Saturday 1 January 2011

Good start

Out with SH and DMcK this morning. Started the day at Blyth Estuary. Good count of Grey Plover (20) and Bar Tailed Godwit (15).
Amongst a flock of Linnets in trees near Baites Filtration Pools there were at least 5 Twite, the first time I have seen Twite in trees.

At Newbiggin 16 Brent Geese, (14 pale, 2 dark) were on the shore just off Beacon Point. Whilst throwing out bread on the seafront 5 Med Gulls were amongst the gull flock, which landed.

QE2 had the highest number of birds we saw during the day. Only part of the water has thawed and on the open water were Goldeneye, 32 Wigeon and 135 Coot.
On the ice gulls and corvids were feeding on a dead Canada Goose, a Med Gull was among them.
Amongst the Mute Swans being fed in the car park was a Juv Whooper Swan, which is probably the same bird, which has been seen at Swallow Pond over the last month.

In the fields opposite QE2 there were 91 Mute Swans, 1 adult Whooper Swan and 3 Barnacle Geese.

Back on the patch (which now has the added competition from the Liverbirder who has entered the patch competition 2011 along with me, LMcD and DMcK), We checked the Horton Burn first.
Apart from 2 Redwing it was quiet until a Kingfisher flew west from the fire station end.
At West Hartford the best birds on offer were Snipe and a Woodcock.
I haven’t totalled up the birds I saw on the patch today yet but its always good to get Kingfisher out of the way early, it can be difficult.















Juv Whooper at QE2















Image courtesy of Steve Holliday

2 comments:

Richard Dunn said...

I wonder if the Brent that you had are the same is Graham Catley had on the Humber, same combination, 14 and 2

Crammy Birder said...

Could have been, I haven't heard about anybody else seeing any at Newbiggin so they could have just flown up the coast.