Friday 28 January 2011

Picking up a bit!















The last week or so around the doors hasn’t been exceptionally inspiring to say the least! Countless visits to Marine park and the Pier area have been fruitless really with nowt out of the ordinary…even Shags seem to have departed Sandhaven bay area on most visits this week.
The feeders at Westoe cemetery continue to hammered! Between myself and Rob A. so far this year we have supplied over 80kg. Of wild bird seed this winter period along with countless fat balls and other food items…Also a few other locals have contributed here helping the birds out when they can.
But its all been worth it as the small feeding area and its surrounding area have attracted the best numbers of birds I’ve seen here in 4/5 years of visiting…Finch flocks have exceeded 120+ including 4 Brambling, long tailed tits early this year in excess of 30+ and the local population of House sparrows and Commoner birds have taken full advantage. Not bad for an old Cemetery in the centre of South Shields which is a basically a local dog walker site!
Anyway back on track with today’s findings…8 Pochards(6 males) in the South Marine Park. My best count so far this winter.
Pier area – Over 120 Dunlin, 30 odd Sanderling and 25 Ringed Plover rested up on Sandhaven rocks beside the pier. Turnstones along the pier after scraps off fishermen and 4 Purple sands picking at the rocks on the north side of the pier just past the first gate.
Marsden bay- (after viewing all the B.H.gulls along the leas…no Meds.!).. 5 Common Scoter on the sea along with 10 Razorbills, many a Fulmar on nest sites and also on the sea. Also 1 R.B.Merganser flew south.
Then I passed the parking area to visit the Academy which the field beside it held flood water..did a double take and turned back! Spotted a Wader here. Aye just as I thought and confirmed with better views…Off the coast Knot! Not as off the coast as the one I found last year at Herrington but canny all the same!.

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