A trip up North

Trip up North with Mark and Andy today to Hauxley where a Greater Yellowlegs had been found yesterday it was still present this morning and showing well accompanied by a first winter Grey Phalarope, even managed to get some photos despite the murky weather and full hide. After having our fill of the birds there we headed back South calling first at Marden Quarry, Whitley Bay for an immature Lesser Scaup that has been there for a few weeks now, not a big pond so we soon located the bird but the light was still bad, then it was on to Teesside, a quick look from the Phil Stead hide at Saltholme didn’t produce anything better than a Little Egret so we headed off to see if we could find any Twite at Seaton Snook but got distracted by seven White Fronted Geese on Seaton Common and while photographing them news came over that the Semipalmated Sandpiper was showing from the Greatham Creek road bridge having been pushed off Seal Sands by the rising tide, it was closer than the last time we saw it but still too far away for a decent photograph, also a few Common and Grey Seals hauled out. We ended the day at the top car park at Dormans Pool to see if any Owls or Raptors were around, none seen apart from a Kestrel but the Cetti's Warbler called several times.

the star bird

and also a Grey Phal

immature Lesser Scaup at Marden Quarry

from the Phil Stead hide

one of the seven White Fronts on Seaton Common

Common Seals in Greatham Creek