Tuesday 27 October 2009

Sunday's Sab



















































































I have been at home since the middle of last week due to illness. So you can imagine how pissed off I was when I wasn’t well enough to see the Eastern Crowned Warbler despite being offered a lift.
Yesterday I got a call from JM (http://birdingsometimes.blogspot.com/ ) saying he was going for the Sabine’s Gull at North Shields and that I could come along. Still not 100% well, I was determined to get at least one good bird out of the weekend, and I did.
When we arrived at North Shields the Sabine’s Gull – Lifer, was sitting on the edge of the beach with a few BH Gulls which looked bigger in comparison.
After being flushed by a dog it landed on the water’s edge again and allowed us to get reasonably close, it was close enough for me to even get some record shots. After fifteen minutes it flew off and landed on the sand nearer the Fish Quay, my cameras battery ran out at this point so I got no more photos which is a shame as on the sand the Gull was much closer and there was a clearer back drop.
The Gull seemed to be struggling to keep its balance at times as the waves lapped against its legs.
Once again it flew off a while later and was relocated in the Fish Quay where we watched it fishing with the other gulls above the water showing off its distinctive wing pattern. I’m glad I saw my first Sabine ’s gull in this way rather than ticking a distant shadow of a bird in the rain at Church Point.
Whilst at the Fish Quay 7 Whooper Swans flew north up the Tyne.

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