Just a few pics and words from this year ;-)

 It started with a 'twitch' more or less when the Pacific diver showed well in Drurigde bay cp.

 Still 'ower the water' (only just ;-) I sight I will never forget...A Glauc.gull being robbed by a Great blacked backed.

 Dipped the one in Marine park a few times...Iceland gull, North Shields.

 Long-toes on the Don banks earlier this year.

 Rare visit over Weardale.

 Couple of Jarrows finest

 Ain't had the pleasure of a Goldcrest preening like this before! ..almost glued to the spot. (just exhausted migrants normally)

 And then its getting lower than a snakes belly time ;-) first Common blue of the year and just waking up.

 Well I couldn't leave these little bettlers out in ST  post... especially after recording them at 3 different sites this year. (Dingy skipper) there's more I'm sure to be found and reported. ;-)

 Mating Small Coppers in Jarrow, first time I've been lucky enough to see this.

 And its been a canny year for the Banded demoiselles compared to last year.

 Small heath

 Short interlude...Washington WWT . Nice company from the wader lake hide

 Ok...couple more butterflies.  Ringlet- fresh. and Coma below.

 Flying bombs. Cannot better Marsden bay for action,sound and smell in the breeding season along our coastline. Love and protect always!!

 Slip-slidding away, wrong ledge. ;-)

 I'll keep this one brief...'Terns' (not like me )

 Pretty average this year again number wise- but I'm pleased to see Sandhaven does have more folks reporting sightings this year on twitter etc. Great stuff ! spread the joy!

 My best count was 3 adult Rosy and 2 juvs on a visit this August. ..nowt better than sitting with terns. Gutted when I was house-bound in the latter-half of the this season.

 This Juv. Cuckoo didn't half give good views in Trow .

 The Whitburn Bee-eater above the wooden viewing screen .

 And this 'puddle duck' by the pier.

What goes around comes around.

 I'm blogging this as I've never seen the likes before and confirms how clever/clued up the adults birds are here. Today I had't to venture over the water and had thoughts of dropping into the fish quay for a while this afternoon. At first this Juv. Glaucous gull sat rested on one of the shed roofs here, before eventually dropping down to join the feeding frenzy of mainly immature Herring and Great-black backed gulls in the gut.

This bird bossed its way to the front of the by-catch throw out-as expected

 Did a few nice fly-byes in the gut

 Followed the bird onto the river side of the quay- wasn't long before 'wiser' eyes made this birds efforts in vain.

Star of the show for me.

 First chance on Saturday to view the Waxwings in the centre of South Shields resulted in a 1st for myself, never seen a Waxwing so young looking. Eventually edited a few takes of this bird which I did get slightly excited about at the time.

 Big crops - but a fantastic short time had.

This years Roseate tern experience on Sandhaven.

Unfortunately this tern season I've had no way near the amount of visits I usual make.Never the less I managed to double my count from last year(one adult and a Juvenile) on a couple of occasions this year, great stuff! ..but the canny counts from a few years back seem to be a thing of the past now.
This years show started on the 6th of August- with a adult and Juv.

Managed to get slightly better views-

Pity about the light for these one's.-

Next sighting was on the 14th of August- 2 Adults and 2 Juvs..(.this being the only occasion I seen 2 juvs this year).

On the 15th of August- 2 adults briefly on a morning visit and a adult and juv. seen from the pier side late afternoon.

On the 22nd of this month 3 adults and a juv. The paired Roseate terns didn't have any offspring with them but still displayed a bond. The beach was virtually empty on this visit (which, made a change) so the terns were pretty much settled allowing great views.

This years joy was over for me after the 4th of September when 4 adults graced the big beach on the morning , one of the birds having no jewellery on display. 

And on the evening visit this day 2 adults rested here. 

So it hasn't been the worst season ever for sightings here, hopefully some folk have had better numbers on this busy beach.  Wake me up again next July... ;-)