Few hours today

 Started out today at the Academy pools, a very easy to forget visit..nowt really showed.
Then headed to Whitburn- 5 Bar tailed Godwits and 20 Sanderling in the small bay area. Then my first Swallow of the year flew over.! Quickly followed by another 2 along the cliffs here.

 Trow this afternoon- 6 Wheatears(5 males) in the two bays here and 5 Sandwich terns off Sandhaven beach.

 This is the only female Wheatear Ive seen so far this year.

 18 Turnstones and 6 Purple sandpipers in the 2nd bay. Probably the pier birds as it seemed a little rough on the south side of the pier today.

Turnstone wars where going off here!

A few more sightings this week.

 Ive watched this Mistle thrush nest for a week or so, its on a public path and right next to private housing and playing fields. At first I thought its got no chance of survival because of its location and how low to the ground it is. But I was over the moon to see one of the parents feeding at least 2 young the other day in heavy rain conditions..and also a Magpie was chased off during this time.(now that brought a smile to my face, song birds 1- corvids 0). Mistle thrushes are excellent parents,anyone one or anything venturing too close to their nest or young will be attacked...

 The Academy pools yesterday... this Cormorant showed well on the side of the larger pool along with 2 others. At first I thought a bit of grass was hanging from the birds bill......nope its fishing line.

 It wasn't until I moved around a little the true horror of this birds plight became known to me. It looks like its swallowed the hook end of some type of sea fishing tackle ...( no expert on fishing kit.). There's little hope for the bird really and catching it wouldn't be easy either.

 Stuck this one on because it highlights the reason why Lizard point car park is closed to the public. Neither the Council or the National Trust can guarantee safety here...careful where you walk.

 Still the birds love it, pleased to say.

 And one or two imm. Kits follow the full adults to nesting sites.

Nice one from the ringing hut yesterday afternoon.



Otterly Brilliant!

 We visited the Washington WWT today and I doubt we will forget this visit in a hurry!. This was our second visit in the last few days and whilst we seen more or less the same things on both visits, today's was a tad special. Whilst in the wader hide here a bloke and his 2 young lads came in and told us he had just seen 2 Otters on the Wear. By the time we got out and looked there was no sign. So we wandered a little further down river to the kingfisher type screen area, that's when the better half spotted 3 heads swimming out towards the far back.

 Once the female Otter and her two well grown offspring reached the far back they began to fish along here.

 We watched the 3 of them for about 5 minutes as they worked the bank area and came out of the water a couple of time to feed on their catch.

 They then headed up river and we lost sight of them...
Well that's Otters in Scotland, Northumberland and now Sunderland we've seen ...A South Tyneside one would be nice now!.

 Oh and the other stuff wasn't bad either! 8 Avocets on Monday and 7 showing today, a cracking summer plumaged Black -tailed Godwit(both days) and the constant Heronery entertainment...to mention a few.

Whitburn point gathering

 This was the scene at about 11am this morning at the Whitburn point LNR pond project, 14 volunteers turned out to lend a hand.Not just members of the CCG or from our area,but like minded folk willing to lend a hand. Also Senior lads on hand to advise...  

 Fantastic effort made in just under two hours, a ton or two of soil etc. moved.

 Also the world was put to rights..

 And Jimmy not only brought his own shovels but a bottom- less flask..

Graham and the rest of us hole diggers where feeling a tad done in near the end.

Over the border ( Tyne wise).

 Another one of those "where to go for a few hours trips" today with the better half. Eventually headed off into North Tyneside and the first port of call was a cracking site which has been developed so well over the years into a visitor friendly type establishment(far cry from 25-30 years back I think). I think this Red deer Stag vouches for this, he's been here years I believe. Today he was competing with the horses for carrots etc. supplied by a local in one of the fields. Its just a pity the poor stag has no hinds to care for.
Birdy wise today wasn't great, all the usual stuff but nice all the same.

 Still a unreal sight viewing a stag in Wallsend!..

After the highlands of Wallsend it was the Tundra regions of Killingworth for our next port of call. This Whooper swan was keeping its distance but seemed semi-tame amongst the masses of Mutes here, always a strange sight I think to come across in duck feeding areas( One of Arcots finest has informed me the birds been here months. cheers!). Loads of Tufties on Killy lake along with other common wildfowl but no Great Created Grebes on show whilst we where here. Still a nice visit, got to be a year since our last one here.

Day two of the fill up.

 Down again today to the Whitburn point LNR to monitor the filling of the ponds. What a cracking sight the south pond looked this morning (above shot). The fire lads had left the water running after I had left yesterday just to let the south pond fill a little more.

 And probably these are the first ducks to have landed on the south pond!..Later on a Moorhen was around the edges.

 So it was on with the North pond today.More lengths of hoses where required for this one and a tad more pressure.

 A small blockage in the existing pipe was soon cleared and about 50 snails and other debris came rushing out with the force of the water.

The scene when the water was shut off after nearly 5 hours. Work is still in progress with this pond and a bit more tweaking to do. Early days in both ponds lives but what an enhancement they will be to our coastline!

A drop of the wet stuff.

 It was the grand launch day for the Whitburn LNR pond project on Sunday gone which went extremely well. The Major and Mayoress for ST turned out with loads of local folk to celebrate this project's practical completion. ( well almost complete!). Whilst the weather has been kind regarding getting the ground work etc. done its not been great for the wet stuff....bar yesterday.

 So severval weeks ago frantic efforts where started to get the ponds filled artificially, not what we really wanted but....needs must. After many a email and phone call Northumbrian water give the go-ahead and the Fire department agreed also to help out. The only slightly down side was it just didn't come off in time for the launch.
So at 10.30 this morning the Shearwater est. was invaded by 2 fire engines and a water board van in search of a missing hydrant. The lucky owners of the front garden where the hydrant was on the plan, got away with not having about 15 blokes digging it up only because a kind resident allowed access though thier garden around the corner.
11 am the water started to flow!

 It was all too much for theses lads

By 4pm this was the scene when I left for the day...almost full. Never been so happy to see a Herring gull ! this one landed briefly for a small inspection.