On yer bike!

Did a bit of birding by bike today, heading down to Holywell Dene, then onwards to Seaton Delaval Hall for an expensive bowl of national trust soup.

A couple of roe deer ran across the track in the dene, nearly resulting in a fatality - the bike rider not the deer!

A kingfisher flashed blue on it's way down the dene, and two dippers were in full song.

Overhead two jays were seen, an unusual record this near the coast.

In the fields towards the obelisk a single wheatear was spotted on a fence post.

But the highlight of the day had to be the Hummingbird Hawk-Moth that returned to the garden again.

Migrants at St Mary's

Wheatear

Wheatear, Whinchat, Chiffchaff, Pied Flycatcher and Blackcap were seen at St Mary's today, as some migrants arrive at last.

Chiffchaff

First Wheatear

The horse fields at Seaton Sluice are always worth a check. They came up with the goods today with my first Wheatear of the year.

Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe

Bloomin Marvellous

This evening I walked along the waggonway from Monkseaton, passed the Beehive pub (it wasn't easy) on to Holywell Dene, and then back along the waggonway. Highlights were Wheatear, Whitethroat, taking nectar from blossoming buckthorn, and Grey Partridge. Three more for the OFFH list.

Waggonway looking green

Whitehroat

Whitethroat taking nectar

Wheatear in the horse field between Whitley golf course and the Beehive pub

Distant Grey Partridge

Wags the Movie(s)

First stop today was the Cheviots where I got my first House Martin, Red Grouse and Stonechat for the year. Also good to see Wheatear in breeding territory.

Nuthatch gets a Northerly up it's jacksy

Meadow Pipit

Meadow Pipit

Next it was home via Pipit central, Cresswell, where some eight birders (one from Potters Bar) had great views of Yellow, White, Pied, Black-headed and Blue-headed/Yellow Wagtail hybrid aka Channel Wagtail. Managed to dip Garganey at Druridge Pools yet again.

Black-headed Wagtail (Motacilla flava feldegg)

Channel Wagtail (M.f.flava x flavissima)

Now grab your popcorn and turn down the lights..................................

Ref: FLAVA FRUSTRATION

Prestwick Carr 20/04

68 Golden Plover in full breeding plumage, 6 Wheatears, 2 Buzzards, 1 Sparrowhawk and a Willow Warbler for a year tick.

And, rather surprisingly one of these...........

A week tick!

Golden Plover in breeding plumage (still grabbed from video)

Hip, Hip, Hip, Hooray

Wall to wall sunshine was the order of the day, just the ticket for a trip along the coast to St Mary's and then onto Druridge Pools and Cresswell.  And just as well as the breeze off the sea kept temperatures pinned down to a chilly 10 deg C. The weekend migrants of Garganey, Avocet and Yellow Wagtails were all conspicuous by their absence. The same couldn't be said for easter holiday makers.

Sand Martins were hawking over the wetland at St Mary's and over the pools at Druridge. I saw my first Sandwich Terns of the year at Cresswell and I finally bagged Stock Dove for 2010 in fields between Druridge Pools and Widdrington. A lone Wheatear was seen from the Budge hide at Druridge and Tree Sparrows were seen on the path down to the hide at Cresswell and in hedgerows along the fields west of Druridge.

Lapwing on nest

Stock Dove at last - pic ruined by heat haze!

Dodging Balls

Two Wheatear at Newbiggin golf course today, western edge by the first horses/ponies. No sign of the reported Ring Ouzel.

Wheatears in the rough

Also saw my first butterfly along the beach here, probably Small Tortoiseshell - blew past in the wind so no clear look.

Migrant Alert

A Northern Wheatear was reported from Portland Bill Bird Observatory today. Should be arriving here imminently. And with an estimated UK population of 540 thousand individuals there maybe a few.