St Mary's - Duck Central

A very distant Long-tailed Duck in the North bay at St Mary's

A second Long-tailed Duck was with a group of Goldeneye also in the North Bay. The tide was out and there were a few waders.

Redshank snoozing

Ringed Plover

On the Wetland were Teal, Mallard, Gadwall and a single Shoveler.

The low winter sun lit up the head of the drake Mallard beautifully.

Lapland Bunting at St Mary's

The seed is drawing quite a crowd at St Mary's and that's just the birding papparazi. The Skylark numbers have swelled along with Reed Buntings, Redshank, Turnstone, Snow Bunting and a very confiding Lapland Bunting.

Lapland Bunting

Lapland Bunting

Reed Bunting

Snow Bunting

Redshank

Whitley Today

A Great Tit singing in our street this morning put spring in my mind, that was until I went outside, brrrrrrr.

The gale force Siberian winds made any prolonged birding painful - streaming eyes and numb face and fingers in 60 secs. I started at North Shields fish quay and worked my way up to St Mary's (in a warm vehicle). Not much to report other than 3 Common Scoter in the bay at the north end of Whitley beach. There were other ducks at sea worth a check but the wind made the use of a scope impossible.

It was good to see Redshank, Turnstone and Oystercatchers back on the links, able to get there beaks into the ground at last.

The Barnacle Goose is still at Tynemouth boating lake.

Up for the Larks at Whitley

"I am just going outside and may be some time."

 

Now I'm not a morning person but just before dawn it was on with the hiking boots and a ruck sack loaded with bird scran and off to Whitley links to feed the larks. As a double whammy for the birds, the easterly wind has picked up. The first birds I saw were 2 Skylarks flying over the dome. Walking along the promenade the birds were conspicuous by their absence. The tide was high with plenty of Redshank, Turnstone, Sanderling and Gulls. Heading past the end of the promenade and along the golf course there was a single Redwing. As I approached St Mary's I was starting to wonder if there would be anything there to feed!

I walked around the wetland, or should that be iceland? There are a couple of small areas of open water where the Teal, Gadwall, Wigeon and Mallard have huddled together. There were numerous Snipe, some on the wetland, some in the adjacent fields and some along the road edge where there are a few puddles thanks to some moving water. A couple of Woodcook were flushed as I walked round. I put seed around the wetland in the sheltered spots. A couple of Skylarks were in the car park so rest of the seed went there.

St Marys Iceland

On the walk back, a couple of year ticks, indeed a patch tick! Firstly, a female Snow Bunting that landed briefly on a fence post before heading off over Whitley. Next came 54 Brent Geese flying low over the beach heading north.

Beautiful Whitley Vista

Ducking Christmas

I managed to 'duck' the stress of Christmas and impending kitchen disasters with an early(ish) walk along Whitley beach. There was a lone Gadwall flying in from the south and landing in the surf at the north end of the beach. It swam along the shore, calling all the while, and then every 5 minutes or so it would take to the air for a lap of the beach only to return.



On the wetland was a beautiful pair of Wigeon along with a large number of teal.

The Water Pipit is still present at the north end of the beach.

Along the links were a sprinkling of Skylarks, Meadow Pipits, Redshank, Oystercatchers, Golden Plover, Pied Wagtail and a single Grey Wagtail. Also, a single Purple Sandpiper on the exposed rocks off the beach.

Seasons Greetings