Waders at Newburn Bridge

 

This photo is taken from Newburn Bridge looking towards the Headland. High tide today was about 2pm so I had a leisurely drive up the A19 to the area. I called in at RSPB Saltholme first. A large flock of pink-footed geese were flying overhead but otherwise it was very quiet. A working party were out on one of the lagoons so no birds.Cattle in front of Phil Stead hide had also chased away any birds.

I sat at Hartlepool Headland for a while. Red-throated divers were on the sea and close enough for me to see their red throats through my scope. Guillemots on the sea

 and a few eiders

Lots of turnstones on the breakwater

while a few were on the shore looking for food.

The high tide had forced waders on to the shore by Newburn Bridge car park. A surprise was this canada goose

On the sea with the gulls was a wigeon

A few photos of the waders on the rocks.

Aire Valley tomorrow.

12 different waders at RSPB Blacktoft Sands.

 My first visit since the work on Ousefleet and Marshlands Lagoons had been completed and a high tide had put water onto the reserve. The team have worked hard to get the reserve into an excellent state.

The following photos are of the lagoons early this morning.

This roe deer was in front of Reedling hide.

A carrion crow was eating a wader.

Waders on every lagoon. Photos of some of them.

Pete was in Singleton lagoon with other birders including Jane and Rob Chapman watching a ringtail hen harrier when they noticed a different wader. They only had a few seconds to look at it before it flew off. Pete managed to get a photo and it was later identified as a Buff-breasted sandpiper. I did not see either bird.

Cattle egrets at RSPB Fairburn Ings

 

My turn to complete H&S checks at the Aire Valley reserves. I visited the Lin Dike end of RSPB Fairburn Ings reserve first. Lots of chiffchaffs, willow warblers, blue, great and long tailed tits in the bushes as I walked towards the hide. Cetti's warbler was also singing.

As you can see from the photo, water levels are low. In the distance I saw a single avocet, lots of teal, a few young shelduck and lots of black-headed gulls on the mud. 3 spoonbills flew overhead. I then noticed in the field on my left the highland cattle were slowly coming my way and cattle egrets were with them.

I slowly walked back towards the car park and tried to get in a position to take a photo with the sun behind me. I was not always able to do this due to the height of the vegetation between the path and the field.

I wonder what these two were saying to each other?

Time to go and complete the checks. After doing them at Fairburn, I drove to St.Aidans where I went for a walk after doing the weekly checks. The little owl was in one of its usual places.

Still plenty of water on site. I walked as far as Astley Lake, but like other birders was unable to locate any whinchats. perhaps they were keeping low as the wind was quite strong. I decided to return to Fairburn Ings and sit in the Pickup hide for a while.

How does your wingspan compare to these birds?

Not a lot of activity at the feeders.

On duty at Blacktoft Sands tomorrow. It will be interesting to see the new improvements at Ousefleet and Marshland.

Filey and Staveley

 

8 am on Tuesday morning I was sat at the edge of Carr Naze looking out to sea over Filey Brigg.

Sunny morning, which made looking over the Brigg a bit difficult due to the sunlight on the wet rocks.

The tide was slowly going out and oystercatchers returned to the exposed rocks. A steady stream of gannets went past and several fulmars flew close.

 I was hoping that this fishing boat might attract a lot of gulls and perhaps a passing skua, but no such luck.

Several guillemots and razorbills on the sea but no divers or terns. Plenty of people out walking who stopped to ask "What are you looking at?".

I left about 1130 and drove to Filey Dams.

This is East Lea. Not much water and so just 1 ruff and 16 moorhens.

Filey Dams was a little better with 2 ruff, a few mallards and teal. Then 103 lapwings arrived.

Today, Thursday I went to Staveley. A pleasant amount of water here. 36 birds on my day list including, goldcrest, chiffchaff, 3 red kites, 2 marsh harriers, sparrowhawk, peregrine, great white egret, ruff, green sandpiper and lots of lapwings.