Northern delights

Sunday the 15th I was out with Mark and we were joined by young Ellis, a York birder we've met up with a few times out birding with his Dad and old Dave, our mate from Rochdale, after a little deliberation we decided to head up to Teesside after Saturdays photogenic Bluethroat, singing Great Reed Warbler, long staying Whiskered Terns, Blue and Grey Headed Wagtails plus other goodies, we started at Haverton for the Great Reed Warbler but there had been no sight nor sound of it early morning there was also negative news on the Bluethroat at Hartlepool Headland, typically it was looking like there had been a big clear out overnight however a report came in that at least the Wagtails were still present. We headed off to Seaton Common but couldn’t believe it when we were informed the Wagtails had disappeared, we had a good look around the area eventually finding a distant Yellow that proved to be the Blue Headed but that flew off again after five mins, we decided to cut our losses and head up to Holy Island where a Subalpine Warbler was showing well and was being mooted as a possible Moltoni’s, as we were leaving the five Spoonbills that had been reported on the Common somewhere were seen circling high as they moved back to Saltholme. We called in at Crimdon Dene en route to check out the Little Tern colony, very impressive numbers this year and there was also a little flock of summer plumaged Sanderling on the beach, arriving at Holy Island early afternoon we headed straight out for the female Subalpine Warbler encountering a female Bluethroat on the way, further on the Subalp performed very nicely, by this time it had been determined as just a Western but a well marked female nevertheless, nearby there was a male Bluethroat but this one was being a bit elusive and although we managed to entice it out a couple of times it was never going to be a poser. During the last hour Dave went off to find a Dotterel, Mark and Ellis went for another session with the Subalp and I went back to the female Bluethroat. Not many Raptors today, just a couple of Buzzards as we were driving up and a Peregrine over the causeway as we left. 

Meadow Pipits

and Sky Larks on Seaton Common

Little Terns were good value

greetings

female Bluethroat

female Subalpine Warbler performed well although very active

action shot

male Bluethroat was playing hard to get

after a bath

female again although she kept her distance