Cracking Sunset but no bird's!

Teesmouth Sunset

Guillemot

Went to South Gare today but was a bit disappointed at the lack of birds .............never mind though the sunset was brilliant.

Black Tern and Brent.

Black Tern

Have spent the weekend out and about at the coast, showing a friend I met whilst on holiday some of the birds in our area.  Thankfully the weather was kind and the birds were obliging and we had a brilliant day on Saturday.

Black Tern

Pale-bellied Brent Goose

Purple Sandpiper

Knot

Sanderling

Wheatear

Fox

Harrier at Dormans

Late post - Thursday gave us exellent views of a Marsh Harrier at Dormans pool unfortunately the failing evening light wasn't good for pictures.

Sunday around Saltholme

Merlin

Stock Dove

Teal

Cape Shelduck

Pink Footed Goose

Barnacle Geese

A very windy day, plenty of geese on the reserve including a flock of 40+ Barnacle and a single Pink-foot, the Cape Shelduck (escapee) was still around, but waders in short supply. A quick run along to North gare gave us good views of a Merlin perched on a fence post

Bonaparte's but no Plover.

We decided to have a run up the coast this afternoon to see if we could locate one of the birds off my list being the American Golden Plover and at the same time the Bonarparte's Gull at Whitburn.  It was quite windy today but very warm, so much so that the ice-cream we bought in the car park upon our arrival was melting before we could eat it.  We walked along the coastal footpath and one of the first birds we saw was the Bonarparte's Gull sitting on the water below the footpath with a group of Black Headed Gulls.  We walked  on and managed to find a large flock of Golden Plover in a field further along the footpath but were unable to locate the bird we were looking for.  We will have to try again another day.

Sharp Tailed Sandpiper

Managed to get to Greatham Creek early evening to see the Sharp Tailed Sandpiper.  Not a first as we did manage to see one here last year but never the less a nice bird to see.



I decided to write my list of 20 birds to see next with the hope I would manage some of them at least and low and behold one turns up the next day that being the American Golden Plover.  However the chances of seeing it before it goes are pretty slim as I dont suppose it will hang around until next Saturday when I am off work.  Will record my list here and see how many I can get ticked off (and photograph) within say the next year.

Lesser Yellowlegs
Red Footed Falcon
American Golden Plover
Pacific Golden Plover
Ross's Gull
Great Spotted Cuckoo
Rose Coloured Starling
WhiteThroated Sparrow
Ptarmigan
Black Winged Stilt
Scarlet Rosefinch
Golden Oriole
Bearded Tit
Hoopoe
Roller
Nightjar
Red Necked Phalarope
Collared Pratincole
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker
Firecrest

Sanderking at Newburn

along with Med Gull

Marsh Harriers at Dormans Pool

A visit to South Gare

As it was my last day off school today and I had been frantically trying to do all the jobs I had not done over the past six weeks in one day when Mick came home from work I decided to take a break and we went for a visit to South Gare to see if anything was about.

It was quite a nice evening although a little breezy and there were lots of people fishing on the breakwater when suddently an Arctic Skua turned up out of nowhere and started chasing the few gulls that were around.  Also on the water were at least 55 Guillemots and some were quite close in on the high tide.  On the shore there were lots of Dunlin and Ringed Plover, more than I have seen in a long time together with Sanderling, Knot and at least 4 Bar Tailed Godwit along with 1 Curlew Sandpiper that we could see and 2 Sandwich Tern.  On the wall near the old jetty were over 100 Turnstone sheltering from the breeze.

Arctic Skua

Cormorant

Guillemot