Seawatching

My first seawatch for ages this morning. Up early and at Whitburn Obs for 05.30. Some excellent birds over a calm sea, Arctic Skua, Bonxie, Great Northern Diver and Avocet were the star birds. The Avocet was only the second ever past the Obs. A goods supporting cast with 60+ Manx Shearwater and loads of Sandwich Tern. The full selection on Paul's Blog.

All very quiet in Gateshead, but Dingy Skipper at Burdon Moor were new for the year.

Terns

All quiet in Gateshead first thing, so headed north for some terns.

No sign of the Lesser Yellowlegs at Newton scrape, but the Pectoral Sandpiper was still present. Again it was favouring the far shore of the pool, but I managed to phone/scope a shot.

Pectoral Sandpiper

At Newton Pool a Marsh Harrier was showing well.

Marsh Harrier

 

 

Swallow

A walk up to the tern colony at the Long Nanny gave hundreds of Arctic Tern, a few Sandwich Tern and 35 Little Tern.

Arctic Tern

Spot Fly

A call from Brian P had me quickly over to Bradley Fell where I had two Spotted Flycatcher flitting around a small copse. An excellent bird for Gateshead, unfortunately now usually just seen on autumn passage.

Spotted Flycatcher

The rest of the day was spent hunting likely spots for Tree Pipit and Cuckoo without any success.

This evening Burdon Moor held a Whinchat and 10+ Wheatear. A Grasshopper Warbler was reeling by the bottom path and a Whimbrel on top of moor.

Double Yank

An early start hunting for Tree Pipit and Cuckoo at Bradley Fell ended in failure. It was a bit wet and windy, so very little was singing. A Wheatear at Lamesley was my first there for the year.

I was just about to crack on with decorating when news of a Lesser Yellowlegs had me on the way to Newton scrape. The bird was on show as soon as I got there, giving cracking views as it fed along the near shore.

Lesser Yellowlegs

Not much else on the scrape other than 2 Common Sandpiper and a female Pintail, so I started to head off in the strengthening wind. I'd just got to the end of the scrape when a wader dropped in. From the colour I was expecting a Wood Sandpiper, but lifting my bins I had a belting Pectoral Sandpiper. A bit far for photos, but you can see what it is.

Pectoral Sandpiper

Pectoral Sandpiper

A few stops on the way south. A Great White Egret was at East Chevington, where a Grasshopper Warbler was reeling. 2 Pintail were at a wind-swept Druridge and 10 Avocet at Cresswell.

Great White Egret

A quick check around Gateshead revealed a Whimbrel at Burdon Moor.

Whimbrel

Red-throated Pipit

I downed the paint brush this afternoon and dashed down to Seaton Common. A throng of 50+ were there as I arrived and after a couple of minutes I was on a superb Red-throated Pipit crawling round the edge of a pool. Brighter terracotta than I was expecting and strongly marked mantle stripes. Excellent scope views, but a bit distant for photos.

Red-throated Pipit

Stripes

Hard work again this morning around Gateshead. 5 Wheatear at Burdon Moor and 3 Shoveler at Shibdon were the pick.

 

Wheatear

Whitethroat

Shoveler

 



No Cuckoo

A good thrash around Gateshead this morning failed to find a Cuckoo, or anything else. An evening check of Shibdon and Lamesley to see if the rain had downed some waders drew a blank. Better tomorrow!

Roe Deer

Peacock

Small Tortoiseshell

Temminck's Stint

Another trip to Teeside this morning. The Temminck's Stint was showing on arrival at Haverton Hole, creeping mouse-like around the edge of the pool. A bit distant, but excellent scope views. A Marsh Harrier was hunting over the reeds.

Temminck's Stint

Up the road at the Saltern there was a distant 'black' Spotted Redshank and 4 Whimbrel.

Whimbrel

Despite a McMuffin calling I headed into Yorkshire following a report of 3 Dotterel at Dalby. I should have had the muffin, as although I gave it a good thrash all I could find were a few Wheatear. As yesterday, the birds were re-found a few hours later.

Wheatear

Stopped off at Castle Lake on the way home, where there were 7 Black-tailed Godwit on the lake. The Corn Bunting weren't singing, but there were 6+ Yellow Wagtail.

Yellow Wagtail