007...

Above - Goldeneyes becoming amorous...



The dozing Pintail...

A cold day today with a NE4 blowing. The cloud soon moved to leave a sunny day.

Met up with Rob today at Boulmer. We had an hours seawatch from the seat but although quite a few birds were on the move, there was nothing unusual. We had 200 Gannets per hour, 50 Fulmar ph, 25 Kittiwakes ph, 20 Razorbills ph, 300 Auks too far off to ID, 3 Common Scoter, 2 Shag and a single Puffin.

From here we checked out Low Newton. While writing this a pager message is telling me that two Water Pipits were on the flash near the pool yesterday. They weren't there today. Thats probably why a chap was scrutinising the pipits on the shore so much. There were 11 Rock Pipits and at least one of those was a 'littoralis'from Scandinavia. Nearby 9 Purple Sandpipers were on the rocks.

Down towards the pool there was a drake Pintail, a nice bird for this part of Northumberland, though quite a few are found up on the Lindisfarne reserve, 1 Barnacle Goose with the resident Greylags, 2 Shoveler, 8 Goldeneye and loads of Teal. A single calling 'crest in the gardens near the pub warranted further investigation but it turned out to be just a Goldcrest, probably on its return migration.

From here we had fleeting visits to Monks House Pool ( NOT Monkhouse, Monks House Pool) and Budle Bay. A few hundred Shelducks littered Budle along with Teal and Wigeon but little else.

77. Razorbill.
78. Puffin.