Well slap me down and take a strap to my back as I've not had a wander along the South Shields pier for about 3 weeks until today (shocking I know!). But the lure of this site is getting stronger in my veins as the Tern nesting season is fully underway and hopefully their bairns will be gracing this area within the next few weeks again once fledged.
Only a few adult Common and Sandwich terns in hunting mode on this visit today and best part of the time a little too far off for target practice with the camera, but excellent to see and try for shots never the less.
This 'non-adult plumaged bird' flew about hunting for a little while..a bit of a 'raggy' looking individual. Could well be a non-breeder, which it looked to be.
And then it flew off in the company of these two adults. Parents perhaps, last years offspring.?
Its not the first non- summer plumaged tern I've seen around this area at this time of year and nearly all have behaved in this way.
8 Curlews went over heading north with a Bar-tailed Godwit in this group, these being the only waders seen today here.
Can you tell the Mackerel season has started..? This is only a small portion of the mass of people dipping their rods along the pier today...
Couple of phone grabs from Bishop Middleham quarry just over a week ago, first time I've seen Northern brown argus and canny few on show in the sheltered areas here, mind over 100 have been reported here last weekend!...wow.
I've spent a few days on the moors of late around the Northumberland/Durham border just west of Derwent. Many a wader chick legging it, Red grouse bairns and adults all over the place, male Merlin seen twice, Ravens...(at least 3-4 different birds), Singles of Woodcock, Kestrel(male), Buzzard, Cuckoo(male).
Heads down ..the 12th isn't far away.
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