East Chev Stoat.

Nothing much about on the bird front on Saturday morning on a visit to East Chevington. The thing is you never know when or if you will see anything, that's my fascination with getting out and about in Northumberland. Literally minutes from leaving and on my way back to the car this Stoat appeared out of the reeds and onto the edge of the main track that runs between Druridge C.P. and Druridge pools and along the eastern edge of the north pool at Chev. It sat and looked at me for a moment but disappeared the moment i moved slightly to get a decent shot with the camera that i had slid gently from my side. I didn't move and seconds later it reappeared before darting across the path, stopping to take a look then it proceeded to run directly towards me before quickly turning and disappearing again. Wonderful.

Smarter than any Meerkat

Iceland upon Tyne

At North Shields Fish Quay.

Diving off the pier

Tynemouth Pier that is.

Druridge Dragons

 These two male Hawkers posed nicely along the path leading to the Oddie hide at Druridge Pools Sunday morning. Others were on the wing inc at least three Migrant and a couple Southern Hawkers with two Common Darters perched in amongst the Brambles. I used to see many Migrant Hawkers along this path before they disrupted the habitat by renewing the path. Far fewer Darters and various Damselflies seen here now. Other species must have suffered also. All that so humans would have a nice path to walk along and not get their feet wet in the winter. A nature reserve managed by a wildlife trust …… so much for wildlife !!!!!

SOUTHERN

MIGRANT

Divers off Tynemouth Pier

There must have been a shoal of some sort not far off the pier end as hundreds of Terns, mainly Common & Sandwich, were plunge diving into the North Sea. I' will often see Terns in the mouth of the Tyne but this morning they were joined over a period by a decent number of Gannets. I see Gannets passing back & forth along the north east coast regularly with Newbiggin being a particularly good place for close encounters but they don't feed that close in normally. Today however the Gannets joined the Terns some 20 metres or so from where I stood giving amazing views of their diving. Not only the sight but the sound of them hitting the water was brilliant.

 

Gannets

                                                                  Sandwich Tern

On the cliffs under Tynemouth Priory at the beginning of the walk the Kittiwakes seem to be having a good breeding season. Here's an adult with a chick

DUCK !!!

…. actually it was a Spoonbill but I thought I might have to duck at one stage.