With the north wind still blowing the spume from a crashing sea, the bitter cold, salt laden spray stung my face as I headed out to the Beacon Point at Newbiggin Golf Course. First circuit drew a blank for my target species, but did find 20+ summer plumaged
Purple Sandpipers, 10+ summer plumaged
Sanderling and several
Common Terns roosting out the high tide. Up to 10
Wheatears scattered in all directions along the route, but it was on my return back towards the car that I found the summer plumaged male
Snow Bunting running around the short turf of the fairway.
My first breeding dress Snow Bunt in Northumberland, they are a rare bird this late in the spring. This one was quite flighty due to being buffetted by the gale...
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| Snow Bunting |
Eventually it flew another 50 yards along the golf course so that was me away back to work...
Later on my way home from work I called in to Druridge Budge Fields to catch up with another showy winter visitor,
Jack Snipe. Also here were
1 Channel Wagtail with a
Yellow Wag, 2 Ruff inc one summer plumaged The Jack was bobbing around like a sewing machine feeding on invertebrates out of the mud. 3
Swifts fed with 100+ hirundines across the fields.
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| Channel Wagtail |
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| Jack Snipe. |
Not a bad little tally on a work day...
1 comment:
That's a very squelchy looking snipe!
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