Wednesday 15 August 2012

Just another manic Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday!

I don't have time to write about all I have been up to in birding as I have been up to other things as well as birding and so haven't had time to really update my blog.

Monday was pretty quiet but I decided that a seawatch from Whitburn Obs was definitely on the cards; a big success with the following birds being noted during the time period of 06.10 - 08.20: 1 Balearic Shearwater (N), 2 Manx Shearwater (S), 2 Arctic Skua (N), 1 Sooty Shearwater (N), interestingly not quantity but quality. Very little else on the move, a lone Balearic Shearwater was indeed rather strange (in my experience).

Tuesday was a wader day with Rainton Meadows being the place to be; 1 Wood Sandpiper, 2 Green Sandpiper, and 1 Greenshank being the highlights. Was really great to see all 3 species standing together on more than one occasion with a Snipe thrown into the mix for good measure. John Bridges kindly allowed me to have a go of his lens and take some shots, I was more than happy with the results!

(Green Sandpiper - copyright Andrew Kinghorn)

(Greenshank - copyright Andrew Kinghorn)

(Wood Sandpiper - copyright Andrew Kinghorn)

On the evening I visited South Shields and to Sandhaven Beach, no birds on the beach so I headed along the pier where a small flock of terns produced 1 adult and 1 juvenile Roseate Tern

(Roseate Tern - copyright Andrew Kinghorn)

Wednesday was quieter with the main highlight being my first visit to Lambton Flashes, a flooded field which is currently really pulling in the waders! I had an afternoon and evening visit, the highlights being; 2 juvenile Spotted Redshank, 2 Ringed Plover, 6 Green Sandpiper , 3 Greenshank, and a whole host of other species. This site has really great potential to pull in the birds, lets hope it remains flooded for the foreseeable future. 

Until next time, Foghorn out!

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