Blue-Headed Wagtail 27/4/13

Went to patch this morning and on the way along bumped into Gary who pointed out a yellow wagtail in the south bay, which he suspected to be blue-headed, and he got it spot on! Was a patch tick for me and only my second ever. Also got a male yellow wagtail, 3 wheatears and about 15 white wagtails. Hoping for shearwaters and skuas tomorrow!

 Beauty!

 White Wagtail

 Wheatear

Yellow Wagtail

Weekend Birding

Yesterday, me and my dad went up the coast in search of the Pectoral Sandpiper at Bamburgh. However, we could not see it, so we moved to Stag Rocks, which held a Long-Tailed Duck, 30-odd Arctic Terns, and large numbers of sandwich tern, fulmar and shag. We then moved onto Druridge where we stopped at Druridge Pools first, where I yearticked common tern. Bumped into RF and PC Wanderings who informed me of 4 Snow Geese that had just moved north over Druridge towards East Chev and as they were lifers for both me and my dad, we went straight up! After some looking, my dad spotted them in the fields south of the south pool and we soon got on them.

Today, I visited patch again in the hope of yellow wagtails but no joy, I did get a patch tick in the form of Black-Tailed Godwits on the wetland, 4 summer plumage birds showing well (thanks to MH). Willow Warbler singing his heart out in the willows and a whimbrel flew south this evening. Brings me patch year up to 106.

Black-Tailed Godwit

Migrants!

Great day on patch with Daniel Mcgibbon, started with a seawatch with a patch tick in the form of a Slavonian Grebe (96), 2 Sandwich Terns, a Velvet Scoter and a few Canada Geese. We then went along towards Old Hartley and got a yeartick in the form of sand martin (97). Then on what we thought was the way out, we headed for the cemetery were Dan found a cracking female-type Black Redstart (98) and a male wheatear, however just as we were about to leave, we found ourselves racing along back towards Old Hartley after a male ring ouzel (patch tick) that was reported, and just got it as it flew from the fields across the path and down into the bay (99). A really good day with 2 patch life ticks and 4 patch yearticks.

 Black Redstart

Wheatear

Weasel

Sizergh Castle 4/4/13

Finally made it over to Cumbria to look for the hawfinches at Sizergh yesterday. From 7 o'clock onwards, with patience, we saw a total of 4 hawfinches in the car park, both on seed and in the trees. They were all calling loudly and regularly so were fairly easy to keep a track on! However at about 8:45, they gradually left the car park and we didn't see them again. A lifer for me that is well overdue, great birds to watch providing great photo opportunities!

Hawfinch

Patch Gulls 23/2/13

After the boredom of the period between winter and spring started to set in, I decided to go for a seawatch in the hope of a migrant or two. Among 6 common scoter, 15 gannets and 30 fulmars, was a juvenile Glaucous Gull flying north, nice surprise to the seawatch! 

My photos of the glauc from North Shields.

Then after a text from Alan Curry this afternoon, I went flying back down to the South Bay just in time to catch up with 4 Adult Little Gulls with the Black-Heads. Showed amazingly well, down to 3 feet at times! Also saw the adult Med Gull.

Great Birds.

The Colours of Wallsend...

After recieving a text from Tony about a Mandarin appearing at Wallsend Burn on Wednesday, I've been itching to go, and finally today I went! Typically of this species, it showed brilliantly, feeding on the grass near the bridge over the burn. I'll let the photos do the talking!

I will never tire of seeing these!

Also got the Barnacle Goose at Tynemouth Boating Lake which is still present and should be there until the middle of March! 

Look who's still in town...

Cattle Egret

Whilst standing on my patch yesterday with Dan, a report came through of a cattle egret on Holy Island, which took us by surprise! I thought I was seeing things but I wasn't - Northumberland's first twitchable Cattle Egret and we couldn't say no! As Alan Tilmouth said on his recent post, this was the first real bird of note so far this winter, apart from the odd bean goose! So this morning, Andrew Kinghorn kindly took me and Dan, with Michael Murphy and Kieran Lawrence to see it. Arriving at 9:15, we were greeted by a long line of birders, most of which I knew and it was nice to see everyone reunited for this county mega! It was also nice to finally meet Stewart today!


Anyway, when we arrived the egret was in the garden and unfortunately out of sight, however after about half an hour of standing freezing our arses off, it finally walked out into the 'open' and I managed to get my first British and County Cattle Egret! After watching it for about an hour, it finally stopped and stood in a decent place where I could get a phone-scoped shot of it, very record shot-style again but what a bird! Did not do it justice at all with the shot and hopefully there will be a up!

True County Mega!