Black Redstarts & Med Gulls

Saturday I went up to Newbiggin to check out the 4 Black Redstarts  that seemed faithful to a short stretch of beach , not the best of days very dull but at least not raining , birds located fairly quickly by just walking along the top of the dunes , but I could only get three and it took most of the afternoon  to finally get a total of four . I also tried a short seawatch  with only a few Wigeon and  two Velvet Scoter  as visibility was some what restricted , talking to AMc he picked up a Grey Phalarope as it crossed the headland and seemed to drop in the bay but it was not relocated .

Sunday we also called in to Newbiggin with the report of a Glaucous Gull on the breakwater and it was also a much brighter day , so I thought I would go around for the Redstarts  but when I got around the area they where frequenting was in shadow anyway  so I checked out the beach where  a concentration of birds where feeding on the shoreline . A quick look through and I picked out at least 12 Med Gulls in with the mass of Black Headed, Turnstone , Redshank and Sanderling , I could only see one Med with a colour ring on , several attempts made to get the number but without success 

Saturday 29th

Sunday 30th November

 The light fading fast

At least five Med Gulls in this shot by far the best place in Northumberland to see these fantastic looking Gulls 

In search of JR.......again

Juvenile Med Gull AAJR


Had a quick look at Newbiggin the other week in the vain hope I could find JR, this was a Juvenile Mediterranean Gull Colour ringed AAJR  found at St Mary's Island way back in 2006(one of two ringed) I did catch up with at Newbiggin details in the above link , now it will be coming up to 8 years old so may not be around , I would be very interested if anyone has seen this bird .
I tried a vain search of my own blog to find the year I first saw the bird with no luck so good old GOOGLE came up with it in an instant when I put the search" Juvenile Mediterranean Gull colour ringed St Mary's Island July"
and in a nano second top of the list was the above post   !!!

GND-Blyth River

Not having much time on Tuesday I just headed along to the River Blyth but I had timed the rising tide wrong and it was already quiet high but the first bird I saw was the Great Northern Diver that's been around for a few days it was just offshore from the path taking advantage of the incoming tide bringing fish in to feed so that was as far as I got for the next 45 mins it had no trouble catching fish I saw it catch at least three but getting them down seemed more of a problem where as Cormorants flip there catch and its down in one this bird played around with it losing them on more than one occasion and I never did see it actually swallow any ,although it could have used the water to help it get them down?. Divers are common enough off our shores but not often you get a view like this so I made the most of it till it moved off to the far side . By this time  the tide was well up  most of the waders where on the far side including 84 Curlew with 8 Bar Tailed Godwits in with them no sign of the Black Tail's from the previous visit ,good numbers of Teal with 36 Shellduck a few Gadwall and Mallard . Thought I would call along the harbour before going home still some light left and perhaps the Iceland or Snow Buntings still around , 2 Med Gulls at the links car park gave me the opportunity to try some flight shots but this Canon camera is not much good for fast moving birds, plenty of gulls in the harbour the majority GBB with the light fading fast time for home and see what I had captured. 

 I took lots of video as it tried to wrestle with the fish but could still not work out what was going on

 Now time for a preen taking no notice of me

 GND has a great profile with that steep forehead and flat top

 3-4 Red Breasted Mergansers around also, I did not get to far up river

 2nd Winter Med Gull where else but the chip shop !!!

 I thought this was an fell adult ,but you can just see a trace of black on the primary

 me looking up as it sat on the lamp post

Coquet Island visit

As  I wrote in the last post  a trip over to Coquet Island with the Natural History Society and North Northumberland Bird Club at the end of last month  weather was a bit dull and cool to cold with some fresh seas on the way out ,but we stayed in the lee of the Island which was reasonably sheltered . The was not a photography trip as all you can shoot is from the swaying boat but they did go in fairly close what does not come across in photos is the noise and smell of a large colony it is very impressive , a Seal popped up to investigate and several more nearby . Birds shot overhead in every direction and I braced against the rail to stop swaying tried to follow some with little success , Roseates could be picked out on the rocks etc: but I did not pick any out in flight , and all to soon it was time to head back by now the seas had calmed some  or we where going with it , everyone remarked how good it had been and for a mere £7 (return) what a bargain .

 We Near the Island ,last year we went around and then towards the jetty ,this year  it was straight to hang around then drift south slightly

 The other boat of the party it looks quite flat but not onboard

 I would love to visit the Island sometime even if there where no birds

 It does have a small beach

This is from the south the other boat now holding station off the jetty

 Crowds of Puffins and many flying off in all directions

 Not sure if this is a prime spot or not.

 Plenty of Juveniles on the beach I will leave you to ID them all

 The terraced nesting boxes

 Numerous Seals around the Island

 Roseate Juvenile on the jetty

 The Puffins just too quick for me and the lens

 Light improved for a few minutes

 Not sure if the hide is to be out of sight or out of falling debris lets say !

Roseate with Juvenile 77 pairs was the last count I heard ?

Back to the calm waters of Amble where I had a red  colour ringed Med Gull probably the Serbian bird but the photo did not reveal any detail and it would not play ball for me.

Newbiggin - Desert Wheatear

Last Friday I headed up to Newbiggin to have  another look at the Desert Wheatear walked along the beach to its usual haunt but no sign of it anywhere even further along on the beach south of Alcan Power Station , back to Beacon point in the hope it had returned  gave it another hour ,there had been huge amounts of sand blown across the beach onto the cliff edge this could have been what eventually persuaded it to move on . Across the Golf course a couple of Short  Eared Owls  sparring with each other so I headed over and got into the Gorse in the hope they would come nearer ,they just always seem to veer off before you get that great shot , the amount of blurred shots or shots with just half a bird in all end up deleted .  I counted up to 5 birds around ranged some distance apart , always great to see even the golfers seem to appreciate them. Last call before heading home a look on the beach several Mediterranean Gulls  around but rather wary as a digger was dumping sand that had blown into the car park etc: . a very pleasant day,I was expecting the Desert Wheatear to be relocated further up the coast , perhaps it is still around  just waiting to be re-found on someone else's patch !!!

 I counted up to 10 Purple Sandpipers from Church to Beacon point

 Short eared Owls hunting near the Golf Course

Med Gulls Newbiggin bay