Friday 16 September 2011

Twenty One Today

No, Dear Reader, not my age, nor weight in stones, nor my IQ, but the number of additions to my Life List this year, and today's has been a very long time coming.

Church Point for 07:15 and very soon joined by Andy McL, Dave D (but without Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich) and Alan G, and much later Bob B.

What a very busy 3 hours that followed, with:
Great Skua - N
Arctic Skua - N
R-t Divers - N & S
Black Tern (J) - N
Gannets of all ages - N
Auks - N
Teal by the dozen - N
Common Scoter - N
Sooty Shearwater - N
Manx Shearwater - N

The highights were 6 Velvet Scoter landing on the sea close in before continuing north after a wee rest, and THE best, 5 skuas north but not too close, one of which was definately an adult Pomarine.

Thursday 15 September 2011

Little Stint Before Dusk

Having braved the wind on Monday and been confined to barracks on Tuesday, Wednesday evening with its lessening winds and warming sum merited a trip up to Cresswell to see the Little Stint.  Like other bloggers, I have been increasingly wishing that someone would turn the country 180 degrees and we would benefit from the Sab/Grey Phal/Leach's/Baird's/Buff-breasted fest that the west coast has had for the last three days.

I believe we get some very modest easterlies on Sunday, so who knows.

In fading light, the Little Stint was located on the ever-increasing sand-bar/mud flat outside the hide at the pond, along with 11 Dunlin

Plenty of other activity but nothing of note, it was quite relaxing to see the wee fella and his minders feeding like mad and illuminated by the diminishing sun................

Sunday 11 September 2011

Good Start (Poor Ending)

Walking the dog along Horton Burn at half seven this morning a Kingfisher flew east.  Nice!

13:30 to 15:30 this afternoon, a walk around Royal Newbiggin had nowt but Linnets and the odd Mipit near the Ash Lagoons.

From Beacon Point (having nearly been wiped out by an errant drive that ended up with the ball landing on the lower tier of the 5th tee):
Dunlin
Golden Plover
Knot
Eider
Common Scoter
Cormorant
Bonxie (1 x N)
GBBG
HG
BHG
Sandwich, Arctic and Common Tern
Oystercatcher
Redshank
Teal
Kittiwake
Manxie (1 x N)
Curlew
Whimbrel (1 x S)