Common Scoter    2n
Goosander    1n
Pink-footed Goose    37n
Whooper Swan    18n
Mediterranean Gull    1s
Teal    2s
Mallard    4s

Not much around Gateshead, but 3 Gadwall were at Birtley reed beds including one on the Team.

White Wings

It was all about swans and gulls from Whitburn this morning. A good movement of Whooper Swan and the first flock was dragging along a Bewick's Swan. A distant Iceland Gull moved south, while a very close Glaucous Gull flew north. A Moorhen hurtling north just outside the window was a surprise. A steady stream of Gannet and Kittiwake were moving south.

0745-1100
Shelduck    2n  2s
Common Scoter    1n  2s
Moorhen    1n
Whooper Swan    115n
Bewick's Swan    1n
Red-throated Diver    1n  2s
Iceland Gull    1s
Canada Goose    1n with Whoopers
Eider    1s
Grey Wagtail    1s
Goosander    5n
Lesser Black-backed Gull    1n
Glaucous Gull    1n
Pink-footed Geese    66n

All quiet around Gateshead. 25 Lesser Black-backed Gull and an Oystercatcher at Shibdon. Oystercatcher, 2 Redshank and a Wigeon at Lamesley. 2 Redpoll at Far Pasture. 25 Curlew and a Red Kite at Burdon Moor. Drake Teal at Watergate. No sign of the Long-tailed Duck on the Tyne.

Long-tailed Duck

I was just climbing through the hole in the fence at Stella, cursing as the tide was too high for gulls when I spotted something black and white dive mid-river. Happily hoping for a grebe I was over the moon when a cracking female Long-tailed Duck surfaced. After a couple of swoops from a Herring Gull it took off and headed low down stream. A Gateshead tick for me so it deserves a few photos.

Long-tailed Duck

At Shibdon a big influx of Lesser Black-backed Gull was apparent with 22 birds on the pond, including the following bird that has been returning for at least the last 4 years.

Lesser Black-backed Gull

I picked up a small duck circling high up that turned out to be the Long-tailed Duck. It did drop low, but obviously saw that the pond was only ankle deep and headed back towards the Tyne.

Long-tailed Duck over Shibdon

Sled Lane held 11 displaying Goosander and 10 Tufted Duck. Watergate had a drake Teal, 3 Little Grebe, Red Kite and Buzzard. 2 Redshank were back at Lamesley along with 75 Curlew and a drake Wigeon. Displaying Red Kite and Buzzard were over Far Pasture.

Red Kite

Roe Deer

Kittiwake

Kittiwakes are back on the Tyne. Showing best on the north side where there are nests just above head height.

Kittiwake kittiwaking

A full tour of Gateshead revealed nothing exciting. Lesser Black-backed Gull are now at most sites, including one north over Burdon Moor.

Raptors

The first raptor of the day was a Rough-legged Buzzard from Winter's Gibbet, drifting north west over Harwood Forest. Excellent scope views were had as it was briefly joined by 2 Common Buzzard. Next up were Goshawks with at least two separate birds soaring over the wood and hunting along the moor edge. Another 2 Buzzard were high over the wood along with 2 Raven.

Down to the coast, but after the early success there was no sign of any Marsh Harrier at East Chevington. The Black-necked Grebe has still here and a Water Rail dashed across a ride through the reeds. Another couple of stops along the coast revealed nothing new.

No sign of the Short-eared Owls at Prestwick Carr, perhaps a bit breezy. There were 3 Willow Tit on the feeders by the view point. A Small Tortoiseshell here was my first butterfly of the year.

Shibdon held 2 drake Shoveler, 13 Shelduck and 4 Lesser Black-backed Gull.

At Lamesley the 22 Pink-footed Geese were behind Horse World and 2 Oystercatcher were on the water meadows.

The Golden Plover flock on Burdon Moor has built up to 602 along with a small flock of Lapwing. A Curlew was back on territory and 3 Snipe were flushed.

Mandarin

After a quiet plod yesterday around Gateshead I headed down to Hartlepool this morning. No sign of the Mandarin in the fish quay so headed to Seaton Common where there was no Merlin. Similar at Dorman's Pool where there were a few Pintail, but the Marsh Harrier failed to drift through. Another try for the Mandarin turned up trumps with the bird picked up immediately hugging the harbour wall on the far side.

Mandarin

Back up in Gateshead the 22 Pink-footed Geese were in the flash pool field at Lamesley, 6 Lesser Black-backed Gull at Shibdon and a Grey Seal at Stella.