Around the doors today

Started off this morning by visiting Whitburn with Max. The tide level was a couple of hours away from beeing at its highest and most of the waders where rested up on the favoured higher rock positions here. But the numbers of waders here for this time of year didn't seem anything like what they normally are, especially with Sanderling 25 being my best count on this visit. Sandhaven beach at South Shields has also had very few of these waders visit so far.
Only a few Golden plovers on what was left of the exposed rock area they like here, and none on the rifle range field!... strange I thought and never encountered the flock today dispite visiting a few sites.
A couple of Barwits and 4 Purple sandpipers with the other waders at Whitburn and a couple of Red throated divers just off. The beach area was very poor, I didn't even come across a Rock pipit!.

Dropped into Boldon flats next- No Geese present on this visit but Teal and Wigeon numbers on the increase here now. Also Lapwing and Redshank numbers on the up.

Newton garth farm- Quick look here as Ive not dropped in for a while, hundreds of Rooks and Jackdaws in one of the horses fields and a covey of 15 Grey Partridge along with the normal gulls.

Saxon way, Jarrow. First of two visits here today - Waxwings still present around this area and a few behind this street doing their flycatching act. I managed to count 63 birds as they where settled before a Sparrowhawk flew over and put every bird in the area up! (ending the count before I had finished) and the show was over as the Waxwings flew off high towards the Don valley.

On my second visit today to the Jarra hotspot for Waxwings(they had returned) a few more thrushes showed than on my first. At least 8 Redwings and 4 Fieldfares but fewer Mistle and Song thrushes now in this area. Noticed this ringed Waxwing on this visit.

Between the Waxwing encounters I visited Red barnes pond area(behind the Cock crow inn,Hebburn) not been here for a while. Keith Mc. posted on the CCG forum about this female Goosander being present here a few days back, so popped along to have a look today. She didn't disappoint coming to "sliced white" supplied by the locals duck feeding here. Nice sight in ST.!

8 Siskins showed on arrival here.

There's still a few berry days left in Jarra so we hope the show continues.