DBCP and East Chevington in a storm...

Out alone today, and just for a short while too as the weather was awful. A strong NE wind that felt like a gale at times, it was cold and often laden with stinging sleet.

As I turned the corner from our drive and headed through the village I was met with a very unusual sight indeed, a Guillemot, in summer plumage now, was standing on the roadside looking for all the world like a lost penguin. It had clearly been storm driven off its usual maritime course before first light and as daylight came, it was as surprised as me to find where it was standing.

I picked it up and took it back home for a quick physical inspection. It seemed fine and was keen to snap chunks out of me, so into the cat basket it went and I transported if off to a more suitable location.

At first I thought about Amble Harbour, but it was low tide and there were too many large gulls around for a tired auk, so I took it to Druridge Bay Country Park for a fresh water wash and brush up. Here, the lake often holds fish eating birds such as the recent Pacific Diver, it was relatively sheltered ( for an ocean going bird, maybe not for soft humans) and I thought it would give Guillie a chance to recover while the sea flattened off a bit, so it could fly back to its usual habitat. The sea is only a matter of a 100 mtrs from the lake so it could even smell it, for later on.

The cat box was opened and the bird couldnt wait to run down the boat launch and swim off strongly. It seemed fit enough, preening and flapping before settling in with some wintering coots.

  
While here, I decided to check the other birds around.

There were a good number of wildfowl including 6 Scaup, 5 Pochard, 44 Tufted Duck, 8 Red breasted Merganser, 4 Goldeneye, 4 Wigeon, 4 Gadwall, 2 Little Grebe, 20+ Coot, 20 Moorhen, 20+ Mallard plus a Sparrowhawk, Redwing, Siskins, 3+ Bullfinch and 10+ Tree Sparrows.

A walk down to the north end of East Chevington North Pool found a similar selection of species including - the now regular Pacific Diver, showing well, the closest bird on the water, 1 Slavonian Grebe, 8+ Scaup, 5 Red breasted Mergansers, 30+ Goldeneye and 4+ Pochard.

Then it was time to head hom to get warmed and to have some breakfast...

A drake Merganser facing into a strong Nor Easterly...

Nothing to Crow about...

What a bird...

 A very humid night continued through the day. The morning was misty and drizzly, but warm. Not weather we are used to here in Northumberland. By lunchtime it was hot and sunny.

We decided to check the coast between Amble and Boulmer for waders at various sites. First stop was Amble braid, where 3 Common Sandpipers, 2 Knot and 3 Sanderling were with 100+ Redshank feeding on the estuary. In the car park, rubbish was strewn everywhere and we wondered about the mentality of the litter louts responsible, then this handsome Carrion Crow appeared. Clearly the guilty culprit, I suppose he is to be forgiven, when he was just looking for breakfast.

From here it was on to Warkworth Gut where the highlight was a group of 3 Little Egrets on the new pools. How long until they are a regular breeding bird here I wonder? Its only a few years since one would have caused a twitch!

Foxton Bends  only produced singles of Greenshank and Whimbrel early on, and two Common Sandpipers later. 50+ Swifts were screaming over the village.

Top - Merganser, bottom, Goosander. 

 At Boulmer, a day flying Barn Owl was at Seaton Point, but holiday visitors made the waders flighty. Summer plumaged Turnstones, Dunlin and Knot mixed with Redshanks and Oystercatchers on the shore.

A few Goosanders flew past the point alongside a single eclipse Red breasted Merganser for comparison.

Knots.

A similar selection plus a few Ringed Plover were in front of the Fishing Boat Inn. Later this afternoon I popped down to Craster for a short seawatch, my first of the autumn(?). A hour produced 17 Manx Shearwaters, 4 Roseate terns plus the usual auks and Gannets. A Porpoise looked unusual lying like an alligator on the surface for a while before diving out of sight. Maybe it was eating something?

So, this week I am at work on Monday and Tuesday then off for a few days. Cant wait...