Slavonian Grebe

 Had a few jobs to do at home so it was noon when I arrived outside the borough hall .

Not the best of light conditions, and just as I walked on to the Pilot Pier a chap told me how close the 2 Slavonian grebes were. Were, was the correct word. as they were swimming away from the pier as I reached the edge.

That's my excuse for a poor picture. However a purple sandpiper was a bit more co-operative as it was feeding on the rocks at the bottom of the pier.

A rock pipit flew from rock to rock.

I then walked towards the headland itself.. A lot of birds on the rocks as it was about an hour before high tide. Cormorants, shags, great black-backed gulls, herring gulls, curlew, bar tailed godwit, grey plover, oystercatcher, redshank, turnstone and more purple sandpipers were resting on the rocks.

A short while sea watching did not produce any more birds for my list. I walked back through the churchyard, but no sign of any birds. A steady stroll around the gardens near the borough hall allowed me to add robin, blue tit and goldcrest to my list plus my first redwing of the winter.

I followed the route that my friend Chris (chrisdownesbirds.com) devised for our trips on January 1st., so my next stop was Newburn Bridge.

This diver came close but not too close to the shore. Ringed plover, redshank, dunlin, oystercatcher, turnstone and a single sanderling were on the pebbles.

Greatham Creek was stop number 3

High tide, so a few seals hauled out on the marsh. A large flock of waders were resting on the mud at the waters edge. Redshank and black-tailed godwits with a few dunlin.

Phil Stead hide was my last stop and for the first time the hide was empty. Redshank, teal, black-tailed godwits and moorhens were the only birds I could see.

Not a long day list, just 34 birds, including year tick 189, the Slavonian grebe.