Nice place, nice sights,but don't flash the headlights.

After another pretty fruitless visit this morning on the normal dog walk ( the highlight being showing a few folk the male Woody banging away in Marine park after they where wondering what the noise was). I treated Jan to a couple of hours or so in Boldon later on this afternoon... No not Asda this time! but a area just south west of here. She was so thrilled at this prospect she came equipped with a book, blanket and reading glasses as I had mentioned we maybe waiting here a while.




I left Jan in the car to her book when I parked up and wandered up the small road to view the fields here. After walking 50 yards or so away from the car I picked up a Short-eared owl doing the edges of a field to the west just before seeing a Peregrine flying off to the east. Walked back and found Brian S. viewing half way back to the car, nice to see Brian again!.. So we got Jan onto the bird and then another Shorty flew up with the first..great stuff!

A first happened for me soon afterwards, one of the Shorties was "buzzed" by a large female Peregrine which flew onto a pylon after this. She rested here for a few minutes before flying off east.(probs the same bird I had seen earlier). I say first because it adds to the list of raptors etc. Ive seen Pergs. "Buzz". - White-tailed and Golden eagles, Hen Harriers, Kestrels, Sparrowhawks and Buzzards that I can think of off hand.

No Shorties showed in the half hour we stayed after this event..not surprised!

So a canny couple of hours, 2 Shorties, 1 Perg., 6 G.Partridge, a dozen or so Fieldfares and countless Woodpigeons coming into roost. And!........ Same Red van seen passing 4/5 times, Blue van 3 times, black vw passed at least 6 times and numerous other dodgy looking folk. Our lass was "eye balled" by a copper passing as she sat reading, don't know what they would have thought to her.....

No stunners photo wise but great all the same.

Passed the flats on the way home and you could hardly get parked. Since the Eagle owl story has hit the media it's gathered a lot of interest.