Old Years Day....

Seaton Point facing East.

Field sketch of the Kingfisher.

At lunch time I took the opportunity to get out for an hour down to Seaton Point for a walk. It was busier that expected with lots of families, dogs, kids with names like 'Ollie' and women dressed not quite appropriately for a Northumberland coastal winter walk.

Regardless, I made my way to a small bench seat over looking the skeers out from the point and sat with my scope waiting to see what would appear.

Soon, as I scanned, a blurred smudge in the foreground over the rocks was focussed down into a hovering Kingfisher. It hung on the wind, wings whirring for some time before dropping vertically into an unseen pool and emerging with a small fish. This behaviour was repeated several times over the next half an hour with the bird perching up on weed covered rocks to digest its catch in between sorties. It didnt look comfortable in the wind, its feathers being ruffled and it was even blown off its perch on a couple of occasions.

As the tide flooded, I took my eye off the halcyon, to make a sketch and when I tried to relocate it, it had gone.

Other birds of note included a couple of Grey Plovers, 10 Ringed Plover, Shag, Gannet and Red throated Diver off shore, and a flock of 11 Mistle Thrushes back near the car.

With that, I will bid you all a Happy New Year for tonight, and hope you have an exciting, wildlife filled, 2017. All the best!