Glossy Ibis...... Tynemouth

I had tried some video of the Glossy Ibis that was at Tynemouth mainly because it was calling softly but the wind over the microphone drowned out the calls  so I took the sound out .
I am trying it through youtube as the blogger video seems to take forever to load and the quality does not look good.
Click on the link below
Glossy Ibis Tynemouth

Glossy Ibis -Tynemouth

Thought I might as well post some photos of the Glossy Ibis that re-appeared at Beaconsfield Tynemouth , a very unlikely venue for any bird to hang  around for long  but given  the fact that it returned to it's previous location more than once , I thought it worth going up for .

I vaguely remember what I thought was an old Manor house on the site years ago but it turns out it was a Dr Barnardo's home which was eventually demolished with the aim of building a luxury hotel and leisure complex  (bingo hall?)  which never materialized, although I remember going to the carboot sales held on the same site and bought some very good book bargains .

Anyway the bird seemed settled it was located just sitting up the small hill near some gulls so I stayed a reasonable distance away from the small pool  and it soon wandered down to feed coming closer and closer to me which is always a good thing , luckily the numerous dog walkers kept their animals under control and away from the temptation of running after it , numerous people called in even taking photos with their mobiles with five people lined up , mobiles raised snapping away as it happily fed on Earthworms.

Who would have thought Glossy Ibis would turn up on the seafront of Tynemouth  !!!

 The very wet ground providing a steady diet of Earthworms .

LYNEMOUTH - Glossy Ibis

Wednesday  I joined MH at Seaton Sluice for a couple of hours seawatch not in the hope of anything special just to look for any movement at all a few Auks on the move mostly South as where the Red Throated Divers but not much else no duck to speak of although a Velvet Scoter was nice to see as where 2-3 Harbour Porpoise.  later the report of the Glossy Ibis still around the flash at Lynemouth so I thought time to go and have a look  but not till I was half way there did I realize I had left my bins , but had thought to bring 3 cameras !!, not to worry I thought bound to be someone with a scope on it , but no not a sole there I tried to pick it out with the camera zoom but no sign till 2 birders came about an hour later and there it was right at the south end of the flash , so I eventually drove past it and walked back to the gate it was just on the edge and me tucked in behind the gate it went on feeding coming nearer and nearer till another birder came bounding along the road asking if I had the Ibis , I gestured it was near as I kept low but he just walked straight up with loud voice asking how longs this been here , that was it ,it clocked him immediately and took flight with a low gronk !!!. so time to go off home no point in going any further without some bins !

 Feeding mostly on worms although it did seem to find one or two what looked like snails

Typical of my Photography at the moment  with the day being so dull , but when it's nice n sunny nothing to see !!

Boldon Flats- Ibis

The report of 2 Glossy Ibis still at Boldon Flats I thought its about time I went and see this place for myself ,so I went over via the Metro which stops at East Boldon about 3/4 mile away , first impressions where good most of the water can be viewed from the roadside and with the sun at your back , I did not take a scope with me on this my first visit but a scope is pretty much essential if you want to check through the Duck & Gulls . The 2 Ibis soon located in the nearby horse fields , the whole area is very wet so the birds are spoiled for choice as to where they feed and this they did pretty much all the time . A very pleasant afternoon spent both watching the birds and conversing with  the local birders and residents ,I was informed the birds came into roost about 4 but as this was a bright sunny day they did not arrive till just gone 4 :30 coming in fairly low and settling on a small island in the pool, it was over in a flash but worth waiting for , how often do you get to watch Glossy Ibis come into roost .

 The birds had flown from view and when I relocated them they where in a field adjacent to the Metro line and could have easily been seen from the train to Sunderland ,at least by those that did not have there eyes glued to a mobile !

 Boldon Flats backed by a housing estate on the one side and a road on the other no doubt I will be back  !!!

Just a Couple more photos ......................

Just one more photo of the Glossy Ibis from Druridge Pools taken yesterday as it dropped in just in front of the hide also 2 Greenshanks and a couple of Dunlin, no sign of the Buff Breasted Sandpiper, had a look along the beach and a good number of waders feeding on the rocks counted about 100 Knot, Dunlin 40, Redshanks and numerous Sanderling , Gannets feeding very close inshore right into the waves , of course I had left the camera in the car missed these and the tight flock of Knot as they wheeled around.
Friday just went along St Mary's mid afternoon bird of note a Fieldfare just in off , the first of the winter , a fishing boat well out attracted 200+ Gannets which where strung out behind for some way no idea what was going on a few duck moving but not much else

Stonechats along with Robins always give you something to photograph when there is not much around , and why not fabulous little birds all year round !!!!!!

More from the boots !!!!

Just a few more from yesterdays session cracking few hours birding after such a quiet period , even the tramp around Newbiggin in the expectation or hope of seeing Olive Backed Pipit was worth it , you don't realise just how large an area this is till you walk it.
Still good numbers of Butterflies around Sunday seemed to be Red Admiral day, but yesterday I saw more Painted Ladies, and lots of Common Darter
The Common Crane in Durham could be worth looking out for in the next few days .............
Marsh Harrier Druridge Pools

Glossy Ibis taking snail, which seems to be it's main diet ,although diet seems to be variable , it must cast several pellets per day, or more probable a large one .......looking on the net for images of these came up with nothing

I like to keep my hand in with the digiscoping, these two came out OK despite problems with the gear, I think my camera is on its last legs ,still its given me years of good service and some great shots.

Buff Breasted Sandpiper Cresswell Pond

Fill Your Boots Birding !!!!!!!!!!

A fine bright day so I thought to try and get some decent shots of the Ibis , passing Cresswell I just pulled over to have a look at the top pond , looking through the back window a wader on the grass caught my eye and two birders looking at it , Ruff I thought but still and opportunity to at least get some shots , thrilled to find it was a Buff Breasted Sandpiper and very confiding , it flew off for 15 or so minutes but returned and dropped in just yards away , cracking little bird , the only bird present which was in our favour or it would have perhaps joined with others and kept its distance , a small crowd rapidly gathered , so I thought I would go up and try my luck at Druridge , EVERYONE in Northumberland must have seen this bird by now ( there are still a couple of exceptions ) . A few people in the hide and the bird though showing well was some way off, till a Heron took a dislike to it and walked after it pushing it down to in front of the hide, well fill your boots , the cameras went off as hundreds if not thousands of images where sent to rapidly filling cards, till the bird flew back to where it had been previous, but again it was flushed by a Heron and flew past the hide a couple of times , it seems to have worked the Heron will not come down that far, so apart from the noise of several shutters set on machine gun mode , it was left on it's own, Marsh Harrier over was a nice touch.
The news of a ,I think possible Olive Backed Pipit at Newbiggin saw a few of us go down there and walk much of the area but no sign, apparently a Honey Buzzard had crossed over Cresswell when I had left , but you can't get everything, or your boots would runneth over .

A high up flight shot but it does show the dark crescent !!!

It had just dropped in near to the fence

I had assumed the bill would be level underneath , but its concave

I have taken loads and loads of this bird , but I thought this one looked just a little different

Druridge Pools ...........Glossy Ibis

Glossy Ibis reported from the Oddie hide and showing well ,so I thought another chance to get some shots, no sign when I got there, gave it a good scan then into the south facing hide to see if it could be picked up no sign ,so back into the main hide and the bird showing the the extreme left side of the west end, it flew around a few times when chased by a Heron and eventually went south and lost to view , It was howling strong wind coming in the open shutter , apart from 5 Heron and a few Mallard ,Teal and a single juv Great Crested Grebe, nothing else of note ,stopped at Cresswell and gave the south pool a scan but no sign and nothing else on there to bring it in , it does seem to prefer a few other birds around.
Last stop on the way home as the wind had me beat , Woodhorn Flash south good gathering of Gulls and in with them an adult Med which joined the Black-headeds behind the plough in the side field also picked out a second winter bird, and a 1st winter passed near enough to get a couple of shots , so not only the first time I have seen Meds follow the plough but I got three , could easily have been more given the closeness of there chosen quarters of Newbiggin just over the hill.
It looked as though it was going to come right past the hide but only circled a few times eventually going south lost to view

four Pink-feet heading north over the main pond

1st Winter Med Woodhorn Flash the south pool one of three that was following the plough

Three of five Wagtails at the road end

Classy Ibis @ Cresswell Pond

Just a few shots from the past few days not been much around the doors till the Glossy Ibis turned up, it led me a merry dance on Saturday morning and it's a thank you to all that kept the messages up to date so we could eventually get to see it , it could not have ended up in a better spot giving good views to all that turned up , I got some digi shots and some flight shots which turned out to be not as good as I had thought , I am definitely not a photographer , anyway it was a cracking day out , a great bird for the County . I should have been out more lately ,trying to find something after all somebody has to !!!!!!!!
Black Tailed Godwit Bothal Pond (north )
2 Wheatears Cresswell Pond
3 Buzzards
2 Sparrowhawks
Quail calling or was it a nokia
Plenty of Migrant Hawkers still around

Three beside Woodhorn flash

These Flies at Druridge all the same bit of tree a further 6 or so out of shot

Adult Med has returned to Briardene car park ..........dont't forget your bread

Rats coming to discarded fish & chips at Shields fish quay

There used to be some white winged Crows along St Marys this at the fish quay very strong pattern of white in the wing

stopped at Tynemouth boating lake for the gulls but they all flew off as I went around to get the light behind me ............should have brought those fish & chips

Just got back to the car when this Barnacle dropped in , be a good patch tick for someone {:)}

Digiscoped looked OK on the camera monitor, still I tried.

and a couple as it flew past ,looks rather awkward in profile but it could move swiftly as it rapidly became a mere dot in the sky !!!!!!!!

Just having a coffee outside when I got back home when this Hedgehog came for a drink in the bird bath, always great to see them in the garden...................