Exciting times ahead we hope and a really sad phone call.

About noon today I received a phone call regarding this Hen Harrier female being found by a dog walker near to the A19. The bird had a damaged wing and unfortunately this injury resulted in the bird being put to sleep after the RSPCA collected the bird from the site and took it for veterinary treatment. A big "downer" this news today. But thanks Keith mc. for the info. and photo mate.

Shots from yesterday of the work being carried out at the Whitburn point LNR. Two pond areas are being "lined" which where originally formed many years ago but they did'nt hold water for long. So the Coastal Conservation Group has took the project on to try and transform this area of our coastline. This has been a huge undertaking with our small group and just shows whats possible when like minded people do something positive.

A grant from the lottery fund has been secured for this work which has taken over a year to be put in place. Plus all the time and effort many a folk have put into this project!..countless site visits with various contractors, unpaid time off work, holiday days taken, countless meetings, endless emails, red tape issues, planning permission and consultation with the NT and ST council (the two orgs. have been a massive help).

So this is the liner being positioned yesterday in front of the wooden viewing screen on the larger pond area. Behind the Shearwater housing est.

A view from the other end of pond/liner looking at the screen here.

Rear view of the wooden screen.

Second pond scrapped out yesterday, viewing from the south end of the project. Obs. to the left in the distance.

Our first major project, updates to follow.

And here's the bairn

Another quick trip along to Sunderland harbour area today. The Adult Iceland Gull was still doing the rounds of the harbour area here dropping onto the water occasionally to feed with 2 Kittiwakes for company today.
Wandered around to the Marina area and picked up the Juvenile bird on the small beach just up river from here. This bird allowed stunning views once me and Max got down on the beach.

Nice White-winger!

Nipped down the coast today to visit the harbour mouth of Sunderland where a adult Iceland gull has been seen. As soon as I left the car it flew over my head and behind the apartment's here......bugger! But thankfully it returned. Mr Scott and his good lady where onto the bird as I arrived at the old pier here, the above shot shows what greeted me here.

After this the bird seemed to do a circuit every now and then of the habour mouth disappearing from sight at times only to reappear a little later.

Stunning views had at times as it flew very close.

This Kittiwake was in the harbour area today also.

Along with 5 Red throated divers, 2 of which where higher up the river than the marina.

And a Rock pipit for company also on the pier.

A few shots on the dog walk duties.

Its been not too bad the last week or so for waders around the S/Shields pier area whilst on dog walking duties.(my excuse...Max knows this patch as well as me now). 9 Purple sands has been my best count so far this winter here from a few days back.

This Common gull is becoming a regular sight here now, looking for scraps off the fishermen etc.

About 140 Pinkies flew over the end of the pier today as we where about at the second gate. Seems to be a bit movement of geese over the last few days.

On the rocks before the pier a few days back. Me and Max sat within 15 feet of the birds just enjoying the view.

This little bugger showed for 2 days before the bird race hanging out with a tit flock in North Marine park, no sign of it a day before or on the day of the race.

My best count of Sanderling this winter so far around the Pier/Sandhaven area. This was obtained a few days back with 17 here.

Yesterdays South Tyneside bird race

Our team (myself, Jason and Paul Dan.) kicked the day off at Trow quarry as the light was just dawning and hardly a bird was active yet. As predicted a “No” Little owl show on this visit but you have to try especially before it becomes too busy here.
A few commoner birds did start our list off here and the only Reed buntings we encountered today on the mound here. Shags flew into the bay from the south that had probably been roosting on Marsden rock not long after I said “ nee shags!”. And our only Red throated diver flew across Sandhaven bay.
North Marine park was on our hit list next- Normal wildfowl on the lake to be ticked off and the treed area produced tit flocks(including 2 Coal tits), Green and Chaffinch, plus our first Woody “heard” but not seen.(this counts on these races).
Along to Marsden car park…..hardly a gull in here so went into Marsden old quarry next. Again “No” show Little owl.
Quick look at Marsden bay followed with very little showing on the sea area but a group of gulls where on the rocks in the north of the bay which I know to be where the “car park Med. Gull” hangs out. Jason spotted someone starting to feed the gulls in the regular car park for this gull here and gulls where leaving the bay heading for the free meal. Feeding frenzy here but managed to pick the Med. Gull out in this before it flew off back into the bay.(just as well as it’s the only one to my knowledge around here at the moment).
Quick look at Whitburn old church followed but was fruitless.
Boldon flats next stop off- all the expected species plus a bonus of a Peregrine which Jason and Paul seen before I caught up to them.
We drove along the Newton Garth farm approach road to view a certain field here which produced our only Grey Partridge 5/6.
Colliery woods- Quick look around the older plantation here and our only Lesser Redpoll seen on the eastern side of here. And thanks goes again to a local resident of the Cotswolds housing est. for keeping their garden feeders going here. Bullfinch and Willow tit ticked off.
The “western Boldon” area produced nowt for our team but the other 2 teams did better!
A new site to include on the bird race followed- Cock crow inn pond area. Female Goosander, Siskin and Jay added to our list here.
Quick look in on Saxon way- couple of Mistle thrushes added to the list(we where struggling thrush wise).
Slake road area- A Little grebe (sorry I still like the word Dabchick, must be my age I’ve been told.) was between Old Jarra bridge and Church bank. Shelducks and Herons in the usual spot viewing from the Don’s mouth….and our first Eider flew down the Tyne.
Jarra cem. The thrush count was starting to “nag” on our minds (along with other dips) by this time so a nice group of Redwings here was a pleasant sight. Also a couple of Woody’s flew over.
A quick look at Harton cem. on the way back to the coast didn’t add to our tally…I had hoped for Song thrush, the situation was getting desperate!
Marsden old quarry (again) still nee Little owl…the writing was on the wall “it wasn’t to be this year” with this species and a canny few others found locally.
Whitburn area- Visited here around this time of day today because of the tide (2pm-ish). This was about an hour before high tide and the wader numbers seemed well down since my last visit especially with Dunlin , but Shields pier has a canny “rest up” number (50ish) along with other waders around high tide so this could explain this. A few more birds for the list picked up here including- a single Barwit, Sanderling, Purple sands and Dunlin. A single Golden plover flew off towards the range field (the only one we seen!) and 5 Scoters on the sea here. But no Ringed plover! Marched the lads along to Jackies beach with the promise of seeing a Ringed plover here……Not a one in sight when we reached here. So off we headed down to Shields pier to see a Ringed plover next (desperate measures!). Thankfully a few where rested up on the side of the pier otherwise I would have been in the Tyne I think!..Nowt else picked up here.

We decided to call it a day after this and head back to the meeting point and maybe catch some of the Sunderland match in the pub. The car park here produced our final tick as 120 or so Pinkies went north as we waited here. A pretty poor total of 72 species recorded by our team and the Mc. brothers team. The winning team Mr Browns( inc. Andy W., Walter and Peter) picked up 78 species. Total of 88 species seen between the 3 teams.

Glaring dips by our team- Sparrowhawk,Pheasant, Song thrush, Auks and Little Owl. Dips by the other teams include- Med.gull, Golden plover, Barwit, Little grebe and Shelduck.

A great day none the less and hopefully next year the birds (especially over the sea) will be more plentiful.

And today one of the first birds I seen entering Marine park was a…..Sparrowhawk gliding thro- the trees here. And 2 Guillemots beside the pier…. Typical!.

Temptation got the better of me.

For a while now a Desert Wheatear has been showing nicely on a beach up north, until today I had resisted the temptation to “Twitch” the bird. But the better half fancied visit to pastures further a field last night and on waking this morning she wasn’t well, so buggered off on me own.( well she wouldn’t like the wind conditions today anyway).
Once out of the car at Newbiggin a couple of familiar faces appeared…lads from a tad further south than me, nice to see Derek B. and Davy J. again and glad as they saved me a longer walk to the area favoured by the bird.

Less than a mile trek north along the beach a few folk where positioned as if praying….when I reached them it became apparent why!, the little beauty was feeding along the edge of the beach/grass here. Plus the wind conditions played a part in this.

After about half a hour I departed feeling very pleased about the whole experience of this little bird hopping around feeding within 12 feet away at times. Photo wise I got what I got.. just pleased any turned out with the wind conditions.

Dropped into Marden quarry for the Lesser Scaup again- still sticking to the centre of this pond area on this visit, so nee better photo's of it. 3 Goosanders present(2 males and a female) plus Stock doves males displaying.

A couple of visits to the pier area.

A couple of dog walks around the local pier area the last couple of days have'nt been great for sightings but nice all the same. And not great for photo's either.

A few Razorbills off the pier today........like most of the birds, never coming close in on these visits.

Couple of the Rock pipits showed better, these are a nice sight in Winter here looking for scraps along with a few semi-tame Turnstones.

And today I counted 34 Shags between the S/Shields pier and Trow, many of the birds in small groups. The condition of the sea here allowed a good view over this bay type area. Also 4 Red throated divers in this area, another 2 Red throats in the Tyne area between the Shields piers.

This "non-winter" converted Black headed gull has been on Marine park lake the last couple of days, along with the "almost" resident drake Mandarin and around 30 Tufties and 3 drake Pochards. Mute Swan numbers slighty increasing.

Yesterdays visit was at high tide and waders where rested up on the usual northern side on the pier. Around- 50 Dunlin, 20 Redshanks and 10 Oystercatchers, 3 Purple sandpipers on the approach to this point. 25 Ringed plover on the return leg almost on Sandhaven.

8 Sanderling on Sandhaven today, low count for this time of year.

And.........I had to look twice viewing this sight today. Ive seen this before here but its still a strange one especially from a distance!