(chrisdownesbirds) planned several years ago for our New Years Day birding. I arrived at Ward Jackson Park just before 9am and as soon as I got out of my car I could hear the ring necked parakeets. There were about 12 of them perched in the trees on the opposite side of the road to the park. By the time that I had put my coat on and taken my bins and camera pit of my bag they had flown away. Luckily for me I spotted two perched in a tree just inside an entrance.
I know that it looks headles but it was asleep! I walked towards the pond and saw a pair of bullfinches, and on the pond two male goosander.
A ggod start to my day, 3 new birds for my year list. Hartlepool Headland was my next stop. The sun was now shining
From the Pilot Pier I could see 13 red throated divers, several guillemots and a few eiders.
The divers were never close to the pier, but looked good in the sunshine. One the way back to the car this curlew came very close
I added another bird to my list, when I saw these 3 purple sandpipers.
A shag was standing on some exposed rocks, so another 3 birds for my year list. I drove round to the lifeboat station to see if I could see the divers any better, but they were now close to the Pilot Pier!
Nothing to see on the marina so I continued to Newburn Bridge. It was high tide, but not a very high one, so the roosting birds were not as close as I had hoped.
Sanderling, knot and ringed plover, another 3 birds for my list, but no sign of a med gull. North Gare and Zinc Road allowed me to add wigeon to my list. Greatham Creek was my next stop.
redshank and black-tailed godwits were feeding
then my run of three continued when 3 red breasted mergansers appeared.
I was hoping to see twite and a little egret, but no luck, so I drove to RSPB Saltholme.
From the Wildlife Watchpoint I added reed bunting
and chaffinch to my list, but no sign of a water rail, just lots of moorhens
Nothing from Paddys Pool, but barnacle geese on the way to Saltholme Pools hide.
The light was starting to fade so time to move on to my last stop, Cowpen Bewley Wood land Park.
I parked in front of where the bird feeders were, but as Chris wrote they had been moved. They are now situated across the road, where I joined 5 other birders looking at the birds coming to the feeders.
marsh, blue, coal and great tits, chaffinches and bullfinch, but no yellowhammer or tree sparrows.
On the way back to the car I saw a sparrowhawk and a jay, another 3 ticks.
A total of 58 birds for the day and my year list is now 83.
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