Cresswell pond 28/3/11

Stopped off at Woodhorn area to look for the Greenland White-fronts which were in a field with Pinkfeet & Greylag  ,5 birds and also a European one took a few photos they seemed settled here with plenty of eyes to watch out as they feed about 12-15 Pinkfeet in with the flock.

Cresswell the next stop, American Wigeon  picked out near the pool edge although distant, about 120 Pinkfeet in the field next to the hide and a single Brent Goose with them , a pair of Mergansers on the pond the male with bouts of display as where some of the Goldeneye only 2 Snipe noted they are thin on the ground these days, not seen any Otters around for some time either, used to be seen regular here. A Heron took an Eel by the sand bank and after making very sure it was dead swallowed it actually swallowed it about three times as it kept coming back up ,it then spent a great deal of time trying to clean its bill in the water and a couple of times pushing it in the sand. very pleasant day adding some decent birds to my Birder on the Bus list. 

 Greenland White-fronts Woodhorn area

Eurasian White-front Woodhorn area. 1st Winter?

 American Wigeon Cresswell pond

Single Brent in with the Pinkfeet Cresswell pond a bit hazy looking into the light although the American Wigeon came onto the grass much nearer the haze was to strong.

 With many determined pecks and a few spearings the prey succumbed sort of ! when you watch Otters eat them they do it with such ease.

 Cresswell Pond looking West the Wigeon flock is just left of the fence

Cresswell Pond looking onto the sand bank, road and dunes beyond

Eastern Crowned Warbler........................Trow Quarry

Just a few of the birders ,with nearly as many up on the top !!!!!

Well the strange tale of the Eastern Crowned Warbler, I.D.'d from a photo posted as YB Warbler,and what a cracking photo it was , this is the first record for Britain , so you could expect a lot of people to turn up , I was there before first light but already about 100 birders were lined up waiting for some light , it showed quickly giving good views , a terrific supercilium, but I could not see the crown stripe . So I hung around and got a couple of brief views, until I went up to the edge of the quarry away to the side ,here it gave better views , chased by a Robin and later a Yellow Browed Warbler , I got much better views of the crown stripe which was hardly noticeable at the front but more prominent at the rear, I don't have any field guide on this bird so have just gleaned info from the net
There was no hope of photos at this stage , so I just enjoyed the views it was giving , at one stage it flew behind us into a single Sycamore just yards away , flitting around I just could not get onto it ,then a Robin chased it back into the main cover , this is when a good few birders ran back to the edge it was turning a bit into chaos, so I thought time to go ,I'm not going to get any better views and with more and more people turning up it was only going to get really crowded on the quarry edge.
Stopped into Blyth Cemetery and picked up the Black Redstart
Black Redstart Blyth

Brent Goose Newbiggin beach

Great Crested Grebe Blyth