A First for me - Glossy Ibis

I say for me as poor Mick was at work all day and could not get to see the Glossy Ibis which turned up at Saltholme today.  I had not long been at Crookfoot Reservoir when I received a call to say the bird was at Saltholme so made a sharp exit down there. The bird was showing well behind the firestation and actually flew a shortdistance allowing for some flight shots as well.  There were also four Snow Goose on the reserve too.

Snow Geese

Purple Sandpiper

Pintail

Med Gull

Waders on the Rocks



Headland

Black Guillemot

Wheatear

Tried for the Yellow-browed Warbler at Hartlepool Headland today but they were always one step in front of me...............try again tomorrow.  The Black Guillemot was still in the harbour and an obliging Wheatear was at the amphitheatre.

Ready for Take Off!

 Or should it read "Walking on Water"

Whooper Swans

Went over the moors at the weekend and paid a visit to Scaling Dam to see if the Red Breasted Goose was still around.  The weather was not too good and the light was quite poor so not good for photographs, although we did manage some record shots.  It was nice to see a couple of Whooper Swans and also some female Goldeneye along with a Wood Duck.

Red Breasted Goose



Newburn scores again.

Had a run around the local area again today in phenominal temperatures, hard to believe it is 1st October.

The Pectoral Sandpiper showed well outside the hide at Saltholme along with a Ruff.  Stopped at Newburn around tea time to eat our sanies and enjoy the breeze when a white leucistic knot flew in.  There were plenty of other waders there too.  A group of Sandwich Tern were fishing just off the tideline, occassionally landing on the beach.  We then went over to the Headland where there were quite a few Red Throated Diver on the sea.

Pectoral Sanpiper - Saltholme

Sandwich Terns - Newburn

White Leucistic Knot

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.