Another Yank...

 Before getting on to the headline act, there have been a few migrants around the locale this past week. To start,  a nice male Redstart was flitting along the edge of the cricket field on Monday morning, while yesterday an exciting flurry on Peggy's lunchtime dog walk had a cracker of a Hobby close to, out of the village wood, closely followed by a loudly calling Tree Pipit in the Pond Field five minutes later.  Not bad around the village.

But, getting back to Bank Holiday Monday, Daniel found an American Golden Plover on Longhoughton Steel giving him both 'lessers' at this site this year! That is both Pacific and American Goldies bot rare birds that used to be known as one species, Lesser Golden Plover.

Being a busy day, I played it cool and left it until mid afternoon before popping along for a look. As expected the beach holiday makers were beginning to leave and the Steel its self was quiet.

On arrival only two birders were still there and the bird  was loosely associating with about 60 European Golden Plovers, but keeping out of the main group.

At first, the AGP was asleep on the edge of a rockpool where it stood out like a sore thumb, and was easily seperable from its old world cousins. Eventually it woke up and had a wander around, picking at the seaweed. I was just getting comfortable and was taking some notes  when all of a sudden the whole flock was up and off towards the south horizon. The bird wasn't seen again after that. Later it was noted that a Peregrine had been hanging around, but I hadn't seen it. Still, 15 minutes of viewing was good enough. This was a new patch bird for me and only my third in the county .

So with Bridled Tern, Greater Sand Plover, Surf Scoter and now American Golden Plover, this blog is having a run on rarity posts. Dont worry dear reader, I'm sure that wont continue...

Above, two dire phone scoped shots of the Amercan Golden Plover. Top Some Notes on the bird.

Surfie Seconds...

 On Monday night after work, I couldnt resist popping along the road to see if I could get the Surf Scoter while I was actually on patch, rather than just watching the bird on the patch from beyond. After a spell without any sign, tonight the sea had a bigger swell with some quite large waves rolling in making viewing more tricky. Then all of a sudden up it popped. This time it was only half the range of yesterdays views and was well lit in the evening sun. All of its features could be appreciated, including that daft 'zoom lolly' of a bill... 

To be fair, I am well pleased with this. Sea Ducks are not in large numbers on my patch so to get one of these actually on the sea rather than a fly by was never expected....

Pity I forgot to take my phone, I might have improved on the phone scoped efforts... I took notes instead and worked them up later...

  The only other things of note seen were 3 Common Sandpipers together pushed by the tide onto one rock and a Painted Lady butterfly, only my second this year. Speaking of butterflies reminds me, the first Autumn Holly Blue was out in our garden yesterday...

Surf's up!

 We had only just arrived at Boulmer on Sunday morning when I noticed a message on my phone from half an hour earlier. Ben had found a Surf Scoter off Howick Haven! 

Surf Scoters are a rare American sea duck. Not too rare in a national context, but for my local patch it would be my first and the first I've seen for donkeys years, so we put a march on up to the north end of Longhoughton Steel to scan the bay. From our position, the light was nicely behind us and the sea was flat calm so things were looking good. As I set up my scope and roughly pointed it towards Howick Haven, I put my eye down the eyepiece and what should be bang centre? A nice drake Surf Scoter! Not a bad bit of luck...

The bird was quite distant but with good lighting and it was still early so no heat haze, the views were ok. It eventually swan a hundred yards closer with group of Eiders  giving a better show.

I forgot how bizarre these ducks look. Quite cartoon-like in appearance with that huge coloured puffin bill making the head seem top heavy. 

Eventually, the holiday kayaks and sail boards ensure our duck was pushed out of sight to the north offshore.

Surf Scoter, appeared to be an almost adult drake. Poor phone scoped effort here... 

The rest of the morning was spent loafing around the seat on the point seeing what would turn up.

We had 2 Yellow Wagtails, 1 Whimbrel, 250 Curlew,  7 Bar tailed Godwit, 15 Lapwing, 20 Ringed Plover, 35 Turnstone, 14 Sanderling, 28 Dunlin, 2 Knot, 3+ Swift over the fields, 1 dark Arctic Skua south, Greenshank heard but remained unseen. Highlight on the wader front was a lovely fresh juvenile Little Ringed Plover on the muddy shore north of the village. What a stunner, I think 've only ever had one here before which is probably to be expected considering the lack of freshwater pools that these birds prefer.

Juv Little Ringed Plover. look how slim its tail end is...

Little Ringed Plover with adult Ringed Plover. Here the photo is dire but the structural differences can be seen, the LRP is not as chunky and  and is much slimmer, a slighter bird . Those legs too were the brightest yellow...