Cresswell to East Chevington

Monday 10 Feb
A run up the coast first checking the geese at Woodhorn no sign of the Whitefronts Cresswell water levels was no too bad given the water everywhere Dunlin,Redshanks and a few Curlew on the sand bank with several Snipe on the reed edge the Pinkfeet where very restless and constantly took to the air landing at one stage in view of the hide not sure of the numbers involved seem to me like 6-7 thousand in the air in 2 groups, a lone wader had me intrigued as it fed in the field north of the causeway turned out to be a Knot when I wen t along to view it . Druridge Pools had plenty of wildfowl I scanned as much as possible from the open hide and the main pool had a few duck including a LT, talking to a guy who had been to East Chevington  it seemed like a visit would be worth it, drove around via Hadston Carrs way and went down to the North hide a feeding station has been set up and is visited by at least 12 Redpoll a good opportunity to have some close views of this common but at least in Blyth valley elusive species , checked the pool from the hide which  has got to be at least 200 yds from the water alone they are without doubt the worst hides I have ever been in stand to view you cant see out , sit down to view and you can't see out . I gave up and headed back outside onto the east track and scanned from there could pick out the 2 Slav Grebes and at least 3 LTD , a white shape on the south bank had me intrigued it looked like a dead swan which would probably have a Darvic ring on so I walked all the way around to find it was a dead but fresh Whooper Swan but no ring. I was waiting for dusk in the hope of a SEO, watching the gathering flock of Starlings to the west again several thousand strong 8 was my guess  as the wheeled back and forth across the reddening sky till finally they had dropped out of sight .