Monday, October 10, 2011

October 10 2011

I stayed cool with the Lesser Scaup that was at Tynemouth Boating lake, not getting there till late afternoon.
Lesser Scaup Lesser Scaup
I had been out birding all day with Roger, just doing the Druridge bay sites from south to north.
At Cresswell early on it was raining and quiet. The Peregrine was on it’s favoured perch and a single Fieldfare was seen flying past the hide, but very little else was there.
Chevington next, and the goose numbers were down, but the were still two hundred plus Barnacle Geese there (and the Snow Geese). A different Marsh Harrier from the two seen on Friday was on show.
The water is at a nice level on the north pool and a flock of Knot are roosting there, about eighty birds today. A small wader seen in flight took some tracking down but eventually a Little Stint was seen briefly, before it took off and headed north over the horizon and out of sight.
We moved on and went to Hauxley reserve. A small roost of waders, Bar-tailed Godwit, Grey Plover, Turnstone, Curlew and Redshank was all that the star reserve had on offer.
I was nearly home when I got a text from Alan, saying that the Lesser Scaup had been re-found at Tynemouth. I called in at home, had a cuppa and then some tea, before I set off. I didn’t need it as a county bird so I was cool. As it was I miss judged the light, arriving with not enough daylight left to do justice to the bird.
I’ll just have to try again!

No comments: