Blacktoft, Langdon Beck and Hartlepool

 Football was cancelled on Sunday due to water logged pitches, so I went to Blacktoft.

Not the best of days weatherwise. After a chat with Ian and Daz, I walked down to Ousefleet. 70 plus lapwings, a few teal, wigeon and gadwall. Marshland had a a few snipe and lots of teal until a marsh harrier flew over.

A great white egret landed and then flew off from Reedling. I had lunch with Ian and then I went down to 1st hide and Townend, but neither had any birds.

I had just opened the window in Singleton to take a picture of a whooper swan

when I saw something else, it was an otter. It was constantly diving and I found it difficult to keep up with it. Excuse the pictures, but it was a bit far away and the light was poor.

6 marsh harriers in the sky at the same time was the biggest count. Starlings started to arrive so I tried to take photos in black and white, not much luck.

Today I had to get up early so I decided to try for black grouse at Langdon Beck.

I arrived just after 0730 and within a few minutes I saw this bird

As you can see I had forgotten to change my camera settings from black and white!

Hartlepool Headland was my next stop.

Sunshine but cold, high tide so not many birds.

A slav grebe off the pilot pier.

sad to see this on the beach

Newburn Bridge was next on my list.

Lots of waders on the pebbles.

Greatham Creek was my last stop.