Birding round Hartlepool

 High tide was very early this morning, so I left home about 11 so that I could spend the afternoon in the area.

Greatham Creek was my first port of call.

As it was low tide not much water but enough for a few birds. Little egret

I dont often see the little egrets yellow feet, as they are usually in the water at Blacktoft. A few curlews were also visible

lots of lapwings with a few golden plover.

Hartlepool Headland was my lunch stop. I sat near the ariel and scanned the sea looking for birds. I sat away from the ariel in order to keep out of the range of the starlings and their droppings.

some of them flew down onto the grass looking for food.

Plenty of guillemots and razorbills on the sea, along with herring gulls. A juvenile sandwich tern flew past and as I was watching it I noticed a red throated diver on the sea, my first one of the year.. A walk around the headland allowed me to add pied wagtail to my list

a rock pipit was looking for food amongst the rocks and seaweed, my second tick for the morning.

Not many birds in the harbour so I returned back to my car. It was 3pm when I reached the car park at Newburn Bridge. The tide was coming in and brought some waders close to the path. Sadly none of them were sanderling, another bird missing from my year list.

I spent a pleasant hour watching the birds as the incoming tide pushed the birds closer to the path.

I drove down the road leading to North Gare, but did not see a bird. I then drove down Zinc road and parked in the first lay by.  The next lay by was full of cars and I could see birders looking into the area on our left. Another birder walked by and told me that everyone was looking for short eared owls. I waited for about 20 minutes and then left as they had not appeared. On my way home I stopped at Greatham Creek again. It was high tide and the area looked very different to my earlier visit.

a pleasant end to my day..