Teesside

Me and Mark headed up to Teesside this morning as there were a few bits to go for, started at Hartlepool Headland where a juv Black Guillemot has been for the last few days, it took some finding but we got good scope views when it was found, some Common Scoter and Red Throated Divers close in as well. Went to Saltholme next and with news the Blue Winged Teal was showing we headed straight over to the Allotment Pools and got reasonable views of what has been an extremely elusive bird, a drake now moulting out of eclipse plumage. A few Waders were showing from the main hide including Little Stint and Pectoral Sandpiper but they weren't close also a small flock of Barnacle Geese there, dont know if they are genuine or not but they do look nice, also one ot two Wheatears and Whinchats around but no sign of yesterdays Jack Snipe. Mid afternoon we headed round to South Gare but unfortunately found the road was closed today, a bit at a loss what to do we finally ended up at Fairburn Ings where we ended the day with a bit of photography.

distant Pectoral Sandpiper

this Ruff was more obliging

a dirty Black Tailed Godwit

shaking off the mud

American Black Tern

Hot on the heels of photographing the juv Black Tern at North Cave me and Andy nipped over to Covenham Reservoir on Sunday morning to see its American cousin, the bird showed very well on and off throughout the morning and there were also two Red Necked Grebes and a showy Dunlin on offer as well. In the afternoon we headed over to Donna Nook initially to search for migrants but we ended up walking out over the beach to the sea in the hope some Skua's may be close, there were a few Waders feeding along the shoreline a small flock of Terns included an adult and a juv Roseate, but the only Skua's were a couple of Arctics out at sea, with a black cloud looming we decided to head back, about halfway we had one final scan with Andy picking up an adult Long Tailed Skua flying over the beach where we had been stood, couldn't believe it if only we had stayed out there another five or ten mins. We ended the day at Far Ings but it was relatively quiet here, the best bird was a male Sparrowhawk sat on a post drying itself after a recent shower.

the Tern occasionally rested in this field

the beach at Donna Nook

a few Terns

included these Roseates

Shaggy Inkcap at Far Ings

North Cave & Blacktoft

Not back to work till next week so took advantage and had a couple of afternoon trips out, a nice sunny day on Thursday tempted me out to North Cave Wetlands for a bit of photography, it was a quiet start but things picked up a bit when I found a pair of mating Migrant Hawkers by the the Dragonfly Pool then ended very well when I got back round to the Main Lake where a juv Black and adult Arctic Tern were flying around.

 On Friday as the forecast heavy rain didn't materialise I nipped to Blacktoft for a couple of hours, again it was fairly quiet the only wader of note was a single Spotted Redshank on Marshland Lagoon however a few Snipe were feeding right in front of the hide, its been a while since I've had any at a decent range for photography and also a young Hare came out and fed on the grass for a while.