NE Englaland 03.07-08.07 Family birding

 A week in Northumberland:) What a place and how things have changed in the North East - Avocet and Little Egret were very rare species as I was growing up but are now rather common.

Kicked off the week with a family visit to Salthome pools - an RSBP reserve in the middle of one of the most heavily industrialised areas of the UK. I've seen it time and again - even out in Øygarden where more birds breed in areas where industry is the main priority than in nature reserves. Equinor's plant at Kollsnes probably supports more breeding waders than the nature reserve at Tjeldstø. No disturbance from walkers, dogs, photographers and no f***ing cats mean that such areas seem to work better than "available" nature reserves. Don't get me started.

This has pretty much always been a fact but times change. When I was growing up in the NE species like Avocet and Little Egret were very rare. Now they are common and regular breeders there. Next stop Norway?

At Salthome  I saw a lot of species I don't see much of in Norway with around 40 Avocet avoset present along with Little Ringed Plovers dverglo and a bunch of wildfowl that would have set pulses racing back home:) , Marsh Harrier sivhauk, Stock Dove skogsdue and a whole bunch of other species were seen here - without even trying.

 

Avocet feeding, impossible to film without background conversation in the hide. People: can't get away from them and shooting them is frowned upon even in these enlightend times:) - even in nature reserves

Grey Partridge rapphøne in my Mum's garden near Darlington

Little Ringed Plover dverglo at Salthome Pools

Hare

Avocets

In Northumberland Common Buzzard musvåk were exactly that common!:)

Half an hour sitting on the sofa at my Dad's place in Seahouses produced a few Manx Shearwater havlire heading north along with a pale phase Arctic Skua tyvjo and hundred/thousands of Gannets havsule, Guillemots lomvi, Puffin lunde and Razorbills alke.

Meeting up with daughter #1 at Cresswell a sudden downpour  saw us running for shelter as the rain set in. Nauturally the hide overlooking the pools there was the place to go Over 20 Avocet avoset, 12 Little Egret silkehegre, a Med Gull svarthavemåke, several Little Grebe dvergdykker and A LOT more besides made me wonder if I am living in the right country. How on earth can a country as over populated as the UK have so much birdlife compared to Norway?

Five minutes at Monkshouse pools near Seahouses which were spent on the phone resulted in what would have been a mega haul back in Norway with Gadwall snadderand, Shoveler skjeand, Little Grebe dvergdykker, Coot sothøne and a whole lot more. How on earth can a place under so much people pressure produce so many birds?

Northumberland 29 June - 10 July - Summer hols

Ten days back "home" in Northumberland were largely dedicated to family stuff but I did manage 10 minutes at Druridge bay, a day out at Lindisfarne as well as family walks in the Hartope Valley and at Newbiggin-by-the-Sea.

Part of a flock of Manx Shearwater havlire, Newbiggin-by-the-Sea. Northumberland, 03 July 2016

Mediterranean Gulls svarthavemåke were, as usual, a feature at Newbiggin with a few different ages groups represented. An early morning walk with my grandaughter gave cracking views of Manx Shearwaters havlire close in - something not quite reflected in the pictures here.

Avocet avosett, Druridge Bay, Northumberland, 04 July 2016

Little Owl kirkeugle, Druridge Bay, Northumberland, 04 July 2016

Ten minutes at Druridge bay on 04 July gave plenty of decent sightings with Avocet avosett, Little Egret silkehegre, a flock of Black-tailed Godwit svarthalespove and an obliging roadside Little Owl kirkeugle were the hightlights.

Dunlin myrsnipe were among returning waders seen at Lindisfarne, July 2016

Sanderling sandløper, Lindisfarne, July 2016

On 06 July a number of returning waders were already present at Lindisfarne nature reserve including flocks of Sanderling sandløper, Knot polarsnipe and Bar-tailed Godwit lappsove. The were also good numbers of Little Terns dvergterne in the area. I was informed that is now a criminal offence to take pictures of the latter species - though quite how true this is away from the breeding sites remains to be confirmed.

June - July 2011

 Avocets at Cresswell ponds, Northumberland

Offshore in the North Sea, no birding at all but had three Manx Shearwater flying past during a muster drill off Montrose and plenty of all the usual seabirds inshore off Aberdeenshire.

Fifteen minutes birding in Northumberland (without binoculars!) produced Avocets, Little Gull, Bar-headed Goose and plenty more besides.