Just love a all day visit up north.

A trip organised over the last few weeks came off yesterday with a fine mix of folk attending. First off we headed for Holy island and picked all the usual waders whilst crossing the causeway here and plenty of Pinkies on the move. A nice walk followed around the main part of the island and Davy F. picked out a Spotted Redshank on the small pond area just south of the Toilets. Nice start! Plenty thrush's along the straight Lonnen mainly Redwings and Blackbirds also Skylarks heard everywhere on the island, many in full flight song. We tried to turn Kestrel and Sparrowhawk into Merlin on the way around the dunes area....but it just wasn't happening.


Then a rest up beside the tower produced Red breasted Merganser,C.Scoter,Red throated divers and one of the lads picked up a Red necked grebe (Davy G.). A scan towards the mainland from here showed Brent geese in good numbers.


Another lovely visit to one of my favourite places with nice weather conditions too!. Even if nowt rearly rare showed.





Off down to East Chevington next- Wow the place is lifting at the moment with wildfowl!


Had to be at least 1500 Pinkies along with a good flock of Greylags and with them the 3 Bar-headed geese. Also a canny size flock of Barnacles flew in and landed in a field here. A pair of Pintails and a imm. Great crested grebe with the thousands of other commoner waterfowl here also. The water level here at the moment is excellent for waders and a good number where just infront of the southern hide area including Ruff's and Knots.


I also picked up a late Swallow going over the south pool here.

Cresswell was the next stop off- Not long after getting out the cars here 13 Whooper swans dropped into a field behind the pond and a large number of Pinkies present in around the same area here. As soon as we had entered the hide a lad here put us all onto 2 Jack snipe just infront of it. My best views and a few others present of this species( more used to "spooking" them whilst walking around). Excellent to watch the birds feeding whilst "bobbing" away, almost comical!. A family group of Whoopers present on the pond ( 3 juvs,2 adults) another R.B merganser and our only Dabchick on this trip. A group of Knots (40+) being the highlight wader wise here except for the snipe. And the only Stonechat encountered up north today was seen by the parking area here.

Clearest shot I got of the Jack snipe, it was'nt a great day for photo's but excellent all the same.

And our last stop off was Marden quarry on the way home..( no its not a spelling mistake this one is in Whitely bay). My first visit here along with just about everyone elses on the trip. Really nice place that I never knew existed.

It didn't take long before the star bird here was picked up across the other side of the flooded old quarry area. Only my second Lesser scaup and also another lads in our company in over 40 years of birding, along with being lifers for some. So this was a little special!

With the light going fast and the duck not wanting to approach closer than the middle of the lake here in the 30 minutes or so we where here, these are the best record shots I got.

A full day with excellent company to sites myself and others love to visit.

And thanks goes to a certain N/land. lad regards updates info. etc.