The Last Picture Show

[of 2012!]

Unexpectedly we squeezed in an extra day's birding up in the Saltholme/Hartlepool area. An early departure made the most of the day and we were in the marina at Hartlepool by 9.30 watching the large number of red-breasted mergansers [well into the teens]. Females are often shy so I was pleased with this shot. A bit scruffy - bad hair day - compared with a goosander!

Red-breasted Merganser Males are pretty smart.

Red-breasted Merganser I got some flight shots too. Let's compare goosander and merganser.

Goosander

Red-breasted Merganser

Well, let's see the merganser again...

Red-breasted Merganser Red-breasted Merganser Some birders had a quick look for the black-throated diver and left. I was more persistent and took Barry round to the other side of Jackson's Landing where he soon spotted the diver among even more mergansers. Here's a few more photos of this great bird. It comes in many guises and can look completely different from differing angles and in changing light. Here goes...

Black-throated Diver Black-throated Diver Black-throated Diver Black-throated Diver Black-throated Diver Black-throated Diver A little grebe was also pottering nearby among the pontoons. Difficult to photograph it barely stayed above water for more than a second or two.

Little Grebe We moved on to Newburn Bridge where the med gull was still present along with turnstones, oystercatcher and redshanks. At Saltholme we went to the Wildlife Watchpoint. Things were pretty quiet but I photographed a moorhen and for once I got what I have been looking for. Perhaps I'll leave it at that as far as moorhens are concerned!

Moorhen

A walk around the reserve produced many distant curlews and a fair mix of wildfowl including a nice pair of pintails.

Pintails A kestrel was busy quartering the open ground and we had multiple views culminating in a hover almost above my head. The final shots in this sequence have only been very slightly cropped. Real frame fillers!!

Between the high tension power lines.

Kestrel Kestrel Safe landing.

Kestrel Kestrel Kestrel This one is my favorite however.

Kestrel Finally in the Phil Stead hide [where all was very quiet] I photographed this goldfinch.

Goldfinch Before we left we parked at the roadside and finally spotted the barnacle geese bringing our day total to 50.

Looking back over the year I wondered what was my favourite image. Close call between a number of birds but I do love this one, so I'll end the year on the crest of a wave!

Firecrest                                                                       2012:                 Yorkshire 134

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