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Legging it.
With seconds to spare before it drifted North...Others scored with an amazing close roadside hover - my camera was still in the car boot, so a record via the iPhone / scope.
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Outing 6
Outing 6 of the annual 10 year project - a weekend with John B, Mark A, Rob L and guest appearances from Ian R and Sacha B...Potential for rares appeared high on Friday 2nd, with reports of Norfolk...
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High hopes: reality bites.
A visit to Holy Island today, with high hopes of migrants galore... Not quite - but a pleasant ramble produced a single Lapland Bunting, Merlin, Yellow-browed Warbler plus plenty of incoming Redwing...
View ArticleChilly
A rare venture out this afternoon with plenty of seabird action being reported to get me to the coast.Bonus bird in form of little egret on the Horton burn as I passed the old fire station in...
View ArticleHanging on....
2015 continues to plod along - hoping to resume proper birding in '16.Little egrets are back on the estate for seemingly winter residence - two today, and up to seven together over the last couple of...
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The start of the end
Pleasant couple of hours at Tynemouth this morning, with a Black Redstart favouring the cliffs adjacent the pier, and an immature Glaucous Gull in the vicinity.Should have taken the 500mm... all images...
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Home Birds
Back in 1987 I rushed up to Cresswell Pond with my Dad to twitch our first Little Egret. Quite an uncommon bird then. Now? They winter in our housing estate...3 this morning...Prior to this I was...
View ArticleLast few days
Pottering locally has produced up to 8 little egrets (highest count to date), short-eared and barn owl, woodcock, jay and grey wagtails. All very pleasant.Off the bike and a car ride away to...
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Openings
Day 1 of 2016 was a humble affair, with a couple of mild pottering in the afternoon. Pottering 1 saw a quick visit to the delights of Killingworth and the smaller portion of the lake. Our quest was...
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Little
Little Gulls prove to be the highlight today, with an adult and first winter off Briardene and an adult at Tynemouth Haven.Today's sea was spectacular, and made up for little in terms of additions to...
View ArticleDriving, showers, pedalling and observing
A busy day with lots to do, so some restricted birding ensued, primarily catching up with birds found during the week.3 cormorants at Arcot were reasonable for January- but little else...
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Perspectives
Cycled the burn this morning, little of general interest, but a relative patch mega to finish the trip...Highlights - noticeably high numbers of redwing, 1 fieldfare, grey heron, 2 moorhen, siskin. No...
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Up & Down
Migrated north late morning to check out the low tide across Fenham Flats... thousands of waders on view and a hundred or so Pale-bellied Brent Geese, a single Little Egret and outside the hide, a...
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Scott of the Ant...
..."Arctic" Redpoll, an interesting bird up at Birling Carrs today... this bird has caused a lot of discussion over the last week...Some images - 500mm & 2.0 extender... rather distant. Missed it...
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Fowls, Un-seasonals and a Yank
Started the day at Killingworth where the showy female Smew continues to perform on the smaller lake.Willow Tit at Hackworth then onto Holywell to check out the geese - the two Eurasian White-fronts...
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Off the rocks
Another venture North - again up to Stag for a look out over the extremely choppy sea. Patience is a virtue - and what seemed an age looking at the same group of Scoter, the Black eventually gave...
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- 1 + 1
Black Scoter seems unfavourable given the recent images showing an overly yellow billed common, and given the tricky viewing conditions it'll be better to remain sceptical until better views/images can...
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Tynemouth
Not quite playing the game today, the Black Redstart fed just out of range and down on the shore... Fulmar are back on the cliffs though...
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