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Friday 6 November 2009

The call of The Sabines ..............

Last Sunday in the heavy rain I ended up at Holywell Pond I must have misheard the weather I thought it was showers then heavy rain but no just rain till late afternoon when it got out OK , not much new on the pond other than the Iceland Gull the same one from Blyth estuary it has a drooping right wing but seems to fly OK , something not quite right about it but not seen it in any good light yet.
Monday I headed back to the quay to try for the Sabines , it showed a couple of times but I missed it , a very cold wind coming straight down the river.
Tuesday I went for a walk around Gosforth Park, just a couple of Jays , no sign of any Squirrels , on the way home called in at Holywell again , the Green Winged Teal drifted into view late afternoon a total of about 80 Teal present .
Wednesday and yes it's back to the Shields , this time earlier to catch the Sabines at the quay which I eventually did , and despite getting some full frame shots and some too close shots , I still have not got the shot I wanted , but hey ! perhaps it will hang around for awhile yet, it was great to hear it call a single soft "kree" ( thats how it is described in the books, and one states high pitched , but perhaps thats an adult, I thought it more a rasping buzz )which it uttered a few times , one Black Headed Gull took a dislike to it and chased it a few times. Eventually it headed back over to what looked like Sandhaven beach.
Thursday I had a look along the estuary but should have taken the scope , 4 probably Mergansers just too far away , a large number of Oystercatchers on the jetty on the Cambois side and a couple of hundred Redshank just along the wall so I did not go any further so as not to flush them just for the sake of it .
Iceland Gull Holywell Pond in the gloom of Sunday the 1st



North Shields fish quay 2nd Nov, ..............but no sabs today........ for me anyway.


GWT at Holywell Pond late afternoon of the 3rd.



Magpies along the hillside .




Coming towards me as it cruised the quayside.






One of those Angel of the North type shots,





One of the many shots that have gone wrong the bird too close and has gone out of shot !!!







2 comments:

Birding about Northumberland said...

Shots gone wrong....I don't think so, great detail of the wing and nice photos' overall
Michelle

Northumbrian Birding said...

Thanks Michelle just trying to get the best shot ,given the bird has shown so well, still present today 9th, I could give it another go perhaps !!!.
Brian