Great White Egret-Woodchat Shrike

Monday I thought it time I went to see the Great White Egret which now seems settled at Druridge Pools ,first stop was the Lynemouth flash only one bird on there but that was a Wood Sandpiper I got a couple of shots just before a horse waded through and flushed it over the water works area, I looked again on the way home but no sign single Dunlin. Cresswell I only checked out the north end and the fields around the causeway with nothing so I headed to Druridge at the screen a guy said it was not on view from there but I looked anyway and sure enough there it was but only for a few minutes just enough time for someone else to see it before it flew north a couple of Whimbrel here also and more could be seen further over at least 30. I scanned the area with the scope hoping for Garganey not caught up with any yet. A walk to the main pool with no sign of the Egret so checked out the Oddie hide with a guy from further south , 7 or so Black Tailed Godwits in very near Summer plumage ,Whimbrel seemed to be all over several bathing in the small pool to the west and others overhead  also a Yellow Wagtail bathing with Meadow Pipit , Reed Bunting , Linnet all using a pool created from a leaking cattle trough. The guy was leaving for home but within 1/2 a second was back saying the Egret was on the main pool which could be seen from the Oddie entrance . So we got settled in the main hide with the odd Swallow popping in through the open shutters to add to their nests , we watched the Egret as  it walked along the north shore and more Whimbrel could be seen dropping in to a field . The Egret lifted a couple of times and was flushed by a Heron it eventually sat on a rock which is where I left . Sitting in the car having a coffee I had checked for any bird news and was debating to go to East Chevington, when a text of Woodchat Shrike near Druridge Pools ? I was puzzled not any birders around I headed back to the screen to check the area with a scope and soon others arrived equally puzzled as to where the bird was located , was this a wind up or mistaken ID, after clarification we headed out and up the road towards Hemscott farm and sure enough the birders and cars at the roadside soon gave us the location , the bird a cracking male was feeding from the fence line dropping onto the grass and also flycatching ,probably getting shelter from the  hedge as it was by now a cold wind   ,rather distant and given that the hedge did not come this far up no chance of it getting any nearer,but also easy to see and drew a steady crowd another 2 Yellow Wagtails as well , turned out to be a cracking day considering I had not gone far !.

 Lynemouth Flash

 Whimbrel Druridge Pools

 Whimbrel Druridge Pools

 Egret re-locates

 Swallow bill covered in mud

 This Lapwing bathing in front  of the hide , I especially like this shot with that look of distain,  another photographer must have took 30 or so shots of this ,,camera going off like a machine gun, that's some processing

 Egret settles on a large rock across from the hide

And finally a very poor shot of the Woodchat Shrike ,it's the small blob on the right , although there where some half decent shots obtained later.

Druridge Pools

I am a bit behind with my photos for the blog of late,partly due to the lack of storage and the processing speed of my computer it's time for a complete reboot I think but boy what a task that is . While on the way for an evening visit to Coquet  Island( for another post) the end of last month I called at Druridge Pools 

Black Headed Juvenile drops down and chases the Common Tern away I used one of the shots for my header this month

 Fortunately for us birders, birds do like to have a bathe in front of the hide even if you have to stand up to see out the window and between the grass stems . The classic Tern wing stretch now there's a design for flight , pity we cant get someone to design a hide you can actually see out of without having to stand between seat and shelf. One of the best hides in the area is at Hauxley the wader hide and I must confess I did see the Greater Yellow Legs from there .

Taking a bath now those wings just don't look real at all !

Juvenile Yellow Wagtail also drops in for a bath

 Presume from the same same brood but very individual

 One of the Little Gulls drops in to the shore

 They always look so delicate the ones observed at Blyth earlier in the year would often paddle on the water surface as they fed in the surf zone.   Fab birds.

I do like Little Gulls would love to see them on there breeding grounds in large numbers

 Here with a Common Sandpiper I did also have the Yellow Wagtail in with them just as I pressed the shutter its head went down behind a stone spoiling the threesome shot.

Shorelark,Avocets and Merlin 6-4-11

Wednesday the 6th I was going up to the Cresswell area anyway but the note of some Avocets around was a bonus , I was told the Shorelark was still showing at Druridge and a guy even offered me a lift despite having just come from there , so thanks for that,the bird was indeed showing well so rather than push it off I sat down and hoped it would work its way nearer, but other birders arrived and it kept its distance. Plenty of Skylarks and Meadow pipits around ,Wheatears also on the move I had 12 on the way back to Cresswell, Yellow Wagtail in the cattle field just north of the pond, 5 Pieds and 2 White Wagtails, I had seen no sign of the Avocets but there calling as they flew in allowed me to get a couple of shots they dropped on the pool but left , heading back to the village a Male Merlin shot along the dunes nice end to the day and some good birds for my Birder on the Bus list, even though I had missed two buses  back home !!!!

 While hoping for the bird to come nearer took a couple of digishots

 I have overexposed this one pity as it is not a bad shot

This was a smart bird I got a couple of others with the camera which I will use as a header

 Yellow Wagtail Cresswell

 One of  12 Wheatears along the coast from Druridge to Cresswell

Two of the Avocets I think 8 reported at one point