A windy day on Teesside

A few bits and bats tempted me and Andy up to Teesside again today via Scaling Dam and Cowbar, at Scaling Dam there was a good selection of Wildfowl on the Reservoir plus three Bewick's and a Whooper Swan on fields across the road, at Cowbar it was blowing a gale but despite the difficult conditions half a dozen Lapland Buntings were eventually found and as we got back to the car a small flock of Snow Buntings flew past as well, we then headed off to Teesside paying Lockwood Beck Reservoir a quick call hoping for some Bramblings seen there yesterday, no sign of them today but Grey Wagtail was a year tick. At Teesside we started again at Ward Jackson Park in Hartlepool as Andy needed Ring Necked Parakeet for the year, a couple of them duly obliged, then it was on to the Headland but once again the White Wingers continue to elude us and there was no sign of the Glaucous Gull at the Fish Quay, nothing out of the ordinary on the sea and just several Red Throated Divers and a Med Gull off the Pilots Pier. There was nothing at Jacksons Landing again nor was there any sign of the Black Redstart at Newburn Bridge. The White Fronted Geese were still on Seaton Common but there were no Gulls to search through so we moved round to Cowpen Bewley Woodland Park where the drake Ring Necked Duck had returned but was taking an afternoon nap. Later we had a quick look from the Phil Stead hide at Saltholme but Black Tailed Godwit was the only bird of note there then we ended the day at Dormans Pool where a Marsh Harrier came in to roost. Not a bad day I got 10 year ticks but again some of the recent good birds eluded us.