Seawatch

 With strong northerlies forecast I stuck in a last minute day's holiday. Arriving at first light to a wild sea and a strong north-westerly blowing, the birding didn't really pick up until the wind strengthened and swung round to due north. No rarities, but an excellent cast dominated by wild fowl and Sooty Shearwaters. Full results here.

Scaup

Velvet Scoter

Pale-bellied Brent

Barnacle Geese

Lap

 Yesterday a quiet seawatch led to a look round Whitburn CP where 4 Yellow-browed Warbler were vocal and showing occasionally. Mark's garden Arctic Warbler failed to reappear.

In the afternoon I popped down to Blackhall Rocks to see the supposed tame Lapland Bunting. I arrived to news that they had been repeatedly flushed by joggers and cyclists, not being seen for 30mins. Luckily I picked them up just a short distance away feeding on the edge of the path. Just time for a few photos before they were flushed by a pig-ignorant walker.

Lapland Bunting

Buffy

 A flyer from work on Friday 18th September got me up to Boulmer (again) for a smashing Buff-breasted Sandpiper. Always excellent, but up-close, all to myself and a Northumberland tick made the trip worth while. Feeding at the top of the beach, at high tide with 300 Dunlin, a Little Stint, a Curlew Sandpiper and a Ruff a bit of patience gave excellent views. A Merlin made a few attacking runs, scattering the waders, but they all dropped back down to continue feeding.

Buff-breasted Sandpiper

Little Stint

Summer

 A few better bits and bobs since my last post.

On 22nd June while seawatching at Whitburn, Mark Harper picked up a very distant Rose-coloured Starling to the south. A return after lunch gave better views on roof tops.

Rose-coloured Starling

On the 21st July a small, slight Cory's type shearwater was on the sea off Whitburn. Seen in flight only briefly it showed a large white flash on the right wing, the significance of which only became apparent a couple of weeks later.

On the 27th a trip up to Amble gave good views of the returning Caspian Gull.

Caspian Gull

A quick video of the Caspian Gull.

A Pectoral Sandpiper was showing distantly at Druridge Pools.

As ever Burdon Moor has done well with passage Whinchat including this juvenile on the 3rd August.

An after work twitch on 5th got superb, close views of an adult White-rumped Sandpiper at Druridge. 

Another after work twitch on 11th gave good but distant views of a smashing summer-plumage Pacific Golden Plover  at Boulmer. A couple of subsequent visits gave better views on the beach.

With Lamesley now totally dry our only chance of a decent wader in Gateshead will be at Shibdon. A Greenshank turned up on the 11th to christen the newly exposed mud.

Some good seawatching gave some early Long-tailed Skuas and Sooty Shearwaters.

A trip up to Northumberland on the 17th gave the adult White-winged Black Tern at Druridge Bay C.P. A nightmare to photograph as it twisted and turned in dull conditions.

A Common Sandpiper joined the Greenshank at Shibdon and 9 Arctic Tern flew high west on the 18th.

Asian Desert Warbler

A very early start got me to the Snook on Holy Island for 04.05 this morning. Twenty or so birders were already on site, loosely surrounding a stunted pine. The Asian Desert Warbler was singing as we arrived from deep cover to release the tension. Tickable views were soon had, but the bird made us wait for better. It flitted from the pine into a tiny bush, where it went to ground for the next 45 mins, singing occasionally. Finally it gave itself up, flying to a more sparsely vegetated bush where it fed and performed in the relative open for the happy crowd.

Asian Desert Warbler

Photos were hampered by the poor light in the murky conditions, but I was more than happy! The following video shows our first good views and has some singing at the start.

                                     

Burdon Moor has had a bit of a purple patch recently with a male Red-backed Shrike (first Gateshead record for 23 years) and 3-4 singing Quail.

                                      

The Marsh Warbler at Sunderland Academy Pools put on a great performance at the start of the month. Much better than the Great Reed Warbler at Druridge that just called three times for me in less than ideal conditions.

Marsh Warbler

Marsh Warbler

Lockdown Gems

The ongoing lockdown has meant any birding has been local, but surprisingly successful. Three unphotographed raptors were welcome additions to the list; Merlin hunting at Burdon Moor, Osprey north over my house and best of all a male Marsh Harrier east along Whickham Front Street while I was out for a run.

My earliest ever Swift flew past my window on the 19th. It wasn't until today that after an obvious large influx I saw my next.

Swift

I've managed some decent views of Short-eared and Long-eared Owls on morning wanders.

Short-eared Owl

Long-eared Owl

There seem to be a large number of warbler's around, perhaps an upside of the harsh lockdowns in southern Europe keeping hunters and trappers out of the countryside. Normally scarce Garden Warblers and Lesser Whitethroats are popping up everywhere. Grasshopper Warblers had a slow start but are now reeling in numbers, with one showing particularly well.

Grasshopper Warbler

Hare

Wheatear

Stoat

Rook

A nice find was the Wood Sandpiper that spent the 4th May feeding up at Lamesley.

Lockdown

With lockdown in force, early morning trips to Burdon Moor have been my only escape from staring out of the window, praying for a White-tailed Eagle.

 On the 6th April two Willow Warbler were singing along Tanfield Railway, along with a couple of Blackcap, but Burdon Moor was quiet with just the pair of Stonechat to speak of.

The next day 5 Willow Warbler were singing at Burdon Moor, but the star was the male Ring Ouzel feeding along the top fence-line. Annual here, but rarely stopping long, this is a bird that I missed last year. Also new for the year were 3 male Wheatear in the freshly tilled field by the entrance.

Ring Ouzel

The 7th was better again with a smart male Redstart getting chased by the Stonechat pair along the hedge-line at the top of the loop. Views were as brief as for the previous day's Ouzel. A couple tired looking Swallow dropped in to rest on wires and there were now 5 Wheatear in the entrance field.

Redstart

Swallow

A few quiet mornings then the moor was back on form today. First up was another Ring Ouzel, this one picked up on call on the bottom track. It quickly moved along the hedgerow, resting briefly in a tall tree, then flying high west. 2 singing Whitethroat were fresh in and both showed superbly along with a singing Stonechat. A vocal Tree Pipit was heard and seen as it zipped overhead to the north and a couple of Swallow passed through. Frustrating views of a flushed Snipe sp. that will hopefully be there tomorrow. Wheatear had built up to 6 in the entrance field by the time I left.

Ring Ouzel

Stonechat

Wheatear

Whitethroat