Hartlepool area birding

 Weather forecast was for a dry day, so I decided to visit Hartlepool.

I followed the route that Chris had planned for us in the "good old days" of New Years Day birding.

Ward Jackson Park was my first stop, in the hope of seeing ring necked parakeets, but no joy.

However after walking around the park , just before I left I saw a nuthatch.

it was feeding young in this nest box. I was trying to keep out of view so as not to disturb the bird. However it was a dull cloudy day and there was little light under the tree.

Hartlepool Headland was my next stop. A group of birders were doing a sea watch and I caught the last few minutes. I missed the skuas but managed to see a manx shearwater. Lots of eiders were on the rocks along with herring gulls and cormorants and shags.

this turnstone was easy to see whilst it was feeding near the rocks. However when it was feeding on the seaweed it was not as easy to see.

Although the tide was coming in, there were no birds on the rocks at Newburn Bridge. A little further down the road at Seaton Carew, little terns are nesting on the beach.

Part of the beach has been cordoned off, and despite the large number of people using the beach, the 50 or so liitle gulls were very active. A couple of volunteers were keeping an eye on things.

North Gare road added goldfinch. shoveler and lapwing

Greatham Creek and the seal viewpoint was next on the list.

Little egrets, curlews, shelduck, redshank, dunlin, avocet, mallard and common terns were in the area. Across the road, common terns and black headed gulls were vying for nesting sites.

the birds are just about in the range of my camera, but they are so active and suddenly take to the air.

I then drove to RSPB Saltholme. I went to the Phil Stead hide, where a birder offered me his seat. I will sit and watch this bush he said, its more exciting. A gadwall and a pochard were on the water and that was it. It was very quiet bird wise everywhere. The list on the board had not been updated, so I presumed thatI had not missed anything. 

The guide in the hide at the Wildlife  watchpoint repeated the "its quiet" message and the board has not been updated. There must be a shortage of marker pens as none of the boards in the hides were upto date. Paddys Pool hide was empty which was good as I did not have to wear a mask.

How this canada goose family managed to end up in the middle of a black headed gull colony I don't know. The adults were mobbed all the time as they tried to protect their young one, which was too busy eating to notice what was happening.

Saltholme Pools hide was also empty so I could move from window to window as I wanted. In the distance a spoonbill was standing still.

it was probably closer to the road than the hide.

A family of canada geese were outside the visitor centre, a more sensible place to be.

Dormans Pool was my last stop. Not a lot of bird activity. I had hoped to see grasshopper, sedge and whitethroat in the brambles but not a sound.

From the hide I saw mallard, mute swans, great crested grebes and little egrets. There were 4 egrets but this one chased the others away.

I enjoyed watching the common and little terns, and seeing the nuthatch feeding was good, but overall it was a bit too quiet birdwise., but at least it was dry.