Sunny Boxing Day at Hartlepool

 

Last night I was undecided as to where to go birding today. Then a clip on the TV showed the headland, so I chose Hartlepool. It was misty as I drove along and I wondered if I had made the correct choice. However after Thirsk the mist lifted. I parked near the museum on the headland and enjoyed a walk round in the bright but cold weather.

Not many birds about. it was high tide so I expected to see more on the rocks, not just cormorants and gulls.

Very few waders were exploring the smaller pools of water, and there were very few people about to have scared the birds away. A small flock of eiders in the entrance to the harbour was the highlight.

The car park at Newburn Bridge was full, I had to wait until someone left to get a parking space.

Lots of people out enjoying the sunshine.

Ringed plover, turnstone, oystercatcher and sanderling on the rocks, escaping the high tide.

A few gulls about and I had to walk back towards the marina to get close enough to be able to identify them all. A couple of herring gulls, more black-headed gulls and one Mediterranean gull, which was another year tick (204).

As RSPB Saltholme was closed I drove to Marske, but no scoters on the sea, just lots of dog walkers on the beach. As I drove home and approached the turn off for Thirsk, the mist returned.