It is just so ridiculously easy to see loads of birds in North Northumberland!
However, I remember as a young teenager in my formative years of birding I always wanted more: to travel to other places or go off chasing rarities. I never did either of these things. Whenever I am back on the home turf I see that I had no idea about how lucky I was growing up surrounded by birds. The area has its disadvantages but lack of birds is not really one of them.
Arriving in Seahouses in the late afternoon on 14th September we walked along the beach from Seahouses to Beadnell in glorious weather. It was high tide so there were some wader roosts and plenty to see along the shore. Two things marred this walk - the number of dead Guillemots lomvi on the high tideline and the sheer number of people disturbing the waders that were still trying to feed. How they can survive I have no idea.
In the few hundred metres between Seahouses harbour and Annstead point there were
Grey Plover tundralo 11
Turnstone steinvender 45
Dunlin myrsnipe 10
Oystercatcher tjeld 88
Bar-tailed Godwit lappspove 19
Curlew storspove 19
Redshank rødstilk 36
Sanderling sandløper 10
The next day we went inland to Wooler and took a stroll at Hedgley Ponds. Nothing remarkable in a North Northumberland context but a Little Egret silkehegre, an unseasonal Whooper Swan sangsvane, 10+ Little Grebes dvergdykker and good numbers of wildfowl including at least 20 Gadwall snadderand were among the sightings here.
No birding on 16th September which was damp and blustery - but 10 minutes from the living room showed that there was plenty passing over the sea including a few Manx Shearwater havlire feeding just off the harbour wall.
Also stopped at Monksouse Pools for a couple of minutes - 200 Lapwing vipe and a nice selection of wildfowl. Birding is just too easy here!
On 17th September I seawatched at Annstead (Seahouses) for a hour without a scope.
Gannet havsule N 275
Common Scoter svartand N 38
Teal krikkand N 9
Shelduck gravand N 1
Kittiwake krykkje N 32
Golden Plover heilo S 12
Fulmar havhest N 3
Sandwich Tern splitterne S 1
Little Gull dvergmåke N 4 (3ad, 1 1cy)
Wigeon brunnakke N 1
Manx Shearwater havlire N 1
Arctic Skua tyvjo S 1
Red-throated Diver smålom S 7
Plenty of Guillemot lomvi, Razorbill alke, a good selection of the usual waders etc
In the afternoon we moved onto Holy Island for a night seeing Little Egret silkehegre and Merlin dvergfalk from the causeway as we drove on.
We did the "usual" round, down the straight lonnin, along the north shore, a stop at Emmanuel Head, another stop at the Lough and back down the crooked lonnin. Plenty to see without anything remarkable. Emmanuel Head was perhaps the best with birds passing constantly 100's of auks, 35+ Common Tern makrellterne heading south, several Red-throated Diver smålom, a couple of Brent Geese ringgås and more.
Amazingly three Ruddy Duck rustand flew over whilst we sat in the beer garden of one of the island's pubs:) I learnt from other birders I met that Caspian Tern rovterne, Honey Buzzard vespevåk and American Golden Plover kanadalo were among the best sightings earlier in the day!
The following day I took a walk but never made it past the straight lonnin where a Red-breasted Flycatcher dvergfluesnappr was the highlight. Also Pied Flycatcher svarthvit fluesnapper, Whimbrel småspove and more here.
Unfortunately it was all too soon time to leave but we popped in at Budle Bay on the way south. 1000s of gulls, 1000s of wildfowl and 1000s of waders! 10 Little Egret silkehegre, a Mediterranean Gull svartehavmåke , 10+ Shoveler skjeand, 15 Brent Geese ringgås and so much more. Should have had more time and a scope:)
No comments:
Post a Comment