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Tuesday 17 July 2007

14/16-07-07 Triple Dip on the Caspian Tern

Just another roundup from the weekend and Monday came across a Female Red Grouse leading her six young into the open to pick up grit looking very dark bird the light was not very good added to the rain so not the best of photographs but with the bins the cryptic camouflage was fantastic.
Saturday got caught up in the hunt for the Caspian Tern and missed it three times but did have the Otter pop up just offshore for a couple of shots and that evening we went to Souter Lighthouse for the Storm Petrel ringing we waited in the cove were the nets where set up and the tape lures blasting out into the night it never really got black dark ,there was a good turnout of people but they started to drift off as tiredness set in I said lets wait till they check the nets again then go home as it was now 1am,they where slow in coming back and I had the hope they where taking out a catch, sure enough one bird in the hand it was processed and shown to us all. I had not thought about how to focus on the bird in the hand as you could not see it through the view finder I had a red light but it was far to bright ,so if you go on anything like this take a small torch with a red filter just to help you find the bird.
Not getting to bed till after 2am Sunday was a slow start went past Cresswell 7 Black Tailed Godwits and 4 Knot, on to East Chevington Little Egret and Spoonbill on each side of the island but did not come together, 6 Common Sandpiper still at the outflow pool with more juvenile terns being fed on the beach and a dead Seal further along.
Monday just cycled to St Mary’s for the high tide but not much on the rocks although 5 Common Sandpiper dropped in and I had 2 Juvenile Wheatears in the dunes of Blyth not sure if they have bred locally or just passing through , I waited till the tide started to drop Sanderling and Dunlin along beach ,but again not much dropped onto the rocks other than a couple of juvenile Sandwich Terns, Herring Gulls nesting on a nearby house with three young showing well in the falling sun ,not popular with everyone !!!!
I have uploaded the photos in the wrong order !!!!!

Waders return to the beach as the tide drops
Juvenile Wheatears in the dunes at Blyth locally bred ?

Little Egret flying around the island at East Chevington

5 of the 6 Common Sandpiper at East Chevington ( not the best digiscoped shot but did get 5 in)

Storm Petrel hard to believe these little birds are off our coast ( I can still hear the call ringing in my ears)
The nets and ringers just visible in the evening light about 23:15
SOUTER
Otter showed at Big Waters apparently there is also a Little Waters
Red Grouse with 2 of the 6 chicks
Female Red Grouse about to lead her chicks out to feed



3 comments:

ST said...

Brian you can move your photos, by clicking on them and dragging to the desired location. leave spaces to drop them into

ST said...

your not the only one, got in from work checked bird guides, text one of the 'in the know'. Spent the next few hours , touring the possible sites--nowt as usual.

Northumbrian Birding said...

Yes you are right I can move photos around how clever I thought you had to cut and paste