Not in Andalucía

I shouldn't have been at my desk writing a blog post this afternoon, I should've been in Bolonia near Tarifa in Spain, looking at vultures and migrating raptors.

Ages ago we booked a 10-day trip to Andalucía, with a few days around Tarifa followed by a trip out the wonderful Doñana National Park, staying at El Rocío - a place I've not been to since 2004.

As the news about Coronavirus began to unfold from Spain on Thursday our trip was still on but looking doubtful, by yesterday afternoon it was looking dicey and by 8pm last night we decided to cancel as Spain declared a state of emergency and it looked likely that the whole country would soon be in lock-down. We did the right thing as Jet2 flights bound for Spain turned around mid-air this morning and headed back to the UK.

I was really looking forward to this trip. I've got two weeks (valuable) annual leave, which I have to take this month - wasted!

So this morning, instead of being on a plane headed for Malaga - guess what? I was at Druridge in the gloomy grey and cold dampness, counting ducks.

I missed the WeBS count last week, so caught up with that. There was a lot to count with many of the wintering species still present in good numbers including 196 wigeon and 84 each of curlew and redshank. Predictably lapwing numbers have decreased but birds are displaying now.

Displaying lapwing 

A good smattering of waders including the first two avocet of the year, four ruff, eight dunlin, two black-tailed godwits and a single snipe.

Teal numbers have decreased to 41 but the shoveler count remains high at 31. A pair of pintail were still present. A flock of 35 whooper swans flew north overhead, bound for Iceland - Coronavirus doesn't stop them from flying. 

On the big pool, tufted ducks numbered 26 and a couple of cormorants fed. A single great-crested grebe is holding territory but no sign of a mate yet. 

Feeding cormorant

This hybrid/domestic/mallard thing has been hanging around for a couple of years, this drake mallard seemed particularly attracted to it...

In the bushes, spring is starting to stir with singing resident birds evident. It won;t be long before the first chiffs are back. In the dunes, the first meadow pipits are back - parachuting in song. 

Scarlet elf-cup fungus - looking a bit chewed since I first found it last week

Offshore there was plenty of red-breasted mergansers, red-throated divers and a flock of about 35 common scoter. My first lesser-black backed gull of the year flew south and a couple of gannets passed by. 

We've booked a few days away in Scotland so not all my annual leave will be wasted but I fear that it won't be long until the UK is in 'lockdown' to use tabloid language. Will that stop me going to Druridge?

Two things are guaranteed...

Two things are usually guaranteed on New Years Day on the patch:

1) I will see a species that I didn't see in the previous year. Over the years this list has included merlin, peregrine and slavonian grebe amongst others. This year it was pochard.

Two drake pochards heading south

I half-expected it to be long-tailed duck as one was reported on New Years Eve and it was LTD I was looking for when I saw the two drake pochards on the big pool.

2) Some mentalists will be in the sea

Brrrrr

At least this girl kept her bikini top on, the two in 2018 didn't!

New Years Day was beautiful day and Janet and I had a good wander around the patch, taking in the big pool, Budge fields, bushes, sea and dunes to the north and saw 56 species - not a bad start to the year list. Other than the two pochards, other highlights were two velvet scoters flying south offshore, 60 twite in the dunes, a goldcrest (very rare in winter), a pair of pintail, a kestrel (first since July!), 250 golden plover and two of the four ruff from last week. We scanned through the pink-footed geese in the front field but couldn't find the white-fronts.

Busier than a summer day

By the time we headed home just before 2pm, the place was rammed, everyone and their dog(s) had descended on Druridge Bay. When we left, we had to queue to get out because people had parked on both sides of the road, leaving no room for cars to pass. It was like August Bank Holiday Monday!

Link to eBird list for NYD

Today was colder with a stiff breeze from the SW. I quickly checked through the geese (still no white-fronts) and the Budge fields where the four ruff had returned and had been joined by a dunlin. I also added blue tit and shelduck to the year list

List from today

Winter WeBS

After what seems like weeks of non-stop rain, it finally dried up today... well almost, which was good as it WeBS count day and I was keen to get out on the patch.

The wildfowl numbers have really built up in the last couple of weeks, especially wigeon, which only numbered four on last months count. There were 363 today with 223 teal and 56 mallard. A female pintail was nice to see.

There were also good numbers of waders with 83 curlew and 56 lapwing. Among them were four ruff and two black-tailed godwit and 12 dunlin flew off during the count. I was hoping the Cresswell long-billed dowitcher might put in another appearance but it hasn't yet.

There was a big flock (for Druridge) of 425 black-headed gulls on the Budge fields when we arrived which had two adult Mediterranean gulls amongst them - they all slowly moved off south into the fields by the time we left to go to the 'other side'...

Before we got there a finch flock moved through the alders by the new 'dwarfs screen'  - lesser redpolls, siskins, goldfinch and three bullfinch - a good record for the patch.

On the other side, it was very quiet - brim full and very brown. A sub-adult great-crested was noteworthy.

As we walked up through the dunes to look at the sea, a flock of 90 or so golden plover flew in-off. There wasn't much of note on the sea (which was a long way out) - a great-northern diver headed north was the highlight.

Full bird list here

This spider was on the perspex window in the hide, which I think is Metellina segmentata which has a common name seemingly - Eurasian Armoured Long-jawed Spider. A new one for me.

Metellina segmentata (I think)

First migrants - but some good birds missed

This weekend saw my first visits to the patch this month.

It was nice to catch up with ADMc on Friday morning at the Budge screen, it was sunny and quite warm and felt like spring. Seven ruff  at the back of the field were newly arrived and spanking male wheatear was out on the grass in front of us. 15 Black-tailed godwits, 3 dunlin and over 90 curlew were notable.

In the bushes near the big pool, I disturbed a water rail and my first 'patch' chiffchaff was calling.

On Saturday evening, Janet and I had a wander through the dunes to the north of the Dunbar burn. In the bushes before we set off north, six reed buntings were feeding on willow catkins. No sign of the red kite that had been seen earlier on the patch  - a species that still eludes me.

In the dunes there was a mixed flock of finches and buntings which included about 12 twite, six reed buntings, eight chaffinch and 18 linnet with some goldfinches. The grey partridges have split up form their large coveys now and are now paired up. A pair of stonechats were perched up near the Dunbar burn - the male singing sweetly in the afternoon sunshine.

In the fields beyond the haul road there were at least 40 lapwing with many displaying birds. Several juveniles fledged successfully from this field last year so, being site faithful, they've come back. beyond them, in the fields a bit further away, were about 110 swans - there were certainly both mute and whooper in the herds but with only bins, it was impossible to say how many of each. We stopped by the Budge screen on the way home and watched a pair of pintail on the Budge pools.

Today was WeBS count day, I didn't do the count until late afternoon as we were out this morning doing a willow tit survey for RSPB. Our tetrad was west of Ellington, taking in the Linton Burn and Warkworth Lane Ponds and we were amazed to find two pairs of willow tits.

Whilst we were out reports came through of a glaucous gull and great egret on the Budge fields. I've not seen a glaucous gull on the patch for over 10 years so I would have loved to have seen that - it didn't hang around and was tracked up the coast. The pain of a patch birder...

There were no waders on the Budge fields at all. There are still decent counts of wigeon (119) and teal (92). The pintail pair were still present and a count of 47 shoveler was impressive. Two pair of red-breasted merganser looked smart on the big pool and a pair of great crested grebes look settled.

Now migration has kicked-off I'm going to adjust my work-life balance and get down to the patch a bit more often!

Grim day

It's Sunday, it's wet, windy and cold.

I'll not be heading to the patch today. A great day to catch up with things though, I've written my article for next weeks Northumberland Gazette, which is about Starlings and I've finally finished my trip report for our Georgia trip last April.

It was a great trip and I know some Northumberland birders are heading out there this spring so hopefully it will be useful. You can read it here 

Janet and I had walk around the patch yesterday but it was quiet.

There were up to a thousand pink-footed geese in the fields south of Druridge farm with a handful of curlew and starlings.

In the dunes north of the bushes there was mixed flock of goldfinches and linnets numbering 25 of each.

One budge fields a drake pintail had joined the teal and wigeon but there were no waders.

Pied Wagtail on the beach

February - the longest month?

Yes, I know that if you count the number of days, February is the shortest month. But for the patch watcher it always feels like a long month - the long wait for spring. A new year and a new year list makes January quite exciting, by the time February comes along you've seen most of the birds that you're going to see until the first spring migrants turn up at the end of March.

I saw three new species of the year on a brief visit to Druridge this afternoon - little egret on the Budge fields and a buzzard over the haul road were new. Fulmar was the other addition, flying south offshore. A January Fulmar is rare at Druridge,  I always think of them as a February bird, a bit like gannets.

Little egret feeding on the Budge fields

There were at least five black-tailed godwits on the Budge fields and alongside the little egret a drake pintail was nice. I couldn't find the earlier-reported knot but the light was against me. Two lapwings were having a right barney so spring might already be in the air.

territorial lapwings

Black-tailed godwit

The same bird - feeding

Offshore the tide was well out and the birds distant. A scrambler bike on the beach did for any shore bird interest.

Two white-fronted geese flying over - from last weekend

New year, new list

Another new year, another year list begins on the patch. I sometimes wonder what is the point of a 'year list' - a date in the calendar by which the list is reset, it could be any date I suppose, but most people stick to the calendar year.

What having a year list does do is give the patch birder some motivation to get our onto the patch in those dark January days. It gives a bit of focus to patch-birding, something to aim for when you know you that you are likely to see one or two new species in a year - if you are lucky!

My 2017 year list got off to a slow start. A trip to Islay for Hogmanay meant it was Saturday 7th before I hit the patch. Islay was great trip, it is a great place with lots of interest for the visiting birder and of course it is famous for its whisky...

So Saturday morning it was and I didn't have much time so I concentrated on the bushes, pools and up onto the haul road - I usually like a walk to out the farm in early January but there wasn't time.

In the plantation I was surprised to see a small flock of goldcrests - I am seeing them more in the winter now, once-upon-a-time they were strictly an autumn species at Druridge. There were also blackbirds, song thrush and mistle thrush in the plantation.

Robin

The Budge fields still held plenty of wildfowl including two drake pintail, waders were limited to redshank, curlew and lapwing. A sparrowhawk was perched out on the edge of shelterbelt - my only raptor of the morning and five whooper swan flew south.

Plenty of wigeon on the Budge fields

A siskin was with goldfinches on the path to the Oddie hide and then,ahead of me on the path, I could hardly believe my eyes, three bullfinches! This species is now a patch mega, these were the first partch bullies I Have seen since November 2014.

Bullies!

Out on the haul road, a huge flock of goldfinches, maybe 250, were coming down to bathe in puddles on the road and in the ditch - with them were a few twite, linnet, reed buntings, dunnocks and chaffinches.

Goldfinches bathing in the puddles

One of the chaffinches

In the dunes, a covey of 12 grey partridges were put up by the only other birder I saw (it was birdrace day).

Offshore, the sea was flat calm. There were a couple of shag, ten red-breasted mergansers, a few common scoters and red-throated divers and most excitingly a slavonian grebe - a good January species.

My 2017 year-list now stands at 60 species - not a bad start. Exactly half of the winning tally in the county winter birdrace.

I am doing the Patchwork Challenge again this year and will update my totals as and when.

More like winter than spring

Maybe it is just because I have just come back from Cuba, but I thought this weekend felt more like winter than spring. Even on Friday, which was certainly the best day of the weekend, it still felt like winter at Druridge and the lack of any migrants reinforced my thinking.

Cuba was excellent - great birding in a really interesting country. Cuban tody stood out as 'bird of the trip'. I will sort some photos and put them on Flickr soon and might even get around to writing a trip report.

Cuban Tody

Good Friday was my first visit back to the patch. It wasn't that good... although I did add a few common species to the year list - meadow pipit, kittiwake, eider, snipe, great crested grebe and oystercatcher. There were still four pintail on the Budge fields, a female scaup on the big pool and seven whooper swans on the front field.

No proper migrants were seen.

Despite the forecast of a southerly airflow for today, the wind was plumb out the north first thing, moving through to a strong and very cold nor'westerly later. Any migrant with thoughts of self preservation will of headed back south. So, I only added lesser black-backed gull to my year list. 

Interestingly, Andy McLucky reported a red kite over the Budge fields this morning  - a long-overdue addition to the Druridge patch list. This takes the patch list (my own sightings with any other published sightings) to 259 species. I've seen 238 of them. I would like to think I will add red kite to my own list this year. I might post a list of the things I haven't seen on here at sometime.

For this year, I am on 99 species. Hopefully I will add something else before the month ends, but unlike most of the birdwatchers in Northumberland, I am back at work tomorrow.

Close...but no cigar

I'd been down to the patch for a couple of hours this morning before heading home via the Country Barn at Widdrington for a pasty. As I was leaving the farm shop, my phone pinged - a message to say that there were two waxwings on the road north of Druridge - Did this mean the haul road? Not much like waxwing habitat that. I panicked a bit - waxwing would be a new bird for the patch.

I phoned the chap who had put out the message and he explained that the birds were just off Druridge Lane. I was there in seconds, leapt out of the car and was put onto the birds, on a wire over the fields, with a lot of starling and fieldfare - great birds but they nor me were on my patch.

I jumped back into the car and headed for the nearest patch boundary, which is just before High Chibburn Farm. But it was no use, I could hardly see the wires for the high hedge, I took my wellies off and climbed onto the car, extending my tripod as far as it could go, but I couldn't pick out the birds. Frustrated I headed back the original spot, but there was no sign of the birds. I ate my pasty and headed home.

Before all of this kerfuffle, I had spent a pleasant couple of hours on the patch. When I arrived there was a short-eared owl hunting along the grass by the road - nice.

I had a walk south through the bushes. I disturbed a small male sparrowhawk from a  fencepost, it flew off causing alarm amongst the long-tailed tits. When I reached the path to the Budge screen, I disturbed the same bird again, this time off the ground, I went to have a look for a kill and found this...

The kill

Not what I was expecting. A woodcock! The bird was minus its head, but I found both mandibles nearby. The sparrowhawk had already had a decent meal of it, but I do hope it returned to finish its lunch. Woodcock would be no problem for a female sprawk, but quite a big bird to handle for small male like this one.

I still need woodcock for my year list...

As I arrived in the Budge screen, a water pipit took off from the right and flew, calling, a short way before settling down to feed.

There is plenty of wildfowl on the Budge fields, particularly wigeon, teal and mallard. There are also about 350 lapwing and a few curlew. Two drake pintail were still there too.

A quick look offshore produced a year-tick in the form of two razorbills but little else. At the farm, yellowhammer was my second patch year tick of the day.

So at the end of January I am on 88 species netting me 102 points in the Patchwork Challenge - not a bad start, but I think February could be a slow month, although I did see some signs of spring today.

Hawthorn bursting in to leaf

A few new January birds

I've been down to the patch a couple of times post. No photos though, it's just been too dull.

I had a nice dusk visit on 20th, it was nearly dark when I left at 16.15. Highlights were two ruff and eight dunlin on the Budge fields and flock of about 15 fieldfare flying over and into the bushes, quite often a species I have to wait until autumn for.

Standing at the Budge screen, I heard a water pipit calling, but I couldn't find it, I think it was overhead. There were also three drake pintail still present.

On Sunday, I took look one look at the number of people at the Budge screen and gave it a dodge. I had a quick look offshore, but it was very quiet other than a flock of about 40 scoters flying south which included five velvet scoters!

This morning was quite warm, but the strong southerly wind and overcast skies made it feel colder. And there very few people about - which is good.

There are still plenty geese about though. The majority, a flock of over 3000 pink-feet, were over by Low Chibburn somewhere - they lifted and settled gain after a light aircraft flew over. A smaller group of about 350 came down into the fields west of the Budge - there were at least five European white-fronts and five barnacles with them.

I saw three species I wouldn't normally expect in January:

Greenfinch - one on the feeders, a species I wouldn't normally expect until the big post-breeding flocks of finches arrive in late summer - the presence of feeders has dramatically increased the number of finches, tree sparrows and reed buntings overwintering at Druridge.

Shelduck - normally a February arrival (there were two on New Years Eve - not a species I would expect in December at all).

Stock Dove - Two on the Budge fields - again a February/March bird

My other year-tick today was little owl - thanks to Dave Elliott for the tip-off

From the Budge screen, I picked up a very large (must have been female) peregrine sat on a fencepost beyond the Haul Road way over towards Low Chibburn Farm. The drake scaup was still on the big pool.

My year list now stands at 86 species and 99 points for the Patchwork Challenge.

Waders, wagtails, wheatears and a weasel

A quick visit to the patch last night to check the Budge fields for waders and garganey with no luck on the latter.

There were a few waders on the mud. There were either four or five ruff, including a new orangey-brown individual (which was on the fields to the south this morning), two dunlin and black-tailed godwit. A whimbrel flew in as I was leaving, but seemingly over 100 whimbrels dropped in after 8pm.

Also of note were four pintail, two drakes and ducks, a pair of little egrets and white wagtail.

Another quick visit this morning produced my first yellow wagtail of the year, a nice bright male which was at on a fence only three posts from a kestrel. On the dunes, there were a few wheatears and this cheeky chap popped his head up before scampering off.

weasel

Willow warbler by the Budge screen

110 Yellow wagtail

Pura Vida

I was back on the patch today after a three-week birding trip to Costa Rica.

Not the most colourful of species, but clay-coloured thrush is the national bird of Costa Rica 

We had a fantastic time, seeing lots of great birds in brilliant, friendly and very beautiful country. As they would say in Costa Rica  - Pura Vida!

Some photo's might appear on Ipin's Birding Trips at some stage..if I ever catch up.

Back to reality today though, back on the patch, hoping for one more addition to he patch year-list. I tramped around the whole patch and of note were;

a small flock of goldcrest in the bushes (good winter record)

a dog otter, showing really well on the big pool

a woodcock in the plantation

and, a pair of pintail on the Budge fields

So nothing new added to the year list leaving me on 171 species, the same total as last year. As ever, some species that I would have expected were missed, notably:

garden warbler
merlin
scaup
cuckoo
grey plover

I did see five new species in 2014, which is way more than I would have predicted:

Egyptian goose in April

Woodchat Shrike in May

Stilt Sandpiper in August

Stilt Sandpiper - Image (c) Ian Fisher

Wood Warbler in August

Fea's Petrel in September

These 2014 additions take my patch list to a respectable 236 species.

I've enjoyed the Patchwork Challenge again this year, a good bit of harmless fun.

So all in all, a very good year on the patch. I would love to see another five new species in 2015...surely a red kite at least?

I wish all of my readers a very happy, prosperous and bird-filled 2015!

Happy New Year!

Wheatears and willow warblers

There appeared to be a 'mini-fall' of wheatears this morning at Druridge, I counted at least seven along about 200m of the dune fence, pushed this way and that by the hordes of dog walkers.

Smart male wheatear. One of at least seven this morning

Across the road, in the small clump of bushes by the entrance, a willow warbler flitted about, feeding. Further north, one was signing by the Budge screen. So two migrants on the patch, follow hot on the heals of sandwich tern and blackcap mid-week.

But, there weren't many birds by any stretch. The bushes still remain decidedly quiet. This chiffchaff was one of the few passerines I saw.

Chiffchaff

Also noteworthy were a pair of pintail on the Budge fields and three black-tailed godwit which flew in from the north. 

I tried a quick look on the sea this evening when the light was better, but the wind had really picked up, so I didn't give it long. There are now dozens of sandwich terns feeding in the bay, but I couldn't find any of their smaller cousins.

Red kites have been seen fairly close-by this week. Janet saw one over the road near New Moor Tip on Thursday and two were reported at Alnmouth today. Surely this species is a strong contender to get onto the patch list in 2014?

105 sandwich tern

106 blackcap

107 wheatear

108 willow warbler

PWC Score 133

flurry of migrants

At last a flurry of migrants.

I was demolishing the last of my breakfast kipper when Dave Elliott tweeted to say he was watching was avocet and ruff on the Budge fields. My morning cuppa was soon glugged and I soon joined Dave at the Budge screen, watching both birds.

Pied wagtail

Ruff, once a prospecting breeder at Druridge, is now scarce on passage, I dipped them for the last two years. Avocet is another great patch bird, the morning had gotten off to a good start. A pair of pintail were also on the Budge fields, but no garganey yet. A drake red-breasted merganser was on the big pool and the female common scoter is still hanging around.

drake wigeon on the big pool

Walking through the bushes, a redwing lifted and move along in front of me. Redwings at this time of year are in 'breeding nick' and look very smart. An unusual spring record.

A trudge around the northern dunes produced nothing, it was very windy, but a scan along the beach finally added sand martin to the year-list. Alan Gilbertson had let me know about a dead white-beaked dolphin on the beach near the Dunbar Burn, so I went for a look.

the dead white-beaked dolphin looked quite odd as a silhouette on the beach

close-up of the deceased dolphin. It looked quite small, so I guess it wasn't an adult?

A heavy rain shower made its way up the bay from the south, so I scarpered back to the car, but not before I clocked two swallows dropped down by the impending rain. A quick check of the plantation on the way home turned up nothing.

A photo of one of last week's black redstarts in the gloom

97 avocet
98 ruff
99 redwing
100 sand martin
101 swallow

PWC score 125

First proper migrants

Today was WeBS count day, but I didn't manage a particularly early start on the patch.

There was plenty to count on the Budge fields despite wildfowl numbers starting to drop off (teal 106, wigeon 116). Of note were a drake pintail, 13 grey heron, 64 curlew, 23 shoveler and five black-tailed godwits, which have been around for a while now, could they prospect this year? 

This snipe was nearly missed, camo that beats that of your 'average wildlife photographer'

can you see me?

As I walked to the big pool, I picked up my first proper migrants of the year when two lesser black-backed gulls flew over together and chiffchaff flitted along the embankment on the path to the hides.

The strong westerly wind had whipped up some impressive waves on the big pool. Dodging them was splendid summer plumaged great-crested grebe and a red-breasted merganser.

From the little hide, two oystercatchers were displaying and a male pied wag pottered about. I should be seeing white wagtails any day now.

displaying oycs

pied wag

89 lesser black-backed gull

90 chiffchaff

91 little grebe

PWC Score 112

WeBS count

Today was count day and there was lots to count. The Budge fields were lifting with birds. Lapwing were by far and away the most numerous species (apart from starlings which don't count for WeBS), with 495 give or take a few each way. Interestingly, there were no redshanks or curlews today, the only other wader was snipe. This might be a record lapwing count, I will need to interrogate my database.

Teal numbered 157 and wigeon 126 (dropped int he last week or so). Bird of the morning went to a red-throated diver on the Budge fields of all places. This was a first for me, I've seen them on the big pool a few times but never on the fields. It flew off before I could photograph it, only to land on the big pool, until a passing police helicopter scared it away from there too.

Also of note; a pair of pintail on the Budge fields, the long-staying common scoter on the big pool and a pair of red-breasted merganser.

Off shore, there was a really close long-tailed duck of note.

Yesterday I had a quick look on the sea at high-tide. It was a big tide and the waves were lapping up to the base of the dune. I picked up a couple of turnstone flying south, they joined about 18 others on the beach - 20 turnstone is definitely a patch record count.

Offshore, there was drake velvet scoter.

83 snipe
84 turnstone

PWC score = 102

Flighty

It was still blowing a hooley today and as a result everything seemed to be a bit flighty at Druridge.

I had a walk up to the Preceptory, the pink-footed geese were lifted off the fields by a passing tractor and didn't settle again. Whilst they got up a pair of marsh harriers had put everything up on the Budge fields and then flew towards the far, the male settling on the filed the geese had vacated for a while.

Pink-footed Geese

There were thousands of starlings skimming the fields and hedges in big flocks, before settling for a while. This flock had a bathe in a small pool.

About 80 fieldfare were also roaming about the damp fields.The Preceptory was bird-free.

Back towards the cottages, a buzzard was being mobbed by a couple of crows. As it got closer, It looked quite long-winged and I noticed really obvious pale patches in the upperwing which got me interested so I fired off a few shots. It was just a common buzzard, but an interesting bird.Variable things, Buzzards.

Buzzard

There are still two pintail on the Budge fields and the common scoter is still on the big pool. Also of note was two woodcock flushed from the bushes, my first of the winter.

76 long-tailed tit
77 woodcock
78 canada goose
79 marsh harrier
80 fieldfare
81 buzzard

PWC score 100

Yank Teal

I finally managed to see the green-winged teal today, it turned up at Druridge whilst I was in Sri Lanka but I've missed it on two visits.

It was on the Budge fields, spending its time alone, away from the other teal. This is the first Druridge record since 2011, another long-staying drake.

iPhone-scoped drake green winged teal

The Budge fields are still holding decent numbers of wildfowl, including about 20 shoveler, a single pintail and a shelduck. Shelduck are normally a February addition to the list, so this one is quite early. There were also two black-tailed godwits.

The female type common scoter was back/still on the big pool, but little else of note.

I had a half-hour look on the sea. There are still lots of red-throated divers and an unusually high count of over 50 guillemots. I'm not sure why there are so many guillemots in the Bay this winter. Amongst the guillies and divers there was a red-necked grebe, great-crested grebe and a first-winter drake velvet scoter (which was on its own, well away from the main scoter flock). There were a couple of kittiwakes feeding offshore.

63 shelduck
64 green-winged teal
65 moorhen
66 greylag goose
67 velvet scoter
68 great crested grebe
69 kittiwake

PWC Score 85 Points

That's dedication!

Despite having only been back in the country for less than three hours, despite having been travelling for over 30 hours with virtually no sleep and despite the sleet, icy winds and a temperature of only 3 degrees centigrade I still went down to the patch this afternoon to look for a reported green-winged teal. How's that for dedication?

The Yankee teal wasn't at Druridge, seemingly it was on Chevington's south pool.

The cold conditions of Druridge came as a bit of a shock having just spent the last two weeks on a birding trip to Sri Lanka, with an average daytime of temperature of around 30 degrees.

Singing Indian pitta in Kitugula Forest

We had an excellent trip, seeing all of the 33 endemic species of bird and most of the sought-after near endemics as well as good selection of mammals including several Asian leopard.

I've got the long dark nights of February to play around with photos and I will, eventually, post a full report and photos on my birding trips blog.

In the meantime, I'll be checking the Budge fields for the green-winged teal. No new species were seen today, but the drake pintail were showing well in front of the hide. My camera was still packed.....

A bit of a wander roond the patch

I had a bit of a wander to the far flung ends of the patch today.

After seeing twite and pied wag on the dunes to the south, my route took me firstly to the Oddie hide, but not before I had stopped to look at a lone whooper swan on the Budge fields. Initially the big pool looked empty (for some reason when the pool is full (the outflow is blocked with flotsam and jetsam) there are never any birds on it - an edge thing?) other than a handful of tufted duck and teal, then a long-tailed duck popped up in the middle of the pool. Then, when I scanned the seaward side, a red-throated diver had appeared. It didn't hang around long before it flew off towards the south.

red-throated diver. A rare visitor to the big pool

My route then took me to the preceptory, which was owl-free, and then down to High Chibburn Farm where a flock of 200 or so golden plover lifted off the fields. At the farm  house sparrow, collared dove and dunnock were added to the year list. At the cottages, tree sparrows and a great tit were coming to the feeders.

Low Chibburn Preceptory

In front of the cottages, a skein of over 2000 pink-footed geese dropped in. I scanned them later in the scope, they were all pink-feets.

Whiffling

Pink-footed geese settled for a graze

Four pintail were on the Budge fields and two black-tailed godwits with the usual teal, wigeon and shoveler.

Offshore there were at least 77 red-throated divers in the bay, among them was a red-necked grebe, a good patch bird. Also on the sea were at least 25 guillemots and a couple of razorbills, mergansers and shags. A single sanderling was on the beach.

40 chaffinch
41 twite
42 pied wagtail
43 rook
44 gadwall
45 grey heron
46 jackdaw
47 golden plover
48 dunnock
49 house sparrow
50 woodpigeon
51 tree sparrow
52 great tit
53 collared dove
54 pintail
55 red-necked grebe
56 shag
57 cormorant
58 razorbill
59 red-breasted merganser
60 sanderling
61 eider
62 whooper swan

PWC score 74