Dalliance

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=i2QKooUdW8I

This years dalliance with the Northumbrian coast continued in late October.  We stayed right on the coast at Cresswell at the southern end  of Druridge Bay.  With the coast, wetlands and scrub all in walking distance there was plenty to enjoy on the doorstep.  A northerly aspect to the wind on arrival prompted a look at the sea which was jam packed with Re-throated Divers, a posse of Little Gulls were feeding offshore and a drake Long-tailed Duck sped north.  On the beach an emaciated Redwing proved the North Sea can be a formidable barrier for even our most abundant arrivals.

Although the wind was turning towards the south I felt good about a dawn vigil at the point next day.  It turned out to be a corker.  As dawn broke Pink-footed Geese streamed southwards, totalling several thousand birds at sea.  Auks were moving in huge numbers too, all northwards.  I did minute counts through the watch never going lower than 120 per minute, a conservative minimum would be 10,800 passing in the hour and a half.  Amidst this alcid blizzard a couple of northern bullets, Little Auks whizzing north were hoped for and enjoyed.  Duck were on the move too with flocks of Wigeon, Teal and Scoter joined by Goldeneye, Mergansers  Eider and Velvet Scoter.  A Merlin came straight in off the sea, whilst a Peregrine harried Gannets further out. Even better a ringtail Hen Harrier also came in from far offshore and winged to make landfall in the bay.  A couple of late Arctic Terns and Swallows flew over a Med Gull on the sea.  There was so much going on I was full of birding bliss.  I did tear myself away to check the pools and bushes but a Little Stint was the best I could muster.

 

I checked the sea the next morning to see if the auk movement was a daily spectacle, although there were still hundreds moving it was clear that the previous mornings movement had been "a thing" a re-orientation of birds displaced by the recent northerlies.  Although the birds had slowed the sunrise was a spectacle and I was able to enjoy watching the waders and gulls assembled on the rocks, which included some smart young Meds and pristine Purple Sandpipers.

Later that day we headed up to Lindisfarne and Bamburgh.  A large flock of Pale-bellied Brents fed amongst the waders out on the mudflats but there was not much else of note despite a good look around the village trees and shore, not too surprising in SW breeze.  I headed back that way next morning to look for the returning Black Scoter at Goswick which was a lot of hard work, however the site was beautiful, a wild and desolate coast and there was an abundance of waders, gulls and geese, including a hundred strong gaggle of Barnacles, and a few good views of the North American vagrant.

The last morning of our trip I joined my dad to watch the sunrise, a striking arc of colours.  We had to pack our cars and leave by 10 so I didn't check Cresswell Pool - a shame as I'll never know if the Long-billed Dowitcher found next morning had actually arrived a bit earlier.

Our potter back to York took in a visit to St Mary's Island and Whitley Bay where the family enjoyed rock pools, Seals, a cracking adult Med Gull and some showy Lapwing, one of the worlds best looking waders.