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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Northumbrian Birding (2 Viewers)

I had a bit of fun watching the terns feeding this afternoon. A beach pool was full of sprats and there were places where the surface was fizzing with them they were so tightly packed. This seemed to be a good survival tactic since the birds didn't dive on the dense shoals and went for stragglers. Even then it was surprising how often they missed the target and even when they scored they often lost a grip and the fish fell back.

Dropped fish were just ignored for the main part and there were a number of freshly dead sprats around the perimeter.

This is one that didn't get away.
 

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Y-l G

Some shots of the 1CY Y-l G from N-b-t-S this morning:
 

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Middy24 said:
Black Tern flying south around St Mary's Island yesterday evening. Also Juv Spotted Redshank present on the Beehive Flash
Click to expand...

You may wish to reconsider...

From Birdguides: 13:57 09/08/11 Spotted Redshank Northumbs Earsdon the bird here is a juvenile Common Redshank

Mark
 
Mark Newsome said:
You may wish to reconsider...

From Birdguides: 13:57 09/08/11 Spotted Redshank Northumbs Earsdon the bird here is a juvenile Common Redshank

Mark
Click to expand...

Had a quick look at the photo on someones blog, different bird to the bird i saw last night....

Had a longer bill with darker under belly.

Cheers
 
Mark Newsome said:
You may wish to reconsider...

From Birdguides: 13:57 09/08/11 Spotted Redshank Northumbs Earsdon the bird here is a juvenile Common Redshank

Mark
Click to expand...

Hi Mark

I was with Middy24 and another birder yesterday evening and we all believed we had seen a Spotted Redshank. I continue to believe we did.
I saw what I think was probably the same bird at Holywell Pond on 5th Aug and this bird has been reliably identified by numerous birders as Spotted Redshank and it is known to have been flying between Holywell Pond and the Bee-hive flash at Earsdon.

I reported the spotted Redshank to Birdguides last night. I won't be revising my judgement of what I saw last night. I've spoken to the other person with Middy and I last night and he confirms that there is a Common Redshank at the flash today and no Spotted Redshank, but he also remains confident that he saw the Spotted Redshank last night.

Cheers
Brian
 
Shows how different birds on different days can cause people to jump to conclusions. But I suppose the bird info services just go by whatever users ring in, and they obviously can't cross-check info for local scarcities.

Seems like a few Spotted Reds are on the move at the moment. Nice birds.

Mark
 
Here are a few shots I took at Druridge Pools today.

I believe the Moth is a Gold Spangle. I'm not sure of there status in Northumberland but was nice to see feeding on the Teasel.
 

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Mark Newsome said:
Shows how different birds on different days can cause people to jump to conclusions. But I suppose the bird info services just go by whatever users ring in, and they obviously can't cross-check info for local scarcities.

Seems like a few Spotted Reds are on the move at the moment. Nice birds.

Mark
Click to expand...

With this particular incidence it wasn't even different days. The 'Spotted Redshank' was put out via RBA late morning on Tuesday, a call was subsequently made to me from a birder arriving at the site 40 minutes later to report that the only wader present was a 'Common Redshank' so the earlier report was corrected.

And Mark is right, impossible to cross-check everything and in this instance, on the day in question, there was an unnamed report via another info service versus a report from a known experienced birder.
 
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Just moved back to Tyne and Wear.

Last tuesday I was at St Mary's for low tide.

North beach had sanderling, ringed plover, redshank, curlew. Rocky patch south of the island had turnstones and hundreds of gulls, some of which were common gull.

Field by the coastal path had about 40 more curlew and starlings running amongst them.

Freshwater pool by carpark had blackheaded gulls, house martins, sand martins, and for about ten seconds a green sandpiper!
 
LowellMills said:
Just moved back to Tyne and Wear.

Last tuesday I was at St Mary's for low tide.

North beach had sanderling, ringed plover, redshank, curlew. Rocky patch south of the island had turnstones and hundreds of gulls, some of which were common gull.

Field by the coastal path had about 40 more curlew and starlings running amongst them.

Freshwater pool by carpark had blackheaded gulls, house martins, sand martins, and for about ten seconds a green sandpiper!
Click to expand...

If you can manage another trip to St Mary's this week it's probably a good time to catch Roseate Terns. Best seen maybe two hours before the highest tide as they land on the rocks south of of the island along with Sandwich and other terns. Black Tern has also been around in recent days.
 
Thanks for that Brian.

About 10-12 mistle thrushes in a single berry tree in Jesmond this morning, surely more than one family party will be making up that number!
 
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