Wednesday 25 May 2022

Saltholme Selection








 A Great morning around Saltholme. Sadly the bird I most wanted to see didn't show (Black-necked Grebe). Barn Owl on nest box, Little Terns and Great White Egret were other additions to the day. I still haven't seen a Yellow Wagtail this year.

 

Sunday 22 May 2022


My school geography lessons included information about coastal features; including sea stacks, arches, caves, blowholes and geos. South Shields to Whitburn has them all.


Northern Marsh Orchid

Dactylorhyza purpurella



Painted Lady

An early one?


Good Dolphin action most mornings on the patch. Lots of fish in the area.


Thought I might buy a little dingy to do pelagics. This might be just the job!



Grasshopper Warbler

4 or 5 Territories on my patch.


Plaice

(the one with orange spots)



Now for the Chips?



Ragged Robin

Silene floscuculi



Red Campion

Silene dioica



 

Wednesday 18 May 2022

Fall Conditions


Easterlies, Rain and the right time of year. Well it passed me by, here in Sunny South Shields. (North Northumberland hit the jackpot though.)



An unexpected 'patch tick'. Click and zoom in to see what is accompanying the Cormorant.

Having a bad few days with ID cock-ups. This I think is another careless mistake. I think the big orange feet are the giveaway. I hadn't realised the wing pattern was so similar.

Ruddy Shelduck v Egyptian Goose


I love flycatchers!

This one did its best to stay in the cover, grrr!


Same photo cropped. When it did finally show it was against the light. See below.



Unexpected.


Marsden Quarry

Looking across from the top of the quarry, this has to be a good bet for a repeat of the Bee-eater flock from years back. Young Starlings were doing their best to get me excited as they attempted some fly-catching.



 

Sunday 8 May 2022

Saltholme


Missing Chev? So a quick visit to Saltholme RSPB and I got my fix of reedbed warblers and a good selection of water birds.





 

This Great (White) Egret Red AAU was ringed as a nestling at Ham Wall last April. It spent most of the winter around Yorkshire. Then back south to Ham Wall in April before heading straight back North to Saltholme. 


 

This will be a weekly visit (including Greatham Creek, Hartlepool headland and all the other hotspots). Imagine the rarities I'm going to tick off. ;-)