Yuk

I have to admit that i didn't particularly enjoy my mornings birding today. A vicious at times, chilly wind coupled with squally showers and miserable conditions was a far cry from the trip up to the Druridge area on Thursday. Add to that the fact i was one layer light and i ended shivering a couple of times, it wasn't the best. The wind meant that the smaller birds were generally tucked away and i was to be disappointed looking or indeed listening for a nice warbler or two.
Only 4 Avocets at Cresswell Pond early on. It was nice to see a couple of Snipe showing on the sand bar along with many squabbling Redshank. A lone Curlew spend much time preening while a pair of Black-tailed Godwit dropped in for a far too short visit. I spent the majority of the morning encamped in the hide at Cresswell not fancying getting jostled about in the wind and not knowing when the next shower would come through. One of the Barn Owls kept coming and going to keep both me and the banks of lenses happy, when they weren't disappearing for cover in their cars.
Off to Druridge for what was going to be a short visit and as expected nothing out of the ordinary with one exception, for me anyway. I was pleased to see 4 Tree Sparrows on the feeders at the back of the Budge Screen as i watched and listened for the non existent warbler. The Lapwings were doing their thing but sitting in the Budge Screen hide wasn't pleasant at all so that was curtailed. With nothing but a dozen or so Tufties and a couple of Canada Geese on the main pool i left.
It's quite a suprise how often you see Tree Sparrows at different sites these days. I saw a pair examining holes in the tree where the Little Owl used to be sighted up Druridge Lane (if that's its name) for a second time in two weeks last Thursday. It doesn't seem that long ago that Big Waters was almost the only place up here you would have been guaranteed views of this charming bird.

One of the two Godwits as they departed.