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

Northumbrian Birding (4 Viewers)

A cycle along the Wansbeck out to Sandy Bay caravan park this afternoon, and was amazed by the numbers of shelduck and mute swans around Castle Island. Plenty of gulls too - herring, GBB, LBB. And I am not sure if there were also two shag on the island... they appeared to be smaller than the GBB gulls and similar in size to the herring gulls, so I am guessing too small for cormorants..(?) and there was no obvious white face patch (but I have no idea if this is definitive) but also no obvious crest either.
 
Castle island regularly holds small numbers of Cormorants; numbers peak post-breeding in September but they are an ever present around the island throughout the year. I birdied Castle Island as a patch from 88-92 and since though less frequently and I've not recorded Shag there (yet).
 
great grey shrike still at woodhorn church yard @ 11ish today.

Came within 10 feet of me.....has no fear of humans! infact it seems to be curious....

was COLD in newbiggin today!!
 
Rare Visitor said:
Castle island regularly holds small numbers of Cormorants; numbers peak post-breeding in September but they are an ever present around the island throughout the year. I birdied Castle Island as a patch from 88-92 and since though less frequently and I've not recorded Shag there (yet).
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Fair enough, thanks Alan. I was doubtful they would be, but their size confused me, especially surrounded by so many gulls that were similar sized or larger.... but I guess GBB are pretty damn big.
 
Don't interpret my post as saying that what you saw weren't or couldn't have been Shags, after all I wasn't there. Just adding some background from my knowledge of the site. Shags do occasionally occur on inland reservoirs though it seems to happen more in winter and down south.
If you can carry a small camera or camera phone, sometimes even a crop from the worst record shot can be useful to help sort out queries like yours.
Castle Island is a great site though, under watched and can turn up some interesting stuff. Over the years I've had Great White Egret, Terek Sandpiper, Garganey, Little Stint, Spoonbill, Long-tailed Duck, Willow Tit along the north bank, Redstart in the dene west of the horse field etc. More pairs of eyes should result in more being found, so best of luck.
 
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I had a very quick visit to Prestwick Carr this morning to see the very smart Spotted Redshank. Also there were 7 Whimbrel and a Common Redshank, but no sign of any Godwits.
 
Thanks Alan... must remember to take pictures next time. I managed to get the spoonbill there last summer... very nice!
 
Until I started reading posts on here (and several local bird blogs), I had never really taken any notice of what might be passing by out to sea, but I'm now absolutely amazed at what you can see from a good vantage point! Had half an hour at Church point in Newbiggin this afternoon, and although there was nothing particularly rare (as far as I could tell!), even the invasive northerly wind couldn't take the smile off my face. There was a continual stream of gannets and guillemot heading north; eider and red-throated diver floating on the sea; graceful, gliding kittiwakes in abundance; a group of fishing terns; and possibly even a few lines of distant puffin (although they could in all honesty have been anything, but they looked small with fast wing beats). Not to mention several grey seals!

And my first UK wheatear of the year on the way there, in the horse fields south of Bothal pond (although I didn't manage to get the Woodhorn GG shrike)
 
I had a nice day out and about today. I started at Tynemouth getting very good views of the Ring Ouzel.

I then moved on to Cresswell where Andy Mc pointed out two Hooded Crows around the sheep feeders on Hemscott Hill. North of the causeway were four Avocet, two Little Ringed Plover and four Wheatear including a very obliging bird that kept coming to close to photograph.

Next I headed up to Druridge Pools to try for Garganey with no luck, but I only tried from the Budge hide. Unbelievably two birders climbed up onto the bank near the South facing hide and walked along the top, spooking one of the ponies in the process.

Finally, I stopped at Prestwick Carr om the way home where ten whimbrel were at the side of the approach road. Feeding in the Horse fields were four Shelduck, three winter plum Black-Tailed Godwits, one Summer plum Bar-Tailed Godwit, Spotted Redshank and Common Redshank. It was also nice to see a Male Redstart singing from the fence near to the sentry box.
 

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Well I was lucky enough to passs by Cresswell ponds whilst tiny was asleep in the car :cool: !! So had a wee look in but not venturing far.
Wonderful to see Swallows dipping over the water as a Heron slept, Coot, Moorhen + Mallard in the water. Male Reed Bunting on the wall, Tree Sparrows in the trees. There were some pairs of terns coming in of the sea - not sure what sort?
Tiny still asleep so ventured up to the top end of the pools, thrilled to see 4 Avocets, 3 feeding deep in the water as the 4th roosted. 4 Wheatear lovely + close, 3 male 1 female. Swallow + a Sand Martin passing through. Pied Wagtail enjoying insects at the edge of the water.
Met a man on a bike!! Hi Andy :hi: - who kindly pointed out the Hoodied Crow, he then spotted another, someone lent me some bins, thanks folks, as I had none with me - never expecting to be out today. Vipers then came along + had a bit of a chat. Hi great to meet you + thanks for lending me the bins :t: . Tiny woke so my time out was dwindling fast, food offered to child so silence was almost held - 2 Little Ringed Plover spotted so I went over to have a wee look + there were 2 Great Crested Grebe at this end of the main pool.
Brilliant time however short - grabbed unexpectadley,makes it special!! Now need to find out more about Caistron + make sure I get the chance to visit more often!!
Lovely to meet folk from here :-O .
 
Well today the thrill happened as tiny + I walked DS3 to the school bus at 8.30am!! A call made my head spin, a 'beach call' here? Wasn't what I expected this far inland. There in the sky around 12 terns sparkling white with wonderful long streamer tails,calling to one another, heading NE towards the coast. There was another wee group calling + flying past about 5mins later. Wow - quite extrodinary!!
Thought that they might have been Arctic Terns but having had a wee look at the books + 'Opus' (what a great resource!!) I think they might have been Common Terns. I have seen lots of terns mentioned on the lists I found at Caistron - now determined to pop back out an evening soon to see what comes in to roost.
 
Ooooh we can but dream :king:

There was one at the Swallow Ponds in the 80's (1986 or 87?) and typically it was there the one time I was away on holiday!!!!! :smoke:
 
Gill Osborne said:
Ooooh we can but dream :king:

There was one at the Swallow Ponds in the 80's (1986 or 87?) and typically it was there the one time I was away on holiday!!!!! :smoke:
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What about the legendary Sammy - Titchwell's Black Winged Stilt which arrived there in 1993 and stayed for 12 years until his disappearance?

Though I was not birding at the time, Sammy was at Druridge Pools July 31 to August 16 that year!

15-24 September 1987 was your bird Gill (I love BirdGuides for stuff like this lol)
 
Wow thanks for that Quacker :t:

I've heard of Sammy but never realised he visited Northumberland for his holidays! :-O Mind you, in 1993 I was a single, non-driver without the internet living in Longbenton so Druridge may as well have been the moon :smoke:

Funnily enough I was at Cresswell yesterday evening between 6.30 - 8.15pm and was chatting to a couple in the hide who showed me some pics on their camera of their recent trip to Devon and they had seen a Black-winged Stilt and got some fab photos :t:

The next northern stilt WILL be mine! ;) :-O Either that or leave a load of frozen meals for Neil and head down south for a week! :-O
 
I had a family day out at Allen Banks today, it was still very quiet (bird wise) for this time of year, with only singles of Redstart and Wood Warbler heard but not seen.
I did better with Pied Flycatcher, three seen two showed very well and a few Blackcap were also seen. A family of Dippers were on the river with four young and an adult showing very well.
On the way home I had a look at Whittle Dean but no sign of any Yellow Wagtails yet.
 
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