More Desert Wheatear

My visit to the Desert Wheatear I got more than some photos of the bird I also picked up a good dose of Cold/Flu which has laid me up most of the week reminiscent of my winters spent at Linton Pond looking through the gulls so stiff with the cold it was hard walking back to the car (but I do miss it), good to see it's still around hope it's finding plenty to eat , so here is a few more of mine I'm sure there are plenty to look through on the net ,which is all the birding I'm doing just now.

In true Panto fashion  time to say "It's Behind You"!!!!!!!!!!

Newbiggin Meds !!!

A walk along Newbiggin  beach from the South side to Church point and along past the Caravan Park, not looking for anything in particular but I had taken my camera ,it was good to find a number of assorted aged Med Gulls in with the Black-Headed Gulls that seem to like this area .

A lone Seawatcher  in the form of The Liverbirder sat eyes fixed on the sea ,with little movement I did suggest he should have brought  a book, the path along past the Caravan Park has all but  gone due to erosion which makes it harder to get along and look down onto the beach at the same time.

 A couple of colour ringed birds that I have already recorded

 The Juveniles seem to change rapidly in their  first few months

 I counted 7 Juveniles but a recent count had up to 13 with a total of c60

The beach is a huge expanse so even though the birds get flushed there is always somewhere else to settle

Newbiggin,Cresswell,East Chevington.

26-7-2010

A run through o Newbiggin to check out the Med Gulls ,soon located some sitting on the rocks with one group of 5 another with colour ring and a Juvenile ,with a few others on the beach ,12 in total which is about average for what I see ,although reports of 25 have been made, a single Whinbrel over .

On to Cresswell I Greenshank, 1Copmmon Sandpiper,18Dunlin ,160 Lapwing & 2 Whimbrel over looking to settle but moving on.

East Chevington plenty of Terns but no Roseate, a smart Summer Little Gull, 1 Black Tailed Godwit,I Greenshank. Down on the beach mainly Common Terns , a few Sandwich and a single Roseate Tern adult, a Arctic Skua buzzed them and harried the Terns out at sea before heading off, again Whimbrel over with 4 calling high up.

Lots of Harebells out now.

I have put the photos in the wrong order you would think I would know how to do it by now

Juvenile Med Gull as it moves out

Juvenile Med Gull probably already a few weeks old.
Adult Med 3L47
Five Med Gulls in this group.

Mega Seawatch session ............not

This morning I intended to go seawatching, but looking out the wind strength was not as forecast, ended up at Woodhorn Church checked the hedge to the south ,only a Blackcap & a couple of Great Tits, with a few Blackbirds, on the pond a line of Black Headeds on the posts, in with these at least one adult Med ,but there was also a 2nd year bird that flew off, and three 1st year birds, one with a colour ring which I have sent off, replies for the last ones where returned swiftly, one I had sent in twice before, and has been a regular at Newbiggin for some time , one from Belgium to Spain , Spain, Belgium & Newbiggin, with the 1st year coming from Pais de Calais.
The Mound for lunch well a coffee & snack in the car , tramped over the area but nothing other than a lot more Blackbirds & a few Redwings, so I ended up back on the beach , but dog walkers despite the ban, chased everything off , a short seawatch late afternoon turned up nothing so it was an early end to the day.
This used to be an excellent pond for waders, but the edge is getting overgrown

3, 1st year birds interestingly all in a slightly different state of mould ( or moult if you want to be picky !!!! :) )

Druridge Pools & Newbiggin

I just spent the day as others did looking for the Raddes Warbler trapped and ringed yesterday at Druridge, it was reported as still showing today , and along with the Glossy Ibis still showing well it meant there was lots of people around even a trip bus parked on the road.
No sign of the bird by mid afternoon,the Ibis along the far shore, and a Greenshank beside the hide.
Another run to Newbiggin as the light was better to get some more shots of the Med Gulls , at least 12 birds today but oddly could not find the colour ringed birds , although the rings could just be out of sight
The wind picking up playing havoc with this bird .

And again some Med Gull shots ,one of my favourite birds, Newbiggin has certainly become the Northumberland hot spot for them , sadly I did not find any actual juveniles this year ,will have to stake out Newbiggin next year !!!!

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