Great Crested Grebes-Killingworth

Could not resist the temptation to go to Killingworth Lake to have a look at the Great Crested Grebes , a lot closer than I expected being just by the road most I have seen in the past have been at least 100yds away  especially with young ,so it was a pleasant hour or so just watching their antics , despite being so close two photographers one sitting actually down on the shore line with what looked like  a 500mm lens  so he must have been only getting head shots but he still rattled off the shots like a machine gun , but the real interest was just being able to watch these stunning birds go about their daily lives by far the best views of GCG I have ever had . Interesting to see the Colour ringed Coot is still around and has  been for a few years now . A few Tufted also on the water  

 First bird encountered had the west end was this Goosander again it had come reasonably close to the shore but all the photos revealed possibly why as it was dozing in the sun had had it's eye closed the whole time . The Lake is a good place to see Goosanders in the winter

 Great Crested Grebes are a stunning bird  to see ,this juvenile enjoying the ride

No wonder they are growing fast if that's the fish diet

Blyth River

I forgot about this visit along the River Blyth last month where I had 17 Goosanders mostly Juveniles in two groups of 10 & 7 and my first Sandwich Tern Juvenile for Blyth Valley (although they are numerous now) about 30 Sandwich Terns had taken to sitting on the tyres now covered in seaweed and just like a rock thus keeping them up off the surrounding mud ,Redshank by far the most numerous wader with a few Dunlin and the far bank held a few Knot 4 Black Tailed Godwits and 2 Bar Tailed the incoming tide pushed off the Terns and the waders all went over the far bank to an area they roost unless a big tides moves them from here also .

Goosanders this from a short video they where so busy bathing and preening they had drifted towards the old Bates Pit jetty and briefly the two groups merged how they knew which group they where in as they separated ?

 Digi shot as they paused from preening great to see so many on the river

 Digishot of  Juv Sandwich Tern occasionally it would land in the mud and not on the seaweed only recently fledged

 Took the camera off the scope as this Tortoiseshell landed nearby

and this bee on a sweet pea which is why I like to still carry a digiscoping camera around

Around the Ponds , looking for something Smew !!

A run up the coast last week starting at QE11 lake which was heaving with wildfowl , 10 Gooseanders (7 male) , and the redhead Smew was still around but more to the south end  good numbers of Goldeneye also around  I did not count everything it would have taken all morning. Next stop the east side of Ellington to have a look through the Whoopers (92) no sign of any Bewick but they where reported there later in  the afternoon , I did have a colour ringed Whooper which till now I forgot to send in . On towards Maiden Hall Lake 2 Buzzards low over the new plantation, still huge numbers of Geese on the and at one stage the surrounding grass ,Pinkfeet , White-fronts, Greylag and some Bean Geese where noted but not counted ,3 Kestrel and a SEO in the distance. East Chevington was the next stop with three SEO being of note one sat on the steel pole for awhile but the news of Jack Snipe showing at Cresswell had me heading that way as it was now getting late in the afternoon , Snipe noted but well hidden , I got a few digi shots before the light went, another 2 SEO also  here made  a good end to the day.

 Goosanders QE11 lake

 Smew also QE11

 Just a couple of lucky shots as it stretched

 PD4 amongst the Whoopers it has probably  already been recorded but I will still send it in.

 Short -Eared Owl East Chevington one of three

Jack Snipe Cresswell pond

Blyth River

Checking along the river Blyth a few days ago The Little Egret still present also a couple of Seals near the loading dock of the long gone Bait's Pit also 3 Mergansers with two Goosanders well up river , 60 Golden plover on the spit, earlier in the day a look at Seaton Sluice only produced a single Common Scoter usually there is a small flock here and there is always the hope of something in with them single RTD also

Cresswell pond in the afternoon was a rather short visit due to some people who where very loud and insisted in pointing out the windows at things so I headed to the outflow for a look on the sea numerous Red Throats dotted about and 4-5 Pied Wagtails working the tideline

 Goosanders well up river

 Two Seals sunning themselves till the tide engulfed them

 Still a Little Egret hanging around

My last photos of the |Little Egret this one just to compare with a Curlew in the background

 Common Scoter on the sea

Killingworth Lake-Whooper !

Called at Killingworth Lake  on Tuesday 29-3-11 only the one male Goosander present about 60 Tufted Duck ,2 Great Crested grebe, a few Pochard my first lesser Black-backs of the year and still around was the Whooper Swan,I had scanned for it on arrival but thought it had gone walking the roadside path there it was just near the edge ,it seems to have a hint of juvenile plumage on its  back  I wonder if it is a youngster that strayed from the rest and just settled here ,it does have a ring on which I managed to get a photo of unfortunately just the section with the BTO address if anyone has further details I would be interested, no sign of any Goldeneye today usually a good spot for them . (Apparently the Whooper Swan was ringed at Killingworth  in January this year, thanks to Ian fisher for the information)  

Whitethroat and Grasshopper.........Friday 23 rd |April

Friday was warm and sunny early on so I cycled to Holywell ,lots of Willow Warblers & Chiffs only one Wheatear and the odd Swallow over ,first Whitethroat of the year for me at Holywell, and Grasshopper Warbler , F Goosander still around no sign of GCG, mid afternoon the 6 0r so Swallows increased to over 60 Swallows ,Sand martins and a couple of House Martins again my first of the year,the flooded field is drying out fast and I have yet to see anything other here than Oystercatcher or Redshank, there was 80 or so gulls using the pool so it will dry out even sooner,although they will also help to make it larger.

The weather changed sharply late afternoon and turned cold with a slight mist.

This Whitethroat in exactly the same place as last year


If you do happen to see Grasshopper Warbler this is usually the best view you get
In full reel........................for some superb photos of Grasshopper Warbler check out these at JM 's blog. http://birdingsometimes.blogspot.com/2010/04/punkbird.html

http://birdingsometimes.blogspot.com/2010/04/reel-deal.html

March 13th ............a day of numbers

Well its Saturday , where to go, where to go , I was later getting out again the cars can probably find its own way up the coast just lately ,but for a change I thought I would go via Linton Pond not been for awhile , passing Woodhorn I got my eye on some Geese so pulled over a bit of away off so I scope them, Greylag, Canada, and about 25 Pinkfeet, with a single Barnacle and the 4 Whitefronts still with them , I sometimes call in to QE11 lake I have had Glaucous & Iceland here before , but today I just passed by, going over to the Linton road a flock of 40 Whooper in a small pool by the road , so I got a couple of shots just from the car so as not to spook them.

The track down to the hide at Linton is a sun trap and it was very warm here the pond held c80 Wigeon, c40 Teal, 35 Tufted, a couple of Shoveller & Gadwall and a male Goosander, only about 40 Black-headed Gulls ,with Bullfinch in the small wood.

Cresswell just behind what used to be the cafe about 350-400 Pinkfeet not to far off so I scoped them again in the hope of Taiga Bean but no !, I passed the carpark of Cresswell as it was to nice a day to sit in the hide and decided to check the sea ,just taking the scope 2 Reed Buntings landed not 6 feet away on the fence then dropped onto the ground and back onto the fence , its the curse of having a camera ,lug it around all day and get nothing leave it in the car and you miss something, as it was there was nothing on the sea , but just to tease me a little more, now just feet away 2 Stonechat, a Meadow Pipit and a Reed Bunting in a little group on the gate posts beside the car.

West Chevington called along here before going to the pools at East Chevington , pulled over and scanned picked up a couple of Buzzards in the distance so got the scope out, to find a total of 8 birds , the most I have seen in one group , 2 Fieldfare & the first Stonecrop in flower along the ditch an unusual plant in that the flower comes before the leaves

East Chevington just hung around the obs platforms and was rewarded with a total of 4 Short Eared Owls & a Sparrowhawk to end the day .

40 Whoopers along the Linton road

Stonecrop, Sorry that should be Coltsfoot (which is what I meant)
This bird sat just along the road from the platform , but the light fading fast now.

I seem to have put the wrong image here !!!

Holywell to Shields...........31-10-09

Had a run to Holywell Pond, Goosander at the east end ,3 Whoopers over turned and landed but where chased off , a group of Greylag dropped in and in with them a Greenland Whitefront Goose and a few Pinkfeet they did not stay long the Pinkfeet left first then the Whitefront left on its own, Jays again along the north hedge ,Migrant Hawker along the pond edge again.
Sabine's still showing at Shields so I headed off,arrived to see it drift across the river mouth turn along the north shore then drop on the sea by the prom, here it stayed for some time till it eventually went over to the haven , I took a chance and headed to the quay, and about 1/2 hour later it just appeared in front of us and plied back and forth , eventually it headed over the river high up but turned back towards Sandhaven again . I have taken many shots of this bird but for some reason I just cannot get any top shots given the bird has showed so well, and today the light seemed ok in the late afternoon but still not got any shots I should be proud of, so if it stays beyond Sunday ,it looks like its back to the quay for me next week !!!!!!
Whoopers over the pond

Greenland Whitefront heads off

Larus sabini , now here for a full week

Just picking from the surface

Frustrating Weather 29-6-09

Lead Belle Or July belle

This weather is rather frustrating for me ,warm it may be ,but so changeable went up the coast the other day stopped near the power station for a walk it was a sunny spell and I counted about 20 Common Blue nearly all males with just a few females , also Red Admirals, Ringlets, & Meadow Browns , various amounts of damselflies at most suitable locations, Willow Warblers & Chiffchaffs still singing family of Whitethroats, stopped beside the travellers camp and looked up the stream very overgrown as is the pool nearby could be anything in there, the flash dried up now, a quick look in at Cresswell the Goosander on the sand beside the hide in heavy moult, Common Sandpiper here also. Druridge pools from the screen had little on show, the track to the hides was good for Butterflies as the sun as out again walked right to the end getting a few shots , went into the hide to find a mist over most of the pond , I ended up in the car for a coffee to see what would happen as I wanted to go to East Chevington to check the north pool , I thought it had cleared enough to be able to see the terns so off to east Chev, Greenshank & 3 redshank , a couple of Arctic Terns & 3 1st summers in with the 10 Little Gulls and numerous Common & Sandwich terns.

A couple of Juvenile Herons outside the hide Druridge Pools Mutes with Young also

Latticed Heath ?

And another paler version

Plenty of Common Blue out today

Common Toadflax starting to flower

A couple of Red Admirals ,this on Viper's Bugloss

Common Blue female

More Ringlets out every day