Sunday 18 August 2024

August


Great White Egret


My first visit to Rainton Meadows. Nice reserve. DWT are planning an upgrade to the hide and hopefully a couple more will be built in future.


House Sparrows

Good sized flock feeding on the cereal crop at Whitburn. This flock seems to have moved elsewhere and a flock of 600+ Woodpigeons have taken over. Think it is time the farmer did a quick harvest.



 

Selandria serva

Sawfly

It seems that the North East is increasingly being colonised by insect species from further South, or maybe some species have been overlooked. I've seen a few postings about Red-eyed Damselfy recently and wasn't aware they were found in Northumberland (First ever Record  this month per JD) and Durham. I am hoping to see some today, fingers crossed.



An unusual sight for me. The adult fed the youngster on Roker Park Boating lake. It (the young chick) then swam to the nest platform and joined what I assume are two birds from a much earlier brood. One of the joys of wildlife watching is that there is always something new to see.


Ruff

Whitburn Steel

The coastal wardens have done a fair job at providing fencing for Ringed Plovers at Jackies Beach. One chick from a late second brood is still hanging on despite the crows and dogs on this popular beach. I've never met a warden nearby but I guess they work office hours when the dog owners don't.

The dog exclusion zone at Seaburn again is not checked often enough and to make matters worse a lot of dog owners who do follow the signs are now concentrating on the best feeding and roosting area for passage waders.

 

A nice surprise in early August but sadly it got rather a lot of attention from the local crows before having a huge area of the grassy habitat mown for hay.



Southern Hawker

 

Friday 2 August 2024

July


Returning Waders and Insects

That was July! 

The 'Bus Birding' is going well and I now have a few routes which are my favourites. The little old car is still used for trips further afield but it is more economical on longer journeys.




The only problem with the 'Bus Birding' is the 9:30 start in summer. Fortunately I can use the metro all day in August (however it takes 30 minutes to walk to the nearest metro station).


White-beaked Dolphin

Managed to visit Newbiggin the day after the Greater Sand Plover departed.


Little Ringed Plover


Lovely Marsh Harriers at Chevington.





Gosforth Park

Water Rail enjoying a stretch.


Juv Wheatear on the coast.


Yellow Wagtail

Very hard to catch up with these birds nowadays.

Not had much success finding rarities on my new patch. (Guess that is why they are called rarities.) With August now upon us and September and October to follow its Fingers crossed for something unusual along the South Shields/Whitburn coast.