A Good Raptor Day

Today I went to Druridge Pools, Cresswell and St. Mary’s. Cresswell didn’t produce much except 20 redshank and some snipe. There were a few Canada geese on the pond but not much else. We left the hide only to be greeted by a female kestrel hovering outside but it flew off as soon as we got there but only as far as a tree near the car so we crept up and got some photos before it flew off once again. Then we headed up to Druridge. When we arrived in the Oddie Hide, there was very little to see except 2 greenshank. We stayed for 15 minutes with nothing showing so we were just leaving when a female merlin flew across the pond and through the trees. We ran out and into the other hide next to the Oddie hide and scanned the posts on the far side and eventually, we found it sitting on a post quite far away but still a brilliant sighting. A first for the year! St. Mary’s produced 300+ golden plover, 2 purple sandpiper and a woodcock which we flushed from the rocks accidently but none the less it is a life tick!! A good end to a good day!!

Kestrel Merlin

Sanderling

Golden Plover

All Over The Place (Plus 1 Life Tick)

We have been all around Northumberland today looking for birds. We started very locally at St. Mary’s to see if we could find the firecrest. After looking around for 30 mins we decided to give up and start on the waders. The North Bay produced 3 oystercatchers, 3 dunlin, 2 turnstone, 1 curlew, 17 redshank and a bar-tailed godwit (now in its 3rd week at St. Mary’s). Just as we started to leave, a peregrine flew over getting all the waders to fly. It soon landed somewhere near Seaton Sluice and not quite out of view. We left after that. However, on our way out, we saw a short-eared owl fly over the south bay sending all the gulls up. Not bad so far!! Then we went to Holywell for the guided tour. We went to the members hide first which didn’t give us anything until a report came in about a pectoral sandpiper at the public hide so we all left and went there. Just before we got there, Bob Dack (a friend of Holywell Pond) came out and gave the dreadful words of ‘it’s just flown that way’. We couldn’t believe it, just our luck but we went in the hide and waited. We saw 5 snipe, loads of geese and gulls, 50+ lapwing and eventually after 40 minutes, a pectoral sandpiper! Hooray!! We then went to Druridge Pools to finish the day with a glossy ibis. When we arrived in the Oddie Hide, everybody was around the windows to the right of the hide. The Ibis was there feeding. We watched that for a while before a heron flew in landed very close to the hide. It produced brilliant views without chasing the ibis! There was an amazing amount of shoveler at Druridge today but only females. Just as we were leaving, a greenshank flew over and landed on the mud. A very successful day! 164 – Pectoral Sandpiper (another life tick!) Pectoral Sandpiper Grey Heron

Glossy Ibis Greenshank

Shoveler

A good hour of birding 6/10/09

Just come back from St. Mary’s. The tide was coming in fast so I just got 10 minutes but it was worth it. The North Bay contained a bar-tailed godwit, 2 curlews, 3 redshank, 24 sanderling, 9 turnstone, 3 ringed plover, 50 golden plover and a cormorant fishing. I tried to get photos of all of them in the short time that the tide let me have! I called into Briar Dene Car Park on the way back, no sign of med gull but there were 2 common gulls present. We also saw a grey wagtail fly over then land quite close to the car park down under the bridge in the little stream. As this was a first at St. Mary’s for me we went and got a few photos before moving on. After that we went to Tynemouth Boating Lake to see the barnacle goose. When we arrived there was only one goose there and it was the barnacle goose. Quite easy to spot! The wind picked up a bit while we were there but it soon settled letting me get some photos. A good hour of birding! Cormorant Curlew

Bar-Tailed GodwitRinged Plover Grey Wagtail

Common Gull

Barnacle Goose

A Glossy end to the day!

Yesterday, we decided to go on a big journey today with my new lens. It is a 70-200mm with a 1.7 converter. We started at Thornley Woods where there wasn’t much at all except stock doves, squirrels, coal tits and nuthatches! I was a bit disappointed with the outcome of Thornley. Next we went to Big Waters. We got there and went straight to the main hide. It was very busy so I just got a spot at the feeders although I still had a view of the main pond. After watching the goldfinches, blue tits, great tits and greenfinches for a while, I saw 3 snipe out of the window. They were a bit far off for photos but within 10 minutes they were right underneath the window. I got some great photos of birds that I have never seen that close before! We left soon after that to go to Cresswell to see the Glossy Ibis via St. Mary’s. We arrived at St. Mary’s and sat in the North Bay for half an hour on the rocks. It was fantastic sitting watching the waders feed around us, the dunlin came especially close. They we within 7 feet of us producing great views and photos. There was a curlew that came very close as well and I got a photo of that too. After sitting for 30 minutes we went to Cresswell. When we got there, there were loads of people in the car park but they told us that we had just missed the ibis my 15 minutes. After a while, someone got a call to say it was near Bell’s Pool. The car park cleared within 2 minutes. Everyone went to Bell’s Pool. We followed everyone and when we got there, we immediately saw mine and my dad’s first Glossy Ibis. It was in the field just beyond the pool but it soon flew onto the pool giving us great views. A glossy end to the day!!

Snipe

Goldfinch Redshank Curlew Dunlin

Glossy Ibis

The St. Mary's Sparrowhawk

Just got back from St. Mary's. Wanted to check out the waders and other birds. The tide was right out so the waders were quite far out as well. We saw redshank, dunlin, turnstone, curlew, ringed plover and a possible whimbrel. My dad also saw a manx shearwater out at sea but we only had one pair of bins, so I didn't see it! As we sat down to eat our chips, a massive flock of golden plover flew over glinting in the sun. The black-headed gulls and starlings ate most of my chips, but what's the seaside for?? We watched the red arrows fly over a couple of times as well while we were eating. On our way home, the highlight of the day arrived. I was scanning the waders when a big brown bird flew in front of my view at a massive speed sending all the birds up. I thought it might of been a peregrine until I watched it's hunting technique as it took out a starling and landed in the rocks. We searched for it and finally saw it flap it's wings and then discovered that it was a female sparrowhawk. I went down onto the rocks and walked along towards it. It let me get within 10 feet of it producing great views and photos before flying off about 100 feet with the starling still in it's grip. A brilliant end to the day! Sparrowhawk Starling Black-Headed GullRed Arrows

Big Waters

Been to Big Waters this evening to see what was around. We went to the main hide first. The feeders were quiet with tree sparrows, robins, greenfinches and a goldfinch. The Great Spotted Woodpecker did show on the feeders but just very briefly. I still haven’t caught up with the sparrowhawk that lives there yet put hopefully I will soon! The pond had 2 Great Crested Grebes, Mallard, Teal, Cormorants and Mute Swans. Two moorhens were fighting on the other side of the pond so not much of interest. I had been the day before and seen the kingfisher but at the other hide. We wanted to see it in better light as it was a dull day last time we saw it. We went round to the other hide and I heard it call as soon as we got there. We opened the windows and it was sitting there with a fish. It gave us brilliant views both times we were there and if you haven’t seen it yet, it is well worth the journey! KingfisherRobin

Blacktoft Sands RSPB

On the second day of the holiday we went to Blacktoft Sands RSPB. I wanted to see some rare waders and bearded tits. We were told to visit all hides by the wardens in the reception so we did. The first hide was quite good which produced a marsh harrier and some redshank. However, the second hide was the best. When we got there, we saw some waders in front of the hide which were ruff. I had never been that close to ruff before, so I got some photos. A bit later, we saw some bearded tits which I had never seen before. They were on the mud itself which I didn’t expect. I expected them to be on the reeds! They were very far off so no chance of a photo! They were lots of little grebes dotted around the ponds as well which was nice. One came really close, close enough for a good photo. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much more of interest except a single spotted redshank in amongst the common redshank and a green sandpiper. After that we went to Alkborough Flats. When we got there we saw there were waders there so we went to the hide. We immediately saw my favourite wader, the unmistakable avocet. I thought all the avocets had gone but I was wrong! We also saw a group of black-tailed godwits. We didn’t see much else until the end when a marsh harrier flew over and a hobby a bit later which I had never seen either. Just as we were leaving we saw 3 spoonbills fly on to the lake which was a great sight just as we left. A great end to a great holiday! Ruff Group of Avocets

Little Grebe Pair of Marsh Harrier