Friday 7th December

December 08, 2012 • Leave a Comment

Diversity!

Reports over the last few days of a great northern diver in the marina in Hartlepool led me to venture forth after a week of abstinence - mainly due to the weather. The drive up was sunny and problem free although I could see snow dusting the western edge of the North York Moors.

Once in Hartlepool I drove straight to the Premier Inn on the marina estate and parked [it's £1.00 for 3 hours]. I walked over to a group of birders.

'There it goes!' one cried. Can't believe it, I thought - it's flown the moment I arrive! I pointed the camera skyward. Autofocus was slow to lock onto this now distant bird. But here it is: disappearing great northern diver heading out to sea.

Great Northern Diver I smiled at the bloke next to me.

'Don't worry,' he said. 'There's two of them. The other's over there!' He pointed. That put a real smile on my face. Here's the other one.

Great Northern Diver I often assumed that these birds find refuge from bad weather or simply are exhausted when they spend time in a harbour location. Perhaps, however, there's another reason. Shelter with easy pickings. I was lucky to see this.

Great Northern Diver Great Northern Diver Great Northern Diver A couple of more conventional poses from this bird which didn't seem to mind our presence. We were very near to it.

Great Northern Diver Great Northern Diver Great Northern Diver Great Northern Diver Great Northern Diver I decided I had done very well and would head down to Saltholme. I stopped en route at Newburn Bridge to see if my ever-present med gull was ever present! As I walked down to the wall a lot of waders were still present although it was over two hours since high tide. I panned to follow this group of sanderling being led by two ringed plovers.

Sanderling + Ringed Plover In my rush I had left my bins in the car. I tried to find the med gull using the camera as a sort of binocular. Is this my friend?

Black-headed Gull Because I couldn't see his dark tail I thought for a moment but, no, it's a BHG too.

Then I saw another bright bird in the sunshine on the rocks.

Black-headed Gull This is another BHG, as I can now see quite easily. At the time I was still unsure so when he took off I followed him carefully as he flew north along the shoreline.

Black-headed Gull I saw him turn and head back but somehow in the mix I must have confused two birds as this one flew back to his favorite rocks!!

Mediterranean Gull Mediterranean Gull Tiggy and I headed for Saltholme to get a sack of bird seed. Soon done I spent a few minutes looking at nothing whatsoever in the Phil Stead hide. Back at the car I saw that they were reporting great northern divers and a black throated diver now at the marina. After a few moments thought I decided to return and have a look. I would be thrilled to photograph both birds - neither were ticks.

I soon found the great northern. Picture of the day, I think.

Great Northern Diver Great Northern Diver Close by was a cormorant [I carelessly assumed] which, on closer inspection, turned into a very friendly frame filling shag.

Enter shag portfolio!

Shag

Shag Shag We are sailing...

Shag I couldn't find any sign of the black-throated diver and no other birders were now present. I drove round to the preserved paddle steamer PS Wingfield Castle as I could see some mergansers distantly and wondered if the BTD was down there too.

Red-breasted Merganser Only a cormorant nearby. I decided to drive round to Jackson's Landing in case the bird had swum round that side. Eureka moment!

My first view.

Black-throated Diver Some better views of a bird that was always much further away than the great northern and rarely stopped preening.

Black-throated Diver Black-throated Diver Black-throated Diver Black-throated Diver Black-throated Diver The light was failing. Eventually the bird flew further down the basin and I called it a [very good] day.