Spoonbill etc:

A few from the past week or so been out walking and on the bike Spring is definitely here , I had a fledged Wood Pigeon in the garden a couple of weeks ago ,how common are they now in your garden ,weather changeable as always it was good to catch up with the Spoonbill at Cresswell I also had 4 Yellow Wagtails at Lynemouth flash and 8 Wheatear near Cresswell , Whinchat for the year at St Mary's and I have started to look at flowers again surprising how many species there are in flower hidden amongst the dunes and tall grasses   

 Swallow landed outside the hide at Druridge  a pleasant interruption from my search for a Garganey

 This must be a sheep skeleton viewed from the hide at Cresswell

 These three Scoter of ST Mary's Island later that day they had moved to Seaton Sluice

 First Whitethroat of the year at the butts St Mary's , now they are everywhere

First  Grasshopper Warbler in the field opposite the butts and I had another at Meggies Burn

 Spoonbill at Cresswell it sat tucked in the corner and was hard to see till it hopped over into the field west of the hide

 A very smart looking bird sporting some serious bling !!!

Also Cresswell a pair of Avocets feed or it could be the prone position before mating as they did mate soon after

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

Craster, Budle ,Stag, Long Nanny

A few days up the coast last week ,the weather was fine but the birding quiet, still a brood of Swallows at the campsite which also held a roost of Pied Wagtails with at least 60 coming to roost in a tree in the middle of the park,plenty of Buzzards around, with Tawnies calling at dusk a set a side field that I thought would be good for Short Eareds was now ploughed over, a small pond nearby had an Emperor and Common Darter but these the only Dragons I saw despite the fine weather.

Cycled along to the Long Nanny which had a huge Gull roost and about 80 Curlew by the stream Newton Pool water level up with absolutely nothing on , Common Porpoise seen from several locations.

A near summer Red Necked Grebe off Stag Rocks and about 100 Linnets in a crop of peas with a Merlin trying to catch one , Monks House Pool a single knot, 30 Snipe 40 + Teal, Budle easily a 1000 Black Headed, with also an adult Med Gull the furthest north in the county for me , 2 Greenshanks 40 Bar Tailed & 30 Dunlin near the road with a strong heat haze affecting the distant views, Craster near the harbour lots & loots of Butterflies on Red Valerium was hoping for a Humming Bird Hawkmoth, but not this year, plenty of Silver Y's.

Still a very pleasant few days in a fantastic area.

Only one left on the nest by the last day

Red Necked Grebe off Stag Rocks

Digiscoped shots from the rocks

Little Egret Budle it's been here for awhile now

Some early evening shots from near the castle

Dunstanburgh from the fields a small pond here with Mallards & Greylags

Silver Y

The Castle from Craster harbour

Not had time to look this up yet it had a curious flight

A Rook end !!!!