Birding in Northumberland

Spoonbill, Budle Bay

Spoonbill

Female Eider, Seahouses

Herring Gull taking Eider duckling, Seahouses

Murder!

Eider duckling, sibling of the deceased youngster.

Sanderlings, Beadnell beach

Newton pool

Little Tern, Beadnell

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To be honest there was not much birding done in Northumberland this time. Unfortunately we arrived late and had to leave 2 days early and most of the time we were there was spent scoffing glorious food at the Beadnell Tower hotel or just mooching on the beach. This is the fifth time we have been here in the last couple of years and we really love the place - it is fabulous. Fortunately we will be back in September for another week.

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The highlight of the birding that did take place was on Tuesday night. After dinner at the Tower hotel (where a Spotted Flycatcher was feeding in the trees) we went for a quick drive up the coast. More as an afterthought than anything else I decided to stop at Budle Bay - a large mud flat just north of Banburgh. The tide was well out and all that was apparent was a group of gulls washing in the channel. Plus a big white thing. I quickly got the scope out and was chuffed to bits to find the big white thing was a Spoonbill. It was just after 9pm by this point so a few dodgy digiscope shots were all I could manage. The bird was seen earlier in the day flying over Low Newton by Gary Woodburn (aka Newton Stringer) - see his blog and website for more details of the area.

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On Sunday I spent a couple of hours at the tern colony at Beadnell beach. Lots of Arctic Terns there - I would estimate at least 350 with around 30 Little Terns and an odd Common Tern. A few Sandwich Terns were also feeding just off shore. A Peregrine (probable male from size) flew over the colony and terns shot all over the place. It took them approx 30 mins to calm down afterwards, not helped by the resident Crows continually sneaking in.

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Wednesday morning was spent doing a circular walk with Billy. I started off at High Newton where I spotted a Yellowhammer and a Tree Sparrow in the hedge by the road. After parking up at Low Newton, I walked by the tin church to the National Trust station, did a bit of seawatching, then along the cliff (little one) path to Newton pool and back to the car park. Nothing stupendous but I did clock up 56 species. The weather was sunny but windy and lots of seabirds were on the move up the coast. In 30 minutes approx 340 Gannets and 150 Fulmars passed along with large numbers of auks and a few terns. No Skuas or Manxies though. By Newton pool I saw Willow and Sedge Warblers along with a cracking male Stonechat. In the afternoon a large Greenland type Wheatear loafed around in the garden where we were staying - pity it wasn't an Isabelline's!

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Thursday morning saw another trip to Beadnell tern colony. 10 Ringed Plovers (9 adults, 1 juv) were present along with 2 Dunlin and 4 Sanderlings. The latter I followed across the stream called the Long Nanny and all the way back up the beach to Beadnell harbour. Unfortunately the light was crap and photography difficult. In the afternoon the sun came out and Karen and I had a trip to Seahouses. Watching the Eiders being fed (approx 45 birds present) I noticed 2 young ducklings. One of these, sadly, decided to wander off on its own and was soon picked up by a Herring Gull. It was not pleasant to see the gull wandering around with the head of the eider in its bill and the eiders feet paddling like mad. The duckling was swallowed whole.

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Out on the Farnes I felt that the number of Puffins was down compared to last year though it is obviously difficult to determine accurately. A couple of Turnstones and a female Red-breasted Merganser provided a bit of variety. There were also quite a few black-billed first summer Arctic Terns around to provide a nice pitfall for the unwary when searching for Roseate Terns! Can't wait for September and coming back for some serious birding.