August List .. additions

Red Kite

Tree Pipit

Hobby

Little Stint

Redstart

Booted Warbler

Wryneck

Black Tern

Willow Tit

Garden Warbler

It's Very Quiet ....

... I think not. Maybe no rare/semi-rare birds but loads to see.

A Peregrine over DBCP, closely followed by a Marsh Harrier. (Yesterday 2 Juvs and a newly moulted female, early morning Chev [and a Black Tern] )

East Chev: 70+ Ruff, 40+ Black-tailed Godwits, Greenshank, Dunlin, Ringed Plover, Snipe. Lots of duck species including a Pochard. Gulls and Terns. Yellow and Pied Wags. Still some Reed Warblers (see last post) and finch flocks gathering.

Oh and an obliging Spotted Crake! QUIET?

Bird of the Day ...

American Beauty

Yeterday's quick dash around the patch recorded 3 Black-tailed Godwit flocks (80, 20 and 5) within 15 minutes.A quick stop at Whitburn Coastal Park to see the Arctic Warbler. A small group had gathered and a couple of glimpses of the bird made me think I would have called it  a Greenish. Then someone asked; Where is the Arctic?, Ha Ha this was a Greenish. The Arctic was at the South end and didn't show during my brief visit.

So on to University Hospital Durham. The chance for a little walk around the woodland trail while waiting had me amazed by this massive suppression of news but now I can put it right. Apparently the woodland is home to an American Beauty. Look closely at the map! The two photos show birds which can be seen. On the right Eurasian Treecreeper on the left ......

LOL   ;-)

Well how spooky ... when I visited Chev today two Jays (eurasian)  flew over the reedbed to the new plantation! Quite a rare sight at Chev.

Don't you just hate ...

  ... no not spiders; Sunny, Bank Holidays!

The spider is a Common Orb Weaver Spider (Metellina segmentata)  .

I think I got this wrong ... Araneus diadematus is the correct ID I hope (24/07/2014) just bough a new field guide ;-)

The excitement of Saturday over; but Black Tern added to tally yesterday, despite a fairly fruitless few hours trudging through the wet rambles in the dunes.

Today was not much better. Migrants still being found along the coast but nothing remarkable in the bay. Two new birds for my list! The Spotted Crake gave brilliant views this morning in good light. it is such a pity NWT don't understand birds and people. Muddy scrapes and hides/screens close by, would give the casual observers and families (without telescopes) a chance to get close-up views of birds and mammals. Chevington is teeming with birds but the casual visitor can't get close enough to see them. (Planning and Management needed!) Maybe thats why they encourage Greylags and Canada Geese so the public can see them; they're big and noisy enough (eutrophication not a problem).

Wellington Booted

What a day! Yesterday afternoon I found a pale warbler,  guessed it was a good one but wasn't confident with my ID. Bob and Dave D agreed to come and check it out. After avery long time waiting it did not reappear. Gutted!

An early (pre-coffee) start after favourable conditions last night. Hadston, Chevington and Druridge drew a blank. Bob and Dave spurred me on with their Pied Flycatchers at Newbiggin, so all coffeed up, back to Hadston.  The 'bird reappeared B and D were contacted, B and D contacted again decided after second view I might have been mistaken (Sorry Dave). N.B. To all birders go with your gut (no jokes about mine please) people will bad mouth you right or wrong.

Be patient it's a long tale!

Well now the birding hots up. Migrants Appear. Cracking male Redstart and a Wryneck.  Then I photographed the 'Bird'. AC arrived to see Wryneck. It didn't show! After an age I walked the fence line and we all had fantastic views of what is usually a secretive/skulking bird. The photos don't do it justice but you get the idea.

B&D phone call and I announced  I had photo and was now convinced the 'bird' was booted/sykes and I was going to email photos. Home to my wind-up computer and within 30 minutes I had excited calls about BOOTED WARBLER photos. Don't you just love technology.

Sadly DD had travel plans! Sorry again Dave!

Bob returned and eventually he refound the bird. In flight it was striking, in the shade of a bush it looked different. I hope people understand my reluctance to jump to a conclusion. I have never seen Booted or Syke's Warblers.

Thanks to Stef McElwee and Stewart Sexton for their help with the photo ID.

Monster

Migration of Black-tailed Godwits continues with small flocks dropping in to the North Pool, East Chevington (rarely staying for very long).

Another fine Southern Hawker

Widdrington Moor Lake had the bird of the day; a monster Peregrine Falcon, perched on a log beside the lake.