Unable to get up to Bamburgh the last two days, I ventured north this morning to see the Black Scoter. Sure enough, the bird, a nice adult male, was with 150+ Common Scoter and a fw male Velvet Scoter just offshore. Reasonable views were had between its feeding dives, chasing around after female Common Scoters and calling regularly. I couldn't hear the call, but the bill opening and closing was quite comical.
Not only a good county tick, but a lifer too, the first of 2011. British List 396, Northumberland List 324.
Also around were 3 female Long tailed Ducks, a few Sandwich Terns and masses of hirundines streaming north, mostly Sand Martins. A Grasshopper Warbler could be heard reeling behind the dunes, but remained unseen.
Right, lets quit while I'm ahead. Broadband speed still only 136kbps so this might drop any minute....
6 comments:
Frustratingly close to the next ton!
You've captured that prolonged bill opening to a tee, quite distinctive, I've been reading up on it today.
Fantastic sketches; you have captured the 'parrallel bill' posture fantastically.
Love the notebook illustrations Stu
There was a good few thousand pounds worth of equipment trying to get this bird and these are by far the best pics yet, I missed the Velvet ,but there was a very pale backed female Common Scoter I counted 170 birds early morn !!
Brian
Thanks all, for the kind comments...
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